The dark, cavernous room was illuminated by sleek, futuristic lamps hanging from the high ceiling, casting a cold, sterile glow over the long, polished table at its center. Figures sat at each corner, their faces obscured by shadows, their postures tense and watchful, as if waiting for something—or someone—to break the silence. The air was thick with anticipation.
Falon, a tall figure in dark robes, leaned forward, sharp features catching the light.
"You've brought the wrong person, Vaulter," he said, voice calm but edged. "He is not what we imagined. You've brought a Null to the Astral Society."
Lysandra, with platinum hair and glowing pale skin, crossed her arms.
"And the Astrids... they're moving too fast. They'll find our base soon—on Mars or even beyond."
She turned to Rohen, a quiet but commanding man.
"What do you think, Sir Rohen?"
Rohen met her gaze.
"The boy's life force is very low. Putting him in the trial is too dangerous. You should return him."
All eyes turned to Vaulter.
"His home is destroyed. He was the only survivor. I'm telling you, he has potential. I saw it. He could be a—"
Zura, with a scar on her cheek, cut him off.
"Don't tell me you think he could be beyond S Rank. You said that about the others—and they died."
Vaulter's jaw tightened. "They died."
The room went quiet.
Then Elara, imposing in military armor, spoke with weight in her voice:
"Not only are the Astrids here, but so is the Insurgency. That's why my team was on Mars. We found a Transcender."
Gasps followed. She continued:
"The trial isn't just a final exam. The winner will become more powerful."
"When do you plan to tell them?" Rohen asked.
"I believe... it should be a surprise," Elara replied cryptically.
Jin, meanwhile, sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling in boredom and unease. The room was plain, temporary—meant for someone passing through.
Suddenly the door burst open.
"JINNNNN!!!" Vaulter's booming voice made Jin jump.
"What the hell? Knock first!" Jin snapped.
"I don't care," Vaulter replied casually, walking in. "Anyway, news: If you grab the Transcender, you might be able to unseal your powers."
"I told you, I don't have powers," Jin said.
"You damn liar," Vaulter grinned. "I saw what you did two days ago."
"Maybe it was temporary," Jin muttered.
"There's no such thing as temporary powers."
"Guess I'm the first," Jin shrugged.
"Shut up. You're joining the Mars trial ASAP. We need to unseal your powers."
"Don't you have a class to teach?"
"I don't teach anyone. I'm too good for that."
"That's just weird," Jin replied.
"Shut, shut, shut," Vaulter muttered, mimicking a mouth with his fingers.
"You're too immature to be a teacher," Jin laughed.
"Rest up. You'll have to avoid a lot of people in that battle royale."
"Do I have to fight them?"
"If you avoid them like a coward, maybe not," Vaulter said with a wink.
The next day, Jin lay on his bed again. Bored. Until—
"Jin, let's go," Vaulter said, more serious this time.
"Finally," Jin muttered.
They walked through cold gray hallways.
"So… is it until everyone's defeated?" Jin asked.
"Pretty much," Vaulter replied. "You'll get special equipment to call yourself back if things go south."
"How?"
"One of the teachers' powers, I guess."
"You're going up against five classes. Each with 20 people. You're in the sixth class. Alone."
"NGL, Mr. Vaulter… I'm scared for my life. Just trying to act cool."
They boarded a transporter. Inside, Jin kept to himself—until a student spoke up.
"Yo, bro, never seen your face. Who are you?"
"Jin," he replied.
"Arden," the other student said with a grin. "You're new? That's wild for a final exam. What's your power?"
"Fire."
"Generic," Arden joked. "Mine's future prediction. Sometimes. I'm D-Rank, though."
"I'm E," Jin said.
"E?! Then why are you here?"
"No idea," Jin admitted.
"Wait… are you Vaulter's student?"
"Yeah."
"That's weird. He only trains S-Ranks and above."
"I know. I don't get it either."
They shared a laugh, easing the tension.
Mars
The red landscape stretched endlessly. Jin and Arden stepped off the ship.
"Guess I do have to breathe here," Jin said.
"Told you," Arden smirked. "Mars is fine if your life force is over 20K."
"Mine's 10K."
"WHAT?! You're cooked!"
"Guess so," Jin shrugged.
They reached a group gathered around Elara, who addressed the crowd.
"You will be scattered across the area. Eliminate your classmates. After five days—it's free-for-all."
Miss Dalia raised her hands. Teleportation began.
Jin opened his eyes—rocky cliffs around him. He turned.
Arden was standing there.
"Well, what luck," Arden grinned. "We spawned next to each other."
"Yeah," Jin nodded.
"We must've gotten the luckiest spot."
Jin started walking. Arden rushed to follow.
"Hold up, man! I'm coming too!"
And with that, the two ventured into the Martian wilderness, the five-day battle ahead of them.