The sun rose as crimson birds glided on the colored sky. Some soared to the far north, while a few quietly landed on a medium-sized building in Ash City. Inside one of the apartments, a white-haired young man was training intensely, his entire body in full display.
"488… 489…"
Sweat poured down on his body, and his heavy panting echoed in the small room. His veins throbbed, yet if someone were present, they wouldn't be able to deny that his body was full of beauty, as if sculpted to perfection.
Zeke woke up a few hours ago. He barely got a wink of sleep. Red Land was far different from Euryon, it was as if he were exiled to hell. Whether it was the discomforting air, the thick heat emitting from the room, or the thin, cold excuse of a mattress he was sleeping on—they were nightmares he had only imagined, not a reality he expected to happen to him.
He didn't know how the people in Red Land could live through this hell. This was literally impossible—the only way he stopped himself from going insane was by finding something to focus on, as such, his everyday routine when he was a Starlight.
It was already embedded in his mind. When he focused on his routine, nothing could shake him off. Or that was what he had thought, but Red Land was different. The place was driving him to insanity, and he hadn't even experienced the worst of it.
Forget the bed or the heat of the room, as long as the itching in his body stopped, Zeke would be immensely grateful. He couldn't fathom how people in Red Land lived in this air and kept on living for years, and maybe they didn't.
'Ignore it… ignore it…'
Zeke gnashed his teeth, showing an ugly expression. He cleared away all the distracting thoughts, focusing solely on his workout. But deep in his heart, something in him shouted: he shouldn't be in here. He shouldn't be in Red Land. Why should he be here?
He was Zeke St…
Bang!
In an instant, he threw his head on the ground, causing a loud bang to reverberate in the room. Blood erupted from his forehead. He forced himself to do more push-ups, resisting the discomfort and pain.
Those days as a prince were gone. He wasn't a Starlight anymore, so he should stop acting or thinking like one.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Zeke stared at the ground, his red eyes stuck on the plain wooden floor.
Instead, he was Zeke Crimson. A poor, gray kid in Red Land. He didn't have a choice but to suck up to his circumstances and work hard. If it took pain to overwrite the pride in his bones, then he would break them again and again until that hollow pride disappears.
A moment later, his arms turned wobbly, and his body fell on the floor. He groaned in pain, unable to move an inch from his position. He closed his eyes, unable to look at the ceiling of his new room.
'It's already 9… I still need to go to the academy…'
Zeke thought.
The Herta Academy of Rankers.
Besides asking for the location of Solace Bar last night, he also inquired about this academy. Zeke wasn't unfamiliar with ranker academies. He was supposed to enroll in the best one in Magic City this year, but due to his pathetic awakening, that wasn't going to happen.
The Herta Academy of Rankers was the sole ranker academy in Ash City, only accepting those of 16 years of age and below. The problem was that Zeke heard that its classes had already started over a month ago.
But after a brief moment of thought, he realized it didn't matter. What could he learn in a backward academy anyway? What was more important to him was the resources and training facilities provided by an academy.
It saves him the funds to support himself. With his new class, it was only a matter of time before he succeeded.
'That's right…'
After resting for a while, Zeke recovered some of his energy and stood up. His eyes were indifferent as he began preparing.
He had no time to waste.
With newfound resolve, he quickly went into action.
But without a spare set of clothes or any money, his preparation was just taking a bath in polluted water, and eating unknown off-brand canned foods that he couldn't find the expiry date on.
'Damn it...'
If Zeke had a choice, he'd rather not have any of it. But he had no right to be picky in his circumstances.
---
"Haa…"
Soon, Zeke stepped outside his apartment, his face terrible. The unknown canned food tasted like rusted metal and dirt, hard to chew, and even harder to swallow.
'Don't think about it!'
Zeke cleared his mind, wanting to forget its taste.
Since it was morning, none of his neighbors were awake, and even if they were, he would rather not interact with them anyway.
He quickly fled from the Whiskerbarket Apartments, recalling the directions to the academy.
No sooner than fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the Herta Academy of Rankers, taking in its wide view. Compared to everything in the city, the academy was better off. It was around eight hectares wide, with walls tinted with a gray color palette.
Zeke approached the guard at the entrance and showed his letter of recommendation.
"Huh?"
When the guard saw his letter of recommendation, the man was confused at first, then suspicious.
"Wait, I'll call someone else."
The guard took a small device from his pocket, as tall as an adult man's hand. When the guard pressed it a couple of times, it was obvious to Zeke that the device operated through touches.
'... Isn't that a mobile phone? They still exist?'
Zeke's eyes widened in surprise. He knew more than most about technologies in the past. Mobile phones were long shafted in Magic City, replaced by the faster and more advanced neurotechnology.
The guard talked for a brief moment and then dropped the call. He looked at Zeke with a small smile.
"Sorry about that, kid. Never seen a letter of recommendation before. The dean is calling you to his office. It's on the 7th floor. If you get lost, you can ask around inside the building."
"Alright."
Zold nodded slightly. The guard let him pass, and he stepped inside the building, taking everyone's attention. He ignored them and walked around, attempting to find the dean's office by himself.
Schools usually have a guide map plastered on each floor, showing the entire layout of the campus. Zeke quickly found the map, memorizing where the dean's office was located. This way, he could avoid interacting with people.
He went upstairs, not stopping until he arrived on the seventh floor.
He followed the directions faithfully and soon stopped in front of the dean's office door. Zeke raised his hand, but then he froze, recalling something unpleasant. He put his hand over his shoulder and stared at the door coldly.
After a brief pause, Zeke brushed aside his worries and knocked on the door twice. Two knocks later, a pleasant and amicable voice came out from the door.
"Hello, who is it? Please come in."
Click!
Zeke twisted the doorknob and stepped inside, taking in the dean's office view. It was rather small, far from what he had expected of someone with a high status. A small, unassuming desk lay in the front, while a short old man sat behind, wearing a pair of thin rectangular glasses.
The short, old man, whom Zeke assumed was the dean, had a kind expression on his face.
"Are you the student with a letter of recommendation?" The dean asked eagerly, looking at Zeke with a wide smile.
Zeke nodded respectfully. "Yes, Dean."
"A letter of recommendation… I heard they were only given out during the founder's time," The dean said casually.
Zeke didn't answer him, keeping quiet. He lowered his gaze.
"... But since you have one and came here, it means you're interested in studying in this academy," The dean smiled casually, changing the topic. "But are you certain of your choice? Once you enroll here, you cannot leave without graduating. Plus, I'm sure we have been transparent about this… but students dying during exams is not rare."
Zeke paused, confusion appearing in his eyes. The letter didn't state that at all. He hesitated for a moment, but knowing his current situation, he knew he had no choice. He answered. "I am aware. But I still wish to study here."
The dean fell silent.
After a brief pause, he spoke.
"Very well! What do you think, Professor Xavier?"
He suddenly turned his gaze to the corner, where a tall, broody man leaned against the wall, gazing at Zeke with an indifferent expression. Zeke's pupils dilated, and he turned around, seeing the man unknowingly appear in the room.
"...!"
Zeke was startled, his heart skipping a beat. He didn't sense the man at all… if they wanted, he would probably be dead right now. He recalled sweeping his gaze in the room, but he didn't see anyone but the dean in the office.
But seeing the man's cold gaze, he frowned, clenching his hand tightly.
"What's your name?" The broody man asked, his voice hoarse and cold.
Zeke's hand loosened as he answered quietly. "... Zeke Crimson."
"You can fill out your information later," The broody man said, standing up properly. He glanced at the dean. "I'll be taking him directly to my class. Is there a problem with that, Dean Pooler?"
"... I was thinking of testing his echoforce first, but we can do it later after your class." Dean Pooler shook his head, smiling amicably. "You may go with Professor Xavier, Crimson."
Professor Xavier nodded, glancing at Zeke.
"Follow me."
Not waiting for him to respond, Xavier stepped directly outside the room. Zeke's gaze lowered, then turned to his back, hesitating slightly. But at that moment, the dean advised him like a kind old man.
"Don't be late, Crimson. Professor Xavier hates tardiness above all else."
Zeke looked at the dean and nodded calmly.
"Understood, Dean Pooler."
Without waiting for the dean's response, he quickly stepped outside the room. Nothing about Xavier gave the idea that he was an easygoing man. He had heard before that some professors were so strict that they gave nightmares to students.
He would rather not be targeted.
Seeing Zeke disappear, the dean tapped the desk quietly, closing the door despite not standing up.
"Crimson, huh? The Red Pilate just came back... is he one of them?"