The next morning, the classroom was loud. Voices overlapped, chairs scraped across the floor, and laughter bounced off the walls as students talked over one another, alive in the way only a classroom could be before the lesson started.
Then Noen stepped inside.
Conversations cut off mid-sentence. Laughter died in throats. Every pair of eyes turned toward him, following him as he stood frozen in the doorway for half a second too long. Noen swallowed and walked in. Whispers started immediately. He kept his head down and walked to his seat. The room stayed quiet. Too quiet.
He sat down and opened his bag, hands moving automatically as he pulled out his books and pencil case. His fingers trembled slightly. Next to him, Lian leaned back in his chair and laughed.
"So, Noen," he said loudly, twisting the cap of his bottle, "how's life with your rank?" He took a long sip and dapped up Mika a row before him.
Noen flinched. "L-Lian…" he said quietly. "What's wrong?"
Lian didn't answer. Instead, he lifted his leg and nudged Noen's pencil case off the desk. It hit the floor with a soft clatter. "Hey," Noen said, startled. "What's that supposed to—"
He bent down to pick it up. Pain exploded across his back. Mika kicked him hard, sending him forward. Noen lost his balance and fell face-first onto the floor. Laughter erupted. Not everyone in class, but enough.
Noen pushed himself up onto his knees, his hands shaking. His vision blurred as tears formed. "Why are you being like this?" he asked, his voice breaking. "I-I'm still the same. You know that, right?"
Lian scoffed. He picked up his bottle and threw it. It never hit. A hand caught it mid-air. Kai stood there, his expression hard. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Kai said.
Lian's face twisted in annoyance. "Tch." He clicked his tongue. "Come on, Mika." Mika snorted and followed him. "Someone with a rank so bad it's named after him?" Lian said over his shoulder. "We don't want anything to do with that." They walked out of the classroom just as the bell was about to ring.
Kai turned back to Noen and knelt slightly, holding out a hand. "Are you okay?"
Noen hesitated, then took it. Kai pulled him up. "Yeah," Noen said quietly, wiping his eyes. "I… I think so."
The Teacher, Ms. Halden, entered the classroom. "All right, everyone. Attention, please," she said calmly. "You'll be working on your own for a bit today. You have a substitute lesson with Mr. Wagner." A collective groan rippled through the room. "Ooooh…"
Ms. Halden ignored it. "Noen," she said, turning slightly, "you're coming with me. You won't need your school bag."
Noen froze for a second, then slowly stood up. The whispers started immediately. "Of course it's about his system." "Would you even want to live with a rank like that?" "I couldn't." Noen heard every word as he walked past the desks and out of the classroom. The door closed behind them.
"So, Noen," Ms. Halden said as they walked down the hallway, "we need to go back to the town hall. Or rather… you do. They want to take another look at your system. The System Registrar also asked me to come along," she added. "For some reason. It's not like you're a small child."
Noen didn't respond. By the time they reached the town hall, his chest felt tight. Someone was already waiting for them at the entrance. "Good morning!," the man said warmly, smiling as he stepped forward. "You must be Noen, correct?" Noen nodded.
"My name is Joris Gantz," the man continued. "I'm responsible for ensuring that all registered systems within the city are properly monitored and handled according to regulation." Noen's gaze dropped again.
"And I've been informed by Mr. Kessler that you…" Joris paused, choosing his words carefully. Noen swallowed. "Could you please open your system for me?"
Noen hesitated. His hands clenched at his sides. For a moment, he shook his head. Ms. Halden gently nudged him forward. With a sharp breath, Noen raised his hand. The system window appeared.
Joris leaned closer, his expression growing serious as he examined it. "So it really is true," he murmured. "Negative stats… and a role like this…" He cleared his throat and straightened. "Noen," he said carefully, "would you mind if we tested your abilities a little today? Don't worry. Nothing dangerous."
Noen hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"Good," Joris said, turning toward the building. "Then let's head to the training hall. Ah—right," Joris said suddenly, snapping his fingers. "I almost forgot. We still need to register you properly in the central system," Joris continued, already turning on his heel. "Follow me."
He waved them along. They entered an elevator nearby. The doors slid shut with a soft hiss, and the cabin began to rise. Two floors up. The ride was silent. Noen stared at the reflective metal doors until they arrived.
The elevator opened into a restricted corridor. Joris pulled a keycard from his pocket and held it against a scanner at the door a few meters to the right. The door unlocked with a sharp click. Inside was a white room. The walls were smooth and sterile, almost clinical.
In the center stood a large blue chair, bolted to the floor, thick cables running up from its back into the ceiling. Along one wall were tall cabinets filled with files and sealed folders. At the far end of the room stood a desk. A woman sat behind it, typing on a laptop. She looked up.
"You're Noen, correct?" Noen nodded. She stood up, walked over, and shook his hand firmly. "Please take a seat in the chair over there."
Noen hesitated for a second, then did as he was told. "We'll wait outside," Joris said calmly. "Ms. Halden and I." Before Noen could say anything, they stepped back out. The door slid shut behind them.
The woman smiled, professional. "All right," she said. "Please put on the headphones hanging above your seat and open your system interface."
Noen reached up. The headphones felt heavier than he expected as he placed them over his ears. He raised his hand. The system window appeared.
"Good," the woman said. "Now please stay still." She turned back to her laptop, fingers moving quickly over the keys.
At first, nothing happened. Then the chair vibrated. Just slightly. Noen's heart skipped. The lights in the room flickered. Once. Twice. The vibration grew stronger.
The woman froze, then looked up sharply. "That's… strange."
A low hum filled the room. Panels along the wall began to blink erratically. The floor trembled. "What—what is happening?" she muttered, stepping back toward the desk.
A sharp crack echoed as sparks burst from one of the ceiling cables. The hum turned into a shrill whine. The woman's eyes widened. "W-Wait. This shouldn't—"