Nyx stood on the stage beneath the white lights that reflected off his long white hair, making the contrast of his heterochromatic eyes more striking than ever.
Behind him, a long line of selected students.
In front of him, thousands of faces—shocked, confused, unable to accept what they were seeing.
Every whisper sparked another, louder than the one before it, until the entire hall turned into a storm of noise.
"He must've cheated!"
"No way he beat Leander!"
"He's just a commoner!"
Disbelief distorted every expression in the room.
In Arkalion Academy, rankings were not a joke.
The first place was not just a number beside a name—it was a throne earned only by those who surpassed the limits of their talent.
And yet… the one standing at the very top right now, in their eyes, was a nobody.
But before the noise could grow any louder, a firm, commanding voice ripped through the hall:
"Silence."
It was Erios Gray, the Vice Headmaster—someone who did not need to raise his voice to be obeyed.
The moment the word left his mouth, every sound died as if the hall itself had stopped breathing.
He stepped forward, his fiery red eyes sweeping over the students.
"With a slight lead, Nyx Vairen was already ahead of Leander," he announced.
"But after defeating a Rank C beast alone… the gap widened even further."
At the mention of Rank C, expressions changed instantly.
Mouths fell open.
Eyes trembled.
Even the most arrogant students froze where they stood.
Rein—always confident in his own genius.
Oriana—with her usual icy calm.
Naira—who rarely showed any emotion.
And Leander—the one who believed no one could surpass him…
All of them were shaken.
A Rank C monster wasn't "just" a monster.
It was a threat only elite knights or seasoned combat units would dare to face.
For a brand-new student to defeat one alone?
That bordered on impossible.
Questions erupted in everyone's mind:
"How?"
"What kind of power does he have?"
"Is something like that even possible for someone our age?"
Meanwhile, Nyx remained on stage, expression calm, eyes unreadable.
He didn't speak.
Didn't brag.
Didn't even lift his head with pride.
He simply stood there.
As if none of this mattered to him.
And before anyone could accuse him directly, Erios added in a low but piercing tone:
"If anyone has a complaint… feel free to bring it directly to the Headmistress."
The moment Headmistress Servana was mentioned, a heavy silence crushed the hall.
Nobody dared.
Nobody even considered it.
Everyone knew exactly what she was.
Erios raised his hand, concluding the announcement:
"Classes will be divided into:
E, D, C, B, A…
and finally, the Elite Class, which will contain only twenty students."
"Lessons begin in three days. You'll be briefed on the point system, exams, and everything else.
Until then… you are free. That is all."
And just like that, he vanished from the stage, leaving the hall drowning in shock.
---
As the crowd began to disperse, the top five started moving toward Nyx.
But he didn't give any of them the chance.
He quietly stepped down from the stage and walked out of the hall without a word.
Behind him, he could hear whispers:
"Why's he leaving?"
"Let's ask him how he did it!"
"He doesn't look like he wants to talk…"
But he ignored everything.
His thoughts weren't on their reactions.
They were on what he needed next.
A proper weapon.
Planning for the upcoming missions.
Training… more training…
He kept walking without noticing the time until he reached his apartment.
He opened the door and entered the quiet room, moving as if balancing between two worlds.
He sat at his desk and pulled out a black-bound book from his private box.
Flipping it open to a half-filled page, he took out his pen.
"I have to record the events that will happen soon in the academy… I can't afford any mistakes."
Writing wasn't just documentation for him—it was a roadmap.
He wrote in his old language, one no one else in this world understood.
A voice from another lifetime.
He wrote calmly:
"Event One: A sub-gate appears near…
Event Three: …
Event Eight: The battle against—"
He stopped.
Rested a hand on his forehead.
"I can't allow myself to forget the important things… not here either."
After several more minutes, he closed the book tightly and locked it back inside the box with a code only he knew.
He rose and headed to the bathroom.
He needed the calm.
He needed the heat of the water to melt the tension of a day heavier than most.
Steam filled the room as water ran down his shoulders—
the only moment he allowed himself to breathe fully.
After finishing, he changed into clean clothes and approached his bed.
He sat for a moment before lying down.
His eyes drifted up to the ceiling.
Thoughts.
Plans.
A mind that never stopped turning.
But eventually… sleep pulled him under.
His eyelids dropped, and everything faded into darkness.
The last thing he saw was the familiar ceiling of his room.
He didn't know that the next time he opened his eyes…
he would be somewhere entirely different.
_______
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