The world always had strange ways of showing its hatred.
Sometimes by taking something away from you.
Sometimes by giving you something you never asked for.
And in Xavier L'Amour's case—
the world gave him luck.
---
"Did you hear?"
"Of course."
"That guy, right?"
"Yeah. That lucky bastard."
Xavier let out a slow breath.
He stood in the middle of a crowd of hundreds of teenagers his age, all wearing their best clothes, standing upright before a massive gate that towered into the sky.
Above the gate, a single name was written:
ACADEMIA ARCANUM AURELIUS
The most prestigious academy on the continent.
The birthplace of heroes.
The graveyard of geniuses.
And today—
was the first day.
Xavier slipped both hands into his pockets.
Pretending not to hear.
Even though he heard everything.
Always.
Lucky bastard.
He had heard that since he was a child.
---
"Are you Xavier L'Amour?"
A girl's voice.
Soft.
Xavier turned his head.
And for a moment—
his brain stopped working.
Her hair was pale blonde, like the light of morning.
Her eyes were clear blue.
And the way she stood—
calm.
Confident.
Not arrogant.
But not hesitant either.
"...Yeah."
Xavier's answer was a bit slower than it should have been.
The girl smiled slightly.
"I'm Elowen Mireille."
She extended her hand.
Xavier looked at it.
Then shook it.
Her hand was warm.
"I've heard about you,"
she said.
Xavier smiled crookedly.
"Oh yeah? Which one? The handsome one or the extraordinary one?"
Elowen tilted her head.
"The one who always survives."
Xavier's smile froze for a fraction of a second.
Then returned.
"Heh. That's fine too."
But before the conversation could continue—
the crowd suddenly went silent.
Not an ordinary silence.
A deliberate silence.
A silence filled with awareness.
Someone was walking past them.
His steps were calm.
Not fast.
Not slow.
But each step felt heavy.
As if the world itself was watching him.
His hair was silver.
His eyes were cold gray.
His expression was flat.
Not arrogant.
Not friendly.
Not caring.
Caelum Argentis.
The number one genius of this generation.
He walked past Xavier—
without looking at him.
Without acknowledging him.
Without anything.
And somehow—
that hurt more than insults.
---
"All participants."
A heavy voice echoed.
An old man stood before the gate.
His robe was black.
His eyes were sharp.
"Welcome to Academia Arcanum Aurelius."
He raised his hand.
And the gate—
opened.
Slowly.
Blue light poured out from inside.
A strange pressure filled the air.
Some students immediately turned pale.
Some trembled.
Some smiled.
"Enter,"
he said.
"One by one."
"And awaken your Arcanum."
---
One by one, they entered.
One by one, they changed.
Fire appeared.
Ice formed.
Wind spun.
Lightning struck.
Cheers erupted.
Awe.
Envy.
Hope.
---
"Caelum Argentis."
He entered.
Silence.
Then—
CRACK.
The air froze.
Literally.
No ice appeared.
Time itself froze.
The old professor's eyes widened.
"...Temporal affinity."
His whisper was almost inaudible.
The crowd exploded.
"TIME?!"
"Impossible!"
"Monster…"
Caelum came out.
His expression remained the same.
As if it meant nothing.
---
"Xavier L'Amour."
Now it was his turn.
All eyes turned to him.
Xavier walked in.
Casual.
As if he didn't care.
Even though his heart was beating faster.
He stood in the center of the room.
The crystal was in front of him.
Large.
Blue.
Pulsing.
He touched it.
Nothing happened.
A few seconds passed.
Still nothing.
Then—
a small light appeared.
Very small.
Almost invisible.
The old professor frowned.
"...Probability."
He sounded confused.
"Luck affinity."
Silence.
Then—
laughter.
Not everyone.
But enough.
"HAHAHA!"
"Luck?!"
"Seriously?!"
"The most useless affinity!"
"It can't attack!"
"It can't defend!"
"It can't do anything!"
Xavier stood still.
Smiling.
As always.
Lucky bastard.
Yeah.
That was him.
---
He turned around.
Started walking out.
As he passed Caelum—
for a fraction of a second—
Caelum turned his head.
His gray eyes met Xavier's eyes.
There was no mockery there.
No contempt.
Only—
interest.
Small.
But real.
And that—
was more disturbing than laughter.
---
Inside him,
something very small—
moved.
Not power.
Not energy.
But probability.
A probability—
that even the world had not yet realized.
And for the first time—
Xavier's luck
didn't feel like a gift.
But like—
the beginning of something far greater.