Darkness.
That was the first thing Kaiden felt.
Not the peaceful kind — but the heavy, pressurized darkness that pressed against his chest, like the world itself was sitting on him.
Then came sound.
A faint beeping, slow and steady.
The hum of machines.
Soft footsteps echoing somewhere nearby.
And pain.
Not sharp — not screaming — but deep. The kind that lived in his bones and reminded him that, yeah… his body definitely went through hell.
Kaiden groaned quietly.
"—He's waking up."
That voice.
Kaiden cracked one eye open.
White ceiling. Too white. The lights were dimmed, but the room itself felt clean, sterile — like a hospital mixed with something… sharper. More advanced.
He tried to move.
Bad idea.
"Bro, chill," another voice said quickly. "You move right now, you're gonna explode."
Kaiden sucked in a breath. "…Gray?"
"Unfortunately alive," Gray replied. "Barely."
Kaiden blinked again, forcing his vision to focus. Gray was sitting beside the bed, left arm still strapped in its support, his jacket tossed over the chair. He looked exhausted — dark circles under his eyes — but very much awake.
To Kaiden's right—
"Oh thank god," Jehyun said, standing up so fast his chair scraped the floor. "You're finally awake."
Jehyun looked… wrecked.
His glasses were taped at the bridge, his uniform replaced with a loose medical shirt, his shield leaned carefully against the wall like it was something sacred. There were faint bruises along his jaw and neck.
But he was smiling.
Wide. Relieved.
Like he'd been holding his breath for hours.
Kaiden swallowed. His throat was dry. "How long…?"
"Six hours," Gray answered. "You scared the hell out of everyone."
"Correction," Jehyun added softly. "You scared the entire faculty."
That made Kaiden pause.
"…What?"
Before either of them could explain, the door slid open with a quiet mechanical hiss.
The air in the room changed instantly.
Not colder.
Not heavier.
Sharper.
Three figures entered.
Two wore long coats embroidered with silver Flow sigils — professors, clearly. Their presence alone made Kaiden's instincts scream danger. The third stood in the middle.
Tall. Calm. Hands behind his back.
His hair was silver-white, tied neatly behind his head. His eyes were sharp — not unkind, but piercing, like he could see through layers of reality if he wanted to.
The man smiled.
"Good. You're awake."
Gray straightened immediately. Jehyun stiffened.
Kaiden slowly pushed himself upright, ignoring the protest from his muscles. "And you are…?"
The man inclined his head slightly.
"Head Evaluator Caelum Ardent," he said. "Welcome to the University of Flow Arts."
That name hit harder than any monster.
Kaiden exhaled shakily. "…So we passed?"
Caelum chuckled. "You survived."
"That's… not a no," Gray muttered.
Caelum's eyes flicked to him. "Barely."
Gray grinned. "I'll take it."
---
The Aftermath
"You were unconscious when the green crystal stabilized," Caelum continued, walking closer. "Out of two thousand seven hundred sixty-two candidates… only two hundred and six advanced to the arena."
He raised one finger.
"From those two hundred and six… only fifty were selected."
Jehyun's breath caught.
Gray went still.
Kaiden felt his heartbeat spike. "…And us?"
Caelum smiled again.
"All three of you are among the fifty."
Jehyun let out a shaky laugh, sinking back into his chair. "We— we did it…"
Gray leaned back, closing his eyes. "Told you my suffering would pay off."
Kaiden smiled — but it didn't last.
"However," Caelum added casually.
There it was.
Kaiden looked back up. "Here it comes."
Caelum's gaze settled directly on Kaiden. Not hostile. Not accusing.
Interested.
"The crystal did not merely synchronize with you," Caelum said. "It resonated."
The room went quiet.
Gray slowly turned. "That… isn't normal, is it?"
"No," Caelum replied. "It is unprecedented."
Jehyun swallowed. "What does that mean… exactly?"
Caelum clasped his hands together. "It means that when the green crystal accepted your group— it reacted as if recognizing a compatible core."
Kaiden felt that pressure in his chest again. "A core?"
"One that does not belong to this island," Caelum said calmly. "Nor to this era."
Silence.
Gray's grin faded. "You wanna maybe… explain that in less cryptic villain dialogue?"
Caelum laughed softly. "Fair."
He turned to Kaiden.
"Tell me," he said. "When you channel your Flow — do you feel like it moves with you?"
Kaiden hesitated.
"…Yeah."
"Like it listens?"
"…Yeah."
"Like it existed before you learned to control it?"
Kaiden's fingers curled slightly.
"…Yeah."
Gray stared at him. "Bro?"
Caelum nodded slowly. "Flow is shaped by will, experience, and origin. Yours… behaves as if it remembers something."
Jehyun looked between them. "That's… not normal, is it?"
"No," Caelum repeated. "But it is not unheard of."
Kaiden frowned. "So what — am I some kind of experiment?"
Caelum shook his head. "No. You are a variable."
That was somehow worse.
Outside the Room
Later — much later — after healers finished their work and professors left them with more questions than answers, the trio was finally cleared to move.
They walked slowly through the inner halls of the university.
Kaiden's eyes widened.
The place was massive.
Floating walkways. Crystal-lit halls. Students from all over the world — some with swords, others with guns, staffs, gauntlets, even bare hands — moving through the space like this was normal.
"Bro," Kaiden muttered. "This place is insane."
Gray nodded. "Yeah. And we're officially part of it."
Jehyun adjusted his glasses, staring around like a kid in a sci-fi movie. "I never thought I'd actually make it…"
Kaiden noticed that.
"You doubted yourself?" he asked.
Jehyun smiled awkwardly. "I… don't really hit hard. People like damage dealers more."
Gray snorted. "You literally saved our lives."
Kaiden smirked. "Yeah. You're the reason we're standing."
Jehyun flushed. "T-Thanks…"
They stopped near a massive balcony overlooking the central arena — now quiet, repaired, spotless. No sign of the chaos from earlier.
Kaiden leaned on the railing.
"…What if I mess this up?"
Gray looked at him. "You already did the impossible."
"Yeah, but—"
Gray smacked his shoulder lightly. "No 'but.'"
Jehyun nodded. "We'll figure it out. Together."
Kaiden smiled.
For the first time since arriving on the island… the weight on his chest eased.
The Whisper Returns
That night, Kaiden lay alone in his assigned dorm room.
The bed was comfortable. Too comfortable.
Sleep came slowly.
And when it did—
Wind.
Endless wind.
He stood in a vast green void. No ground. No sky. Just currents of air moving like living things.
Then—
A presence.
"You have stepped onto the current."
Kaiden turned. "Who's there?"
"You do not belong to still waters."
The wind tightened around him.
"Flow follows motion. And you… were never meant to stop."
Kaiden clenched his fists. "What are you?"
Silence.
Then—
"Remember this."
The wind surged.
Kaiden gasped—
He woke up sitting upright, breathing hard.
His hands glowed faintly green.
Slowly… the light faded.
Kaiden leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
"…Guess there's no turning back now."
Outside, the university lights shone like stars.
And somewhere deep within the island—
Something had begun to move.