Bergham Empire: The Wenger Estate In a vast hall, several people were talking. The exchange seemed to go in circles, always returning to the same subject without ever moving forward. The atmosphere was heavy and tense, as if this discussion had already taken place too many times. No one seemed surprised by what was being said.
"You say he is still playing in his room?"
"Yes, and his grades at the academy haven't improved... It's been five years now and he's still in the first year. He must be banished from the family; he is a disgrace."
"He is your little brother... why do you speak that way?" A voice tinged with gentleness spoke in his favor, even though the face of the speaker was as cold as ice. Her gaze remained hard, without the slightest warmth.
"If it weren't for you, Mother, he would already be gone."
As they continued to speak, a deep voice rang out, cutting the discussion short. Marcus Wenger, sitting calmly, was sipping his tea without showing the slightest agitation. His tone was composed, yet firm enough to command silence.
"Enough! We will observe him for a little longer," Marcus said, taking his tea.
At his table sat his second son, Vice President of the great Wenger Corporation; his fourth daughter, who had graduated at the age of eighteen and, thanks to her father's connections, managed a small transport company—a secondary branch of the Wenger Corporation; and finally, his wife, Luna Wenger. They were all at the table, and the subject of his second-to-last son had come up once again.
Given the rumors circulating, the situation was becoming serious: a Wenger was at risk of being expelled from the academy. This simple idea was enough to fuel the tensions within the family.
Karl Wenger, Marcus's second-to-last son, was in his room in front of his console, playing a game. He seemed completely detached from what was happening elsewhere on the estate. The outside world held no importance in his eyes at that moment.
"Looks like I leveled up," Karl said, continuing to play.
As he played on, his younger sister stood before the door, dressed in her academy uniform. She was already in her third year and watched the scene with annoyance. Her gaze held a mixture of contempt and weariness.
"Hey, you're going to skip class again... you're truly pathetic," she snapped.
She said this and left immediately, clicking her tongue in irritation. Karl put down his console without a word, took his bag, and headed toward the academy. He showed no reaction, as if these words were simply part of his daily life.
Most of Marcus's children left the house in their own cars or the family's vehicles. Karl, however, went to the academy on foot, which had already become a habit for him. No one seemed to pay it any mind.
The Bergham Academy, one of the most powerful academies in the world, housed many talented students from the four corners of the Earth. Karl's father, seeing that one of his sons was nothing but a good-for-nothing in his eyes, had decided to send him there regardless, hoping the instructors would change him.
In the first years, the professors had been very harsh with him. But over time, they realized he was a lost cause. Their expectations had died out one by one. No sooner had Karl entered the academy than whispers could already be heard around him. Glances turned toward him, heavy with contempt and open mockery.
"Is he still here?"
"If I were in his place, I would have killed myself."
He kept walking, entered the central building, and headed toward his classroom. The voices followed him, never seeking to hide.
"He's here..."
"Look at his hair, it's dirty. He's staining our academy."
"Ah, he's disgusting."
"I heard he's repeating for the fifth time."
The current study system, unlike the old one, required potential students to begin their studies at age twelve or thirteen for a total duration of eight years. Karl had started his at twelve and was now seventeen. While his former classmates were already in their sixth year, he was still in his first.
Karl entered the classroom, put down his bag, and pulled out his console to play. Sometimes, the professors forbade him from playing, but he always repeated what was forbidden. Seeing his stubbornness and total disconnection in class, they eventually judged it best to leave him alone, hoping for his expulsion.
The professor teaching the course left, then another took his place. Karl still had his eyes fixed on his console and, after a while, he slept. The professors could only ignore him. When classes ended, he had to go home. On the way, he ran into a few former classmates: two boys from families of the same rank as Karl's, and a girl of the same status.
"Hey, Karl... Looks like you slept in class again. Judging by that ugly face of yours," the boy said, his arm around the girl accompanying him.
"Roy, stop tormenting poor Karl. He's so at his limit he probably wants to die," the other boy added, snickering.
They had closed in on Karl, who looked at them silently, without reacting.
"Mm-hmm," Karl agreed, tilting his head slightly to the right.
"It seems you still don't know how to open your mouth like a real boy... To think I was in love with him. I feel so pathetic and ashamed today."
"Stop saying that, Vanessa, or he'll cry. Besides, you were just a kid... Anyway, let's stop wasting time with this loser and get to my car. I've prepared a party; we're going to have a great time," Roy said, heading toward the exit.
"You're so cool, Roy," Vanessa said, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
Karl stood still for a moment watching them, then left immediately. One of the instructors, who had once seen great potential in Karl, observed the scene and sighed.
"What an unlucky child..."
It was already evening as he approached his house. It was immense and protected across its entire facade. It even happened that the guards refused Karl entry, as he looked like a street child with his long hair almost entirely covering his eyes.
He entered the estate and found his mother in the central hall, sitting and drinking coffee.
"You're back," his mother asked, without even looking at him.
She almost never spoke to him, but she sometimes defended him when his brothers criticized him. It was thanks to her that Karl had not been sent away. Karl stopped for a moment, waiting for her to say something else.
But she declared in a glacial tone:
"Don't just stand there. You may go."
Karl stared at his mother, who had her eyes fixed on her magazine. He approached her, his face coming very close to hers. She looked up, startled.
"You have become even more beautiful, Mother," Karl said, a smile on his lips. After saying this, he withdrew immediately.
Luna Wenger, a respected woman known for her cold, direct, and proud character, embodied elegance and beauty without ever allowing for disorder. She was rarely disturbed, but after what Karl had just said, she no longer knew if this was reality or a dream.
Karl had always been a silent child who spoke little. Even if his mother often ignored him and sometimes only addressed a few words to him like "go to the academy," Karl wouldn't even greet her. But what she had just experienced was both shocking and unsettling.
Her face was frozen, which rarely happened to her.
"Huh..."
As she looked behind her to catch a glimpse of Karl, her second son, Fred, entered the hall.
"Good evening—"
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before he saw his mother's face.
"Mother, what is the matter?"
She startled.
"Ahem," she exclaimed, taking another sip of coffee. "What brings you here?" she asked with a relaxed air.
Fred thought he had been dreaming but decided to let it go. He then explained the reason for his visit: according to him, he had found a way to "wake up" Karl, who was totally different from the other members of the Wenger family.
He claimed that he should be sent to the Imperial Army to become a man. But before he could finish, a blue light appeared before them.
"What is that?"
A screen floated in front of them. Inside, a white creature resembling a rabbit appeared.
"Did you enjoy your rest time? I hope so, because it is time to move on to the next part of the survival game."