The Gate of Reflections stood like a monument of dreams and nightmares. A towering arch of obsidian crystal, pulsing with faint light, surrounded by a circular stone platform engraved with ancient sigils. It shimmered with power—sentient, waiting.
Every new student of the Grand Academy would walk through it.
And it would show them… themselves.
We gathered before it. The crowd was buzzing. Elites, nobles, heirs of powerful houses. I recognized their faces from the parts of the novel I did skim.
And now, they were all real.
The Noble Houses:
House Drevarn — Red-cloaked warriors of fire. Their heir, Lucien Drevarn, stood tall and smug, third-ranked swordsman of the academy in the original story.
House Valciel — The royal line. Standing among them was Princess Elira, the so-called light of the kingdom. Pale golden hair, elegant posture. She hadn't noticed me yet.
House Caldwyn — Ice magic specialists. Their lady, Seris Caldwyn, glanced around with narrowed, arrogant eyes. Future rival to Elira.
House Malgrin — Known for summoning and forbidden pacts. Their heir, Varen Malgrin, already wore a cloak stitched with demon runes.
House Fenmere — Beasts and monsters; heir unknown but rumored to control a wyvern at age ten.
And among them… one stood awkwardly in a faded gray uniform.
A boy with a wooden staff. Rough hands. Determined eyes.
The Protagonist.
I didn't even need a name to know.
He stood out—not by presence, but by contrast. Like he didn't belong. That was the point. The world would push him down again and again… until he rose and surpassed them all.
He glanced at Elira—hopeful. She smiled softly at him. Even now, in this beginning moment, their bond had started forming.
I'd be rejected by that same girl in a matter of days. I already knew the script.
But this time, I wasn't going to let the scene go the same way.
The High Instructor Arwen stepped forward.
"You will enter one at a time. The Gate will show you your potential. Your essence. And it will mark you."
Students went in, one after another.
Some came out glowing faint blue. Others with sparks of red. The markings on the platform changed color to indicate their initial tier.
Tier 9 – Average Talent.
Tier 8 – Capable.
Tier 7 – Gifted.
Tier 6 – Elite.
Tier 5 – Noble Prodigy.
Tier 4 – Rare Talent.
Tier 3 – Ascendant Candidate.
Tier 2 – Heroic Vessel.
Tier 1 – ??? (Sealed by the Crown)
And then the protagonist stepped through.
Silence.
The ground pulsed. Light erupted—pure gold and radiant blue. The Gate roared with approval. A divine aura filled the courtyard.
Tier 2. Heroic Vessel.
Gasps. Nobles exchanged looks. Even Elira took a step forward, shocked.
It was already starting.
And then…
"…Kael Vaelthorn."
My turn.
I walked up slowly, ignoring the whispers. Elira blinked—recognizing me for the first time. Her expression tightened. She'd already made up her mind. She believed I'd mock the protagonist, duel him, declare some arrogant prophecy.
But I wasn't interested in any of that.
I stepped through the Gate.
And then…
Nothing.
No light. No sound. No glow.
Just… darkness.
Then something deeper.
A reflection stood before me. A version of myself… older, taller. Cloaked in shadows. Eyes like dying stars. Behind him, the world burned. Kingdoms crumbled. A throne of bones stood beneath his feet.
"You sleep… and the world breaks anyway," it whispered.
I stared at it, unimpressed.
"I just want a bed and a good blanket. You're being dramatic."
It smiled—and vanished.
I stepped out.
The ground was silent.
No tier appeared.
Not Tier 9. Not even Tier 1.
The platform just… shut down for a moment. Like it didn't know how to read me.
Then suddenly—just for an instant—a deep black sigil flared beneath my feet.
Tier — UNKNOWN.
Then gone.
The instructors exchanged glances.
Whispers rose.
Arwen narrowed his eyes.
The headmaster, watching from the balcony far above, chuckled softly.
The nobles stepped back slightly. Even Lucien Drevarn looked unsettled.
And Elira?
She frowned.
"…Something's wrong with him," I heard her whisper to the protagonist.
I didn't care.
Because deep down, I knew the truth.
I wasn't part of their story anymore.
I was writing a new one.
And the Gate had just confirmed it.
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