The apartment smelled faintly of tea and old paper.
Kai dropped his bag by the door and slipped off his shoes, the faint creak of the warped floorboards greeting him like an old friend. Outside, the city buzzed with distant life — horns, hover-trams, and the occasional low rumble of a passing Rin train. But inside, the world was quiet.
Just how he liked it.
He stepped into the kitchen, where a woman stood over a small stove, stirring something with gentle, practiced hands. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, strands of fading black and grey falling out at the sides. She wore a plain blouse and skirt, her posture tired, but not defeated.
"You're home early," she said without looking.
"Last day." Kai leaned against the counter. "Didn't bother dragging it out."
Hana Kurozawa, Kai's mother, glanced over her shoulder, eyes softening. "You're really going to do it, then?"
He didn't answer right away. Just looked down at his hands.
Calloused, a little cracked. From training. From pushing too hard with too little.
Then he nodded. "Yeah. Entrance exams are tomorrow."
She turned off the stove and poured soup into two chipped bowls. The smell of miso and seaweed filled the room.
"You have potential," she said, placing a bowl in front of him. "But don't let that decide who you are."
Kai didn't reply, but he sat down and ate beside her in silence. The warmth of the meal settled in his chest like a weight, grounding him, reminding him why he was doing this.
Not just for power. Not even just for the truth.
But for her.
The next morning
The alarm buzzed just once before Kai's hand silenced it.
He sat up slowly, eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering through the threadbare curtains. His white hair was a little messy, sticking up at odd angles. He didn't bother fixing it. Not yet.
The apartment was quiet. His mother had already left for work — a note left on the table, handwritten in her careful style.
"Good luck today. Don't overthink. You've got more than enough. – Mom"
He folded it once, tucked it into his pocket, and moved to get ready.
By the time Kai arrived at the exam site, the city had shifted around him.
Gone were the cracked sidewalks and rusted balconies of his neighborhood, replaced by sleek metal rails, glass towers, and carefully maintained greenery. The Kōrin Academy's testing center was massive, built into a walled complex that shimmered faintly with protective Rin fields. White banners marked with the school's sigil, a stylized eye set within a mirrored crescent, waved lightly in the breeze.
Dozens of students crowded the gates, some in uniform, others in expensive robes or armor sets. Some were laughing. Others looked sick with nerves. Kai said nothing and walked past them all.
A voice called out through hidden speakers.
"All examinees, please report to your assigned booth. Section A-6, Rin Core Assessment."
He followed the signs until he reached a circular building. Inside, the space was quiet, sterile, like a medical facility.
An attendant gestured toward a small platform. At its center stood a stone pedestal, upon which sat a perfectly round orb, clear, crystalline, but pulsing faintly with shifting light.
"Place your hand on the orb," the attendant said without looking up from his clipboard. "Remain calm. Do not force your Rin. Just let it flow."
Kai stepped forward. He didn't hesitate.
His hand hovered for only a moment before pressing flat against the orb's smooth surface.
It felt warm. Alive, almost.
For a heartbeat, nothing.
Then, something shifted.
A quiet draw, subtle and instinctive, like a breath being taken. Not from him, but toward him. Rin, faint, unfamiliar, slipped in through his skin like mist pulled into his lungs.
The attendant blinked, eyes lifting slightly from his clipboard. But he said nothing.
Kai didn't notice.
His fingers tingled as the orb pulsed beneath his palm, first with light, then color.
A soft blue glow filled the orb, cool and steady. Threads of deeper indigo coiled around the light like veins, dancing slowly.
The machine beside the pedestal beeped.
"Blue Core," the attendant said, his voice flat. Then he frowned, checking the screen twice. "Moderate to high Rin quantity… slightly above standard purity. Huh. Not bad for a Blue Core."
Kai lifted his hand.
The glow inside the orb faded slowly, returning to clear.
The attendant scribbled a note. "You're clear. Section B is two buildings over. Physical test."
Kai nodded once and turned to leave.
What the attendant said flickered through his mind, 'Moderate to high rin quantity…slightly above standard purity. I must be meant for this!'
A cocky grin spread across his face, smiling to himself as he walked to the next test. The physical test, one that most struggle with. However, Kai was still confident.
The courtyard between buildings was flooded with motion, students weaving between stone walkways, instructors barking directions, and exam officials corralling new arrivals into lines.
Kai slipped through it all quietly, his hands in his pockets.
He didn't feel nervous. Just… focused. His mind replayed the feeling from the orb, that strange pull, like Rin had reached for him rather than the other way around.
"Tch, watch it."
Something brushed his shoulder.
He turned, stepping back just as a girl with striking blue hair glared up at him. Her uniform blazer was already unbuttoned, revealing the crest of a high-status preparatory school stitched onto the sleeve, silver threads woven in the shape of a crashing wave.
Her eyes, the same pale blue as her hair, narrowed.
"You were in my way," she said coolly, brushing invisible dust off her shoulder. "You walk like a farmer."
Kai blinked. "…What?"
The girl scoffed.
"Let me guess," she continued, stepping around him without waiting for a response, "low-tier prep school, average scores, maybe a Blue Core if you're lucky?"
He didn't respond.
She glanced back, lips curling into a smirk. "Kōrin Academy's not some fairytale, you know. They'll weed people like you out before noon."
"Who are you?"
"If you make it past these tests, you'll figure it out pretty quickly, country bum."
Water shimmered faintly at her fingertips as she walked, not dripping, but floating, a slow orbit around her hand like a tide in reverse.
The girl slowly walked past him, towards the physical test. It was clear that she was some sort of rich kid, and had already awoken her ability, which is fairly impressive.
After a little bit more walking, Kai made it to the testing grounds for the second test, and, with a bunch of other students, waited his turn.
A long, open field stretched across the testing zone, lined with obstacle rigs, reinforced dummies, and combat scarred training dummies. The sound of exertion and shouting echoed through the air, students sprinting, leaping, slamming targets with fists, kicks, and abilities.
Kai stood near the edge of the field with a small group of examinees waiting their turn.
His red eyes scanned the area, calculating, quiet.
Then, a voice boomed across the field.
"Let's GOOOO!"
Haruto, the boy from his class during prep-school, launched himself off the starting line like a missile, muscles coiled beneath his uniform shirt. The air seemed to crack with each step. Veins bulged, Rin surging visibly beneath his skin like molten light.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about," someone muttered behind Kai.
Kai watched as Haruto barreled through the first dummy, a reinforced steel target designed to simulate a Shade's density. It buckled under his strike with a metallic crunch, flying off its stand and landing ten meters away.
The instructor at the station didn't flinch. "Target one: cleared. Proceed."
Haruto grinned, cracking his neck, and moved on, leaping a ten-foot platform with ease, then slamming his fist into the final testing wall.
The wall shuddered… then split. Not completely destroyed, but fractured enough to earn a nod from the proctor.
He stepped back, panting lightly, sweat shining on his forehead.
The ground where he stood was cratered.
His Rin had briefly taken the shape of a deep amber aura, condensed tightly around his arms and legs. Strength-type ability. Likely a physical amplifier.
"He's going to pass," one of the other students said.
"Yeah, without a problem. Lucky bastard."
Haruto walked past them, smiling, "You got this!" His voice boomed, as hyper as ever.
Kai stepped onto the field, eyes scanning the obstacle course ahead. The physical test was no joke — a series of walls, ropes, and timed sprints designed to push even the strongest Breakers to their limits.
He could still hear the roar of the crowd from earlier, watching Haruto tear through the course like a whirlwind of muscle and Rin. The weight of expectation pressed on him, but Kai took a deep breath and focused on the path ahead.
His muscles ached before he even started, his strength nothing special compared to the others. The first wall loomed above him. With a clumsy leap, he grabbed the edge and pulled himself up, barely making it over. He landed hard, nearly stumbling, but kept moving.
Somewhere inside, his Rin flickered uncontrollably, surging like a wave he couldn't quite ride. The sensation was foreign, and confusing. Unaware, he brushed his hand along a nearby post, and a faint shimmer pulsed around his fingers. The proctor standing close by stiffened for a moment, his eyes narrowing before he quickly looked away.
Kai reached his first set of dummies, doing his best to destroy them the same way Haruto did.
He forced some Rin into his punches, managing to damage them enough to continue.
Kai pressed on, breath ragged, heart pounding, pushing his body through each obstacle. By the time he crossed the finish line, he was exhausted, but he had made it.
The proctor approached, nodding with a serious expression. "Passable. Barely. But a pass nonetheless."
Kai wiped sweat from his brow, feeling a strange mix of relief and frustration.
Kai was then directed to the final test, if he passes, he has made it into his dream academy, if he fails, he needs to go home and try another year.
Walking in, he sees a large training hall, with names being called out at random, the final test is a 1 vs 1 match. In order to win, you do not need to win, however you obviously should. Realistically, all you need to do is impress one of the judges enough for them to deem you worthy enough to enter.
Rows of students gathered along the edges, eyes fixed on the ring at the center, a smooth stone platform scarred from countless matches.
First up: Haruto. Towering and broad-shouldered, his presence alone seemed to shake the ground. His muscles flexed beneath his tight training shirt, veins pulsing as he cracked his knuckles. The crowd murmured, knowing he relied on raw power, a living wrecking ball.
"Let's gooooooooooooooo!" He screamed, his voice filling the entire room.
Across the ring stood the blue-haired girl, sharp-eyed and poised. Her cerulean hair caught the overhead lights, water droplets clinging to her like a shimmering cloak. She folded her arms, lips curling into a confident smirk.
"Name's Mizuki," she said, voice cool and commanding. "Don't expect me to go easy just because you're loud."
Haruto grinned, "Hell yeah! Let's start already!"
Without warning, Haruto charged, a thunderous roar breaking the tense silence. His fists swung with brutal precision, aiming to overwhelm. Mizuki's body moved fluidly, almost dance-like, dodging with grace. She raised a hand, and a spray of water burst from her palm, swirling into a slicing wave that arced toward Haruto.
It hit Haruto head on, however, it seemed to have zero affect, as he charged right through it, landing a powerful attack on Mizuki, sending her skidding across the arena, however, injured, she stayed in the ring.
This seemed to piss her off, as she fired a much larger ball of water at Haruto.
"Take this you stupid Bumpkin!"
The ball hit Haruto, sending him close to the edge of the arena and seemingly bruising his arms, however, he laughed and walked forward, still roaring to go.
Water then appeared on the floor beneath Haruto, trying to make him slip, however, Haruto raised his leg and stomped, sending the water outwards as he charged at Mizuki, landing yet another powerful blow, this one sending her out of the arena, and thus winning him the fight.
"YEAAHHH!" Haruto screamed excitedly, laughing as he raised his arms.
"This is NOT over you damn bumpkin!" Mizuki said, storming out of the arena. In the end, both of them were passed, and Haruto went to the stands to watch the coming battles.
Most of them were pretty lame, only a few of them standing out, but none as much as Haruto and Mizuki.
Eventually, Kai was called for his match, entering the arena through one of the two gates below the seating area.
Kai stepped into the ring as the murmurs around the hall shifted. No one really knew what to expect, he hadn't made a scene in the physical exam, didn't flaunt his Rin like some of the others. His movements were quiet, almost hesitant and he really didn't seem like much, and to be fair, he really wasn't, not yet.
Across from him stood a lean boy with short black hair, a cocky grin plastered across his face. "You look like a breeze would knock you over," he laughed, bouncing lightly on his heels. "Don't blink, yeah?"
Kai shifted into a fairly basic stance, feet apart, arms up, just like he had trained.
The proctor raised his hand. "Begin."
The other student dashed in first, quick on his feet, Rin flickering faintly around his knuckles. He opened with a sharp jab to test Kai's guard.
Kai blocked it, but just barely. The impact jolted through his forearm, pain blooming in his wrist.
The next strike came faster, a feint low followed by a hook to the side. Kai turned with it, dodging by a hair. Instinct over technique. He tried to answer with a kick, but it was slow, easy to read. The opponent caught it and swept his leg, sending Kai stumbling back.
Laughter echoed from the sidelines.
The black-haired boy grinned wider. "C'mon. That's all? This will be easier than I thought if they let people like you take the exams."
Kai didn't answer. He pushed up again, steadying his breath. His Rin flickered, faint, unstable, like it didn't know what it wanted to be. But it was there, pulsing inside him, waiting.
Another rush. Another clash. The boy went for a low strike.
And that's when something changed.
Not in Kai's body, but deeper. A thread inside him tugged, pulling. His eyes widened slightly, and without realizing, he stepped to the side just as the punch missed him by inches. His hand came up in reflex, palm open.
Rin.
It surged.
A pulse of blue burst from his body, sharp and uncontrolled, the force throwing his opponent backward, showcasing the amount of Rin Kai has, which is a lot more than others his age.
Looking forward, his opponent was sent outside of the ring, winning Kai the match, and surprising others, sure, just throwing Rin at your opponent was easy, but kids their age? Unlikely, most don't have the Quantity or the Quality to do so. Not to this degree.
"Match complete," the proctor called, voice steady, though his eyes lingered on Kai a second longer than necessary.
The other boy stood, shaken but uninjured. "What the hell was that…"
'Wow, I'm better than I thought!' Kai thought, starting to get cocky. He walked out of the arena, grinning, and returned to his seat.