Adrian's datapad pulsed to life with a golden directive. A message unfurled in the datapad, summoning him to the Vanguard Hall and projecting a private waypoint that lit the path through the Academy's shifting corridors. Without hesitation, he followed.
The corridors bent reality around him, their walls flowing like liquid mercury before solidifying into new configurations. Each step triggered fresh pathways, the Academy reshaping itself to guide him toward his destination.
The hall itself was vast and imposing, its walls carved with mysterious runes that glowed faintly beneath the surface. Ancient symbols pulsed with dormant power, their meanings lost to time yet somehow familiar.
Adrian's gaze lingered on them, he recognized the intricate designs from the pages of skill books he had studied, but seeing them etched directly into the stone filled him with questions. These markings were not for decoration, he could feel the weight of hidden purpose pressing from their lines.
Already gathered inside were six other students, all standing in precise formation, their postures taut as if drilled into military readiness. Each carried themselves with the unmistakable confidence of someone accustomed to being exceptional.
At the front waited a broad-shouldered instructor, his bearing sharp as steel. Middle-aged, with scars that whispered of countless battles, his presence filled the hall before he even spoke.
Adrian took his place among the others, joining the rigid line. The silence stretched between them, each student measuring the competition without turning their heads.
The instructor's voice rolled through the chamber with clipped authority as he introduced himself: Commander Thorne, an A-Rank Defender, wielder of a Space affinity. His words carried the weight of absolute command, brooking no questions or interruptions.
"I've crushed monsters that would liquify your bones with their presence alone," Thorne continued, his gaze sweeping across them. "Some of you will break under pressure. Others will rise."
One of the students, a lean youth with silver hair, shifted almost imperceptibly. His eyes flickered with recognition at the mention of Space affinity, a faint satisfaction touching his features.
The instructor's sharp eyes swept across the line. "Names, affinities, and potential. Nothing more."
"No histories, no family names, no excuses," Thorne added, his voice cutting through any thoughts of elaboration. "Your worth here begins and ends with what you can manifest."
Introductions began. The silver-haired youth stepped forward slightly, his voice steady as he declared his gift.
"Kai Ashford. Space affinity. S-Rank potential." His words carried quiet confidence.
Next came Seraphina Valerius, a girl with an aura that seemed to carry its own radiance. Her golden hair caught light that didn't exist, and her presence made the ancient runes pulse brighter.
"Celestial Light affinity. S-Rank potential." Her voice held the certainty of someone who had never doubted her destiny.
One by one, each cadet spoke, revealing rare and lethal affinities, every one of them ranked at least S by the crystal.
"Marcus Steele. Metal affinity. S-Rank potential." The speaker's frame suggested immovable strength, his stance rooted like a mountain.
"Elena Armas. Ice affinity. S-Rank potential."
"Damon Hill. Poison affinity. S-Rank potential."
"Lyra Song. Sound affinity. S-Rank potential."
When Adrian's turn came, he simply offered his name and the SSS-Rank designation. "Adrian Blackwood. Echo affinity. SSS-Rank potential."
When everyone heard about Adrian, the other six Vanguards masked their reactions. Yet subtle tells betrayed their thoughts, Kai's fingers twitched toward his weapon, Seraphina's radiance dimmed slightly.
"SSS-Rank," Elena murmured, her voice barely audible. "That's impossible."
"The crystal doesn't lie," Damon said. "But it doesn't tell the whole truth either."
Commander Thorne studied Adrian with newfound interest, his scarred features revealing nothing. "Echo affinity. So you're the one everyone's discussing."
"Legend says the last Echo user could replicate any skill perfectly," Lyra added, her words carrying subtle harmonics of curiosity and wariness.
"Legends also say they all died out because the power consumed them," Marcus countered.
Adrian remained silent, letting their speculation wash over him. They would understand his true nature soon enough, when it mattered.
The instructor's expression was unreadable as he nodded. "Rare affinities. High ranks. Potential, yes. But remember, potential is not strength."
His scarred hands clasped behind his back, the gesture making old wounds across his knuckles stretch white. "If you cannot wield these gifts properly, they will betray you. On the battlefield, hesitation and incompetence mean only one thing: death."
Thorne began pacing before them. "The Vanguard Division exists for a single purpose: to forge weapons from raw potential."
"Your training will not be drills or simulations." His voice cut through the hall's oppressive atmosphere. "You will grow strong by facing real battles, life-and-death trials that strip away weakness and reveal whether you can endure."
"That is the only path for wielders of affinities as rare and dangerous as yours. Humanity has few who can guide you. Your only true teacher will be the battlefield." Thorne's gaze swept across each face, measuring their resolve. "You will understand this soon, when your first mission is assigned."
The commander stopped pacing, his presence suddenly more imposing. The weight in the hall seemed to intensify, pressing down on them like a physical force.
"Before that, you will face a test. Alone."
"Each of you will venture into the Academy's forest zone and hunt a Rank E monster."
Marcus shifted his weight, metal affinity making his movements ring faintly. Elena's breath misted in the air as her ice affinity responded to her tension.
"Do not be deceived by the classification, an E-Rank beast is a threat meant for trained Defenders, not fledglings who can barely cast a single skill." Thorne's words carried the finality of a death sentence. "You are all F-Rank now, and this task is meant to crush those unworthy."
Damon's jaw tightened, poison affinity making the air around him shimmer with barely contained toxicity. Lyra remained motionless, but Adrian caught the subtle vibrations in the air around her.
"You will have 2 days."
"If you fail to bring down your target, you will be expelled from the Vanguard Program immediately."
"There are no second chances." His scarred face remained impassive as he delivered the ultimatum. "The datapads will update with information on your assigned prey."
Adrian felt his device pulse against his palm. Around him, the other cadets experienced the same.
"When you succeed, scan the corpse with your device for confirmation." Thorne's emphasis on 'when' carried both challenge and expectation. "That is all."
With a dismissive gesture that brooked no questions, the instructor ended the gathering.
"You are dismissed. Train, prepare, and survive."
No one spoke as the cadets turned to leave. The silence was absolute, broken only by the echo of boots striking the rune-etched floor.
Kai was first to move. Soon, everyone followed.
There was no camaraderie here, no introductions beyond the bare minimum. Each cadet had sized up the competition and found only threats to their survival.
One by one, the seven dispersed without a word, each vanishing into the twisting corridors that led back to their private suites. The weight of the trial ahead had already consumed their thoughts, leaving no room for pleasantries.
Adrian remained a moment longer, studying the ancient runes that pulsed with renewed vigor. The symbols seemed to respond to the tension that had filled the hall, their meaning dancing just beyond his comprehension.
Then he too departed, his footsteps echoing in the empty chamber as Commander Thorne watched his retreating form.