A deathly silence hung in the Hell Class training arena.
Cain stood still, chest rising and falling, Ryke's unconscious body sprawled beneath him. Around them, the elites of the academy — nobles, heirs, and prodigies — looked on in disbelief. He hadn't just won. He'd dominated.
"That... wasn't mimicry," Iris whispered, narrowing her eyes. "That was something else."
Above them, hidden behind obsidian glass, a command room lit up with crimson warnings.
[Subject #016: Status — UNRANKED. Potential Threat Level: Undefined.]
[Initiating Anomaly Protocol.]
---
Within the administration wing, Director Vael studied the footage on repeat. Cain's movement had no delay, no scan-time. He hadn't learned Ryke's fighting style — he had become it.
"He's not copying," Vael muttered. "He's syncing."
A technician glanced at the screen nervously. "Do we terminate?"
Vael shook his head. "No. Not yet. Observation first. Let him evolve... but mark him. If he steps out of line, suppress him immediately."
A tiny microdrone, no larger than a speck of dust, buzzed into the air. Its mission: never lose Cain Vale.
---
Back in the dorms, Cain sat on his bed, trying to control his breathing.
His arms were sore. His vision flickered with phantom images — Ryke's stance, his strikes, even his rage. It was like his mind was a mirror, reflecting everything thrown at it.
But it wasn't just skill anymore. For a second during the fight… Cain had felt something twist inside him. A power not his own, not just borrowed — but absorbed.
"What the hell is happening to me?" he whispered.
---
The next morning, Cain's ID panel blinked with a system notice:
[WARNING: You have triggered Administrative Surveillance. Actions will be monitored.]
Below that, a new symbol had appeared — a red triangle with an eye in the center.
He tapped it. The message read:
> [Protocol Status: ANOMALY.]
> "You are not supposed to exist."
---
Across the school, students buzzed with rumors. Some admired him. Others feared him. Many wanted revenge.
But in a sealed room beneath the academy, another meeting began.
A group of masked individuals reviewed Cain's profile.
"He's not part of the Bloodlines."
"Not connected to any known artifact."
"Then how is he doing this?"
"We don't know," one said coldly. "But one thing is clear — if he's not controlled, he'll break everything we've built."
They activated a terminal.
> [Anomaly Hunt Authorization: Level 1. Monitor. Manipulate. Terminate if necessary.]
---
Back in Hell Class, Cain entered late. Every head turned. The gazes were no longer condescending — they were calculating.
He wasn't invisible anymore.
Now… he was a threat.
And threats didn't last long in this academy.