Talent defined your existence on Caelis.
Status, privilege, and reputation— all of it stemmed from that single measure. From the moment one awakened, their future was weighed against a simple scale that ranged from SSS+ to E.
The gap between those ranks was immeasurable. Across the entire history of Caelis, the number of SS-ranked humans could be counted on two hands. As for SSS, none had ever appeared.
But talent alone was not the full measure of a person.
People were also born with Traits. Most traits were innate, present from birth and bound to one's nature. Others could be earned through rare circumstances or exceptional achievements, but those were rare.
Within the academy's evaluation system, Potential and Traits were weighed equally.
A perfect balance.
Fifty percent potential. Fifty percent utility.
A student with C-rank potential but a trait such as Perfect Mana Control could outperform an A-rank using the same skill if that A-rank lacked refinement or efficiency.
It was often described as the difference between investment and utility.
Potential represented what one might become. Traits represented what one could do now.
Today was the day of Class Appraisals.
After the evaluations, students would be divided into their academy divisions based on their potential and overall usefulness.
Rankings would still exist. But placement within Eclipse Academy followed a different system.
Students were divided into four classes.
Spades
Hearts
Diamonds
Clubs
Spades housed the academy's greatest talents — those expected to rise to the top of Karethia. Hearts and Diamonds formed the middle tiers: students with respectable potential and useful traits.
And then, there were Clubs.
The undetermined.
The ones whose futures were uncertain.
Most of them would not graduate.
Most would quietly disappear from the academy before their third year.
Ranks created competition. Sets determined fate.
And today, every student would learn which future awaited them.
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"Kyle Vireth Svant."
The moment his name was called, all chatter silenced. His blonde hair swayed gently beneath the chandelier lights of the academy hall. His footsteps echoed with quiet grace as he ascended the platform. There was no hesitation as he reached out for the orb.
.
For a moment, nothing happened.
The orb remained dull and lifeless.
A murmur spread through the hall.
Doubt crept into the crowd.
Then—
the orb ignited.
Pure gold radiated outward.
That alone was enough to leave the students breathless.
A moment later, a deep, dull grey followed. The world seemed to tremble beneath its presence.
Null affinity.
The hall fell into stunned silence. The students stood there, bathing in the aftermath. There was no jealousy, no envy.
Only awe.
Kyle deserved his talent. There was no doubt.
Who had the right to doubt a monarch?
SS+.
It had been a decade since the last monarch was born.
And today, history had been made.
His tale would become legend— a myth in the making that every student in the hall would someday claim they had witnessed.
Seated in the middle of the hall, Aeron wore a small smile. The experience felt surreal. It was like the difference between watching a concert through a screen and standing among the crowd itself.
The beauty of the orb's shining light nearly brought tears to his eyes. But he knew this would not be the only spectacle today, so he kept his excitement contained— just enough to blend in with the others.
Or that had been his intention.
'Th-th-that was so cool! This can't be real. Whoever tossed me here, you have my gratitude.'
He screamed the words in his head. Yes, he was being an absolute fanboy. His jaw hung open and his eyes were wide as saucers as he stared at Kyle as if entranced.
'Seriously… too much aura.'
He glanced around.
Everyone else was celebrating too— shouting, hugging each other, jumping up and down, and squealing, especially the girls.
Aeron shook his head slightly, still grinning.
'Damn.'
'At least they don't know about his traits.'
Only the professors would know, and they were probably in a frenzy after seeing them. The traits were recorded in a separate chamber by an S-ranked scribe who entered them into the academy system. Traits were hidden from the public eye. Professors were bound by oath not to reveal them.
Students would be informed privately.
Some already knew theirs— especially those from noble houses, guild families, or political dynasties. Just before Kyle stepped down from the platform, the next name was called.
His back straightened instinctively.
Cerulean blue eyes fixed themselves on the orb.
Each step he took carried a quiet stubbornness.
'Yep. The future hero of humanity.'
'And statistically speaking… about 80% of the people in this hall die during the first demon war.'
Aeron's face slowly stretched into a maniacal smile. He quickly covered his mouth, but the twitching at the corners of his lips betrayed him.
"Xavier Granger."
Kyle paused mid-step.
His eyes flickered with faint intrigue. He had sensed something unusual about this boy earlier but chose not to dwell on it.
Now he would see if his instincts had been correct.
Xavier approached the orb. He paused briefly before placing his palm against its surface.
At first, the reaction was subtle. Then the glow intensified.
The same golden radiance burst across the hall.
It matched Kyle's brilliance.
Gasps erupted throughout the chamber.
Shock. Disbelief. Confusion.
Before the golden glow could fade, a second light erupted.
Blinding white.
Light affinity.
Reverence followed.
Another monarch.
In the same generation.
And one bearing the affinity of the previous hero.
Luke could only gape in disbelief before slowly accepting the reality before him.
He was no fool.
He knew exactly what it meant to stand before another monarch. Especially one who had already reached Rank Fifty without any true training.
That alone said enough.
.
As more names were called, many began to notice something strange.
None of the remaining members of the top ten had stepped forward.
They had already undergone private appraisals beforehand— revealing S-rank potentials that the academy preferred to handle away from the crowd. With little left to capture their interest, students gradually began leaving the hall. Out of the original nine hundred, only three hundred remained awaiting their appraisal.
Aeron was one of them.
"Aeron Araxys."
Just like every student before him, he walked toward the platform and placed his palm against the orb. Its surface was smooth and cold beneath his hand.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then he felt it.
Something was being drawn from him.
For a moment longer, the orb remained dark and unresponsive.
That brief delay did not escape the professors' attention.
The professors did not speak. The orb had not hesitated.
Artifacts did not hesitate.
Yet for three whole seconds… it had.
Then the orb shimmered.
A faint glow appeared before settling into a dull mustard yellow.
Unremarkable. Average.
C-rank.
'Ah, not bad. I can make a living after the story ends.'
It was a safe rank— high enough to live comfortably, low enough to avoid unwanted attention.
Perfect.
'Affinity? Come on… fire or lightning, pleaseee.'
The orb flickered again.
A deep crimson glow spread across its surface.
Fire.
A moment later, a flash of yellow followed.
Lightning.
Aeron nearly screamed. 'Jackpot!'
He barely held the excitement inside as a grin crept across his face.
'Please let me have a decent trait later.'
Satisfied, he stepped away from the platform and returned to his seat.
The show wasn't over yet.
What Aeron didn't notice, however, was the brief moment before the affinities stabilised.
For a fraction of a second, the orb had flashed every colour imaginable.
But the professors watching from the observation chamber were no fools.
They had seen it.
.
.
"Will Fause."
A short boy stepped forward.
Round glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, while messy black bangs fell over half his face, hiding his eyes from the world. Beneath the weight of hundreds of gazes, Will visibly shivered.
Slowly, hesitantly, he raised his hand and placed his palm against the orb.
The reaction was immediate.
Silver light burst from the artifact.
It pulsed outward in waves, streaked with faint speckles of gold that washed across the hall, bathing the remaining students in a cold metallic glow.
S+ rank.
With traces of SS.
A collective gasp rippled through the hall.
A sudden gust stirred the air, lifting Will's bangs just enough to reveal what they had hidden.
Liquid gold eyes.
They trembled slightly at the sudden brilliance of the orb, the golden irises reflecting the silver light before his hair fell back into place, concealing them once more. Few understood what those eyes truly meant.
Will Fause was no ordinary prodigy.
He was something far rarer.
He played a crucial role in shaping the destiny of the human race.
His eyes allowed him to see— and even speak with— the will of the world.
The bridge between humanity and the planet that birthed it.
The living conduit.
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Meeting Room
"It seems we have got a handful this year, boss."
"Let's decide the homeroom teachers for the sets."
A collective of voices shot out immediately, all fighting to teach Spades — the elites.
A pleasant voice interrupted them. "I will do it." Questioning and suspicious gazes landed on her.
"You actually volunteered for something?"
"Is the sky falling?"
"No, the dragons must be coming!"
"Boss, someone's in her body. Demon?"
The principal whisked his white beard while looking at her wistfully.
"Are you sure, Eliza?"
Her caramel-brown locks shifted as she nodded.
"Hmm, add this kid to your class too."
Her delicate eyebrows creased and furrowed.
"Him? A C-rank talent? Even his traits are lacking."
"Have I ever been wrong?" he questioned, giving out a warm, fatherly smile.
The room fell silent.
None of them answered.
Because in the twenty-six years he had served as principal… he never had been.
"That boy is no C-rank talent."
He smiled softly.
"The orb simply doesn't know what he is."
.
.
.
'Hmmm, it seems there's been a bit of a problem.'
He gulped and rubbed his eyes.
'I think that says, congratulations—you have been placed in Spades.'
Aeron was currently in a state of intense turmoil.
'Spades is where the elites are, right?'
He froze, hands clasped, eyes widened, and lips pressed firmly against each other, staring blankly down the corridor. Bullets of sweat ran down his skin.
'Something was in the food this morning.'
'Too much milk.'
'Yeah. Definitely the milk.'
Before he knew it, he was in that same posture, seated in a lecture hall. A smaller one meant to house the fifty Spade elites. Aeron rarely cried. Whether these were tears of fear or excitement, no one could tell, but he sat there, hands clasped, eyes widened, and lips pressed firmly against each other, staring blankly at the screen his watch projected.
'It must be my traits. They must be special if I have been placed here.'
He exhaled a shaky breath and looked around. He was in the right place; the S-rank talents were already spawning in. Seated around the middle, he scrolled down the email they had sent.
Your traits:
Mana Filament Control
The bearer can divide mana into fine thread-like structures, enabling high precision in mana manipulation.
Observer
The bearer demonstrates heightened awareness and analytical perception when observing others.
Aeron's cheeks sunk inward visibly and he groaned.
'I seriously don't know why I am here.'
'I mean, at least I get to see the characters up close, I suppose.'
'Yes, positive thoughts!'
The classroom quietened down as she walked in. It was the rank two. The final SS-ranked.
Lyra Vanthel.
Three monarchs in one generation, but everyone thought she was S+. Only the principal and professors knew otherwise.
Her stunning purple eyes scanned the room. Every boy in her line of sight blushed. Her face was perfectly proportioned and always neutral.
Expressionless.
Of course, Xavier would change that down the line.
If nothing went wrong.
Her long wavy purple hair stretched toward her waist, each strand handled with utmost precision. She gracefully seated herself somewhere between the middle and front of the class. No one got close to her.
That was until Kyle arrived.
He took his place next to her, as if it was meant for him.
A king and a queen.
Aeron knew they were exchanging greetings telepathically, even as they sat there motionless. They were that far ahead. He was currently only E, yet they were already D+. Everyone in here was E+ and above simply due to their talent.
The distance was undeniable, but Aeron remained unbothered, staring at the two characters with fond admiration.
.Everyone had finally arrived. There were two minutes till the professor would arrive. Extremely punctual and straight-to-the-point type.
During that time Xavier had already begun exchanging greetings with classmates. Girls blushed and boys smiled.
It was one of his traits.
Approachable.
It did what it said.
Aeron sighed.
'Seriously, why am I even here?'
Finally, she arrived.
Her heels clicked against the floor, signalling her arrival. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail. Neat and efficient. A white shirt clung tightly to her body, hugging her waist. She wore a black blazer over it, but that didn't stop the hormone-driven boys from drooling. No boys were excluded; even Kyle was slightly affected by her charm.
A passive trait.
She had sharp pointed glasses that sat on her nose, and her eyes glowed a reddish amber that glazed over the students.
She was the youngest S-rank recorded.
Eliza Clark.
"My name is Eliza Clark. You can address me as Professor Clark."
After introducing herself, she then took the register in rank order. Aeron had forgotten about this aspect and knew he would be in the victim position within the next five minutes.
Rank 1 – Kyle Vireth Svant
Rank 2 – Lyra Vanthel
Rank 3 – Angelina Mephloena Jackson
Rank 4 – Quin Blake
Rank 5 – Seth Flare
Rank 6 – Ruth Flare
Rank 7 – Catheryn Krown
Rank 8 – Neil von Klein
Rank 9 – Kai Wren Windsor
Rank 10 – Valir Skode
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Rank 50 – Xavier Granger
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Rank 221 – Will Fause
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Rank 677 – Aeron Araxys
Aeron sighed quietly and glanced around. Prepared. Waiting for the backlash.
He put his face into his palms, leaving small gaps between his fingers.
Holding his breath, he waited.
Each second drifting by.
His heart drumming against his chest.
There was no reaction.
He knew Eliza would ignore him due to his lacking talent, but no one reacted. No stares of pity or disdain. Catheryn had given a quick glimpse, but that was it.
Not even Luke had reacted.
He sat there, dazed.
A quick realisation dawned on him.
'Maybe this is my cheat.'
Aeron released a brief exhale before relaxing his tensed muscles.
'Do I just have less presence because I am foreign or something?'
Aeron shook the thoughts away and gave his attention to Professor Clark.
He would ponder on it later.
.
"What is mana?" Xavier's hand shot up.
"Yes, Xavier."
"Mana is the fundamental energy produced by the world of Caelis. It exists both within living beings and in the surrounding environment. Through training and talent, individuals can harness mana to perform magic, enhance their bodies, or manipulate elemental affinities."
"Right. So as we know, to grow stronger, you simply continuously condense your mana core until B-rank. Anything after that you do not need to know about yet. The speed you reach it is heavily based on your talent."
Her amber eyes flickered across the classroom, emphasizing the word talent.
"Bearing that in mind, why do monster dungeons spawn then?"
This time Will raised his hand.
"I think it's when there's a high concentration of mana forming a physical mana core. When the concentration becomes too high, it causes space to destabilise, creating a sub-dimension."
"Right, but why do monsters spawn? Or why does the environment change if it's just a pocket?"
There was only silence after she asked.
No one had thought about this.
Only Aeron knew the answer from watching the show.
'Because of the compressed mana. If fire mana were compressed with life mana, the dungeon would be volcanic with plants adapted to the heat. The core becomes a miniature world, inhabiting life and creating specific monsters that defend the "dungeon". One could even refer to it as a mini-world.'
She paused, then continued.
"Then you might ask how that fire mana came to be. Simply because it's the output of spells and mana usage. Past wars leave huge amounts of lingering elemental mana across battlefields, creating dungeons."
"Like the Forbidden Battlefield. There exists a dungeon there that no human has conquered, constantly causing monsters to spawn."
"Dungeons will spawn as long as mana is used. Closing them grants the core and materials, so they are not necessarily a bad thing."
She closed her folder, leaving the students in deep thought.
"See you after lunch for training."
The bell rang.
Students began rising from their seats. Aeron stretched slightly.
'Alright… first academy class survived.'
He walked toward the exit with the others.
No one moved aside for him.
No one bumped into him either.
It was as if he flowed through the crowd without resistance.
Halfway down the corridor, Aeron suddenly paused.
Something felt… wrong.
He glanced back toward the classroom.
Professor Clark was still standing at the podium.
Her reddish-amber eyes were staring directly at him.
Aeron froze.
Because for the first time that day—
someone had actually noticed him.