Morning light slid through the cracked windows of Dorm C. The other Blank Crest students were still asleep, sprawled across thin beds or half-hanging from them. Kael sat on the floor, back against the wall, tracing his palm. The mark had faded again, but the faint outline of that silver ring still lingered.
He clenched his fist, remembering the night before. Mimic Soul. A power that shouldn't exist, yet it did. He'd copied Ryn's Wind Thread, though it was weak and unstable. Still—if it worked once, it could work again.
The academy bells rang, long and heavy. First day of the Initiation Week. The tests that ranked every new student for the next year. Those who failed three times would be dismissed.
Kael stood, stretching the stiffness from his limbs. Ryn yawned from her bed, her silver hair tangled in every direction.
"You're up early," she said.
"Couldn't sleep."
"Worried?"
He shrugged. "No. Just realistic."
Taro grunted from the corner. "Doesn't matter what we do. They already decided we're trash. Let's get it over with."
Ryn smirked. "At least we'll be trash together."
Kael chuckled lightly, then grabbed his academy-issued coat from the chair. "Let's go see what kind of circus this is."
---
The main arena was larger than any stadium Kael had ever seen. Thousands of students stood in ranked lines, their crests glowing faintly on their hands or necks. The walls were carved with runes that pulsed like veins.
The air hummed with magic.
Blank Crest students were herded to the far corner of the arena. The instructors didn't even hide their disinterest.
At the center stage stood a tall man in black armor, his presence cutting through the noise like a blade.
"Welcome to Edenhart Academy," he said, his voice carrying across the field without shouting. "My name is Head Instructor Calen Vos. You will call me 'Sir' or not at all."
Kael noticed the way mana flickered around him — calm but sharp. This was a man who didn't need to prove his strength.
Calen continued, "Each of you will demonstrate your crest today. Those who show promise will be ranked accordingly. Those who fail will be assigned to auxiliary duties until further notice."
Someone from the Gold Crest group raised his hand, all confidence and charm. "Sir, what about the Blank Crest students?"
A few chuckles rippled through the arena. Calen's gaze turned cold. "They will be tested like everyone else. Results speak louder than words."
That silenced the laughter — for now.
---
One by one, students stepped forward to display their powers. Fire danced, wind spiraled, stone lifted, lightning cracked. The crowd cheered for the Golds and Silvers. Even a few Bronze students managed some surprises.
When it was finally the Blanks' turn, the energy in the air shifted — amusement, pity, curiosity.
Kael's group was called last.
Ryn went first. She took a deep breath, raised her hand, and spun her fingers through the air. A small thread of wind appeared — thin but controlled. It curved like a ribbon before fading.
A few students clapped politely.
The instructor wrote something down. "Bronze potential. Next."
Taro grunted and slammed his fists together, causing the ground to shake slightly. A weak earth tremor, but visible.
"Bronze potential."
Then it was Kael's turn.
He stepped forward into the circle. The crowd murmured. Some smirked. A noble boy from the Gold section shouted, "Don't faint before you start, Blank!"
Kael ignored him.
The examiner, a stern woman with hair tied back tight, looked at his empty crest. "Name."
"Kael Draven."
She checked the list. "Ah, the new Blank. Go ahead."
He raised his right hand. Nothing happened. The silence thickened.
Kael inhaled slowly, remembering Ryn's movement from last night — the way her fingers turned, the rhythm of her breathing. He replayed it in his head.
> Observed ability: Wind Thread.
Replication ready.
He focused, drawing mana through his arm the same way she did. A thin current flickered, unstable. For a second, it looked like failure. Then, a strand of silver wind burst from his fingertips — steady, sharper than hers, cutting a line across the stone floor before vanishing.
Gasps spread through the arena.
The examiner blinked, checking her crystal for confirmation. The result flared:
> Element detected: Wind — Quality: Intermediate.
Her eyes widened slightly. "Intermediate level?"
That shouldn't have been possible for a Blank.
Kael lowered his hand, keeping his face blank. "Guess I got lucky."
The Gold Crest boy scowled. "He's bluffing! That can't be right."
The examiner ignored him. "Kael Draven, rank… provisional Silver."
The murmurs turned to noise. Even Ryn looked stunned.
Kael walked back to his group quietly. Ryn nudged him. "You said you had no talent."
"I didn't."
"Then what was that?"
He smiled faintly. "Beginner's luck."
She snorted. "Liar."
---
After the trials ended, the rankings were posted on glowing boards around the arena. Kael's name appeared near the bottom of the Silver list, but still — it was there.
As the crowd dispersed, the Gold Crest noble from earlier blocked his path. His uniform was spotless, his crest golden and bright.
"Name's Lucen Valeor," he said with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Remember it, Blank. I don't like pretenders."
Kael met his gaze calmly. "You just introduced yourself to one."
Lucen's smile faltered. "You've got a mouth. Let's see how long it lasts."
He walked off, his group following.
Ryn appeared beside Kael. "You're making friends already."
"I'm a people person."
"Sure you are."
---
That night, back in Dorm C, the air buzzed with quiet excitement. The others couldn't stop talking about Kael's performance. Some asked him how he did it. He shrugged them off with vague answers.
When everyone finally slept, he sat alone again, staring at his hand. The silver ring glowed faintly, pulsing with a rhythm almost like a heartbeat.
> Mimic Soul — active.
Replication stable.
Skill evolution possible with further exposure.
He closed his hand slowly. This power wasn't just copying. It was adapting. Improving.
He leaned back against the cold wall and stared at the ceiling.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Kael felt something close to excitement. Not hope — that was too strong a word — but som
ething alive, flickering under the surface.
Tomorrow would bring more tests.
More eyes watching.
And maybe, another chance to learn something new to steal.