The academy changed in the week leading up to the finals.
Classrooms emptied earlier, training fields stayed lit until dawn, and the air thrummed with raw anticipation. The Year 1 Final Exam — the great Class Competition — wasn't just a test. It was a spectacle. A proving ground where reputations were born and broken.
For Class D, it was supposed to be a formality — the last line of names before the strong claimed the stage.
But this time, one name had rewritten the order.
Lee Shin.
Every class now had eyes on him. Whispers of his duel with Hyun-Seok spread like wildfire, each retelling more exaggerated than the last — some called him a genius, others a monster. Shin ignored them all. He trained quietly, relentlessly, his focus fixed on one goal: to grow stronger than the fate that kept chasing him.
He stood alone in the mana chamber, sweat dripping down his jaw as the pressure inside intensified. Blue runes pulsed across the walls, amplifying gravity and mana resistance. His arms shook as he pushed against the invisible weight, forming mana circuits faster, sharper, smoother.
"Again," he muttered.
The ring on his finger responded, faintly pulsing with light.
He pushed until his knees nearly buckled. The mana around him roared, unstable, pressing like a storm. For a brief moment, his vision blurred, and a familiar whisper slipped through his mind — the same ancient voice that had guided him before.
Your blood remembers the fire.
But will your heart accept it?
Shin exhaled slowly, forcing his core to stabilize. The air rippled, then stilled. When the weight vanished, he dropped to one knee, gasping — but smiling faintly.
He'd improved again.
When he left the chamber, the night air outside was cool and quiet. Ha-Yoon was waiting by the door, arms crossed.
"You're insane," she said, handing him a towel. "The mana chamber's supposed to be used in short intervals. You've been in there for two hours."
He took it without argument. "If I rest, I fall behind."
She sighed. "You don't even know what 'rest' means, do you?"
Then, her tone softened. "Still… you're getting stronger. I can feel it."
He glanced at her. "You've improved too."
Her grin returned. "Well, someone has to keep up with you. Otherwise, Class D won't even have a decent second place."
"Second?" He raised an eyebrow.
She huffed. "Fine. Third. Maybe fourth. Happy now?"
For a moment, he almost laughed. It was rare for him — but around her, it came naturally. She noticed the change in his expression and smiled wider, as if it was a small victory.
They walked together toward the dorms. The training fields behind them buzzed with life — students sparring, spells lighting up the sky in flashes of color. Ahead, the banners of each class fluttered under the moonlight.
At the far end, near the Class A dorms, Hyun-Seok stood with his friends, watching them go. His bandaged arm hung at his side, but his eyes were sharp — cold. Beside him, an instructor leaned close, whispering something that made him smirk.
Ha-Yoon noticed. "He's been staring at you all week," she muttered. "You think he'll try something during the finals?"
Shin didn't look back. "If he does, I'll end it again."
That night, rain returned — light, rhythmic, tapping against the dorm windows. Shin sat by his desk, flipping through old spell diagrams. His mana threads glowed faintly in the dim light, weaving between his fingers like strands of silk. Each one obeyed perfectly now — smoother than before.
He could feel the difference inside his core.
The strength was real. The old instincts — the ones from his previous life — were awakening.
He thought of Ahra again. The way she'd stood in that courtyard — defiant, unbroken.
You'll need power to protect her, the voice inside whispered.
He clenched his fist. "I'll have it."
The door creaked open. Ha-Yoon peeked in. "You're still up?"
He nodded.
She hesitated, then stepped inside, holding a small box. "Um… I got you something. Kind of a good-luck charm for the finals."
He blinked. "A charm?"
She opened it — a small silver bracelet, engraved with simple mana-locking runes. "It stabilizes your energy flow when your circuits overheat. You burn through mana too fast sometimes."
Shin stared at it for a moment, then slowly took it. The runes pulsed faintly at his touch. "Thank you."
Her cheeks turned pink. "It's not a big deal. Just… don't die in the finals, okay? You still owe me a rematch from our first spar."
He almost smiled again. "I'll remember."
When she left, the room fell silent except for the rain. Shin placed the bracelet beside the ring on his desk — two lights, one from the past, one from the present. He looked between them, then whispered under his breath, "I won't lose. Not again."
The next morning, the academy bell rang louder than usual.
Hundreds of students gathered at the central arena — a vast, multi-layered battlefield surrounded by floating mana crystals. The Final Examination: The Labyrinth Trial.
The announcement echoed across the grounds.
"All first-year classes will participate in a cooperative survival simulation. Points will be awarded for defeating monsters, securing crystals, and subduing opposing teams. The top three individuals with the highest contribution scores will receive promotion eligibility."
Cheers erupted. Mana flared. The atmosphere was electric.
Shin stood among his classmates, calm amid the storm.
Ha-Yoon bounced on her heels beside him, whispering, "They said the labyrinth changes every hour. Think you can handle that?"
"I'll manage," he replied, scanning the other classes. His eyes found Hyun-Seok's team — their gazes locked, no words exchanged. A silent promise of conflict.
The instructor raised his hand. "Year 1 students… enter the labyrinth."
The ground beneath them shimmered, and in a flash of light, the world shifted.
Stone walls. Endless corridors. The sound of beasts growling in the distance. The trial had begun.
Shin drew his sword, mana flaring faintly around his hand.
Ha-Yoon grinned beside him. "Well, Shin… shall we show them what Class D can do?"
He nodded once. "Let's."
As they stepped into the shadows of the labyrinth, a quiet tension filled the air — the calm before chaos. Somewhere deeper within, unseen eyes watched, waiting for the moment to strike.
The storm was coming.
And this time, Lee Shin would stand in its center — unyielding, unstoppable, reborn.