The alarm on Ren's wristband buzzed once before dying with a quiet click.
He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then sat up.
Morning in Dormitory E was gray — filtered light through scratched glass, the hum of old mana conduits under the floor. The air smelled faintly of detergent and iron.
Outside, the maintenance yard was already awake. Drones floated between buildings, leaving faint blue trails of mana exhaust. Somewhere far off, the upper towers of the academy glowed brighter with every passing minute.
Ren checked the time.
Already late.
He slipped on his uniform jacket, still creased from yesterday, threw his notebook into his bag, and headed for the door.
The hallways above were loud with energy — students running, laughing, flaring mana just to see who could glow brightest. The smell of coffee and ozone filled the air.
Ren kept his head down and walked fast, trying to blend into the rhythm.
Then he turned a corner and collided with someone.
The impact knocked his bag sideways, sending a book tumbling across the floor.
"Watch where you're—"
The voice stopped.
Ren blinked. The girl standing before him wasn't just another student. Her uniform cuffs were trimmed in gold, and the small emblem pinned above her heart shimmered faintly — a stylized star.
Her hair was silver-white, tied loosely behind her head, and her eyes were the clear blue of cut glass. There was a quiet control about her — not arrogance, just precision.
She bent down before he could react, picked up his fallen book, and brushed a bit of dust from the corner before holding it out.
"Class F, right?"
Ren accepted the book. "That obvious?"
"You're not wearing a mana regulator," she said. Her gaze flicked to his wristband. "Everyone above Rank E needs one to control overflow. Yours isn't even synced."
"Mine doesn't like syncing."
She studied him for a moment longer, then her wristband buzzed with a chime.
[Star Candidate Elise — Orientation match in five minutes.]
Ren raised a brow. "You're one of the Ten Stars?"
"Not yet," she said. "First-year candidate. But I will be."
Her tone wasn't boastful. It was just true in her mind.
"Try not to be late next time, Ardyn."
She turned and walked away, her steps sharp and silent. The faint scent of mana ozone lingered behind her.
Ren watched her go until the crowd swallowed her silver hair.
Elise, he repeated quietly.
Star candidate.
Then he started running.
The Evaluation
By the time he reached the Combat Division hall, Professor Virel was already addressing the class.
"Since most of you survived the first day, we'll see if you can do the same under pressure. Today's a basic combat evaluation."
She tapped her wristband, and a holographic display flared to life, showing combat data from other divisions.
"Each team will face a simulated Rift beast. You'll be scored on coordination, control, and efficiency. High scores raise your Merit. Failure lowers it. Simple."
At the far side of the room, a tall student leaned against the wall with folded arms. His uniform looked custom-fit, and the gold threads along the collar marked him as a noble's son. His blond hair had been carefully tousled into deliberate disarray, and confidence seemed to radiate from every inch of him.
"What if we don't have weaklings dragging us down?" he asked, tone lazy but carrying.
Professor Virel didn't even glance his way. "Then perhaps you'll reach Class E before you graduate, Mr. Iseren."
A few laughs broke out. The boy — Kade Iseren — smirked as if even being insulted was a compliment.
Ren ended up at the back again, unpaired.
"Ardyn, solo," the Professor said. "Simulator will adjust for one."
Kade muttered, just loud enough for people to hear,
"Adjust how? Maybe it'll apologize before killing him."
Ren didn't react. He'd heard sharper words said with softer voices.
The simulator chamber glowed to life.
A circle of light formed under his feet, the room's walls shifting into the illusion of a ruined city. Cracked concrete, flickering neon, the scent of rain on metal.
[Simulation Begin — C-Class Rift Beast.]
The creature materialized with a low snarl — long limbs, half-transparent, mana veins pulsing blue beneath its hide.
Ren raised the training sword, breath steady.
He didn't think about mana — there was nothing to think about.
The beast lunged.
He moved.
His strikes were clean, minimal, designed to survive rather than impress. The sword met resistance, but the blade passed through like it was cutting mist.
He pivoted, ducked, avoided.
Timing, distance, repetition — nothing else.
The simulation ended after a minute. The beast froze mid-lunge, then dissolved into light.
[Damage Dealt: 21% — Mana Output: 0 — Merit Gained: 0]
Ren lowered the sword and stepped down.
No one said anything until Kade's voice broke the silence.
"Maybe next time you'll try using mana, not pity."
A few students snickered.
Ren returned the sword to the rack and sat down. He didn't look angry, or even disappointed — just empty in a way that didn't invite conversation.
The rankings appeared on the display when the tests ended:
Rank Name Merit Change
1 Kade Iseren +7
2 Mira Calden +5
3 Ezra Tenn +4
… … …
15 Ren Ardyn +0
"You'll improve," Professor Virel said, her tone flat, "or you'll vanish. Your choice."
Evening
By sunset, the academy had settled into its neon rhythm again.
Ren found himself on one of the side terraces overlooking the main courtyard. Below, the training fields glowed pale blue, and the air hummed with mana currents.
From here, he could see the upper towers — where students like Elise trained under real heroes, their battles visible as bursts of light against the dusk.
He leaned against the railing, watching the glow smear across the clouds.
The Ten Stars, he thought. And the rest of us, trying not to disappear in their light.
His wristband buzzed.
[Merit: 0 | Rank: F | Observation Tag: Active]
He frowned. "Observation?"
The screen flickered once, then went still.
He closed it, too tired to care, and stayed there until the night blurred the stars into streaks of gold.
Everyone's chasing light, he thought. Someone has to learn to live in the dark.