As Rentaro stepped onto the grounds of Arebalyan Academy, the sound of students talking and laughing slowly began to fade, replaced by an unusual silence as eyes from every direction turned toward him, watching, judging, whispering, because they all knew who he was, the son of Reyjun, the most powerful magic caster to ever exist, and yet at the same time, the boy who had no weapon, no element, and no place in the world of power.
Rentaro could feel their stares piercing through him as he tightened his grip on his bag, trying to ignore the weight of their expectations and disappointment, while some students whispered among themselves, saying that it was unbelievable that someone like Reyjun could have a son who was completely powerless, while others simply looked at him with curiosity or pity.
He kept walking forward without saying a word until he reached a large board placed near the entrance, where the names of students were assigned to their respective classes, and as he searched through the list, his eyes finally stopped at his name.
"Class D…" he quietly said to himself, his voice low as he let out a small breath, not surprised but still feeling the sting of it, knowing that Class D was known as the lowest class, where the weakest or least talented students were placed.
Without complaining, he turned and walked down the long hallway, where students were showing off their abilities to one another, some summoning their weapons with pride while others demonstrated their control over elements like fire, water, and wind, their laughter and excitement filling the air.
But then, suddenly, everything went quiet.
The sound of footsteps echoed heavily as the large entrance doors slammed open, and five boys walked in together, their presence alone enough to change the atmosphere of the entire hallway.
They were known as the Five Royals, the strongest magic users in Arebalyan Academy, feared and respected by all students, and as they walked forward, everyone instinctively moved aside, avoiding eye contact, their fear clear in their eyes.
Rentaro felt it too, that overwhelming pressure, and without realizing it, he lowered his gaze as well, hoping to avoid attention as they passed by him.
For a moment, it seemed like he would remain unnoticed.
But then—
"Hey… guys," one of them suddenly said, stopping in his tracks as his eyes landed on Rentaro, "isn't that the son of Reyjun?"
The others turned their attention toward him.
One of them stepped forward and looked down at Rentaro with a smirk as he asked what his name was, his tone clearly mocking, and Rentaro, feeling the tension around him, tried to speak but his voice trembled as he said, "Re…nta…ro…"
The boy leaned closer and said that he could not hear him, telling him to speak properly, and Rentaro swallowed his fear before repeating himself, this time louder, saying that his name was Rentaro Hagane.
Before he could react—
A sharp pain struck his stomach.
The leader had stepped forward and kicked him without hesitation, sending him crashing to the ground as the air was knocked out of his lungs, causing him to cough and struggle to breathe.
The leader looked down at him coldly and said that he was a disgrace to the name Reyjun, questioning how the strongest magic caster in history could have such a failure for a son, while the others laughed and agreed, saying that it was pathetic.
Rentaro remained on the ground, his hands gripping the floor as he tried to endure the pain, but he said nothing.
After a moment, the leader turned away and told the others that they should leave, saying that Rentaro was not even worth their time, and as they walked away, the tension in the hallway disappeared, replaced by relieved sighs from the surrounding students.
Slowly, Rentaro pushed himself up, his body still aching as he stood there silently, not saying a single word as he picked up his bag and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
When the bell rang, he made his way to his assigned classroom and stood in front of the door for a moment before taking a deep breath and opening it.
The moment he stepped inside, the room fell quiet as his classmates turned to look at him, and whispers quickly spread as one student leaned toward another and quietly asked if he was the boy who got bullied earlier, while the other nodded and said that it was indeed him.
The teacher, standing at the front of the class, looked at Rentaro and told him to introduce himself before taking a seat, asking him to state his name and what element he possessed.
Rentaro hesitated for a brief moment before speaking, introducing himself as Rentaro Hagane and saying that he was new to the academy, his voice steady at first, but when he mentioned that he did not have an element, his words slowed down slightly, as if even saying it out loud carried weight.
The classroom filled with whispers once again, but the teacher quickly told everyone to stop, saying that they should be welcoming to their new classmate, before directing Rentaro to sit at the fourth chair next to the window.
Rentaro quietly walked to his seat, but as soon as he sat down, the student beside him subtly moved his chair a little farther away, creating distance between them, and although Rentaro noticed it, he chose to remain silent.
The lesson began, and the teacher started explaining the basics of elements, how to summon weapons, and how to control them, demonstrating simple techniques using his own weapon as the students watched with interest, while Rentaro simply listened, his eyes focused but his mind distant.
When the bell rang again, signaling lunchtime, Rentaro stood up and headed toward the cafeteria, where the lively atmosphere contrasted sharply with the silence he carried within himself.
He sat alone, eating quietly as he watched other students laugh and talk with their friends, feeling like he was in a completely different world from them.
After finishing his meal, he walked through the hallway, lost in thought, until suddenly—
He bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry," Rentaro quickly said as he stepped back, looking up to see a girl with rainbow-colored hair and bright purple eyes, whose appearance immediately stood out among everyone else.
The girl smiled gently and said that it was fine, kneeling down to pick up the things she had dropped, and as Rentaro helped her, she introduced herself as Laica Smith and said that it was nice to meet him, her voice cheerful and warm.
Rentaro introduced himself as well, saying that his name was Rentaro Hagane, and upon hearing it, Laica's eyes lit up slightly as she smiled, saying that it was nice to meet him, though deep inside, she recognized the name and remembered the rumors about him.
Despite that, she continued talking to him normally, asking simple questions and sharing small stories, and as their conversation continued, Rentaro found himself slowly relaxing, feeling comfortable in a way he had not felt since arriving at the academy.
Days passed, and their conversations became more frequent, as they began eating together and spending time talking, and without realizing it, Rentaro started to develop feelings for her, seeing her as kind, genuine, and different from everyone else.
One day, while they were eating together, a voice called out Laica's name, and when Rentaro looked up, he saw the leader of the Five Royals standing nearby, his presence as intimidating as ever.
Laica stood up and told Rentaro that she would be back, her tone calm as she walked toward them, while Rentaro watched quietly, feeling something uneasy within him, a strange sense of danger that he could not explain, though he eventually shook it off.
After a while, Laica returned as if nothing had happened, sitting down and continuing their conversation normally, but Rentaro could not help himself as he asked what her relationship was with the leader.
Laica replied that his name was Clark and that he was simply a rival of hers, her tone casual as if it was nothing important, but Rentaro noticed something in her expression that he could not quite understand.
She then mentioned that Clark had called her over to talk about an upcoming event that would take place the following week, explaining that it would involve a dance and a showcase of what the students had learned, along with a tournament to display their magic abilities.
Rentaro listened quietly before saying that he probably would not attend, his voice low as he admitted that he would likely only embarrass himself in front of everyone.
Laica frowned slightly and told him that was nonsense, saying that even if something like that happened, she would stand by him, encouraging him to join and not worry about what others thought.
Rentaro looked at her, surprised by her words, and after a moment of hesitation, he nodded and agreed, saying that he would go, and upon hearing that, Laica smiled brightly, clearly happy with his decision.
And as the two of them continued talking, neither of them realized that this small decision would soon lead to something far greater, something that would begin to change Rentaro's life in ways he could never have imagined