The Arcwell estate had never felt brighter.
When the selection results were officially confirmed, Raze's family celebrated him with pride and warmth. His father Roland clasped his shoulder, his mother Rose hugged him tightly, and little Lily cheered as if he had already become a national hero.
But the most meaningful reaction came from Luna.
She stood in front of him, silence stretching for a moment before she finally smiled.
"If this is what you truly want, Raze… then I will support you completely."
From that morning onward, the two siblings decided they would go to Lionel Academy together.
◆ ◆ ◆
The first homeroom day of the Hero Department arrived. Students filtered into the classroom, taking their seats and speaking in hushed excitement.
When Raze entered, conversations quieted—not in mockery or disdain, but in curiosity.
"That's the boy who cut down the combat units."
"He ranked first in theory too, right?"
"He's the Arcwell heir, but he has no ability… still amazing."
Some nodded in greeting. Others offered small smiles.
It was not warm acceptance, but it was respect.
A few seats remained open, and Raze moved to one near a calm girl with blue eyes and hair that shimmered like flowing water.
Rain Lancelot.
Rank 4. Nexas Ability: Hardwater Manipulation.
She looked at him with gentle composure.
"You may sit here, if you'd like."
Raze blinked softly.
"You don't mind?"
Rain shook her head.
"You fought without Nexas and succeeded. That is worthy of respect."
Raze took the seat, offering a grateful nod.
Roger flashed him a thumbs-up from across the room.
Astra glanced over briefly, expression unreadable, then returned to her notes.
◆ ◆ ◆
The classroom door opened.
A silver-haired woman stepped inside, her presence quiet but commanding.
Professor Celeste Ardyn.
First-Year Homeroom, Hero Department.
Her eyes swept once through the room.
"Welcome, Hero Candidates."
The class straightened instinctively.
"Before you begin training, you must understand the world you are choosing to protect."
She raised her hand, and the lights dimmed. A holographic night sky appeared, split by a burning celestial object.
"Two hundred years ago, Fraxen changed forever."
A massive asteroid tore through the clouds, colliding with the surface of the world.
"The energy released by that impact altered human DNA. Only a portion of the population was affected, but those individuals awakened extraordinary abilities."
A single word appeared across the hologram:
Nexas
"From that day, the era of Nexas began. Today, one in every four people is born with these abilities."
The hologram shifted to show a colossal crater surrounded by enormous containment walls and defense towers.
"The impact site is known as the Abyss Crater. The World Council has controlled it for two centuries. No nation, no company, and no individual is permitted to extract or study the asteroid's core."
Then Celeste showed a small, dark fragment—metallic, dense, faintly star-flecked.
"However, during the impact, a number of tiny fragments scattered across Fraxen. These remnants possess extraordinary hardness and energy resistance."
Murmurs rose.
"A piece of the fallen star…?"
"That material actually exists?"
Celeste continued:
"We call it Abyss Alloy. Fragments are so rare that when they appear, they are traded illegally for billions of ₦ per kilogram."
"Most are unverified relics, and very few are ever seen again."
Several students glanced—subtly—toward the short twin blades sheathed at Raze's side.
Their dark, shimmering surface resembled the hologram more closely than coincidence should allow.
But resemblance was not proof.
No public samples existed.
No official testing record.
And no living citizen beyond the World Council was allowed to legally possess the metal.
So if the material in his blades truly was Abyss Alloy…
then its presence in the hands of a powerless student was impossible.
And yet, there it was.
Rain's eyes lingered on the blades beside him, thoughtful but not prying.
Celeste dismissed the projection and spoke one final lesson:
"Nexas changed the world, yes… but remember this:"
"Power alone did not save humanity. Courage did."
Raze felt those words settle deep within him.
He was born without the power that shaped this era.
But he had the will to shape himself.
And perhaps, one day… the world.