Echoes of a Broken Order

Chapter 2: Whispers in the Halls

The morning light filtered through the small window of Elias's dorm room, casting a golden hue over the sparse furnishings. He had barely slept, his mind replaying the events of his first day at the academy. The weight of being an outsider—constantly watched, constantly judged—was more exhausting than he had anticipated.

Elias rose slowly, glancing at the academy-issued robes draped over the chair. The dark fabric was adorned with the academy's crest, a symbol that meant everything to the nobles, but to him, it was a reminder of the system he despised. He dressed quickly and stepped out into the hallway, where the whispers were already following him.

"Is that him?" a voice murmured from behind.

"The commoner? Yeah, that's him."

Elias ignored the stares as he made his way to his first class, the *History of Arcane Realms*. The halls of the academy were labyrinthine, each turn revealing another corridor lined with portraits of famous alumni and banners celebrating ancient magical victories. The grandeur of it all only deepened his feeling of isolation.

When he arrived at the classroom, the nobles had already taken their seats in the prime spots. The room was arranged in tiers, with the lower rows clearly reserved for the privileged. Elias found a seat near the back, away from the disapproving glances.

The professor, an elderly man with sharp eyes, entered the room, his robes sweeping the floor behind him. His gaze passed over Elias without a flicker of recognition, and Elias was grateful for it. The professor's voice droned on about the *Founding of the Great Mage Kingdoms*, but Elias's mind wandered. He had heard these stories before—tales of noble lineages, of magical bloodlines that supposedly made them superior. It was the same narrative that had justified the divide between commoners and nobles for centuries.

His thoughts were interrupted when a voice spoke softly next to him.

"You're wasting your time sitting back here."

Elias turned to see a girl, her silver hair neatly braided, her blue eyes piercing but not unkind. She wasn't wearing the expensive robes of a noble, yet there was something refined about her demeanor.

"Liora Vael," she said, offering a faint smile. "You're Elias, right?"

Elias tensed, unsure of her intentions. "Yeah. What's it to you?"

Liora shrugged. "I just thought you might want to sit closer to where the real conversations happen. Or maybe you enjoy listening to the whispers behind your back."

Elias narrowed his eyes. "And why would a noble care where I sit?"

"I never said I was a noble," Liora replied, her smile fading slightly. "But if you'd rather hide in the back and pretend the world isn't against you, that's your choice."

She rose gracefully and moved to the front row, leaving Elias with his thoughts. He clenched his fists under the desk, frustration welling up inside him. Liora's words stung because they were true. Sitting in the shadows wouldn't change anything.

After class, Elias found himself wandering the academy grounds, the weight of the day pressing down on him. He needed space, air, anything to clear his mind. His feet carried him to the eastern edge of the campus, near the Arcane Research Institute, where students studied more experimental branches of magic.

As he passed by a side courtyard, he heard a heated argument. Curious, he peered around the corner. A group of students stood in a circle, their voices raised in tension. At the center was Jax Mercer, the tech-savvy commoner who had introduced himself the day before, facing off against two nobles.

"Do you really think your little gadgets make you special, Mercer?" one of the nobles sneered. "Magic isn't something you can build with scraps."

Jax's face was calm, but his eyes burned with defiance. "Magic is more than your bloodline, Gregor. I can do more with one of my 'gadgets' than you could ever dream with your spells."

Gregor stepped closer, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. "You're still just a commoner. And you'll never be more than that."

Elias felt a surge of anger as he watched the exchange. He knew that feeling all too well—the constant reminder that no matter how hard you worked, how much you learned, you would always be beneath them.

Without thinking, Elias stepped into the courtyard. "Leave him alone."

The group turned toward him, surprise flickering across their faces. Gregor's sneer deepened. "And who do we have here? Another commoner hero?"

"I said leave him alone," Elias repeated, his voice steady.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Gregor laughed, the sound harsh and mocking. "Oh, I see. The scholarship boy thinks he can play the hero now. This academy isn't for people like you. You're just here to amuse us."

Elias felt the familiar rage boiling inside him. His fingers twitched, and for a brief second, he felt the pull of his Dimensional Echoes—alternate realities brushing against his mind. But he suppressed it. This wasn't the time.

"You can either walk away," Elias said, his voice low, "or I'll make you regret it."

Gregor's expression darkened, but before he could respond, a voice cut through the tension.

"That's enough."

Liora Vael stepped into the courtyard, her presence immediately commanding attention. The nobles stiffened at the sight of her, their postures shifting from aggressive to cautious. Even Gregor, for all his arrogance, backed down slightly.

"We're done here," Liora said, her gaze fixed on Gregor. "You should leave before you embarrass yourself any further."

Gregor muttered something under his breath but turned and walked away, his companions following. Jax exhaled slowly, visibly relieved, and turned to Elias with a grateful nod.

"Thanks," Jax said. "I wasn't sure how that was going to end."

Elias shrugged. "I'm getting used to it."

Liora approached, her expression unreadable. "You handled that well," she said quietly. "But you need to be careful. The nobles don't take kindly to being challenged. They'll come after you, one way or another."

Elias met her gaze, a mixture of gratitude and suspicion in his eyes. "Why do you care?"

Liora hesitated for a moment, then simply said, "Because change has to start somewhere."