The line stretched long before them, a slow, moving river of hopeful applicants waiting to register. Dune, Atlas, and Ned stood in silence, the murmurs of other students filling the air around them.
The academy grounds were massive, with several registration booths set up across different sections. Every few moments, the line shuffled forward.
Dune exhaled as he stepped up to the desk. His turn.
Behind the desk sat a woman with sharp features, a pointed hat, and deep purple lipstick. She greeted him with a warm smile.
"Hello there, young man. Name?"
Dune met her gaze calmly. "Dune."
The woman paused, waiting for a last name. It never came.
Her smile faded. Her fingers tapped against the desk. "Are you… common—?"
Dune's expression remained neutral. "Yeah." He cut her off before she could finish the question. There was no point in drawing it out.
Instantly, her demeanor shifted. The warmth drained from her eyes, replaced by something colder, distant. A barely perceptible sigh left her lips.
"Alright," she muttered, as if regretting the conversation already. "Tell me your Green Neba's name and your mastery level."
Dune closed his eyes, centering himself. He could feel it, Neba pulsing within him.
"Green Neba mastery… 7%." His voice was steady. "My Green Core Animal is… Bulby."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Bulby?" She stared at him as if he were joking. "I've never heard of that. Are you serious?"
Dune nodded. "Yes."
For a moment, she seemed puzzled, but then she just sighed. "Whatever. I'm too tired for this." She scribbled something down on a parchment and then reached into a box beside her, pulling out a small, metallic badge, a smooth, circular object with the number 77 engraved on it.
She handed it to him. "You're number 77. Good luck tomorrow."
Dune took the badge without another word and stepped aside. Atlas was 75. Ned, 76. They repeated the same process, then walked out of the academy together.
As they stepped onto the city streets, Ned stretched his arms with a sigh.
"So tomorrow is the actual test, huh?" His voice carried a mix of excitement and tension.
Dune nodded. "Yeah. Hope you're ready."
Ned scoffed. "Did you see how people were staring at us? It's like we're monsters or something."
Dune let out a quiet chuckle. "Rich people."
Atlas, walking beside them, folded his arms. "Have you guys noticed? We're the only commoners here. Bloodrose Academy doesn't reject anyone from taking the test, but somehow… it's only us three."
Before anyone could respond, a sudden force bumped hard into Atlas's shoulder.
Atlas turned, meeting the sharp glare of a student with short, dark red hair and piercing red eyes. Behind him stood two others, their expressions just as hostile.
The red-haired student scoffed, tilting his head in mock disappointment. "That's because of what happened last year."
Dune's eyes narrowed. Who the hell is this?
The student smirked. "Filthy people like you shouldn't even be allowed to take these tests. It's a disgrace to Bloodrose Academy."
Dune felt something dark stir inside him. Should I kill him?
His fingers twitched at his side. The thought was fleeting, but it was there, dangerous, tempting. He exhaled sharply, shaking it off. No. He wasn't in the trials anymore. He had to stop thinking like that. He had to be better.
The red-haired student continued, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Do you even know why there aren't any commoners here? Because they're too scared." He took a step closer. "Last year, most of them died during the trials. There was only one who managed to win against a noble family member. And guess what? He was exposed as a cheater and then executed in a duel."
He grinned. "If you three are smart, you'll leave now and save yourselves the humiliation."
Dune's grin mirrored his. "Huh."
Before he could say more, Ned stepped forward instead.
"Nice to meet you." Ned's voice was light, almost cheerful. "I'm Ned. This is Dune and Atlas."
The red-haired student's smirk faltered. "What?" He blinked, caught off guard. "Didn't you hear what I just said?"
Ned smiled. "Oh, I heard. I just didn't really care. If we cared for people like you, do you think we would be here then?"
Dune's eyes widened slightly. Oh? He stared at his brother in surprise. So you can be harsh when you want to, huh?
Atlas chuckled, clearly amused.
The red-haired student, however, looked pissed. He clenched his fists, but before he could say anything, someone called out from the distance.
"Raves! We gotta go! Come on!"
The student, Raves, clicked his tongue in irritation. He turned away but shot them a final glare.
"We'll meet tomorrow, pests."
And then, he was gone.
The moment he disappeared, all three of them burst out laughing.
"Did you see his face?" Ned cackled. "He thought he was so cool. 'Commoners, nobles, blah blah.'"
Dune shook his head, smiling. "I'm just glad Cadogan warned us about nobles. Otherwise, I probably would've reacted differently."
Atlas nodded. "Yeah. He really helped us understand how things work here."
Ned smirked. "I wonder what he's doing right now?"
Dune chuckled. "Probably sleeping."
Ned sighed dramatically. "Yeah no… push-ups. Every day at this time, he's doing push-ups."
Dune frowned. "How do you even know that?"
Ned's face darkened. "Because he made me do them with him. Forcefully."
Dune and Atlas burst out laughing.
That night, they found an inn near the academy, a modest but comfortable place called The Silver Lantern. They rented three small rooms, had a quick meal, and settled in for the night.
After Dune was finally alone in his small hotel room at the inn, he sat on the bed and took a deep breath. The room was dimly lit, the only sound being the distant murmurs from the tavern downstairs.
Closing his eyes, he began to meditate, or more accurately, channel his Neba.
Cadogan had taught them something new, something they had never even heard of before, the Neba Heart. It was the very core of all their Nebas, the true essence of their power. But reaching it wasn't easy. To see the Neba Heart, one had to activate Neba in every part of their body, instantly.
It was a dangerous technique. Holding it for too long, longer than a second, could make one's body explode. The key was to activate it in an instant and then immediately let go.
Dune exhaled. No hesitation.
His eyes shut tighter as he focused. Then, in a flash, he activated his Neba. And suddenly, he was somewhere else.
He awoke in an endless field of soft, green grass, stretching far beyond the horizon. The air was warm, carrying a familiar sense of peace.
And there, waiting for him, was an old friend.
A small, round creature, with a cat like ears, floated in the air, its body was now shaped like a smooth, glowing Cat. It had little arms, and legs.
Bulby.
Dune's very first Neba creature. The first companion he had ever caught.
A grin broke across his face. "Hey, you little shitball! Miss me?" Bulby let out a cheerful squeak and launched itself into Dune's arms.
Dune laughed as he collapsed backward onto the grass, holding the small creature close.
Then, he gazed up at the sky, determination flickering in his eyes. "You won't disappoint me tomorrow, right? Let's show the world what we're capable of."
Bulby bounced in his arms, nodding eagerly.
Dune then stood, turning to face his cores.
On one side, he saw his Green Neba Core, glowing softly, his connection to Bulby.
And on the other side…
A Zeten Green Neba Core. Identical in appearance, but empty. Unlike his first, it had no creature inside yet.
Dune's lips curled into a smirk. "Soon, I'll get you a neighbor." With that, he stepped out of his Neba Heart. His eyes flickered open, and he was back in his small hotel room. The quiet hum of the outside world returned.
Dune stood by the window, gazing out at the city bathed in the soft glow of blue and orange lights. It was beautiful, almost peaceful, but that only made the ache in his chest worse.
Mom… You're here somewhere, aren't you?
His fingers curled into a fist against the cold windowsill. He had been warned. Cadogan told them to stay hidden, to keep their identities a secret. No one could know that he, Ned, and Atlas were Gods-Blessed. If the wrong people found out… no, he couldn't even think about that.
The only real problem was Matiane. He had seen their faces, knew exactly who they were. But even Cadogan suspected that Matiane also had no intention of revealing them to the king.
Dune gritted his teeth. I know I shouldn't go looking for them… I know it's dangerous. I know it's reckless. But just knowing if they're okay, if they're alive, if they're safe, wouldn't that be worth it?
His chest tightened. Daniel… what happened to you why didn't he come back in Fein? He was supposed to take care of Mom and Sis.
His throat felt dry.
I wonder how does Ned feel about all this? We didn't even have a time to talk about it. He probably misses them even more than I do. How the hell is he holding up now?
Dune let out a deep sigh and finally turned away from the window. Worry gnawed at him, but what could he do? He didn't even know where to start. With a heavy heart, he lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying not to drown in the uncertainty.
Tomorrow was a big day. Real test would soon begin.
At dawn, the streets of Rendely were alive with movement. The three made their way back to Bloodrose Academy, where thousands of students were already gathered in the courtyard.
A massive platform stood at the front. Instructors watched from above.
The first test would soon begin.
Strength.