The moment I stepped through the portal, the world shifted again. Colors bled into shape—gray stone walls, dim lanterns, and a long tunnel that smelled like damp metal. The air felt heavier here, like it was waiting for something.
I wasn't alone.
A few other students stood farther ahead, already summoned before me. Their uniforms were clean, fitted, and expensive-looking. Mine… well, I didn't have one. Just my dark jacket and worn boots.
One girl glanced back at me. Pale hair, sharp eyes, posture straight enough to scream noble. She looked at me like I'd wandered into the wrong building.
I pretended not to notice.
A voice echoed from crystals embedded in the ceiling.
"Welcome to your preliminary evaluation. Pass, and you enter the academy. Fail, and you leave."
Simple enough.
A heavy gate in front of us groaned open, metal grinding against stone. Beyond it was a wide chamber covered in marks, scratches, and dried streaks that definitely weren't paint.
"Great," I muttered. "Definitely welcoming."
The others walked in confidently. I followed, keeping my distance, scanning the room. No weapons lying around. No obvious traps. But the air… something was wrong with it. Too still.
Then the floor thumped.
A shape crawled out from a side grate—low to the ground, fast, and twitching. Not human. Not animal either. Just wrong.
A construct.
Its eyes flicked between us, glowing faint blue.
Someone beside me whispered, "A crawler-type? For a first test?"
I almost laughed. Back in the old world, I'd seen things worse than this—things that didn't wait before tearing you apart. But I kept quiet.
Another thump, then two more crawlers emerged. Three in total.
The ceiling crystals flared.
"Neutralize them as a group. Those who contribute will pass. Those who don't… won't."
The nobles immediately moved, forming a loose line. One raised his hand, shaping flame. Another drew in a breath like he was pulling energy from the air.
I stayed back for a second, watching how the crawlers moved. Their joints clicked wrong, like snapped bones trying to walk. Their bodies vibrated—unstable.
Spatial distortions.
Not from me, though. These things were built around weak rifts. I could feel it.
The nobles attacked first—fire bursts, wind slashes, bright and loud. The crawlers dodged faster than I expected, darting toward any opening.
One of them lunged at the pale-haired girl.
She froze.
No time to think. My body moved before my brain caught up.
I stepped in, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back as the crawler swiped. The air around its claws warped just slightly—just enough for me to react. My spatial sense tugged at me, a quiet warning.
I pushed the distortion outward.
A thin ripple burst from my hand—barely controlled, barely stable. It didn't tear space or anything dramatic… but it shoved the crawler off balance long enough for the fire user to send a blast straight through its head.
The creature collapsed, twitching.
The girl blinked at me. "I… didn't need help."
"Sure," I said. "Next time, try moving."
She looked offended, but not enough to argue.
The remaining two crawlers were easier once everyone stopped panicking. They fell quickly under combined attacks. When the last one hit the ground, the crystals dimmed.
A door slid open at the far end.
"Step through. Evaluation complete."
Everyone walked ahead. I stayed back a moment, staring at the crawler cores—small crystals humming weakly.
My ability reacted to them, like something pulling at the edge of my awareness.
Spatial energy… connected to rifts.
Why did it feel familiar?
I shook it off and followed the others through the door.
Whatever was happening with me… I'd figure it out eventually.
For now, surviving the academy came first.