Morning sunlight filtered through the classroom windows of Orialis High, painting soft lines across rows of desks. Students murmured, laughed, and prepared for another day—except for Aether Yun, who sat quietly with his chin resting on his hand.
His body still remembered the fight from the previous day. Not pain—he felt none of that—but the sensation of his muscles acting on instinct, the thrill of movement, the pulse of power he didn't understand.
He stared out the window, lost in thought, when a soft voice interrupted him.
"Aether… you look tired."
He turned to see Mira Tarrow—the girl he admired from a distance since their first year. Bright eyes, gentle expression, and the only person in class who could pull him out of his own head.
"I'm fine," Aether said, giving a small smile. "Just didn't sleep well."
Mira leaned closer. "You've been spacing out more lately. Are you stressed about exams? Or… something else?"
He opened his mouth to answer—
SLAM.
The classroom door burst open with a thunderous echo, silencing the entire room.
Everyone turned.
Standing in the doorway was a massive, broad-shouldered man, towering over every teacher in the school. His presence was heavy—like a boulder dropped into the ocean, rippling through every student.
He wore a dark martial arts uniform, the emblem of Iron Dragon Dojo stitched in gold on his chest.
Whispers exploded.
"That's… isn't that Master Ryuga?"
"The Iron Dragon himself? What's he doing here?"
"No way… he's a 6-Star Martial Grandmaster!"
Aether blinked. Why is someone like him here?
Master Ryuga's eyes swept across the room—sharp, calculating, predatory. Then they stopped.
On Aether.
The entire class followed his gaze.
Aether felt a strange pressure—a weight—not harmful, but impossible to ignore. The eyes of a predator who had found prey… or a master who had found a rare gem.
Ryuga stepped fully into the room, each footfall heavy and deliberate.
The teacher stammered, "M-Master Ryuga…? Can I… help you?"
"I am not here for you," Ryuga said calmly, his voice deep enough to vibrate the desks. "I am here for him."
He lifted a thick, calloused finger.
Pointing directly at Aether.
Gasps erupted around the room.
Miko, Riku, and Kenji—Aether's dojo friends—froze in shock where they sat in the back row.
Mira's eyes widened. "…Aether?"
Aether stood slowly, confused. "Master Ryuga… why are you looking for me?"
Ryuga stared at him with the intensity of a blade being sharpened. "Yesterday. After school. A fight."
Aether's heart skipped. He saw that?
"I saw you restrain five trained street fighters without using an ounce of killing intent. I saw your footwork. Your precision. Your natural control."
Ryuga's face remained expressionless, but his voice deepened with respect.
"You fought like a warrior born. Not trained."
The class was silent. Even the air seemed to hold its breath.
Ryuga crossed his arms. "Boy. What is your name?"
"Aether Yun."
Ryuga nodded as if confirming something. "Then, Aether Yun… I am here to extend an invitation."
He reached into his bag and dropped a black and silver envelope onto Aether's desk. It landed with a weight that didn't match paper.
"This is a direct admission letter to the Iron Dragon Dojo. The strongest dojo in the region." His gaze sharpened. "I do not extend these to children. Or to the unworthy."
He leaned closer, eyes burning with curiosity.
"But you… you move as if your body has known combat for a thousand years."
Mira looked at Aether with a new expression—one mixed with awe, concern, and something else she didn't understand.
Aether swallowed. His voice was steady but uncertain. "I… don't know what to say."
Ryuga straightened. "Say yes."
"I already have a dojo—"
"Not anymore." Ryuga cut him off, voice firm. "Your talent is too large for the place you are in. You are a rare ore that should be forged in the strongest fire."
He turned, about to leave—
Then paused.
"Aether Yun."
His deep voice filled the classroom once more.
"When you are ready to understand what you truly are… come find me."
With that, he stepped out of the classroom, leaving stunned silence behind him.
Aether stood frozen, the envelope heavy in his hand.
Miko whispered, "What the hell just happened…?"
Riku muttered, "Dude, you just got scouted by the Iron Dragon."
Kenji added, "This is insane. You're insane. Life is insane."
Mira leaned closer, her voice soft, but trembling. "Aether… you're not telling me something. Are you?"
Aether didn't answer.
Because he wasn't sure of the answer himself.
All he knew was this:
Yesterday's fight was only the beginning.
The world was watching him now.
And something deep inside him—something ancient—had begun to stir.