I stay alongside the crowd of students, waiting to take the entrance exam. I could feel the tension in the air as I walked alongside Lyra and Roley, my black layered hair catching the sunlight and my teal-blue eyes scanning everything around me.
"This is it," Lyra murmured, her voice low but steady. "The day that changes everything." She wore the Academy uniform, Roley doing the same. Roley's green eyes were bright with encouragement. "You'll do fine, Nyra. Just… trust yourself."
I nod. I take a deep breath. I am the first to be chosen. I needed to destroy a wall that could withstand an S-rank artifact.
An S-rank artifact is a powerful weapon — in many cases swords or armor. Or it could even be a potion, or more. And an S-rank one could destroy a city with one swing, let's not even speak of a full-on ability.
The minimum points I needed to pass were at least 500. I take a shaky breath; everyone was looking at me. I look at Lyra and Roley, who show me a thumbs-up. I lunge at the wall, which was so thick it could be considered a tank. Before my punch connected with the wall, the wall exploded from the force. I was shocked. The score on the big screen shot to an infinity of 9s as my score — as much as the screen could handle. I look around. Everyone was staring at me, whispering and pointing. The Headmaster is quickly called, bursting through the massive doors of a building. He shouts:
"WHO DID THIS!?"
The booming voice shakes the entire testing ground. The massive wooden doors slam against the walls as the Headmaster storms in, his long cloak swirling behind him, embroidered with golden runes that shimmer faintly under the light. His eyes are sharp, angry, and piercing, glowing faintly with an authority that only a man who'd seen battle for decades could lock onto me.
I gulp in fear, a bit of sweat running down my forehead. The crowd of students immediately parts, their whispers silenced by the sheer weight of his presence. Teachers bow slightly, their eyes a mix of awe and fear. I stand frozen, my fist still raised in the air. My teal-blue eyes flicker, the afterimage of the destroyed wall still burned into my mind. Shit! Shit! What did I do? I'm dead. I need to calm this beast... or else....
The Headmaster's boots hit the stone floor like thunder as he strides closer. Every step feels like it carries the weight of judgment itself. His voice, deep and commanding, rattles the silence again.
"You there, boy! Step forward!"
My legs feel like stone, but somehow I force them to move. Each step forward feels like I'm walking to my own execution. My teal-blue eyes meet his sharp gaze, and for a brief moment, I swear he can see through me — through my lies, my pain, my past. Shit, who in the world is this MONSTER?
"I-I… didn't mean..." My voice cracks. I take a deep breath and say, "I didn't mean to break it like that. I just…"
The Headmaster raises his hand, silencing me instantly. His eyes narrow, scanning me from head to toe, lingering on my trembling fist and the faint, lingering energy crackling in the air around me.
The crowd around me grows louder.
"Did you see that score?!""Impossible… even an S-rank wouldn't reach that…""Who is he?"
Lyra and Roley push through the students, standing close to me like silent shields. Lyra's red hair glows in the sunlight as she places a hand on my arm. "Headmaster, please… He's not dangerous. He's just... lost."
"Silence." The word leaves the Headmaster's mouth like a blade. Even Lyra flinches.
His gaze doesn't leave me. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, his lips curl — not into a smile, but something darker. Something knowing.
"This power…" he mutters, almost to himself. "I've only felt something like this once before… long ago." He continues, "You clearly have potential. So I'll have you entering the Academy. You will be entering no matter the result. You could even not take the test, for all I care."
I swallow hard, my fists tightening at my sides. My secret threatens to tear free from my chest. The truth of who I am, of the blood that runs in my veins, of the clan that cast me aside. I shake it all aside and nod.
"As you wish, Master...." I say, mostly to myself rather than to him.
The Headmaster's sharp eyes flicker the instant I say those words Master. A ripple passes through the crowd like a stone dropped into still water. Students gasp, teachers stiffen, and whispers ignite again.
"Did he just call him Master?""Who is this guy…?""No way, he can't mean that kind of master…"
The Headmaster halts mid-stride, his cloak stilling around him. His gaze locks on me with such intensity that I feel my chest tighten as if invisible chains are binding me.
Slowly, deliberately, he leans forward, his voice low but carrying through the entire testing grounds.
"…What did you just call me, boy?"
The air itself feels heavy. Even the birds above have gone silent.
My throat dries, but I force the words out, my teal-blue eyes unwavering. "I said Master. Not out of servitude… but out of respect. You command a presence I've never felt before. Someone like me… can't call you anything less."
For the first time, the iron expression on the Headmaster's face cracks. His lips twitch — not into a smile, but something close, a shadow of amusement. He leaves without another word. I sigh in relief. I am sent forward to get my dorm key, because I'm officially in.