The sky above Astra Virel Academy shimmered with floating light panels.
Hundreds of students stood in the grand Awakening Hall, their eyes filled with excitement, fear… and ambition.
Today was the day their lives would change.
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"Next."
A voice echoed from the stage.
A boy stepped forward, placing his hand on the glowing crystal at the center.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
[Awakening Complete]
[Class: Flame Mage]
[Level: 5]
The hall erupted.
"Level 5?!"
"That's insane!"
"He's definitely elite class!"
The boy smiled proudly as he walked back, basking in admiration.
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One by one—
Names were called.
Powers awakened.
Futures decided.
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At the far end of the hall—
A boy stood silently.
Black hair. Calm eyes.
No excitement.
No fear.
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Only stillness.
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"…Zephyr Kaelion."
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His name echoed across the hall.
Some students turned.
Others didn't care.
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"Isn't he the one with no talent?"
"Yeah… I heard he never showed any affinity."
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Whispers spread.
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Zephyr ignored them.
He stepped forward.
Slow.
Steady.
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Each step echoed louder than the last.
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The crystal stood before him.
Radiating soft blue light.
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"Place your hand," the instructor said.
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Zephyr didn't hesitate.
He placed his hand on the surface.
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For a second—
Nothing happened.
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Then—
The light flickered.
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"…Hm?"
The instructor frowned.
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The crystal dimmed.
Then brightened.
Then—
Glitched.
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[System Initializing…]
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The air shifted.
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Students frowned.
"That's… weird…"
"Why is it taking so long?"
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Zephyr's eyes narrowed slightly.
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Something felt wrong.
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The light pulsed violently.
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[Analyzing Host…]
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A pause.
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Then—
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[ERROR]
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Silence.
---
"…What?" someone muttered.
---
The screen flickered again.
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[Level: 0]
[Class: None]
[Status: Defective]
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The hall froze.
---
"…Level 0?"
"No class?"
"Defective?!"
---
Then—
Laughter broke out.
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"Hahaha!"
"That's not even possible!"
"He didn't awaken anything?!"
---
Zephyr stood still.
---
His hand remained on the crystal.
---
But his expression—
Didn't change.
---
"…Remove your hand," the instructor said, clearly uncomfortable.
---
Zephyr slowly pulled back.
---
The screen remained.
---
Level 0.
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Absolute weakness.
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"Next," the instructor said quickly.
---
But the whispers didn't stop.
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"Pathetic…"
"Why is he even here?"
"Waste of space…"
---
Zephyr turned.
Walking away.
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As if none of it mattered.
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But inside—
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Something cracked.
---
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"Wait."
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A voice stopped him.
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A girl stepped forward.
Silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
Calm presence.
---
Elara Veylin.
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Top-ranked student.
---
She looked at the crystal.
Then at Zephyr.
---
"…That wasn't normal."
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The instructor frowned.
"…Miss Veylin, please return—"
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"It glitched," she said calmly.
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Silence.
---
Zephyr looked at her.
---
For the first time—
Something in his eyes moved.
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"…So?" he said.
---
Elara didn't respond immediately.
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Then—
"…Be careful."
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A strange warning.
---
Zephyr frowned slightly.
---
"…Why?"
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She looked at the crystal again.
---
"…Because that wasn't failure."
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A pause.
---
"…It was rejection."
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Silence.
---
Before Zephyr could respond—
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The crystal flickered again.
---
Everyone turned.
---
The screen changed.
---
Glitching violently.
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[WARNING]
[SYSTEM BREACH DETECTED]
---
The air grew heavy.
---
"…What is happening?" the instructor muttered.
---
Zephyr's heart skipped.
---
The screen distorted further.
---
Then—
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It changed.
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Only visible—
To him.
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[Host Identified]
[Accessing Restricted Protocol…]
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Zephyr's eyes widened slightly.
---
"…What…?"
---
No one else reacted.
---
They couldn't see it.
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[Authority: Unauthorized]
[Overriding…]
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The world around him felt distant.
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"…Hey… what's wrong with him?" someone whispered.
---
Zephyr didn't hear them.
---
The screen continued.
---
[Skill Unlocked]
👉 System Override
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Silence.
---
Then—
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[Welcome…]
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A pause.
---
The final message appeared.
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[…Error]
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Everything went dark for a split second.
---
Then—
Normal.
---
The crystal stabilized.
---
No more glitches.
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No more messages.
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"…Strange…" the instructor muttered.
"…Must be a malfunction."
---
Students relaxed.
Whispers faded.
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But Zephyr—
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Stood frozen.
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Because he knew—
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That wasn't a malfunction.
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Something had chosen him.
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Something—
That didn't belong to the system.
---
He slowly clenched his fist.
---
A faint, invisible glow flickered around it.
---
"…System Override…"
---
A small smile appeared on his face.
---
Not of happiness.
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But of realization.
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"…So that's how it is."
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Behind him—
Elara watched quietly.
---
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
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"…You're not normal…"
She whispered.
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Zephyr didn't turn.
---
But his voice came out calm.
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"…Neither is this world."
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Above the academy—
The sky flickered.
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Just for a second.
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As if something beyond—
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Was watching.