The last day on Blade Island would be etched into Quinn's heart for the rest of his life. The rules of the Blades were simple: Blade Island was to remain a secret, and any rare ability discovered had to be brought to the family's attention.
Vicky was the first to suspect that Quinn had gained an ability. The moment she touched him, something felt… off. She couldn't identify what the ability was, nor could she use it herself, but she had a theory — the countless fights between them had somehow awakened Quinn's dormant power. In her mind, he was only a short step away from fully unlocking it.
Fortunately for Quinn, she didn't know where he had actually obtained it, thanks to certain unseen influences within the family that kept that secret buried.
But this revelation became Vicky's hidden card — the leverage she needed to finally secure her own freedom beyond Blade Island.
For Quinn, however, that final day brought a truth far harsher. He learned his true fate at the hands of the Blades: he was to become one of the Chained. The years of freedom he had known until now would be the only freedom he would ever have.
Vicky's involvement changed everything —she revealed her suspicions to her grandfather, and in return, she was given a singular task: when Quinn finally learned to excel at his ability, and once his term at the military academy ended, she would be the one to bring him back… as a Chained.
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The test moved on with a student named Logan Green. He was small in stature — his head barely reached Quinn's chest — with dark green hair parted neatly down the middle. But the most striking feature about him wasn't his size or his hair; it was the deep, heavy black bags under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept properly in years.
At first glance, anyone might have mistaken him for just another tired kid. But when his turn came for the trial, that perception shattered instantly.
As the targets appeared, Logan tapped his wrist. Almost immediately, strange metallic plates me of small spiders began emerging, unfolding like living shards, wrapping around his body in swift, precise motions. Within seconds, he was seated comfortably inside what looked like a small humanoid mech — a compact exosuit with one pair of mechanical legs and one pair of arms.
The mech's right arm lifted, and in a blur, energy projectiles shot out, striking all three targets dead center without a single miss. Moving on to the strength test, the suit's reinforced arms slammed forward, and the strength meter shot past 100 without hesitation.
When the trials concluded, Jane's voice rang out, pleased. "We have our first student with an ability level of 8."
Then without a delay, Logan was teleported away earlier than the rest.
Quinn was left stunned. He hadn't expected someone of Logan's size to unleash something so formidable.
By the time all the tests wrapped up, the group's results were set: Vorden became the second student to get a level 5, Vicky was assigned level 6, and Quinn… was given a modest 1.5.
Once the test had been completed, the hooded man teleported the students to the front of the academy where they would be staying.
The academy towered over the city like a monument of ambition — the tallest structure for miles, its bulk reminiscent of three massive hotels stacked together.
In front of its imposing gates, ten instructors stood in a neat row, each one waiting with a group of students who had already completed their entry tests. The instructions were simple: remain with your assigned teacher until the last of the candidates had finished.
Every so often, a flash of light would mark the arrival of a new group — five fresh students teleported in to join their waiting peers. Soon enough, the space where Quinn stood swelled to twenty students in total.
"Alright, everyone, follow me," their instructor called out.
The speaker was Del — a middle-aged man with a head of tight blonde curls, glasses perched neatly on his nose, and an unshakable smile that seemed immune to bad moods.
As Del led them through the sprawling academy, pointing out key locations, his cheerful demeanor never wavered. "You'll want to start getting acquainted with each other," he encouraged. "The people around you now are the ones you'll be spending your days with — your classmates."
Almost immediately, the air filled with chatter as students began striking up conversations. But Quinn noticed something telling: the mid-level ability users gravitated toward those of higher rank, eager to earn favor, while those at the bottom were quietly left out, standing on the edges like forgotten pieces of the puzzle.
Surrounding Quinn were a handful of other low-level students, most of them registering at around 1.1. But one particular figure caught his eye—Peter. The boy's frame was slight, matching his short height, and he looked like the most nervous person in the entire lineup.
Quinn's curiosity sharpened when he noticed Peter's power level: a flat 1. A flicker of pity stirred in him, and he decided to approach.
"Hey, what's your name?" Quinn asked.
Peter glanced around, almost as if expecting someone else to answer. "Me? Uh… I'm Peter," he replied hesitantly.
Peter's eyes darted to Quinn's own displayed level—1.5—and his posture stiffened.
"Relax, I'm not here to give you a hard time," Quinn reassured him. "I was a level 1 not long ago myself, but I trained to get where I am. So there's no need to be scared."
Hearing that seemed to ease Peter's tension, at least a little. Quinn offered a handshake, and after the brief greeting, chose to stand beside him.
He scanned the area and realized both Vorden and Vicky had slipped away. Not that he minded—he had no desire to see their faces again. In his eyes, Vorden was now tied to the reason he'd lost his freedom, and Vicky was here solely to watch his every move and ensure he returned to Blade Island.
Once, he'd been upset because he had no ability. Now, with an ability in hand, he'd traded that void for shackles. What a twisted fate, he muttered under his breath.
The only path left, he decided, was to grow stronger—stronger than both Vorden and Vicky—so he could break free from their grip. Trusting in Vorden was no longer an option, not when it was clear they belonged to the same family.
Just then, a familiar voice cut through his thoughts.
Speak of the devil, Quinn thought bitterly.
"There you are!" Vorden called, striding toward him. "Man, people started crowding around me, then I look over and you're gone. Come on—let's check this place out together, Quinn!, and did you make another friend besides me, as he looked at peter.".