The door sealed behind Aiden with a low, final thrum.
The Irregular Wing smelled different.
Cold stone.
Old blood.
Burnt mana.
Aiden felt it immediately—this place wasn't meant to help anyone grow.
It was where the academy dumped problems and waited to see which ones broke.
Five figures stood in the corridor ahead of him.
All older than him.
All scarred.
All watching like predators sizing up weak prey.
The one who had spoken earlier stepped forward.
Short hair.
Broad shoulders.
A crooked grin that didn't reach his eyes.
"Name's Vex," he said. "Rank D+. Irregular Track, third year."
Third year.
That alone made Aiden tense.
"And you," Vex continued, circling him slowly, "are the Level Zero who punched a Ranker and lived."
Aiden didn't answer.
His legs still shook.
His chest still burned where the Mark lay sealed.
Vex stopped in front of him.
"…You look disappointing."
He shoved Aiden.
Not hard.
A test.
Aiden stumbled back, barely catching himself against the wall.
The others laughed.
One girl with bandaged arms tilted her head.
"Limiter active," she noted. "He's harmless."
The System flickered faintly:
[WARNING: HOSTILE INTENT DETECTED]
[INTERVENTION: NOT AUTHORIZED]
Aiden clenched his fists.
"So," Vex said casually, "here's how this works. You don't get protection. You don't get instructors. You don't get pity."
He leaned in close.
"You either earn your space… or we erase you."
Aiden met his gaze.
"…Good to know."
Vex's grin widened.
"Oh? Still got teeth?"
He raised a hand.
Mana surged.
"Lesson one—"
A voice cut through the corridor.
"Enough."
Everyone froze.
Footsteps echoed from deeper in the wing.
A tall figure approached—older, lean, eyes sharp like broken glass.
No uniform.
No rank badge.
But the Irregulars stepped back instinctively.
The man stopped beside Aiden.
"Pick on someone who can fight back," he said flatly.
Vex scowled.
"Tch. It's just tradition."
The man's gaze flicked to him.
"Then tradition ends."
Vex hesitated—then stepped away.
The man turned to Aiden.
"…You're the Error."
Aiden nodded slowly.
"Apparently."
The man studied him for a long moment.
Then—
"Follow me."
Aiden hesitated.
The System didn't warn him.
That worried him more than if it had.
He pushed off the wall and followed.
They walked past locked doors, cracked training rooms, and broken equipment.
Finally, they stopped in front of a small chamber.
Inside—
A single training platform.
A shattered dummy.
And a wall covered in tally marks.
Hundreds of them.
The man spoke without turning.
"My name is Kade."
Aiden's eyes narrowed.
"Kade what?"
Kade looked back at him.
"I don't use last names anymore."
Aiden swallowed.
"What do you want?"
Kade gestured to the platform.
"To see if you're worth the trouble."
The System flickered suddenly:
[UNAUTHORIZED OBSERVER DETECTED]
[DATA ACCESS ATTEMPT — BLOCKED]
Kade smiled faintly.
"Good," he said.
"It still doesn't trust me."
Aiden's heart skipped.
"…What are you?"
Kade stepped onto the platform.
"Someone who survived being an Error."
Aiden's breath caught.
Kade raised his hand.
"Now step up."
The platform hummed to life.
The door sealed behind them.
The System chimed ominously:
[PRIVATE TRIAL INITIATED]
Aiden clenched his fists.
"…Figures."