PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE
Grey Ford stood in silence near the tall window, watching the students scatter across the sunlit grounds far below. The campus buzzed with life, but Ford's thoughts were elsewhere—circling around a single, unfamiliar name.
Behind him stood Fiona Croft, her tablet in hand, posture tense. Ford didn't look up as he spoke, his voice low but expectant.
"Fiona, did you find anything on that boy?"
Fiona hesitated before responding, her eyes on the screen. "Yes, Grey. His name is Ray." She paused. "No surname. It isn't entered on any official document, and I haven't found it elsewhere either. There's something unusual about him… he didn't come into this university by physical ability, and it's written he had no Raspel when he first applied. He passed the entrance exams only because of his test scores and IQ rating—both scored A-plus. But, physically… his stats were all F." She scrolled faster, frowning. "He got accepted only due to his grades. And there's something strange with his background. His parents are listed as dead, but there's nothing in any file explaining how they died. The records of their deaths are blocked—someone at a high government level is hiding it."
Ford frowned, turning away from the glass. "So, no full name, no family, no origins?" His voice sharpened. "What about his Raspel?"
Fiona shook her head. "Nothing there either. It says he didn't possess one before the test, and only awakened recently."
Ford's jaw was set, suspicion clear in his gaze. "That's odd. All info blocked at the top—no accident report, no official identity." He rubbed his chin. "Maybe someone special? Or someone dangerous." He paused, mind racing. "I'll use some connections. There must be more hidden underneath. Maybe I can get a clearer picture."
Just then, Ford's phone buzzed sharply. When he checked, the number and caller name were blank. For a moment, he stared, unease prickling up his neck.
He picked up, voice measured.
"Yes…?"
A voice, old and familiar, rang out, too informal for comfort. "Ford, Ford, Ford, how are you, my friend?"
Ford blinked. "Jing? As lively as ever. How did you get this number? What brings you here, anyway—you never call without a reason."
Jing chuckled. "You're right. Listen carefully, Ford. Stop your vice principal's investigation into that student. She's getting too close to a forbidden identity. I just got word—straight from the higher-ups. Anyone who digs into that kid's past will be in real trouble, maybe worse. The message's clear: Leave him alone. Let him walk his path. They say he'll bring salvation by his existence."
Ford's face darkened, every word adding to his concern. "Salvation? Forbidden identity?"
Jing's voice turned grim. "I'm serious, Ford. Don't get involved. You don't want the mess that follows."
Ford exhaled, then nodded. "Understood. I'll stop everything immediately. Thanks for the warning."
Jing's tone brightened, almost like nothing had happened. "Good. Take care!" — then the line clicked dead.
Ford lowered his phone, pulse racing. Who is this kid? Why so much secrecy? Why would the highest powers intervene for a first-year?
He turned to Fiona, voice calm but hiding tension. "Fiona, stop all investigations about Ray. Drop everything—right now. Don't even ask questions. You can leave—I need a moment to think."
Fiona nodded, worry clouding her features, as she left the room.
Ford stood in silence, mind racing. Ray. No past, blocked files, withstood my pressure on the field, awakened a Raspel only recently, and all information is closed off... Could he be a prodigy? Or a disaster waiting to happen? The uncertainty settled heavily in his gut.
As he gazed out over the grounds again, a flicker of movement caught his eye. Two students were facing off, sparks and colored light flying through the air—one of them unmistakably Ray.
Ford grabbed his blazer, striding quickly for the door—not to intervene, but to see firsthand just how capable Ray truly was.
Somewhere in the corridors, the pulse of Duptin's secrets grew stronger. Ford was beginning to realize that Ray's arrival was only the very edge of a much deeper storm