The F-Rank training ground was quiet.
Too quiet.
Kael stood alone in the center, staring at his hand as faint traces of dark energy flickered around his fingers. It moved differently now—less chaotic, more controlled.
He could feel it growing.
Adapting.
Learning.
"…Interesting," he muttered.
"You think you're special or something?"
The voice cut through the silence.
Kael turned.
Three students approached, their expressions filled with annoyance and something deeper—fear mixed with arrogance.
The one in front stepped forward.
"You're Kael, right?" he said. "The so-called 'weird Awakener.'"
Kael said nothing.
The boy smirked. "Name's Rykel. C-Rank."
He cracked his knuckles, a faint yellow aura forming around his fists.
"Let's see if you deserve that F-Rank."
The other two laughed.
"Yeah, show us that 'strange power.'"
Kael sighed.
Not because he was scared.
Because this was a waste of time.
"I'm not interested," he said calmly.
Rykel's smile disappeared.
"Too late."
He lunged forward.
Fast.
Faster than the training dummy.
His fist shot toward Kael's face—
—but Kael moved.
Not back.
Forward.
At the last second, Kael raised his hand.
The moment Rykel's fist made contact—
Something changed.
The energy around Rykel flickered.
Then—
It was pulled.
Drained.
Absorbed.
Rykel's eyes widened. "Wha—?!"
Kael twisted his body, redirecting the stolen force back into his own strike.
BOOM.
Rykel was sent flying backward, crashing into the ground.
Silence.
The two others froze.
"…What just happened?" one whispered.
Kael stood still.
His heart was beating faster now.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
"So I can absorb… even that," he murmured.
Rykel struggled to stand, his arm trembling.
"You… what did you do to me?!"
Kael looked at him calmly.
"I used your power."
Rykel's face twisted in anger. "That's impossible!"
He charged again—this time with more force, aura flaring brighter.
But Kael didn't move.
He waited.
Watched.
The moment Rykel attacked again—
Kael released his own energy.
Dark tendrils burst forward, wrapping around Rykel's arm.
This time, it wasn't just absorption.
It was domination.
The energy crushed Rykel's attack completely.
Then—
It pushed forward.
Rykel hit the ground again, harder this time.
The fight was over.
Too fast.
Too one-sided.
Kael exhaled slowly, letting the energy fade.
"…Weak."
The word slipped out before he could stop it.
Rykel froze.
The other two backed away immediately.
"Monster…" one of them muttered.
Kael heard it.
But he didn't react.
Because deep down—
He agreed.
Later
Word spread quickly.
F-Rank Kael had defeated a higher-rank student.
Easily.
Some didn't believe it.
Others became curious.
And some…
Became afraid.
At the Main Training Grounds
Drex stood with a group of A-Rank students when he heard the news.
"…Kael beat a C-Rank?" one of them said.
Drex's eyes darkened.
"…Of course he did."
Flames flickered slightly around his hand.
"I knew something was off."
He looked toward the F-Rank area in the distance.
"Good."
A small smile formed on his face.
"That just makes it more interesting."
Back at the F-Rank Zone
Kael sat alone.
Thinking.
Testing.
Understanding.
He raised his hand again.
This time, he focused on control.
A small thread of energy formed.
Thin.
Sharp.
Precise.
"…I can shape it now."
That was new.
That was important.
He clenched his fist slowly.
"If I keep growing like this…"
His eyes lifted toward the distant sky.
Toward the portals.
"…I might actually be able to destroy them."
For the first time—
That dream didn't feel impossible.
Kael slowly stood up.
The faint thread of energy around his fingers flickered… then stabilized.
Better than before.
Much better.
"…So it grows the more I use it," he said quietly.
Not just growth.
Adaptation.
His ability wasn't fixed like the others.
It was changing.
Evolving.
A sudden chill ran down his spine.
For a brief moment, the energy around him pulsed on its own—slightly darker… slightly heavier.
Kael frowned.
"…What was that?"
Before he could think further—
A loud alarm echoed across the academy.
WOOOOOOO—
Every student froze.
"What's going on?!"
"An emergency?"
"Incoming portal breach detected near the outer training zone. All instructors report immediately."
Kael's eyes widened.
A portal… inside the academy's range?
That wasn't normal.
Students began rushing toward the main area, voices filled with panic and excitement.
"This is a real one!"
"No way—they're letting us see it?!"
Kael didn't move at first.
He could feel it.
That same strange energy…
Calling to him.
From the direction of the breach.
His fists clenched.
"…Perfect."
Without hesitation, he started walking toward the chaos.
Behind him, shadows stretched slightly longer than they should have.
And for a brief second—
They moved on their own.