Evening settled over District 10 on the eve of the National Bio-Gene Warrior Academy entrance exam. The sun faded behind the horizon, casting a soft orange light over a city shrouded in chemical fog. Shadows stretched across the crumbling buildings and empty streets. The only sounds were the wind whistling between aging power ducts that had run nearly two decades without replacement.
At his modest home, Kang Seung-woo sat silently on the dry, sun-worn wooden balcony. The cement foundation had long turned gray with age and rust. Inside, his mother rested under a thin, hand-stitched quilt made from discarded fabric at the local volunteer sewing center. His father worked quietly, repairing an ancient energy conduit using basic tools and salvaged parts from the post-war era.
Nara, Seung-woo's 9-year-old sister, sat sketching with a stubby pencil on a handmade notebook. Some pages were stained with tea, others nearly torn from over-erasing.
"Seung-woo~ Look!" she called, holding up a drawing of a Bio-Gene warrior clad in a cool armored suit, standing proudly with glowing wings and a power sword. "You should wear this armor! With wings!"
Seung-woo chuckled and took the paper. "If I had wings, I'd fly you around the world."
"Then you have to pass the exam first!"
"Yes, ma'am." He smiled and ruffled her hair.
From her room, their mother laughed weakly. "Nara's getting more like her father every day."
Their father's voice echoed calmly, "Well, she is our daughter."
A simple, warm moment in a household with no luxuries — no AI, no high-tech facilities, no access to elite training systems. But there were always smiles. Always love.
Seung-woo helped his father organize the cables. Meanwhile, his mother brewed herbal tea from their garden — a calming scent of redleaf and mountain moss filled the room.
Nara hugged both his arms tightly, forcing him to crouch so she could climb on his shoulders.
"Seung-woo, do you wear warrior armor tomorrow?"
"Not yet. I have to pass the exam first."
"Then I'll draw you in hero armor when you do!"
That night, Seung-woo sat on his creaky old bed under the faint orange glow of a single lamp. Light flickered off the peeling walls and cast shadows on his chest where his hand rested.
He opened a manual on energy control, reviewing techniques to synchronize his mental waves with his GEU (Gene Energy Unit). He placed one hand on his chest, breathing slowly.
The air around him began to ripple. Dust floated subtly. It would have gone unnoticed if not for focused observation.
He was progressing. Slowly, but surely.
He thought of past training: what was he lacking? Focus? Clarity? Deeper understanding?
To control both psychic energy and gravitational force, one needed both calm and concentration.
So he closed his eyes, crossed his legs, and synced his breath to the rhythm of his heart, guiding his GEU flow like a steady current.
Even in this tiny room, he felt one step closer. Steady breathing. Subtle stillness. It was the quiet before something great.
Next Morning — Bio-Gene Warrior High School, District 10
The school bell rang loud across the grounds.
Final-year students streamed into the main hall.
Inside the vast auditorium, Instructor Han-min stood before a massive digital projector.
A map of District 10 appeared, with a bold red marker labeled "Sector 10-Delta."
[Official Announcement from the Global Federation]
"The entrance exam for the National Bio-Gene Warrior Academy, District 10, will take place in two days at the live combat testing center in Sector 10-Delta. All applicants must confirm their registration by the end of today."
Gasps rippled through the room.
"A real combat field?"
"10-Delta? That borders the mutation perimeter!"
"Are they making us fight for real!?"
Han-min raised his hand.
"Calm down, everyone. Please listen."
"This will be a live field, yes, but it's within a controlled zone."
"Threat levels will match your current power ranking — primarily Tier 2. A support team will be on standby."
"If you're unsure, the auxiliary institutions and support-track universities are also open for application."
Whispers died down. Students exchanged nervous or excited glances.
Seung-woo sat still, eyes fixed on the screen.
He wasn't afraid.
But he knew — this was only the beginning.
Afternoon — School Training Grounds
Seung-woo stood among broken stone tiles.
He closed his eyes, centering himself.
His hands lifted. Stones began to float under partial gravitational control.
Still not perfect, but his body responded more and more.
He breathed deeply, trying to balance mental force with bio-energy waves.
Then —
"Heeeey!!"
Hyun-joo ran in, hands full of snacks.
"Practicing without me, huh!?"
"You were still chewing."
"Gotta chew to charge up!" Hyun-joo grinned.
Seung-woo laughed and took one of the snacks.
"Only two days left..."
Hyun-joo nodded. "Yeah... two days until you become a real hero."
"I don't need to be a hero. Just want us both to come back safe."
Hyun-joo beamed. "Then I'll be the clown next to the hero!"
They tapped their bottles together and sat under a tree.
The breeze passed gently.
No words were needed.
Because sometimes... silence says more than anything.
And in their hearts, they knew:
Though the path ahead was uncertain,
the path of a warrior — had already begun.