They told me everything would be decided today.
The teachers, the students, even my parents—they all had that look in their eyes. That mixture of fear and hope. As if the future of a seventeen-year-old kid hinged on a floating screen.
Me? I felt nothing.
Or rather, nothing anymore. The stress had already emptied me out. My heart pounded hard, not from excitement, but because I already knew the outcome.
I was... hollow.
The Awakening Hall was freezing. Everyone waited their turn, standing in line. Most whispered, reassured each other, exchanged glances. I just stared at the floor.
When my name was called, nobody reacted.
No whispers. No curiosity. Nothing.
"Park Sung."
My throat was parched. I looked up. A white light brushed my retina. The cube floated before me. The system would read my potential. It would decide if I would become a Warrior, a Mage, a Healer... or worse.
I stepped forward.
A scanner swept over my body. The screen vibrated slightly.
Then it froze.
Silence.
And there it was.
> [Status: Synchronization Failure]
> [Class: None]
> [Level: 1 (Locked)]
> [Active Skill: None Detected]
The cube blinked one last time. Then went dark.
I stood there. Frozen. Eyes fixed on the nothingness displayed before me.
"Seriously? Another No-Class?"
"Why do they even let them take the Awakening..."
"Dude, you're screwed."
Voices began swirling around me. I wasn't even listening anymore. I heard a snicker somewhere to my right, then feigned pity to my left. But the loudest noise was the silence inside my head.
A dull emptiness. No anger. No fear. Just... nothing.
I left the hall without a word.
---
The Academy has no place for the "Classless."
That's a fact. We all know it. Those who fail are relegated to support classes, assigned administrative tasks, or sent straight back home.
In my case? They put me in a special section: "temporarily unclassified." A polite way of saying: "We don't know what to do with you."
My room was tiny. A cell with a bed, a desk, and an old cracked tablet. The kind of space they give to those they'll quickly forget.
I locked myself in for two days.
No messages. No calls. Even my parents sent nothing. Not a single "are you okay?" Not even an "we love you anyway."
Perhaps it was better that way.
But everything changed... the following night.
---
It was 3:42 AM.
I couldn't sleep. Again. I was lying there, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. When suddenly, I heard a sound.
*Clink.*
Like a blade scraping against the floor.
I sat up, alert.
Again.
*Clink... clink...*
It wasn't in my head.
The sound came from the wall.
No, from *inside* the wall.
I got up, slowly. My heart beating faster now. Not from fear... but something else. A tension. Something strange, instinctive.
And then, it happened.
The wall in front of me... trembled.
A crack. Very fine. Like a slit of black light, if that makes any sense.
Then a hand—no, a shadow—emerged. Holding a sword.
A black sword. Floating. Silent. Suspended in the air.
I didn't move. I didn't even scream.
I watched it.
It watched me.
No eyes, no face. But I felt something. A call. A presence. As if this thing... knew me.
And then, I heard that voice.
Not a human voice. A voice in my head.
Calm. Cold. Ancient.
> "Park Sung. Do you accept the Spectral Pact?"
My breath stopped.
I didn't know what it meant. I didn't understand what it was. But deep inside me, an answer came on its own.
"...Yes."
The blade moved.
It lunged toward me—and instead of piercing me, it dissolved. Like a black mist. And it entered my chest.
I screamed.
Not from pain. Not physical. But a sensation... of vertigo. As if I was falling into myself.
A second later, I was on my knees. Shaking. Sweating.
And a notification appeared before my eyes.
> [Spectral Link established.]
> [Soul Equipment detected: Blade of Oblivion]
> [Effects: ??? (Unstable)]
> [Status: Partial Agreement]
>
> Warning: Evolutionary capacity non-compliant with system. Interference possible.
I read and reread these lines.
Then I smiled. For the first time in weeks.
I was no longer "nothing."
I didn't sleep that night.
Not because I was afraid.
Because, for once, I felt like I existed.
Since the appearance of the spectral sword, something had changed. I could feel it in my body. Not stronger, not faster—but... more responsive. As if my thoughts flowed better. As if an ancient instinct had awakened.
And the sword... it was there.
Invisible to the naked eye. But I could feel it. Suspended somewhere within me. It pulsed, like a second heart.
When I extended my hand, it responded.
*Clink.*
A black mist formed around my fingers. Slowly, it condensed. And there—it appeared.
A thin, dark blade, as if forged from shadow itself. Not a sound. Not a flash of light. Just a presence.
I grasped it. It was cold. Not icy—but... neutral. As if it was waiting for something.
> [Blade of Oblivion – Partial Awakening]
> Mode: "Dormant Chains"
> Effects: Stealth +5 / Fear Perception (passive)
> Status: Evolution locked — Emotional bond required
"Dormant Chains"?
I didn't understand any of it.
But I felt something else, at that moment. A sensation of weight, in my head. As if a noise was following me.
Chains.
Dragging somewhere in the shadows.
---
The next day, I left my room.
For the first time since the failure. Not because I wanted to. Because the blade made me feel it.
It was strange, but... it pushed me to go out.
In the hallways, students passed without seeing me. Well, they did see me, but quickly looked away. As if they feared my nothingness might be contagious.
"That's him, the classless one."
"I heard he locked himself in for three days."
I ignored them.
Destination: the training area. Closed to the classless, theoretically. But I hadn't come to show off. I wanted to test something.
I entered the empty room, locked the door. And I summoned the blade.
*Shhh... clink.*
It appeared without hesitation. Clearer than the day before. More stable.
I held it. I closed my eyes.
And I struck.
The training dummy flew backward.
I stepped back, surprised.
I hadn't used my full strength. Yet the impact had been brutal. And it wasn't just a question of power.
It was as if the blade had struck directly at the target's soul.
I tried again.
Again. And again. The movements came naturally. As if guided by a forgotten memory.
The sword adapted to me. It "read" me. And I... understood it. It was fluid. Natural.
But after the tenth strike, I felt a backlash.
My vision blurred. My knees buckled. A sharp pain shot through my head.
And that voice returned.
> "Unstable link. Partial rejection. Emotional stabilization needed."
Rejection? Why now?
I fell to my knees. The floor was cold. The sword disappeared in a black breath.
I was panting. As if I had run for an hour.
And then... I understood.
The sword wasn't giving me power for free.
It asked for something in return.
---
That evening, I stayed in my room, sitting on the floor, eyes lost in emptiness.
The system didn't want me.
But this sword... did.
So why was it still rejecting me?
> "Emotional bond required."
My emotions? I needed to feel something?
But what?
Anger? I had that.
Sadness? That too.
But it was vague. Nothing clear. Nothing strong enough.
And then I thought of them.
Those who laugh behind my back. Those who look away. My parents who hadn't even answered my messages.
And then... I felt something.
Not rage.
Not hatred.
Just a void. A gaping hole. A need to respond.
And at that moment, the blade manifested again.
Without me summoning it.
It rested in my hand.
Silently.
And I heard the chains.
This time, closer.
> [Spectral Mode: Chains Unbound – partial]
> Effects: Presence Concealment / Short Paralysis (critical hit)
> Ability unlocked: "Phantom Link" (tracks a marked target)
I gripped it tightly.
And I understood.
It wasn't a weapon.
It was an answer.