The class followed Kael into a large training room, cluttered with towering structures of pillars, platforms, and hanging ropes. Some obstacles reached the ceiling, while others curved around the floor.
"Thank you, Maris," Kael said.
A girl near the front wobbled under the weight of a large glass jar, struggling forward until she finally set it down in the middle of the room with a heavy thud.
"Everyone, this is Maris Feld. She'll be assisting with your assessments today."
Maris gave an awkward wave.
"Together, we'll be evaluating your strengths and weaknesses. But today's test has one focus: agility." Kael's eyes swept the room. "Pay close attention. This isn't just about speed—it's about how well you control your body under pressure."
Landen scanned the room, sizing everyone up.
In a battle arena, there were five distinct roles, one of which was the assassin—built for speed, shadow, and precision. High burst damage, low defense. Pure agility. If this test was designed with any role in mind, it was clearly that one.
"Look down at your suits," Kael continued. "You'll each find a number on your chest and back. That's your identifier. After all assessments are completed, your results will be posted—find your number to find your score."
The students had swapped their uniforms for sleek black suits, each marked with a unique number. Landen wore 28. Ember, standing a few feet away, wore 4. Beside her stood the white-haired boy—number 56—arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"Hit the lights," Kael said, pointing at Maris.
She tapped on her tablet, and the room went dark.
Gasps rippled through the group. Then the jar on the floor began to glow—softly at first, then brighter.
"Don't move," Maris said quietly.
She unscrewed the lid and hundreds of luminous lights drifted upward, spreading through the space like floating embers.
"Wisps?" Landen whispered, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. He'd half-expected someone to react the way he wanted to—with wide eyes, with wonder. Instead, the faces around him were calm. Almost bored.
"Right," he muttered. "Wisps are just... normal here."
Kael's voice cut through the dim glow. "This test is called the Wisp Tag. Your suits are equipped with sensors that will track your every movement—coordination, balance, reaction time, acceleration, velocity. All of it."
He and Maris moved through the crowd, handing a small woven basket to each student.
"Your goal is simple: catch as many wisps as you can in thirty minutes. Store the wisps inside your basket, and our system will automatically register your points."
As Landen strapped his on, he pulled up his system menu to check his agility stat.
|| Agility: 2 ||
"You still possess ten unclaimed stat points," the system said. "Shall I apply them to your agility?"
"No."
"A few points would make this significantly easier."
"That's the point. I want to know where I actually stand."
A pause. "As you wish."
He closed the menu, though the confidence he'd projected inward didn't quite reach his chest. The truth was, he'd never been athletic. Back on Earth, he was the kind of person who chose a controller over a gym membership every time—scrawny, slow, and perfectly fine with it. Now he felt stronger, healthier. But how much stronger? That's what he needed to find out.
A holographic display flickered to life above them, bright against the dark.
"There are a few things you should know before you begin. Take a close look at the display, and you'll notice four different-colored wisps. Each one carries a different point value."
The display zoomed in, isolating four colored wisps along with their point value.
|| White: 1 point ||
|| Blue: 2 points ||
|| Red: 3 points ||
|| Rainbow: 10 points ||
"You will notice the higher the value, the fewer there are. White wisps will be scattered throughout the course, but if you want a high score, you'll need to keep your eyes open for the others. But, just know—they're worth more for a reason."
The hologram shifted again, the wisps fading as bold writing appeared in their place.
"There are also two rules," he said. "First: you are not allowed to use any abilities during this test. This is a measure of your natural physical capability—nothing more."
"Second: you are not allowed to interfere with other participants. No fighting, no sabotage, and absolutely no stealing wisps from someone else." His gaze swept across the group. "Any violation of these rules will result in immediate disqualification."
While Kael spoke, Landen felt a presence settle beside him.
The white-haired boy.
"You don't belong here."
The words were quiet, but certain. Too certain—like he knew his true identity.
Landen said nothing.
"People spend years to reach this point," the boy continued. "Raising their Essence level. Training their bodies. Competing against thousands just for the chance to walk through this academy's doors." He finally turned to look at Landen. "And then there's you. A Civilian criminal with zero Essence and a clear soul color nobody's ever seen before. Vanderbilt may think that the clear soul color means something special. But we'll find out soon enough that it means nothing. You're not some hidden genius. You're just a criminal. That's all there is to you."
Landen didn't respond right away.
Because honestly? The boy wasn't wrong.
Back on Earth, he'd been ordinary in every sense of the word. No power. No talent. No greatness. Even now, he still didn't fully understand why he had been brought here instead of someone else more deserving.
Being here among the academy students, all radiating confidence and strength, made him feel like an ordinary person pretending to belong among monsters.
The boy took a step forward.
"I'll expose you. Right here, right now.
And then—
A translucent blue screen suddenly appeared in front of Landen's vision.
"You have received your first quest," the system said.
Landen's eyes widened.
|| QUEST: Outscore your opponent. ||
|| REWARD: 20 EXP. ||
For a split second, Landen completely forgot about the boy.
A quest.
An actual quest.
His pulse kicked up. Ever since the system appeared, one question had been gnawing at him above all others: How do I earn EXP? He'd turned it over and over without an answer.
Now he had one.
A slow grin spread across his face.
The white-haired boy's eyes narrowed—clearly misreading the reaction. From where he stood, it looked like Landen was smiling after being insulted.
"Thank you," Landen said, dropping a hand briefly onto the boy's shoulder. "That pep talk was exactly what I needed."
He stepped forward and stretched his arms overhead.
The boy stared after him. After a moment, something shifted in his expression—the faintest trace of a real smile. Genuinely impressed by Landen's carefree response.
"Let me remind you all," Kael announced. His gaze moved across the group one final time. "Your results today will determine whether you earn your place here at Aegis. This is not just a test. It's your future. Do your best."
Landen exhaled slowly. "No pressure, right…" he muttered, his chest tight.
"You have thirty minutes." Kael raised his hand.
"Begin!"
BUZZ!!!
Students leapt, sprinted, slid, and climbed as glowing wisps scattered in every direction. Some vaulted across pillars. Others scrambled up walls, baskets snapping shut around flickers of light.
While all the students moved, Landen and the boy ran side by side, equal in speed, and they both dove towards a few wisps. Instead of catching anything, they crashed into each other hard.
Landen fell onto his back. When he looked up, he saw the boy's back. He stood perfectly still, calm and relaxed, as if the collision had never happened. Several seconds passed, yet neither of them moved.
What is he planning?
Then, slowly, the boy turned his head.
His gaze locked onto Landen—and a faint, unsettling smile spread across his face.
They both sprinted together again, but this time the boy was much faster than Landen.
I swear our speed was just equal, but now I can't seem to keep up. Did he use some kind of ability or something?
Landen stopped as he watched the boy sprint ahead, jumping around on different obstacles until he stood at the top.
He looked back at Landen, holding his first wisp in his hand.
"I will win this," he said, then jumped away.
Landen narrowed his eyes, replaying the movements in his mind.
No abilities allowed…so what did he just do?
He clenched his fist.
"Who are you?"