The next day, Quinn was jolted awake at 8 a.m. by the sound of an alarm. Vorden and Peter stirred at the same time, and after getting ready, the three of them headed to the canteen together.
"Hey, Vorden," Peter said as they walked, "don't you think you should sit with the higher levels? You don't have to sit with us."
"Yeah," Quinn added, "you can sit with them if you want."
Vorden frowned. "What's wrong with you two? Who cares where I sit? This school's whole power-level system is ridiculous anyway."
With that, they made their way to one of the lower-level tables. But the moment they sat down, Quinn noticed some of the other low-level students quickly getting up and moving away.
When they finished eating, the three of them headed to their first lesson of the day—Del's class. They sat together again, just like in the canteen, and Quinn couldn't help but notice the stares they were getting from all directions.
What's he doing with the bottom feeders? people seemed to be thinking.
"This is going to cause problems with the school's power-level hierarchy," one student whispered.
"Yeah," another replied. "If it keeps up, the second-years will step in."
The lesson was only just beginning, yet the atmosphere in the room was already tense. Quinn muttered under his breath, clearly annoyed, "It's only the start of the day, and already everyone's acting like this…"
The difference in treatment between power levels wasn't limited to the academy—it was woven into the fabric of society. Those with higher power levels enjoyed better jobs, higher pay, and greater government support, while those at the bottom were largely ignored and left to fend for themselves.
Naturally, the elites saw nothing wrong with this arrangement. Lower-level individuals would bend over backwards for a chance to learn a skill from them, hoping to raise their own power level someday. Anyone who dared to challenge the system was swiftly dealt with and silenced.
It was exactly this inequality that had given birth to the group known as Pure. Their mission was to oppose the system entirely—though for that stance, they were branded as dangerous extremists.
Del began his lecture, starting with an introduction to the academy and a recounting of the events of the Great War.
"When humanity was on the brink of losing the Great War against the Dalki, that's when they emerged—the ones we now call the Originals. It was then that the world, for the first time, witnessed the power of abilities. What we didn't know back then was that these abilities had been kept secret for centuries, passed down quietly within certain bloodlines.
Eventually, some of the Originals decided to share their gifts with the rest of humanity… though not all chose to do so. When we speak of an 'Original,' we might mean the first wielder of a particular ability—or an entire lineage that refused to reveal their secrets to the world.
At this, Del's expression hardened.
"Even though we live in an age of peace, the threat remains. No one can say when another war might erupt. We already had the recent Dalki incident, and tensions are too high at the moment That is why you are here—to be ready when it does."
After class ended, the three friends headed outside to enjoy a quick snack. The three of them kept chatting idly, trading small stories about school life and whatever else came to mind. But their conversation came to an abrupt stop when six male students stepped into their path. Each one wore a black armband—the mark of a second-year.
"So, the rumours were true," one of them said with a smirk.
"We've got some business with you three. Care to come with us?"