Malcolm's hands wouldn't stop shaking.

  He stood in the small antechamber adjacent to the Grand Hall, trying to calm his breathing as he waited to be summoned before the Council of Flames. Through the carved wooden door, he could hear the muffled voices of Academy officials and the occasional sharper tone that could only belong to Councilor Nayama.

  "You look like you're about to face execution, not give a demonstration," Elder Mozu observed, leaning on his gnarled staff beside Malcolm. The old man had appeared just minutes ago, claiming to be "passing by," though Malcolm suspected Master Seiran had sent him as moral support.

  "Feels about the same," Malcolm muttered, wiping his palms on his robes for the tenth time. "The Council could actually expel me if they don't like what they see, right?"

  The elder's weathered face creased with a hint of amusement. "They could, but they rarely act so decisively. The Council prefers lengthy deliberations and extensively documented reports to immediate action."

  "That's... reassuring? I think?" Malcolm ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair, disheveling it further. His reflection in a nearby decorative mirror showed a pale face with dark circles under the eyes—evidence of his late-night preparation.

  After his encounter with Councilors Nezeth and Nayama in Professor Liko's class yesterday, Malcolm had spent hours refining his demonstration plan. The Boundary Stone that Master Seiran had provided sat cool and heavy in his pocket, his secret weapon for showing results without revealing the void pool's true nature.

  The door opened suddenly, revealing a stern-faced administrative assistant. "The Council will see Sinclair-san now," he announced, his tone suggesting Malcolm was keeping some very important people waiting.

  Elder Mozu gave Malcolm's shoulder a brief, encouraging squeeze. "Remember—conviction is half the battle. Doubt, and they'll tear your theory to shreds."

  "Right. No pressure." Malcolm tried for a confident smile but achieved something closer to a grimace. With a deep breath, he stepped through the doorway and into the Grand Hall.

  The space was imposingly formal—high vaulted ceilings supported by ornate wooden beams, walls lined with ancient scrolls under preservation seals, and a polished stone floor inlaid with the Academy's flame insignia. At the far end sat seven figures on raised seats behind a curved table, their crimson robes making them look like a row of flickering flames in the hall's subdued lighting.

  Along the sides of the hall, Academy faculty and senior students were seated as observers. Malcolm spotted Master Seiran among them, his expression characteristically neutral. Lian Koda sat several rows behind, eyes narrowed with intense focus. To Malcolm's surprise, even Professor Liko was present, her lips pressed in a thin line of what might have been concern.

  In the center of the hall stood a demonstration table equipped with standard alchemical tools—clearly the space where Malcolm was expected to perform. A single chair faced the Council's table, where a thin man with wire-rimmed glasses was making notations on an official-looking document.

  "Sinclair-san," Councilor Nayama's voice cut through the hall's silence, commanding and precise. "You have been granted this unusual opportunity to present your methodological framework directly to the Council. Please be aware that this session is being fully documented for Academy records."

  Malcolm approached the demonstration table, fighting the urge to fidget. "Thank you, Honored Councilor," he said, amazed that his voice sounded relatively steady. "I appreciate the Council's willingness to observe my work."

  Nayama inclined her head slightly, her steel-gray hair catching the light. "Councilor Nezeth expressed particular interest in your reclamation techniques, given their potential implications for resource utilization standards. You may proceed with your presentation."

  Malcolm nodded, setting his materials on the demonstration table. He'd brought three small samples that represented increasing complexity—a damaged herb stem, a cracked focusing crystal, and a failed potion with unstable essence balance. Each would demonstrate a different aspect of his approach without requiring him to reveal too much about the void pool.

  "The Absorptive Nexus theory," he began, falling back on the terminology from Master Seiran's book, "describes a specialized soul space configuration that processes materials through complete decomposition rather than gradual extraction. This enables more efficient essence isolation without loss of potency."

  A murmur ran through the observing faculty. The Absorptive Nexus was historical theory, rarely referenced in modern practice. Malcolm could practically feel Lian Koda's eyes boring into him from the audience.

  "This approach," he continued, "is particularly valuable for reclamation work, as it can extract pure essence from damaged or contaminated materials that would be rejected under standard protocols."

  Councilor Nezeth leaned forward slightly, his white beard nearly touching the table. "And you claim to utilize this methodology personally? The Absorptive Nexus has been theoretical for centuries, with no documented practical applications in recent Academy records."

  Malcolm swallowed hard. This was where things got tricky. "Yes, Honored Councilor. My soul space appears to have developed with this configuration, allowing for direct decomposition and essence isolation."

  "Appears to have?" Councilor Nayama's eyebrow raised sharply. "You speak as if this occurred without deliberate cultivation. Academy tradition holds that soul space development follows specific intentional practices over years of discipline."

  "I think it's because I'm from Redoak," Malcolm explained, trying to sound confident despite his racing heart. "Since I had no idea what a soul space was supposed to do, mine just... developed its own way. No one ever told it to be normal."

  This was the explanation he and Master Seiran had carefully crafted—technically accurate without revealing the void pool specifically. From the slight nod Master Seiran gave from the audience, it seemed to have passed muster.

  "A theory worth exploring," Councilor Nezeth mused. "But theoretical foundations mean little without practical demonstration. Please proceed with your extraction methodology."

  Malcolm nodded, turning to the materials he'd arranged on the table. Now came the truly difficult part—showing results without revealing his actual methods. He discreetly slipped the Boundary Stone into his left hand, feeling its cool surface warm slightly against his skin as he activated it with a small pulse of energy.

  "I'll begin with a simple demonstration using this damaged herb stem," he explained, picking up the withered silverleaf sample with his right hand. "Traditional methods would reject this as too degraded for proper extraction, but the Absorptive Nexus approach can still isolate its essential properties."

  He closed his eyes, focusing on his soul space. The familiar five-meter domain appeared immediately in his mind, the void pool pulsing gently at its center. Malcolm mentally transferred the herb stem into his soul space and guided it toward the pool.

  The decomposition process was instantaneous, the herb breaking down into its component essence and base materials. A perfect blue orb rose from the pool—the extracted essence of silverleaf, far purer than could be achieved through traditional methods.

  Malcolm felt a moment of panic. Was the Boundary Stone working? Would everyone suddenly see his void pool and realize he'd been hiding it all along? His heart hammered so loudly he was sure the entire hall could hear it. Then he sensed the subtle filter of the stone's effect – like a thin veil between his actual soul space and what others perceived. Relief washed through him, though he kept his expression neutral.

  Through the Boundary Stone's effect, the observers would see only what appeared to be an external extraction process rather than the actual void pool activity. Malcolm carefully drew the essence orb out of his soul space and into the physical world, where it manifested as a glowing blue sphere hovering above his palm.

  Gasps came from the audience. Even Councilor Nayama's eyes widened slightly.

  "The resulting essence," Malcolm explained, trying to keep his voice level despite his racing heart, "retains full potency despite the degraded source material. It can be used in standard formulations with no loss of efficacy."

  He directed the essence orb into a small crystal container on the table, where it dissolved into a shimmering blue liquid. The clarity was remarkable—far beyond what standard extraction methods could achieve from even pristine materials.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Impressive purity," Councilor Nezeth acknowledged, leaning forward to study the result. "Though the extraction process itself seems... unconventional."

  "The Absorptive Nexus operates through complete decomposition rather than staged refinement," Malcolm explained, the practiced words flowing more easily now. "This allows for direct essence isolation without the typical intermediary steps."

  "Proceed with your next demonstration," Councilor Nayama directed, her expression giving away nothing of her thoughts.

  Malcolm repeated the process with the cracked focusing crystal, which produced not one but three distinct essence orbs—each representing a different component of the original enchantment. The audience's murmurs grew louder as he manipulated the orbs into a harmonic pattern before directing them into another container.

  "As you can see," he explained, "the approach allows for separation of complex enchantments into their component essences. This enables recombination in new patterns or isolation of specific properties."

  The final demonstration was the most challenging—a failed potion that had crystallized improperly due to essence imbalance. Traditional methods would simply discard it as waste, but the void pool could extract each component separately, allowing for reuse.

  As Malcolm processed it, producing five distinct essence orbs that he arranged in a complex orbital pattern, he felt a surge of confidence. The demonstration was working better than he'd dared hope. The Boundary Stone perfectly concealed his void pool while allowing him to show the impressive results.

  "The practical applications extend beyond simple reclamation," he concluded, gesturing to the array of extracted essences on the table. "This approach enables resource conservation, quality improvement, and potentially new formulation techniques that aren't possible through traditional methods."

  A heavy silence fell over the Grand Hall as he finished. The Council members exchanged glances, some making notations on scrolls before them. Finally, Councilor Nayama spoke.

  "Your results are... noteworthy, Sinclair-san." Nayama studied the essence containers with narrowed eyes. "The purity is higher than standard methods achieve, and I've rarely seen multi-component separation this clean." Despite her words, her tone gave nothing away—neither approval nor rejection. "However, the theoretical foundation remains concerning. The Absorptive Nexus model was abandoned centuries ago due to inconsistencies with established elemental principles."

  Malcolm felt his momentary confidence begin to waver. "With respect, Honored Councilor, perhaps those inconsistencies merit reexamination. The results seem to validate at least some aspects of the theory."

  A flicker of surprise crossed her face at his boldness. Most students wouldn't dare suggest that centuries of established theory might need revision.

  Before she could respond, Councilor Nezeth interjected. "Results that contradict theory suggest either flawed understanding of the theory or incomplete observation of the results." His eyes fixed on Malcolm with uncomfortable intensity. "Your demonstration shows impressive outcomes, but leaves many questions about the process itself."

  "I've documented the process as thoroughly as possible," Malcolm replied, gesturing to the scrolls he'd prepared. "The complete decomposition pathway follows the sequence described in Grandmaster Ito's original texts."

  "Yet you lack formal training in those historical methods," Councilor Nayama pointed out. "How do you account for your ability to implement such specialized techniques without proper foundation?"

  This was dangerous territory. Malcolm chose his words with extreme care. "My soul space appears naturally configured for this approach. Rather than forcing a traditional flame manifestation, my energy flows toward decomposition and separation."

  "A convenient explanation," another Council member commented, "but difficult to verify without direct soul space examination."

  Malcolm tensed. A formal soul space examination would reveal the void pool immediately. "I'm open to appropriate evaluation methods," he said carefully, "though I understand the Absorptive Nexus configuration can be difficult to interpret through standard assessment techniques."

  A subtle nod from Master Seiran in the audience suggested this was the right approach—acknowledging the possibility of examination while noting potential complications.

  "We will take your demonstration under advisement," Councilor Nayama announced after a brief consultation with her colleagues. "The Council requires time to evaluate both your practical results and theoretical framework. Master Seiran will inform you of any additional requirements for documentation or demonstration."

  Malcolm bowed, recognizing the dismissal. "Thank you for your consideration, Honored Councilors."

  As he gathered his materials, he caught Councilor Nezeth studying him with an expression of genuine curiosity rather than the skepticism he'd expected. The white-bearded Councilor made a notation on his scroll before leaning over to whisper something to Nayama that Malcolm couldn't hear.

  The administrative assistant appeared at Malcolm's side. "This way, please," he said quietly, gesturing toward a side door different from the one Malcolm had entered through.

  As Malcolm followed, he glanced back at the audience. Master Seiran's expression remained carefully neutral, but there was a slight relaxation around his eyes that might have been relief. Professor Liko looked conflicted, clearly struggling to reconcile the impressive results with her dismissal of Malcolm's methods. And Lian Koda's face was a mask of intense concentration, as if trying to decipher exactly what he had just witnessed.

  Behind him, Malcolm could hear the whispers beginning. "Did you see that multi-component separation? That was third-year level work at least..." "The Absorptive Nexus theory? Wasn't that disproven during the Fifth Dynasty?" "I heard he has no formal training at all. Just showed up from the West and..." "Grandmaster Kaiven will never approve such unorthodox..."

  The voices faded as the door closed behind him, but their implications were clear. His demonstration was already rippling through the Academy's careful hierarchies, challenging assumptions and raising questions that wouldn't be easily dismissed.

  In the corridor outside, Elder Mozu was waiting, his weathered face breaking into a smile as Malcolm emerged. "Well? Still have your head attached to your shoulders, I see."

  "Barely," Malcolm exhaled, the tension draining from him so suddenly that his knees felt weak. "They didn't exactly give me a standing ovation, but they didn't kick me out either."

  "The Council never gives definitive responses in initial evaluations," the elder explained, falling into step beside Malcolm as they walked away from the Grand Hall. "They deliberate extensively before issuing formal opinions. But from what I could gather from the observers' reactions, you made quite an impression."

  "A good one or a bad one?"

  Elder Mozu's eyes twinkled with amusement. "An interesting one—which is far more valuable than either good or bad in academic circles. You've given them something they can't easily dismiss or categorize. That's no small achievement."

  Malcolm rubbed the Boundary Stone in his pocket, silently thanking Master Seiran for the crucial assistance. Without it, the demonstration would have exposed his void pool directly—something he wasn't ready for the entire Council to see.

  "What happens now?" he asked.

  "Now?" Elder Mozu shrugged. "We wait. The Council will deliberate, file reports, request additional information, deliberate some more... The Academy's wheels turn slowly, but they do turn."

  As they walked through the Academy corridors, Malcolm was acutely aware of the stares and whispered conversations that followed their passing. Word of his demonstration would spread quickly, generating both interest and skepticism. His days of working quietly in his dumping ground corner were likely over—for better or worse.

  "You know," Elder Mozu said after they had walked in silence for several minutes, "not many first-year students would have the courage to stand before the Council and defend an obscure historical theory while demonstrating techniques that contradict established methodology."

  "I'm not sure if it was courage or just not knowing any better," Malcolm admitted with a wry smile.

  "Perhaps a bit of both," the elder chuckled. "But either way, you've set something in motion that won't easily be stopped. The Academy values tradition, but it also respects results—and yours were undeniably impressive."

  Malcolm thought about the void pool, hidden by the Boundary Stone but still the true source of those impressive results. Sooner or later, he would have to decide whether to reveal its actual nature or continue maintaining the carefully constructed explanation he'd presented to the Council.

  For now, though, he had bought himself time—and perhaps a measure of legitimacy for his unconventional approach. The outcome of the Council's deliberations would determine his next steps, but at least he had made his case directly rather than having others judge him without seeing his work firsthand.

  "I think I need about twelve hours of sleep," Malcolm sighed as they reached the intersection where their paths would diverge—Elder Mozu toward the western gate, Malcolm toward the student dormitories.

  "Rest while you can," the elder advised. "The coming days are likely to bring increased scrutiny from all quarters. Some will be intrigued by your methods, others threatened by them. Navigate carefully, Sinclair."

  Malcolm nodded, the weight of the elder's warning settling on his already tired shoulders. "You know, I'm not sure how long I can keep this up," he admitted quietly. "The Boundary Stone worked today, but sooner or later, someone's going to figure out what I'm really doing. And then what?"

  Elder Mozu studied him thoughtfully. "Every secret revealed creates both risk and opportunity. The question isn't whether your methods will eventually be discovered, but whether you'll be prepared when they are." He tapped his staff lightly on the stone pathway. "Build enough value that they can't easily discard you, and truth becomes less threatening."

  Malcolm considered this advice as he ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the Boundary Stone in his pocket. "I just hope I get the chance to decide when and how, instead of having it forced on me."

  "As do I, boy. As do I."

  As he made his way back to his dormitory, Malcolm's mind was already racing ahead to what would come next. The Council's response, whatever it might be, would set the tone for his future at Enshin. And more immediately, he needed to continue his reclamation work—the practical foundation that had drawn the Council's interest in the first place.

  Tomorrow, he decided, he would return to his dumping ground workshop and process more materials through the void pool. Whatever philosophical and theoretical debates might rage in the Academy's halls, the practical value of his work remained clear—turning waste into resources, finding value where others saw only garbage.

  That, at least, was something he knew how to do, Council of Flames or no Council of Flames.