After a few minutes of staring at the countdown clock, boredom finally got the better of me. I wandered over to a wall and collapsed against it, stretching my back on the cold surface, mimicking the posture of the orange-haired guy nearby. Glancing left, I realized I was now face-to-face with him; the two others he had been sitting with were also leaning back against the wall.
"Oh, sorry—I sat too close," I muttered.
"Nah, it's fine," he replied with a relaxed smile. "Hey, what's your name? I saw you during the entrance exam—you were the guy running with robots chasing him and defeated them in one move."
"Yeah, that was me. My name's Zane," I said.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Enjin," he said, holding out his hand. We shook hands firmly. I expected his hand to radiate heat because of his ability, but it was just warm, comfortable.
"That's Kaguro," he added, pointing to the tall guy with short black hair.
"What's up," Kaguro greeted coolly, his voice calm and confident.
"And that's Aeloria," Enjin said, gesturing to the silver-haired girl sitting elegantly nearby.
"Hey," she said, with a gentle smile that made my chest tighten unexpectedly.
Over the next dozen minutes, we got to know each other. Enjin's ability had something to do with fire, Kaguro with light, and Aeloria with water—but they were vague, sharing little detail.
"Your abilities are so cool," I told them, my eyes shining with fascination.
"Of course they are. You're talking to future top heroes," Kaguro said with a smirk, confidence oozing from him.
I glanced around and noticed the countdown on the screen had dwindled to forty minutes. The room had quieted; the only sounds were the occasional chatter of groups talking among themselves. Then, my attention was drawn to a strange sight: a blond-haired guy in a black suit crouched on the floor like a dog, grinning widely.
A girl sat atop him, her presence commanding and unmistakable. Her hair faded from deep black at the roots to a striking blue at the tips, like ink dissolving into water. A golden rose adorned her hair. Her black shirt clung to her curvy figure, paired with fitted black jeans. The malevolent smile on her face radiated dominance, as if to declare, "You all are nothing compared to me."
"Is that a kink of his?" I muttered, a mix of confusion and disgust twisting my features.
"Have you not heard of her? That's Omanai Yuki," Aeloria interjected. "She's insanely popular because of her ridiculously powerful ability."
"What's her ability?" I asked, curiosity piqued.
"She can—" Aeloria began, but her explanation was cut short by a commotion nearby.
A small girl had red hair with a pigtail hairstyle. She was wearing a pink dress. She had collided with a man in a brown beanie and white tank top.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, little girl," he barked.
"Who are you calling a little girl?" she snapped, pointing at his pants and laughing lightly.
A crowd gathered to watch, tension building. The man's face flushed red with anger.
"Let's see who's really the little girl," he growled, raising a fist and shifting into battle stance.
"I would never fight a little girl," she said, smirking as she tried to hide her laughter behind her small hands.
Before the situation could escalate further, the huge screen flickered to life. Principal Gregores appeared once again.
"Violence will not be tolerated. If caught again, harsh punishment will be enforced," he stated firmly.
The screen shut, the timer reappeared, and thirty minutes remained.
"Tsk… why do we even have to wait this long?" I muttered, my patience wearing thin.
"I'll just walk around. I'm tired of sitting," I told the trio as I pushed myself up.
"Alright, we'll catch you later," Enjin said with a wave as I wandered off.
I roamed aimlessly, my eyes scanning the room, until a small crowd caught my attention. Curious, I peered over to see two guys playing chess. One had thick white hair that covered his eyes; the other, long black hair that fell luxuriously over his shoulders.
"Why is everyone watching a chess game?" I asked, confused.
"Jin Chao is playing chess?" someone whispered nearby, eyes wide with amazement.
"Who's Chao Jin?" I asked, intrigued.
"What? You don't know who Jin is?" the guy exclaimed, pointing at the white-haired player. "That's Jin. He's a genius. When his ability is active, he becomes insanely smart—but once the time limit ends, his brain… fries. He becomes… stupid for as long as he was smart."
Ah… I watched as Jin's time expired mid-sentence.
"Good gam… AEUHH," he stammered, saliva drooling from his mouth, his brilliance collapsing into awkwardness.
"Uh… good game?" his opponent said, scratching his head, uncertain how to react.
The crowd murmured, some laughing, some shaking their heads.
I glanced at the countdown—fifteen minutes remained. Frustration gnawed at me.
"Couldn't this go any faster?" I muttered.
Suddenly, the timer reached zero. The screen came alive, Principal Gregores sitting calmly in his chair, chin resting on his hands.
"Unexpectedly, the finalists have qualified earlier than expected," he said.
"They will shortly enter through the gate behind you all," he concluded, leaving us with a sense of anticipation and the lingering hum of tension in the room.