The night split apart as a pair of black wings unfurled, blotting out the pale moonlight.
"I didn't expect you to possess the Fallen Angel Relic..." The man's voice was a low growl, laced with killing intent. "Ario, I'll drag you down myself. Even if you flee, I'll chase you to the very gates of hell."
Ario's lips curled into a trembling grin. Blood seeped down his cheek as he staggered forward, wings trembling with violent energy.
"Escape? Hah... Don't make me laugh..." His laughter was cracked, almost deranged. "If hell is where you'll follow me, then I'll tear open the path myself... Samuel!"
The ground quaked. Shadows bled into the world.
The City of Great Echelon—crown jewel of Zevoria, capital of wealth and ambition. Towering skyscrapers pierced the clouds, their mirrored glass gleaming in the morning sun. Holographic screens draped the skyline, each flashing the same figure in an endless broadcast.
Ario walked beneath them, his schoolbag slung carelessly over one shoulder.
Another day. Another weight I'd rather not carry.
He tilted his head upward. The sky stretched wide and endless, streaked with soft colors. A beauty indifferent to him.
On the giant screens, a man with streaks of silver in his dark hair spoke with fiery conviction:
> "The signs are clear, the future is bright. Zevoria stands on the brink of a new dawn. Together, we will walk toward prosperity, toward unity, toward destiny!"
The speaker was Manuel Gustav, the eternal president of Zevoria.
As far back as I can remember, it's always been him. Pops calls him a fraud, a parasite, a piece of shit. I don't know why. I only know that Pops' hatred runs deep enough to burn even after years.
Zevoria—praised as a shining, developed nation. A land of progress, or so the world claimed.
Ario's lips curled in a faint, bitter smile. A beautiful cage is still a cage.
He adjusted his uniform and quickened his pace. His destination: Echelon High Academy. The most prestigious school in the country. The sons and daughters of politicians, tycoons, and powerful families filled its halls.
And then there was him—the single scholarship student. One admitted each year, chosen like an ornament to showcase the academy's so-called "meritocracy."
He had been their target ever since.
---
At the school gates, a mocking voice rang out.
"Look, the charity case has arrived! Here, want five hundred pics? Maybe you can sell them for lunch money!"
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Before Ario could answer, another voice cut in, calm and firm.
"Enough."
The air shifted. Students straightened instinctively as the figure approached—Samuel Gustav, the School President.
"Good morning, Ario. Are you hurt?"
Ario lowered his gaze. "...Thank you."
Samuel's smile was effortless, practiced. "No need. Let's head to class before the bell."
They walked together through the courtyard.
Samuel Gustav—brown-haired, handsome, wearing the school president's insignia. He wasn't just the most popular student in Echelon High; he was also the nephew of Zevoria's president.
Why does he go out of his way for me? From the very first day, he's been too... kind.
---
Inside the classroom, a girl stood near the podium. Sunlight streamed across her golden hair, catching in strands that glowed like threads of fire. The academy's crisp uniform hugged her slender figure: a white coat over a blue-striped skirt.
"Good morning, Samuel," she greeted with a practiced smile. Her gaze shifted briefly. "Good morning, Ario."
"Uh—good morning, Salena." His reply came awkwardly, his heart beating faster.
Salena Xavier. The daughter of one of Zevoria's most powerful businessmen, and the most admired girl in the class. Ario's eyes lingered a moment too long.
Hopeless... She's far beyond my reach.
"Everyone, back to your seats," the teacher announced sharply as she entered, her eyes coldly brushing past Ario.
Even the teachers look at me like I don't belong...
"Today we'll be covering advanced mathematics. Open your tabs."
Chairs scraped, screens lit up, pens tapped. The room settled into routine—until a knock rattled the door.
A student from Class 3 stood there, nervous.
"Sir... the principal is calling for Ario."
The room fell silent.