Morning came sooner than Jezebeth would have liked.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains of his room, spreading across the floor.
His alarm rang.
Jezebeth opened one eye.
He stared at the phone beside his bed.
7:15 AM.
He reached over.
Turned the alarm off.
And immediately closed his eyes again.
Three seconds passed.
His eyes opened.
"Wait."
He sat upright.
"Class."
Jezebeth quickly got dressed and grabbed his bag.
He glanced at himself in the mirror before leaving.
Dark hair.
Normal skin.
Normal eyes.
Nothing about him suggested that he had spent the last ten years training his body to survive powers that could tear it apart.
He looked like an ordinary sixteen-year-old.
That was probably better.
Jezebeth left his room and made his way through the dormitory.
The academy was already alive.
Students filled the corridors, heading toward their respective classrooms.
Some were still half-asleep.
Others were already discussing the previous day's assembly.
"That's him."
"Candidate Number One."
Jezebeth ignored the whispers.
He eventually found his classroom.
The door was already open.
He stepped inside.
His eyes immediately scanned the room.
Rows of desks stretched across the classroom, with large windows along one side.
Students were already seated.
Jezebeth looked at the number attached to the seat assignment on his phone.
Then at the desk.
He stopped.
His seat was in the middle.
To his left sat Seraphina Vale.
To his right was the same boy he'd spoken to during the assembly.
The ordinary-looking one.
Jezebeth stared at him for a second.
The boy noticed.
"You again."
Jezebeth smiled.
"Looks like it."
The boy shrugged.
"At least you won't have to sit alone."
Jezebeth pulled out his chair.
"What's your name, by the way?"
The boy looked at him.
"Leon."
"Just Leon?"
"Just Leon."
Jezebeth nodded.
"Fair enough."
He sat down.
Now that he had a closer look, Leon was...
Ordinary.
Not weak-looking.
Not particularly muscular either.
Average height.
Brown hair.
Brown eyes.
His uniform was slightly untidy, and one sleeve was folded higher than the other.
Nothing about him stood out.
If Jezebeth had seen him walking through the academy yesterday, he probably wouldn't have remembered him.
Then Jezebeth looked to his left.
Seraphina was the complete opposite.
Her silver hair was neatly arranged, falling just past her shoulders.
Her posture was perfectly straight.
Her uniform was immaculate.
Even sitting down, she carried herself with an unusual level of composure.
Her eyes were sharp.
Not hostile.
Just observant.
She noticed Jezebeth looking at her.
"You've been staring."
Jezebeth blinked.
"Was I?"
"Yes."
Leon quietly turned toward them.
Jezebeth rested his cheek against his palm.
"I was analyzing."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow.
"Analyzing what?"
"You."
A brief silence followed.
Leon looked between them.
Jezebeth continued.
"Your appearance. Your posture. The way you carry yourself."
Seraphina's expression remained unchanged.
"And?"
"You're very composed."
She looked forward again.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Probably."
Leon laughed.
"You really are weird."
Jezebeth looked at him.
"You look ordinary."
Leon paused.
"That's somehow more insulting."
"I wasn't insulting you."
"You said I look ordinary."
"You do."
Leon sighed.
"I already regret sitting here."
Jezebeth smiled.
The classroom door suddenly closed.
Everyone went quiet.
A woman walked to the front of the room carrying several books.
She looked to be in her early thirties, with long black hair tied behind her head and a pair of thin glasses resting on her nose.
She placed the books on the desk.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, ma'am."
"I'm Professor Elara."
She turned toward the board.
The words appeared across it.
ZERO POINT THEORY
Jezebeth leaned back.
This again.
Professor Elara faced the class.
"Before we begin practical training, you need to understand the foundation of the abilities you possess."
She tapped the board.
"The Zero Point."
Several students straightened in their seats.
Jezebeth didn't.
"The Zero Point is the origin from which all Shikigami energy can ultimately be traced."
She began writing.
"Every Shikigami possesses a spiritual connection to the Zero Point Realm."
A diagram appeared on the board.
ZERO POINT REALM
Then another circle appeared beneath it.
SHIKIGAMI
And finally:
HUMAN
"The relationship between these three elements forms the basis of modern ability theory."
Jezebeth stared at the diagram.
He had heard this before.
Many times.
Arahel had explained most of it when he was younger.
Professor Elara continued.
"The Zero Point Realm is not simply another physical location. Its nature is difficult to comprehend."
She paused.
"It exists beyond conventional space and distance."
A student raised his hand.
"Is it another dimension?"
"That's one interpretation."
Another student asked.
"Can humans enter it?"
"Not naturally."
"Has anyone ever entered?"
Professor Elara's expression became slightly more serious.
"Records exist."
The room became quieter.
"But records are not proof."
Jezebeth rested his head against his hand.
He already knew this.
The Zero Point Realm.
The Shikigami.
The Other Soul.
The connection between humans and supernatural entities.
He had spent years learning about it.
And he'd experienced things most textbooks couldn't even explain.
Professor Elara continued.
"Every human possesses what we call an Other Soul."
Jezebeth's eyes briefly opened.
The classroom suddenly felt quieter.
"The Other Soul acts as the bridge between the individual and their Shikigami."
She drew another diagram.
"When a person awakens, their connection to their Shikigami becomes accessible."
"Through this connection, they can manifest aspects of their Shikigami and utilize abilities associated with it."
Jezebeth already knew.
He remembered standing in the training grounds ten years ago.
His body shaking.
His heart slowing.
The mist.
Ryoma.
The feeling of something ancient moving through him.
Professor Elara continued speaking.
"The degree to which someone can utilize their Shikigami depends on several factors."
She began listing them.
"Compatibility."
"Control."
"Physical condition."
"And talent."
Jezebeth glanced at Seraphina.
She was listening carefully.
Leon was also paying attention.
Jezebeth, however, had stopped listening.
His eyes slowly became heavier.
Professor Elara's voice continued in the background.
"Shikigami manifestation is not a simple process..."
Jezebeth yawned.
"...and improper synchronization can result in..."
His head lowered.
"...severe spiritual instability..."
His eyes closed.
"...which is why every student must understand..."
Jezebeth's breathing became steady.
"...the dangers of excessive manifestation..."
He was asleep.
Completely.
Seraphina glanced toward him.
Then at Professor Elara.
Then back at Jezebeth.
Leon leaned closer.
"He's actually sleeping."
Seraphina quietly replied.
"Apparently."
Professor Elara continued her lecture.
"...and that concludes the theoretical foundation of the Zero Point."
Jezebeth didn't move.
The lesson continued for another twenty minutes.
He remained asleep through all of it.
Eventually, the classroom bell rang.
Jezebeth's eyes opened instantly.
He lifted his head.
"Is it over?"
Leon stared at him.
"You slept through the entire thing."
Jezebeth blinked.
"Did I?"
"Yes."
Seraphina closed her book.
"You missed nothing important."
Jezebeth smiled.
"See?"
Leon shook his head.
"You are unbelievable."
Jezebeth stretched in his seat.
He looked toward the clock.
9:58 AM.
His next class would begin soon.
Combat Exercise.
For the first time that morning, his expression changed.
A small smile appeared.
Now...
Things were getting interesting.