Ryker tightened his grip on the loaf of bread, the crust still warm against his palm. He didn't like stealing, but his sister's ribs were starting to show, and the hunger in her eyes hurt more than the guilt in his chest. Behind him, the heavy thud of boots hit the cobblestones.
"Get back here, you little rat!" the baker screamed, red-faced and gasping for air.
Ryker vaulted over a wooden crate with practiced ease, glancing back with a quick, jagged grin. "You're getting too slow, Old Man! Maybe try eating less of your own stock!"
He ducked into a narrow alley, weaving through the morning crowd until the shouting faded into the distance. He didn't stop until he reached the outskirts of the lower district, where the houses looked like they were holding each other up out of pure exhaustion.
He pushed open the creaking door of their shack. His little sister, Elara, was sitting on a moth-eaten rug. Her silver-white hair was a mess of tangles, contrasting sharply with her pale, smudge-streaked face. She had large, amber eyes that seemed too big for her thin frame, giving her a fragile, doll-like appearance.
"Ryker!" she beamed, her face lighting up as he tossed her the bread.
"Eat up, Elara," he said, sitting cross-legged in front of her. "I want you to have enough energy for your lessons today. One day, you're going to go to a real school, not just that dusty community cellar."
She tore into the bread, then paused, looking at him with wide eyes. "Ryker, is today the day? The day you get your magic class?"
He reached out, gently tucking a stray silver lock behind her ear. His hand was rough, but his touch was light. "Yeah, today is the day. Don't you worry about a thing. Whatever I get, it's going to be enough to get us out of here. I'll make sure you never have to worry about a meal again."
After walking her to the small neighborhood school, Ryker turned toward the sprawling spires of the Academy. His heart hammered against his ribs. This was the moment that would decide if they stayed in the dirt or finally climbed out.
As he walked through the massive iron gates, the atmosphere shifted. The students here wore silks and polished leather. Ryker looked down at his own tunic, which was gray, frayed at the hem, and patched in three different places.
"Look at that," a boy in a gold-trimmed cloak whispered, nudging his friend. "Another commoner thinks he belongs here. That filth probably hasn't even seen a mana stone before."
(Just keep walking. Don't look at them!) Ryker thought, staring straight ahead.
The Great Hall of the Academy was a sea of shimmering silks and polished leather, but the air was heavy with the scent of ozone and expectation. At the front of the room, a massive, jagged crystal pulsed with a rhythmic blue light.
The Head Professor stood beside it, his voice echoing against the high stone arches. "Five hundred years ago, the sky fractured. Dungeons tore through our cities, and the Great Towers rose from the earth like needles. From them came the monsters that nearly ended us. Today, you receive the magic required to push them back. Your class is your duty. Your affinity is your life."
One by one, names were called. The tension in the room was a physical weight.
"Lina Thorne."
A frail young girl stepped forward. She was small for her age, with raven-black hair tied in tight, neat braids. Her skin was porcelain-pale, and she looked like a stiff breeze might knock her over. Her hands trembled as she reached for the stone.
"I... I just put my hand on this?" she whispered.
"Yes, child. Simply focus," the Professor said.
The moment her palm touched the crystal, a violent pillar of violet light shot toward the ceiling. The air grew cold, and frost began to creep across the stone floor, turning the marble white. The Professor's eyes went wide.
"A High Mage!" he shouted, his voice filled with awe. "And an ice affinity to boot! Exceptional!"
Lina scurried back to her seat, looking overwhelmed by the murmurs of the crowd. Ryker felt a spark of hope. If a girl that small could pull that much power, maybe there was a path for him too.
Next, a boy with a sharp, arrogant smile and hair slicked back with expensive oils sauntered up. He didn't wait for instructions. He slammed his hand onto the crystal. The light flared a deep, bloody red.
"Kaelen Vance. Warrior Class. Berserker Specialization!"
Kaelen smirked, flexing his arm as he walked back, receiving high-fives from the other nobles. He spared a glance at Ryker's frayed tunic and snickered.
The ceremony dragged on for hours. Students were branded as Knights, Assassins, and Elementalists. The energy in the room was electric, filled with the potential of future heroes. Finally, the sun began to dip behind the stained-glass windows, and only one name remained.
"Ryker of the Lower District."
The room went quiet. The excitement had died down, replaced by the impatient rustling of students ready to leave. Ryker walked up the steps, his worn boots clunking loudly on the polished marble. He reached out, his hand damp with sweat, and pressed his palm against the cold surface of the stone.
He prayed for fire. He prayed for a sword. He prayed for anything that could pay for Elara's tuition.
A dull, sickly green light flickered deep within the stone. It didn't roar. It didn't freeze the floor. It barely hummed, looking like a dying ember in a swamp.
The Professor looked at the reading, his face falling into a mask of boredom. He scribbled on a piece of parchment without looking Ryker in the eye.
"Ryker. Class: Beast Tamer."
A wave of snickering broke out.
"A Tamer? In this day and age?" someone laughed.
"Might as well have been Classless," another whispered. "He can go play with stray dogs while we clear the Towers."
In a world where mages could level cities and warriors could cleave mountains, a Beast Tamer was a joke. It was a class for people who couldn't hold their own mana, forced to rely on creatures that usually ended up eating their masters. It was the lowest of the low.
Ryker stood frozen, his hand still on the cold crystal.
(Beast Tamer? This was supposed to be the way out. This was supposed to be for Elara.)