Silvers characters

Also known as Sal

Appears from the start

The book's viewpoint character, a reserved and calculating young man from the Argento auction family, enrolling at Quest Academy. His silver eyes let him appraise any object in exact detail and, far more rarely, observe and replicate other people's essence abilities. Guarded after a history of friendships that soured once people learned what he could do, he arrives ambivalent about becoming a hero at all.

First appears in chapter 8

A first-year cadet whose eyes turn fully white when she uses her foresight, a draining power that shows glimpses of specific people's possible futures. Ranked near the very top of the intake, she is candid, quick-witted and a little self-deprecating, and becomes Sal's closest confidant after the two agree to set their ranks aside and be genuine friends.

Appears from the start

Sal's parents and the co-owners of Argento Auction, a respected appraisal and artifact business. Petro is warm, joking and business-minded, with an appraisal ability of his own; Sophia is more anxious and protective, and carries a restoration power that can mend damaged items. Both want Sal to choose his own path rather than inherit theirs.

First appears in chapter 6

A blonde cadet living on Sal's dorm floor, rattled by a low preliminary rank and anxious about how her parents will take it. Prickly at first but quick to warm, she briefly mistakes the immaculately turned-out Sal for a staff member.

First appears in chapter 6

A considerate, sandy-haired cadet on Sal's floor who holds the dorm elevator for stragglers at the cost of his own standing. Low-ranked and easygoing, he is one of Sal's first acquaintances at the Academy.

First appears in chapter 4

A friendly, powerful guardian at the induction, reputed to be the world's foremost telepath. He tests the sincerity of Sal's apology after a chance collision, then introduces himself warmly and takes an early, encouraging interest in him. He is rumored to have a daughter even more powerful than himself.

First appears in chapter 10

The workshop's resident crafting lecturer, known by her hero alias. Her ability turns her gear and body into a suit of powered mechanical armor, drawn from a pendant core. Playful and flirtatious but exacting about quality, she becomes Sal's crafting mentor once she recognizes how extraordinary his ability is.

First appears in chapter 2

The headmaster of Quest Academy, who goes by a chosen name. His power reads and quantifies people's essence signatures, the basis for the standardized grading the guilds now rely on. He runs the semester as a strict, merit-only contest and takes a personal interest in the Academy's most unusual students.

First appears in chapter 4

The vice-captain of the Reavers Guild, a striking woman with dark red hair who carries a top-grade blade. She uses a fear-based ability as an informal character test on Sal, then, impressed by his composure and his appraisal skill, grants him a Reavers token marking him as a preferred supplier.

First appears in chapter 16

A broker on the Academy's internal trading floor. Sharp and persuasive, cautious at first about backing an unproven first-year, she becomes an eager and protective advocate once she grasps the value of Sal's crafting, and helps him manage his work under his "Myth" alias.

First appears in chapter 10

A confident cadet and aspiring controller-class team captain, first seen briefly enthralling Sal with what appears to be a charm ability before releasing him with an apology. Socially dominant and used to being the center of attention, she takes a persistent, teasing interest in Sal.

First appears in chapter 18

The instructor of the Academy's mandatory survival module, a hero whose ability is demon shapeshifting. He opens his first class by transforming into a fast, pack-hunting demon and violently subduing four overconfident volunteers - a brutal lesson that the sheltered cohort is nowhere near ready for the dangers beyond the barriers.

First appears in chapter 4

A resentful fellow cadet who confronts Sal in a restroom during the enrollment mixer after being laughed at, and throws the first punch. Sal exploits his poor stance and knocks him out with a single strike, making an enemy on his very first day at the Academy.

Also known as The Necromancer

First appears in chapter 34

A very low-ranked cadet given the grim nickname "The Necromancer." Withdrawn and frightened, she hears voices others cannot and fears she is losing her mind. Sal and Divinity single her out as a student worth saving and set out to earn her trust.

First appears in chapter 59

A low-ranked cadet picked onto Sal's five-person tournament squad in the combat-class draft. Sharp-tongued and funny, quick with a needling joke at his captain's expense.

First appears in chapter 59

A low-ranked cadet picked onto Sal's five-person tournament squad in the combat-class draft. Steady, dependable and self-effacing.

First appears in chapter 59

A low-ranked cadet picked onto Sal's five-person tournament squad in the combat-class draft. Easily flustered, and earnest about proving she belongs.

First appears in chapter 59

A low-ranked cadet picked onto Sal's five-person tournament squad in the combat-class draft. Reserved and slow to open up to his new teammates.

First appears in chapter 67

A demon of the rare commander tier - a class strong enough to take humanoid form and coordinate other demons - revealed to be behind a planned attack on the Academy's students. Its packs hunt specific cadets rather than attacking at random, and it appears to anticipate and counter every countermeasure the faculty devises, however often the plans change.

First appears in chapter 83

The gold cohort's top-ranked student and team captain, and Nero's daughter. Poised and formidable, she leads her own team to a flawless tournament record, and regards Sal and especially Divinity with open, unexplained hostility as the semester's rankings are settled.