NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 9: They Came Wearing Badges
The day started normal.
Too normal.
Donnie could feel it from the moment he stepped into the Academy's central courtyard. The clouds were too still. The air too clean. The sounds of training around him had the mechanical rhythm of a well-rehearsed stage.
He checked the message on his Trace Band again.
> Response Arrival Estimated: 0 Hours
Status: ENGAGED
Classification: Red
They were already here.
He just didn't know where.
---
"Students, gather at the North Hall," the announcement blared.
Donnie followed the stream of trainees heading toward the amphitheater. A briefing? That wasn't part of the schedule. Not for midweek. Not without reason.
Veera caught up with him halfway.
"They're here," she whispered.
"How do you know?"
"Because they've brought visitors."
Donnie frowned. "What kind?"
"Instructors. External. Guild-class."
His heart dropped.
They entered the hall. Four figures stood at the center of the stage. Three wore Ridgewood's deep blue insignia, but the fourth was different. Dressed in a silver coat with crimson trim and a high collar, their eyes scanned the crowd with surgical precision.
Donnie felt those eyes land on him.
Just once.
Then move away.
The man in silver spoke.
"I am Deputy Valen of the Trace Guild. I'm here today as part of our advancement and outreach rotation."
His voice was calm. Even polite. But everything about his presence was… off.
"Over the next two days, we'll be observing exceptional students whose trace potential may qualify for early induction into the National Guild Circuit. These evaluations will be quiet, impartial, and respectful."
Donnie clenched his fists.
This wasn't an invitation.
It was a test.
And he was the lab rat.
---
After the announcement, Donnie tried to slip away—back to the West Yard, or to Room 2C. But his Trace Band pinged again.
> You have been selected for initial Guild demonstration.
Location: Arena 4 – Observation Level
Attending Officers: 2
Required: Active Participation
They weren't going to wait.
They were going to press him.
He arrived at Arena 4 and found the platform already active. Trace barriers shimmered around the walls. Students gathered on the upper level, murmuring in confusion.
Two men waited on the ground floor.
One was Deputy Valen.
The other wore Ridgewood's regular colors, but his badge was outdated. Too polished. No wear. No years.
Donnie stepped into the ring.
Valen greeted him with a small smile.
"Donnie Reeve."
"Sir."
"No need for formality. You've caught attention."
Donnie said nothing.
Valen glanced at the other man. "This is Instructor Harken. He'll be sparring with you lightly. Just a rhythm test. Nothing dangerous."
Harken stepped forward. "You've been marked as showing hybrid trace behavior. We're here to determine stability."
Donnie nodded. "You already know the answer."
"We want proof."
The room quieted.
Donnie removed his jacket and took position.
Harken raised one hand. A blunt trace weapon—something between a baton and a blade—formed with white-blue energy.
Donnie said nothing.
He launched first.
Spiral Surge—clean, fast, familiar.
Harken dodged effortlessly.
But Donnie expected that. He shifted mid-motion, stepping into Shatterstep—a hard angle pivot with unstable recoil. Harken blocked, but barely.
The crowd above stirred.
Valen narrowed his eyes.
"Again," Harken barked.
Donnie obliged.
This time, he faked the Spiral, dropped into a reverse Ascending Spiral, and ended with a partial Collapse Edge—a slash meant to force stagger.
Harken's block shattered.
He skidded backward three meters, landing hard against the barrier.
The room went silent.
Even the other students stopped whispering.
Donnie stood in the center of the ring, panting.
Valen clapped once.
"Very… enlightening."
Donnie straightened.
"Is that enough demonstration?"
Valen stepped forward. "Almost."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a data reader. He tapped a button.
Donnie's Trace Band locked.
Literally locked.
> Trace Movement Restricted – Remote Engagement Detected
Status: Review Lock Active
System: External Override
"What are you doing?" Donnie asked.
Valen smiled.
"We can't allow unregistered Break Arc types to roam unchecked. You're showing signs of contagion."
"I'm not spreading anything."
Valen tilted his head. "Yet."
He turned to the crowd. "This student will be undergoing a secondary review off-site. Nothing punitive. Just necessary observation."
Donnie stepped back.
"You're taking me?"
Valen didn't answer.
Harken moved in quickly—no longer playing.
He activated a containment loop. Donnie's feet felt heavy. His limbs resisted trace input.
They were sealing him.
He couldn't form the Spiral.
He couldn't even form the start.
He closed his eyes.
And whispered:
"Break."
The Trace Band flickered.
For a moment, everything inside it glitched.
The lock failed.
> Trace Recovery Override Detected
Internal Block Disengaged
Access Restored: 17 Seconds
Donnie moved.
Shatterstep—harder than before. Faster.
He broke the barrier line and dropped Harken with a single arc whip.
Valen raised a hand to freeze him.
But Donnie had already leapt out of the arena.
He didn't look back.
---
He ran.
Through the courtyard.
Past the dorms.
Toward the West Yard.
They'd come wearing badges.
But they weren't instructors.
They were executioners.
---
Donnie made it to Room 2C, out of breath.
Trace Zero was already there.
"I know," Zero said before Donnie could speak. "They moved too fast."
"They tried to take me."
"I figured they would."
Kaito and Lora stepped in behind him, both already laced in trace wear.
"We fight?" Kaito asked.
Donnie didn't answer.
His Trace Band blinked again.
> Temporary Recovery: 8 Minutes
Tracking Suppressed
Location Cloaked
He looked at the three of them.
"I don't want to run."
Zero nodded.
"Then it's time."
"For what?"
Zero smiled grimly.
"To show them what unranked really means.
© Anthony Osifo 2025 – All rights reserved.