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The students filed back into Class 1-A, sweat still drying from the three-hour assessment. The air was thick with chatter—praise for Irene Colt's skill, talk of close calls, laughter at friendly rivalries.
Nex sat at the back again, by the window. The bright afternoon light slid across his desk, but it did nothing to ease the weight in his chest.
The theory class began, Professor Colt switching into a calm, lecture tone as she spoke about mana flow efficiency, casting stability, and combat adaptability. Most students scribbled notes, some stared dreamily at the wall, and a few whispered quietly.
Nex barely heard her.
The hum of the lecture hall faded. Nex's eyes were fixed on the blackboard, but his mind was already far ahead.
Four days.
He closed his eyes for a moment, sinking into Void Trance. The world dulled. Sounds became faint, like distant echoes. His breathing slowed. Thought became sharper—cruel in its precision.
He could see it clearly.
The forest.
The screaming.
The blood.
In the novel, the first-year mission was supposed to be a stepping stone—hunt some low-tier mana beasts, learn teamwork. But something went wrong. The barrier collapsed. A demonic rift tore open, and from it poured creatures that shouldn't have been anywhere near this continent. They weren't alone—there were humans among them, eyes empty, movements puppet-like, strings of dark mana threaded into their bodies.
Four hundred dead.
Ripped apart. Burned alive. Torn to shreds while their classmates watched.
They didn't stand a chance.
In the book, the main cast survived—barely. But the rest… just names on a memorial wall.
This time, he could change that.
Not for all of them—he wasn't naïve.
Some were already dead the moment they stepped onto the field.
But the ones worth saving… I'll drag them out of that slaughter if I have to break the script itself.
His eyes flicked toward the others in the room.
Aria's fiery hair catching the sunlight. Ruby sharpening her pen like it was a blade. Lucas leaning back, too relaxed for what was coming. Marcus sitting quietly, shadows dancing under his fingertips. Sylphie's calm gaze, Eren's silent focus.
They were all in the first batch—five hundred students to be sent out before the rest.
And Nex would be there with them.
The Void Trance hummed in the back of his mind, stripping away doubt, emotion, and warmth. He was just calculation now. A blade, honed and waiting.
I'll be ready. Because when the blood starts spilling, I'm the only one who'll still be standing in control.
The professor's voice came back into focus. The room felt almost too bright, too clean. Nex lowered his gaze to his notes and wrote down every word—not because he cared about the lesson, but because habits kept the mask in place.
Four days.
And then the golden generation's shine would be tested in blood.
____________________________________
The lecture ended with the dull chime of the wall-clock. Chairs scraped back, and the once-focused air dissolved into cheerful chatter. Groups of students spilled into the halls, laughter and voices bouncing off the sleek steel-and-glass walls of the academy. It was their first day—there was still a sense of wonder in their smiles.
In the cafeteria, the main cast naturally gathered at their usual spot. Marcus and Ruby bickered over food choices, Lucas told a story that had Sylphie laughing far too much, and Aria rolled her eyes at them all and Kaelith bickering about the food. They were a group that drew attention effortlessly.
At the far corner, Nex took his tray and sat alone at a table against the window. The light from the mana-lamps painted faint gold along the sharp line of his jaw. He didn't mind the solitude—he preferred it.
But then, footsteps stopped beside him.
"Uh… hi," a voice said, hesitant yet warm.
A boy with messy brown hair and open, innocent eyes slid into the seat across from him without waiting for an invitation. "I'm Ryan. Rank 911."
The cafeteria around them seemed to hush for just a second as a few students exchanged whispers. Everyone knew Ryan—bright smile, quick to laugh, but… different. His mind didn't work like everyone else's. Some avoided him. Some mocked him.
But Ryan just looked at Nex like a kid seeing something special for the first time—hopeful, like this could be his very first real friend.
Nex studied him for a moment. In Ryan's awkward grin and unguarded gaze, he saw someone else… Max. His Max. From his old world. The boy who used to follow him around, always asking questions, always believing in him.
Nex's expression softened, almost imperceptibly. "Nex," he said simply, his voice polite but steady.
Ryan's smile widened instantly, as if the single word had lit up his whole world.
They began to talk—nothing important, just small things about the academy food, the confusing hallways, the size of the training grounds. Ryan's words tumbled over themselves, but Nex listened. Really listened.
And for the first time that day, he wasn't entirely alone.
____________________________________
The afternoon lecture dragged on. The new professor, a sharp-faced man with graying hair, walked to the front of the homeroom.
"Today, we will begin with the classification of mana beasts," he announced, his voice steady but firm.
A large holo-screen flickered to life behind him, showing glowing images of different creatures—wolf-like predators with poisonous fangs, scaled lizards that breathed fire, and shadowy beasts that blended into the darkness.
"Mana beasts are divided into ranks: F to SS," the professor continued, tapping the display. "Even an F-rank can kill a careless human. Do not underestimate them."
For three hours, he explained habitats, weaknesses, and battle strategies. Some students scribbled notes eagerly, others simply listened, eyes half-closed. Nex sat in the back, headphones hanging around his neck, gaze sharp and unblinking as he absorbed every word.
When the lecture finally ended, the bell chimed softly.
The hallways filled with the sound of chatter and footsteps as students streamed out, relieved to be done. Nex slipped on his headphones and began walking toward the exit—until he noticed someone.
Ryan was standing alone near the corner, shoulders slightly hunched. His uniform was a little wrinkled, and his gaze darted nervously as people passed. A group of nearby students laughed under their breath.
"Class 1-F… figures," one whispered.
"Poor guy. Brain's too slow for this academy," another snickered.
Ryan didn't seem to notice. His eyes suddenly lit up when he spotted Nex.
"Nex!" he called, jogging over with unsteady excitement.
Nex slowed, the memory of Max—his old friend from another life—rising unbidden in his mind. Max had run to him like this too, back when the world wasn't yet broken.
Without a second thought, Nex draped an arm over Ryan's neck, pulling him closer like an old friend. Ryan's smile widened instantly.
"I… got this for you," Ryan said, opening his palm to reveal a small wrapped chocolate.
Nex took it, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks."
They started walking together toward the dorms. Students along the path turned their heads. Whispers followed them.
"Why's he hanging out with that slow kid?"
"Must be pity."
"Or maybe he's just weird."
Ryan kept talking cheerfully, completely oblivious. But Nex heard every word. His expression cooled, eyes narrowing slightly at the ones who spoke.
Inside, the shift was sharp and dangerous—like the snap of ice forming.
He didn't care if they mocked him.
But if they ever crossed Ryan… they'd regret it.
____________________________________
The sky above the academy was streaked with gold and deep blue as the day slipped toward evening. Training grounds still hummed faintly with mana from earlier lessons, and students were trickling back to the dorms in small clusters.
Nex walked beside Ryan, hands in his pockets, chocolate still unopened in his grip. Ryan was happily describing how he had almost summoned a mana spark in elemental class, his words spilling over each other in excitement.
Ahead, near the archway that led to the rankers' dorms, a group of first-years lounged against the wall. They wore the same uniforms but with a deliberate messiness, smirking as they spotted Ryan.
"Well, look who it is," one called out loudly.
"The academy mascot!" another chimed in, drawing a chorus of laughter.
Ryan paused mid-sentence, blinking in confusion. "Mascot? I don't get it."
"Oh, don't worry," the first boy grinned, stepping forward. "You don't have to get it. You just have to keep… existing. Gives us something to laugh about."
Nex's steps slowed. His eyes, which had been calm, sharpened like glass catching the light.
One of them tilted his head mockingly. "So, Ranker, you're babysitting now? Thought you'd be aiming higher."
Ryan looked at Nex, still unsure what they meant. "Nex… are they talking about me?" he asked quietly.
Nex didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a step toward the group. His voice, when it came, was low—too low for Ryan to hear the weight behind it.
"Say that again," he told the boy who'd spoken.
The smirk faltered, replaced with a flicker of uncertainty. "What—"
"I said," Nex's gaze locked on him, cold enough to scrape bone, "say it again. Slowly. So I can make sure you understand what you're saying… and what will happen after."
The air seemed to thin. Even the other first-years shifted uneasily, glancing at each other. Nex wasn't raising his voice, but there was a heavy, unspoken promise there—one that didn't sound like empty threat.
Ryan looked between them, still smiling faintly, unaware of the tension.
The boy took a step back. "It was just a joke, man."
"Then laugh at it yourself," Nex said, brushing past without another glance. His shoulder barely grazed the boy, but it felt like a warning blow all the same.
Ryan jogged to keep up, still talking about his mana spark as if nothing had happened. The whispers behind them died quickly.
____________________________________
The evening light filtered through the tall glass panels of the rankers' dorm, painting the white marble floor in shades of gold. Students milled about in the corridors, laughter echoing as they discussed the day's matches and lessons.
Nex walked alongside Ryan, their footsteps steady in the quiet stretch leading to the dorm wings. Ryan was still nibbling on the chocolate he had offered earlier, smiling in that carefree, unbothered way that made the whispers around them almost feel distant.
They reached the point where their rooms split—Nex's in the rankers' section, Ryan's in the standard wing. Nex turned to go, his hand brushing against the door panel's scanner.
"Hey… Nex?" Ryan's voice was hesitant but warm, almost shy and afraid,
Nex glanced over his shoulder.
Ryan stood there, clutching the chocolate wrapper, his eyes wide like a child about to ask something important. "Are we… best friends now?"
For a heartbeat, the image of Max from his previous life overlapped Ryan's figure—same innocent expression, same unshaken trust. The ice that had taken root in Nex's heart since arriving in this world softened, just for a moment.
A small, genuine smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He stepped forward, lifting his fist.
"Yeah," Nex said quietly. "We are."
Ryan's grin stretched ear to ear as he bumped his fist against Nex's. The contact was brief, but in that second, it meant more than words.
They both turned away, heading to their respective rooms—one with a mind unburdened, the other silently swearing to protect this fragile spark from the darkness he knew was coming.
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