Professor Pearl showed Ciel around many of the connected islands, which consisted of classrooms, arenas, and study halls.
Meanwhile, all the buildings on top were largely general offices and living spaces.
Throughout the tour, she made sure to give Ciel a lot of background information for the academy, which intrigued Ciel greatly at first, until she began talking about which year each building was built and the full list of the headmasters in chronological order.
At that point, he simply nodded along absentmindedly while taking in his surroundings.
The buildings underground had some resemblance to the outer city, but also held some unusually large buildings.
Even this massive cavern failed to dwarf their size completely.
Eventually she led him to her office, situated on the lowest floor of a wider, stout building.
Inside was a spacious room with bookshelves lining the back, and a large desk in the middle of the room.
The two sat on opposite sides, and Professor Pearl placed her hands on the desk.
“Now Ciel, I’m sure, you have many questions, but I’m going to have to ask you to wait for a while. The reason we spent the past few hours touring the campus is the same reason we can’t talk about Insight with people outside of this academy.”
She picked out a book, and flipped to a certain page before showing it to Ciel.
The page depicted a realistic drawing of a red shard that seemed to glow.
Ridges appeared horizontally and vertically in a crisscross pattern along its four sides.
“This is what we call a Founder’s Shard. It’s located somewhere under the city, burrowed in a location that is hidden to all but a few trusted individuals. It has two abilities that are vital for our society. Insight is something we rely so heavily on, but it’s extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. To safeguard this, we use this shard to ‘imprint’ onto people, only within the academy walls’ radius. Once imprinted, these people find it extremely difficult to speak about Insight with anyone who isn’t also ‘imprinted.’ This ensures Insight is gained only through the academy and is well maintained by the academy itself.”
Ciel had always suspected something prevented people from speaking about Insight but hearing it came from one object buried deep underground wasn’t what he expected.
It felt like he had finally been brought in on the secret that had been hidden his entire life.
Professor Pearl continued, “The second purpose is for our direct survival. Ciel, what do you know about the outside world?”
Ciel considered for a moment before answering tentatively.
“That it’s an incredibly uninhabitable wasteland, with random extreme weather, and monsters that survive only by eating each other, right?”
The professor nodded.
“That’s mostly true. The important part is these monsters. They appear everywhere, somehow surviving through it all using sheer numbers. They’re behavioral patterns are seemingly random, but we know one thing: They actively hunt traces of Insight. Any person or item with it will attract them, even from extreme distances. Leichren, and all the other sanctuaries, are like hubs for Insight. Normally these creatures would be swarming to these places, but they don’t.”
“So that’s the other purpose of the shard. To keep these monsters away. Do all the sanctuaries have them?” Ciel asked.
Professor Pearl nodded again.
“Each city has their own Founder’s shard. It masks Insight in a way, so they can’t detect it from afar.”
“These shards, what are they really?”
Learning about the properties of these shards made Ciel feel like he had skipped a lot of steps.
He barely knew what Insight was, and now he finds that it has to be actively masked to avoid an unending onslaught of monsters from the outside.
Naturally, this made him more curious about them, their origins, and their history.
“I’m afraid it’s all classified, most people just know its purpose. It’s too important to disclose more. After all, they are humanity’s only protection from extinction so… it’s best to leave it alone.”
Seeing Ciel’s disappointment, Professor Pearl continued, “So this is why we can’t disclose more, not until you’re imprinted fully, which can take several days to a few weeks.
However, even now we can share some things.
She leaned in slightly, a smile playing on her lips, “How about we talk about your Insight?”
A nervous sweat broke down Ciel’s spine.
He had thought long and hard about it, but it still didn’t feel real.
“So will I finally learn how it works?”
“Normally yes, but you might have to wait. After all, we don’t know what element you’re picking.” She chuckled softly.
“In all my years here, not once have I heard of someone choosing their own Insight.”
Ciel shifted in his seat.
“Do I have to choose now?”
“Yes, but I’ll give you a basic rundown first. Think of Insight as something that was always there, locked away somewhere you can’t reach. Now, imagine going directly into that place that you couldn’t reach before and grabbing it. Before you go in, you must anchor yourself to this side, so that you can return afterward. Right now, you get to pick which anchor you want. Each one corresponds to a specific element.”
The straightforward explanation surprised Ciel, although he believed that this was a rough oversimplification.
He would be lying if he said he was completely sure of his pick.
For the longest time he had considered fire.
It was his family’s element, and it always felt like the safest choice.
A small part of him was holding him back, as if wanting something more.
Ciel was silent as he thought back to his discussion with his parents.
He had always wanted to display his gratitude for taking him.
He always did what he thought would please them, even when it wasn’t the best choice.
Now they had told him not to.
“So Ciel. The choice is yours.”
What was his choice?
What was something that Ciel himself wanted?
Not what his parents wanted.
Not what he thought they wanted.
Not what anyone else wanted.
Ciel went back further.
Choosing an anchor.
An anchor…
Ciel almost muttered under his breath
Avoid the anchor.
The words of his father.
Was this what he meant?
Why had he wanted to tell him this?
Was it so important?
All Ciel knew was that he would have told him before his entrance to the Academy.
It has to be, Ciel thought to himself.
The first step to gaining Insight.
Choosing an anchor.
The last words of his father.
Avoid the anchor.
This connection changed things.
Ciel sighed inwardly.
But should it really?
Should he really scrap his own ideas for this?
Ciel furrowed his brow.
No, there’s a reason I thought of it.
There’s a reason I’m making this connection.
It’s me, not my father, Ciel declared stubbornly.
It wasn’t a decision anyway.
It wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Ciel leveled his gaze on Professor Pearl, who was eagerly anticipating his response.
“Is there any way to go without an anchor?”
For a split second, Ciel noticed her eyes widen with shock, before immediately reverting back.
A sudden premonition came upon him.
“Are you sure?” She asked in a low voice.
“That too is a choice. One that cannot be undone.”
Damn it, another choice.
Ciel’s face grew tense.
So it was an option.
He was now certain that his hunch was right.
It gave him more confidence in his response.
“I’m certain.”
Professor Pearl said nothing for a few seconds, sitting as still as a statue.
Ciel remained frozen as well, waiting for a reaction.
Eventually, she gave him a small smile.
“Very well, this changes the process though.”
Her smile vanished in an instant.
“This is a point of no return.”
Ciel didn’t respond, only nodding in turn.
In an instant the mood had darkened, making Ciel wonder what he was really getting into.
Professor Pearl studied him for a few seconds, making Ciel more uncomfortable.
Her mouth moved but no words came out.
Eventually she exhaled softly and finally spoke.
“If you are choosing to do this, I’m not permitted to stop you. With that being said, you will ascend in two days. Naturally it will be extremely dangerous. You’ll be trying to return from your trial with no direction, no map, no anchor. It’s not impossible… but it’s improbable.”
Ciel sat in silence, already losing faith in his choice.
“You will attend the entrance ceremony and the Academy ball afterwards. Do make sure to make yourself known, you will likely be gone for a while.”
“Gone?” Ciel asked in a squeaking voice.
“You will be undergoing your ascension trial,” professor Pearl said simply.
“We will perform a ritual to send you to the other side. Do not question the ritual. Do not question the place. The more you know, the less likely you’ll make it back. This world, don’t think of it as real, think of it as an imagined trial. Find the trial, identify the goal… and then find your way back.”
Ciel was beginning to suspect he had chosen his doom, but he couldn’t help but ask, “This isn’t the first time this has been done right?”
Professor Pearl shook her head, “it isn’t the first, and it won’t be the last. I pray to the Divine Flame you return.”
She stood up quickly.
“I’m afraid we’re out of time now. Make yourself at home here. Remember, don’t ask too much, you aren’t imprinted yet. Just enjoy yourself, for now. Also if this wasn’t obvious, remember, don’t tell anyone what we discussed today.”
With that, Professor Pearl left, leaving Ciel still sitting down staring ahead at her empty chair.
His eyes wandered around the room, without looking at anything in particular.
In the end, they fell on the book Professor Pearl had left on the desk.
A wave of curiosity surged into him, but he suppressed it.
After several minutes, he got up with a loud sigh and left her office.
Outside the academy remained mostly empty.
Ciel crossed many bridges, somewhat lost as he wandered around aimlessly.
The buildings were empty in their grandeur, making Ciel feel all alone in a world much bigger than he knew.
At some point, he found an elevator and returned to the surface, the evening sun painting the large square buildings a vibrant orange.
Inside one of these buildings he found an attendant who delivered him to his own room.
It was rather spacious.
Not as big as his old room in the Drake estate, but still clearly luxurious.
A study separated the entrance from the bedroom.
On his desk was a steaming plate of what looked to be a pork stew.
How hospitable, he thought.
I better enjoy these last two days.