.....
After a while…
Inside a reinforced glass-domed chamber offering a full 360-degree panoramic view of the endless blue ocean and the isolated island ahead…
Dozens of holographic screens displayed complex data—wind speed, water depth, radar readings, and engine status.
A crew of highly trained officers sat at their stations, working with quiet precision. Their voices were no more than soft murmurs of commands and confirmations.
Professor Aurora Fenix stood at the center of it all, her hands clasped behind her back, her gaze fixed on Arcadia Island.
"All systems are operating efficiently, Professor Fenix," said a tall, broad-shouldered man standing beside her.
He was Captain Marcus Thorne, the commander of the vessel and a seasoned military man. His face was marked with scars and wrinkles, and his eyes carried the wisdom of someone who had seen countless battles.
"We've conducted an initial scan of the area. No unexpected threats detected."
Aurora gave a slight nod without turning. "Good."
"The ship has been supplied with enough resources for a full month," the captain added, attempting to break her silence. "We can remain here for two weeks if necessary… There's no need to worry about logistics. The Academy is taking this test very seriously."
"I'm not concerned about resources, Captain Thorne," Aurora said at last, her voice as cold as the air atop a mountain peak.
She turned to him for the first time. Her ruby eyes held a sharpness that made even the veteran captain feel uneasy.
Hissss!
Before she could continue, the command bridge doors slid open with a soft pneumatic hiss.
"Aurora! There you are!"
A woman with short, lively sky-blue hair entered, wearing a warm smile. Though dressed in the academy's formal uniform, she wore it far less rigidly than Aurora.
This was Sophia Reynolds, the instructor of Theta Class.
"Sophia," Aurora said. Her tone didn't change, but the sharpness in her gaze softened slightly. "I was expecting you."
"This year is truly terrifying," Sophia said as she stood beside her, looking at the approaching island.
"A joint test for first-years… at the very beginning of the term. Do you think they're really serious about 're-evaluating' the class system?"
That was the real question on every instructor's mind.
"The Academy does nothing without reason," Aurora replied coolly.
Sophia sighed. "I just hope 'what's coming' isn't anything like the reports I've read about the recent gates. The 'rifts' are becoming more… strange. And more complex."
She glanced at Aurora. "Are you worried about your class? I heard the group spar was… rather intense."
"Class Alpha can handle itself," Aurora said indifferently.
"Concern is an inefficient emotion. I focus on analysis and risk mitigation."
Sophia chuckled lightly. "You're always like this. Cold and logical, like a machine. As for me… I'm worried sick. I have some talented students. This test… might be harsh."
"Harshness is the best teacher," Aurora replied. "The weak either become stronger… or they break. Either way, they learn."
"Sometimes I think you enjoy this," Sophia said, her tone turning more serious.
"I don't enjoy anything," Aurora answered flatly.
"I perform my duty. Nothing more, nothing less."
"And is supervising Adam part of your 'duty'?" Sophia suddenly asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "The rumors about him are spreading like wildfire. The survivor of the Carnival… the man who ended it alone… then vanished during the last training. He's a mystery."
Aurora stared at the horizon for a moment before replying.
"Adam Lister… has yet to be defined," she said slowly. "He may be a key… or he may be the bomb that blows everything apart."
"And is it wise to send an unstable bomb to an isolated island with the rest of the students?"
"Sometimes," Aurora said, a faint, cold smile barely forming on her lips, "the best way to find out whether a bomb will explode… is to shake it a little."
It was one of the methods used to identify those contracted with horror entities.
Sophia shook her head. "You never change, Aurora."
"I hope I don't," Aurora replied, returning her gaze to the horizon.
[Point of View: Aurora Fenix]
I stood on the command bridge, watching the screens before me.
Phase two of the operation—the transfer phase—had just been completed.
Before me was a massive holographic display divided into multiple panels. Each one showed a live feed from a surveillance drone hovering silently above the shores of Arcadia Island.
Every panel showed a similar scene.
Small groups of students—around thirteen per group—lay scattered across the الرمال or among the coastal grass, still unconscious.
Beside each group were supply crates dropped along with them.
A quiet scene…
My fingers moved swiftly across the interface as I filtered the display, ignoring the panels showing other classes and focusing on mine.
Alpha-1 and Alpha-2.
They were positioned on opposite ends of the island.
Alpha-1, led by Leo, was on a rugged rocky shore along the northern coast.
Alpha-2, led by Ezy, was on a calm sandy beach bordered by dense forest on the southern coast.
I saw them all… unconscious.
This wasn't an attack.
It was a standard—albeit classified—procedure.
An hour earlier, aboard the ships, all students had been given electrolyte-enhanced water as part of "hydration protocol" before deployment.
What they didn't know… was that the water contained Silence-7.
A complex neurochemical compound—colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
It wasn't a poison, nor did it force the body to sleep… it convinced the nervous system to do so.
Its mechanism was precise and ruthless.
Once ingested, its nano-particles entered the bloodstream and traveled directly to the brain, binding to specific receptors in the brainstem and releasing a powerful neural inhibitor that caused near-instant loss of consciousness.
It wasn't a sedative in the traditional sense.
It was more like a temporary shutdown switch for the central nervous system.
They would all wake soon.
It had been about an hour since the operation began. The effect was designed to wear off completely after ninety minutes.
They would awaken in an unfamiliar environment, with a gap in their memory, and receive instructions through the Cardinal.
The purpose of this procedure… was to ensure fairness.
No prior preparation. No plans formed aboard the ship.
Everyone starts from zero—in a state of confusion.
That was the philosophy behind this phase of the test.
Remove the advantage of mental readiness.
When they awaken, they will have nothing but their minds.
That is the purest way to measure their true potential.
I swept my gaze across the screens one last time before issuing the wake-up signal.
My eyes examined every panel displaying my students…
Alpha-1.
Leo, Serena, Ethan, Chloe… all present, lying across the dark rocks.
I counted them quickly.
One… two… three… seven… ten… thirteen.
Correct.
Then my gaze shifted to the other panel.
Alpha-2.
Calm shore. Dense forest.
Ezy De Luna near the water, her purple hair spread across the white sand.
Toro and Kai close together, even in sleep.
Luna near the forest edge, as if instinctively drawn to it.
I began counting.
One… two… four… seven… ten…
I stopped.
A cold sensation crept through me.
I counted again. Slower.
One… two… three… four… five… six… seven… eight… nine… ten… eleven… twelve.
Twelve.
I froze.
Alpha-2 consists of thirteen students.
Alpha-1 consists of thirteen students.
I personally verified the lists.
Twelve.
One is missing.
"Aurora? Is everything alright?"
Sophia's concerned voice cut through my focus. I didn't respond.
My eyes remained locked on the incorrect number.
Instead, I pressed the comms sharply.
"Drone-7 operator," I said, my voice sharp as a blade. "Zoom in on Alpha-2 immediately. Conduct a wide perimeter scan."
"Understood."
The screen expanded.
The drone descended, scanning the beach and nearby forest with precision.
"Be quiet and watch," I said coldly to Sophia.
The camera passed over the unconscious students.
Twelve.
Still wrong.
Then it moved beyond the beach…
Toward the forest.
And then—
I saw him.
"There…!"
About fifty meters away from the group, someone stood.
A slender young man in the academy's black uniform leaned casually against a massive palm tree.
His dark hair shifted slightly in the ocean breeze.
His left hand rested in his pocket—relaxed in a way that was almost irritating.
Adam.
He wasn't unconscious.
He wasn't confused.
In his right hand… he held a small booklet.
The test rulebook.
He was reading it intently, tracing lines with his finger, occasionally pausing to think—like a student reviewing notes before an exam.
Calm.
Completely calm.
Unnaturally so.
As if he had been waiting for us to finish our little performance.
Even the drone hovering near him didn't distract him.
Then, slowly… he raised his head.
And looked directly into the camera.
No shock.
No confusion.
Only… boredom.
Indifference.
As if the camera—our eyes—was nothing more than an annoying insect.
Then, without expression, he returned to the booklet… and kept reading.
"…."
Silence fell over the command bridge.
Even the crew stopped working, staring at the screen.
"So… he just woke up?" Sophia said, relieved. "Maybe he has higher natural resistance."
"…."
Aurora didn't answer.
Her mind raced, trying to process the impossible.
Then, finally—
"No," she said sharply. "If he had just woken up, he would show confusion. He would look around. Check his team. Try to understand where he is…"
That was the natural reaction.
She paused, her voice lowering.
"But he didn't. He stood up, picked up the booklet, and started reading… as if he already knew exactly what was happening."
The pieces began to fall into place.
"Either he never drank the water… or he drank it and was completely unaffected," she said quietly.
"Most likely… he pretended to lose consciousness."
She looked at Sophia.
"Adam was awake the entire time. On the ship. During transport. On the shore. He deceived the soldiers… the cameras… and me."
Silence.
"But… why?" Sophia asked. "Why hide it?"
"Because he knows," Aurora said, irritation surfacing. "He knows we're watching."
A message.
Clear.
You can set your rules… your traps…
But I will always be one step ahead.
You're not observing me… I'm allowing you to observe me.
That was how Aurora understood it.
At that moment, Adam closed the booklet and slipped it into his pocket.
He looked at the drone.
Then gave it a small wave… with a faint smile.
And turned away.
Walking slowly into the dark forest.
Ignoring it completely.
Until he disappeared.
"...Tch."
"How did he do that…?"
Since the moment she met Adam… he had never once behaved within her expectations.
"This is… irritating."
She exhaled slowly, accepting it with reluctance.