A young man with black hair and piercing green eyes walked steadily through the corridors of what appeared to be a school. He was tall for his age—one meter and sixty-five centimeters—remarkably so, considering he had only just turned fourteen.
He was not particularly handsome in the conventional sense, yet there was something about him that drew the eye. His stoic expression, the firmness of his jaw, and the unwavering light of determination in his gaze gave him a quiet, commanding presence. His lean, well-trained body spoke of discipline and effort, qualities rare for someone so young. By all accounts, he should have been considered attractive.
Yet every pair of eyes that turned toward him carried only disdain. Students leaned against lockers, whispering cruelly as he passed. Some didn't even bother to lower their voices, spitting out mockery as though he were beneath human dignity. The contempt was palpable, thick in the air around him.
Cain showed no outward reaction. He had long since grown used to such scorn. Without breaking his stride, he continued toward the exit, steps measured and unhurried.
But just as his hand reached for the door, a voice rang out from behind him.
"Cain, leaving without saying hello to your old friend?"
Cain's expression darkened. He turned.
The speaker was a thin, wiry youth with a perpetual smirk stretched across his sharp features. He stood barely one and a half meters tall, his posture relaxed, his confidence radiating like a foul stench.
Jonathan.
Unlike their sneering disdain toward Cain, the other students treated Jonathan with reverence. The moment he appeared, mocking whispers ceased. Some students bowed their heads. Others straightened their backs. The hallway seemed to tilt toward him, every gesture announcing that this was someone of importance.
Cain's eyes narrowed as he met Jonathan's smirk. Two others flanked him. One was a hulking boy with thick shoulders and a brutish face, fists already clenched with the eagerness of violence. The other was a girl with long auburn hair, her delicate features framed by an expression that shifted between coy amusement and disdain. Cain's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he looked away.
"What do you want, Jonathan?" Cain's voice was flat, cold.
Before Jonathan could answer, the large youth stepped forward, his voice booming.
"Garbage with a Low-Tier One Wave Talent—how dare you speak to Lord Jonathan like that!"
Cain ignored him, his gaze never leaving Jonathan. The dismissal made the brute bristle, his face flushing crimson. He took a threatening step forward, about to lunge.
But Jonathan raised a hand, halting him. "There's no need to be hasty, Kiron." His smirk widened. "But Cain, Cain… your coldness truly wounds me. We were close once, weren't we? And now that the school year is over, I simply wanted to bid farewell to my old friend."
His words were laced with mockery. Everyone could see it. His smirk, his eyes gleaming with cruelty—it was no gesture of friendship.
"By the way," Jonathan continued, voice dripping with satisfaction, "I've already been accepted into Hellblazer University. Quite an honor, isn't it? And they've been gracious enough to let me bring Cinthy along." His hand slid around the girl's waist possessively.
Cinthy giggled lightly at the gesture. But when her eyes met Cain's, her smile twisted into the same disgust mirrored by the rest of the students.
Cain's heart clenched, though his face betrayed nothing. Only a year ago, the three of them had been inseparable. Cain had shielded Jonathan countless times from bullies, and with Cinthy… his relationship had gone beyond friendship. Or so he had believed.
It all changed when they turned thirteen and underwent the Wave Talent Test.
Cain had received a meager Low-Tier One, the weakest possible classification. Jonathan, by contrast, achieved Peak-Tier Three, a staggering result that made him the undisputed prodigy of the school. The next best score had been Middle-Tier Two, far beneath Jonathan's.
Cain had thought their bond strong enough to withstand such differences. He had been wrong. In a world where humanity waged eternal war against supernatural forces, weakness was equivalent to worthlessness. Jonathan no longer needed Cain's protection. With his newfound power, he cast off his old friend, revealing cruelty hidden behind years of pretense. Worse, he used his influence to turn the entire school against Cain.
Before Cain could respond, Kiron burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Young Lord, how could this trash ever enter a Wave University? His only future is with the Imperial Military Force! And even then, he'll be nothing more than a war pup—just like his pathetic father—"
Kiron never finished the sentence. His words choked off as dread washed over him. Cain's fist shot forward with speed honed by rage, aimed straight at his throat. The brute had no time to react.
But just before impact, a sky-blue mantle shimmered into existence around Jonathan. The air distorted with raw energy as Jonathan moved, faster than human eyes could follow. He intercepted Cain's blow, his palm slamming into Cain's chest.
The strike hurled Cain backward like a ragdoll. He crashed into the wall with bone-rattling force, blood spraying from his lips.
He gritted his teeth, suppressing any scream, but the agony twisted across his face.
Jonathan stood tall, the azure mantle crackling faintly around him. His voice carried the tone of absolute superiority.
"Hmph. You dare attack one of my people without provocation? I am a Level Two Wave Warrior. You are nothing but trash. Consider yourself lucky I went easy on you."
Everyone knew why Cain had struck—Kiron had insulted his father. Yet no one dared speak against Jonathan. Their silence was suffocating, complicit.
Satisfied, Jonathan turned with a laugh, wrapping his arm more tightly around Cinthy as he walked away. Kiron followed, his eyes flashing with vicious malice as he threw one last glare over his shoulder at Cain.
The hallway emptied slowly, students muttering in hushed tones. Cain remained on the floor, blood staining his lips. It took him nearly twenty minutes to gather the strength to stand. His legs trembled, but he forced himself upright, wiped his mouth, and walked to the exit under a fresh wave of scornful stares.
Every step burned with pain. But he walked straight, unbroken. He had known it was futile to lash out with Jonathan present, but he had no regrets. He could endure mockery, insults, even violence. Yet he would never—ever—tolerate anyone dishonoring his father.
Outside, the world loomed around him. Towering skyscrapers gleamed with advanced technology, their surfaces polished chrome and glass. Flying vehicles drifted overhead. Holographic billboards shone with vibrant displays. Humanity's achievements stretched toward the heavens.
Cain barely noticed. His mind was a storm of pain and quiet fury.
The levitating train carried him home in silence, gliding smoothly above the tracks. Despite its incredible speed, the journey still took nearly an hour. He was the last passenger to disembark. A fifteen-minute walk brought him to a weathered apartment building—so ordinary and unremarkable compared to the futuristic spires of the city center.
His home.
The exterior was worn, but inside, everything was spotless. The air smelled faintly of polish and incense. Cain entered and moved with steady purpose toward a small shrine in the corner.
At its center rested a framed photograph of a man. Black hair, green eyes, his face firm with resolve. He wore a black military uniform that seemed to radiate dignity.
Cain knelt before it, bowing deeply.
"Good day, Sir." His voice trembled slightly, but his bow was perfect, reverent. He remained kneeling for a full minute before exhaling a heavy sigh.
Then he closed his eyes.
"A.I. Chip, analyze my body."
A mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
[Bip… scanning host.]