The sun rose over the Tamer Academy in a burst of orange and gold that would have been breathtaking if anyone had paused long enough to notice it. But Kael Ashborne wasn't looking at the sunrise. He was glaring at the huge stone steps leading to the Awakening Hall, a mixture of anger, nerves, and sheer stubbornness twisting his stomach into knots.
"This is it," he muttered under his breath, gripping the strap of his bag. "The day everyone finally sees… how worthless I am. Perfect."
He stopped. He checked his reflection in the polished stone railing. His messy black hair refused to cooperate. His uniform was slightly too big for him. And worst of all… his parents had cried this morning. Not tears of joy. Tears of hope they were afraid to admit were already dying.
"Fantastic," Kael whispered. "I'll make them regret it… maybe."
The Tamer Academy was a sprawling, gothic-meets-modern structure, carved into the side of a cliff with aerial bridges crisscrossing above a courtyard teeming with students. Some of them were practicing beasts in cages, some were simply showing off. A group of three boys, already laughing, were standing on a fountain with a pair of fledgling eagle-hawks circling above.
Kael scowled. "Show-offs…" he muttered, clutching his bag tighter.
Behind him, the chattering of female students made him wince. They were already making bets on who would summon the rarest beasts. He heard one say, "I heard Rowen is getting a Storm Griffin. He's basically guaranteed S-Rank."
Kael's fists clenched. His stomach twisted. He wanted to scream. To grab someone and shake them until they understood what it meant to fight and fail every single day. But instead, he swallowed, took a deep breath, and trudged forward.
Inside, the Awakening Hall was massive, domed, and intimidating. Light streamed in from stained glass windows depicting famous tamers and their dragons. The air smelled faintly of smoke, dragon scales, and… nervous fear.
At the far end of the hall, the System Console shimmered—a large holographic panel floating in midair, showing each tamer's name, rank, and potential beast class. When Kael stepped closer, he saw his own name blinking red:
KAEL ASHBORNE – F-RANK POTENTIAL DETECTED.
A low chuckle came from somewhere behind him. "F-Rank, huh? That'll be fun to watch," a voice said. Kael turned. A tall, perfectly coiffed boy with icy blue eyes was smirking at him.
"Cassian Vire," Kael muttered under his breath. The guy was everything Kael wasn't: confident, rich, powerful, and likely to get a beast that could flatten cities by noon.
Cassian's grin widened. "Try not to embarrass yourself, Ashborne. Wouldn't want to stain the floor with your… weak summon."
Kael's jaw twitched. "You know what, screw you—"
A sharp bell rang, cutting him off. The professors had arrived. The hall quieted instantly.
A voice boomed from the console. Calm. Unemotional. Terrifying.
["Welcome, candidates. Today, you will summon your primary beast. This is your first contract. Remember: strength is earned. Survival dictates evolution. Those unworthy may be released. Choose carefully. The System will judge."]
The panel flickered, displaying a glimmering circle for each student. A soft hum emanated from it. Kael stared at his. A faint glow, almost pitiful, hovered above the circle.
"This is it," Kael whispered. "The worst day of my life."
Beside him, other students were already placing their hands on the circles, eyes closed in concentration. Sparks of fire, feathers, and scales danced in the air as beasts materialized. One by one, students pulled beasts from the System:
A golden Griffin flapped its wings, glaring down at the crowd.
A salamander with flames licking its body roared so loudly it shook the hall.
A wolf the size of a horse growled with intelligence in its eyes.
And then… it was Kael's turn.
Kael hesitated. He swallowed hard. His hand trembled as he pressed it to the circle.
A puff of smoke appeared. A soft plop followed.
Out of the haze emerged a… blob.
Not a wolf. Not a salamander. Not a bird, not a tiger, not even a lizard. Just a small, amorphous creature that looked vaguely like a lump of gray clay with two blinking eyes. It quivered as if scared of itself.
The hall went silent for a full five seconds. Then, laughter erupted.
"Is that… alive?" someone whispered.
"Did he summon a rock?"
"HAHAHA! F-Rank, my ass! This is garbage!"
Kael's face burned. His hands clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
"I-I… it's… it's my summon," he stammered.
The blob blinked. And then… slowly… it oozed forward.
The blue-eyed Cassian scoffed. "Even that thing could die of embarrassment. Maybe we should just release it now."
Kael's chest heaved. He wanted to scream, but instead, he muttered through gritted teeth:
"You think I care what you think?"
The professors looked unimpressed. One of them, a tall woman with dragon-scale earrings, crossed her arms. "F-Rank, indeed. Most of these summoners will struggle to even feed their beasts, let alone survive combat."
Kael's stomach twisted. He could hear the whispers—students making bets on how long it would take before he fainted in embarrassment. But he refused to move.
Something deep inside him flickered. Not fear. Not despair. Anger. Pure, stubborn anger.
"You think this is over?" he muttered under his breath. "I'll show all of you…"
The blob blinked at him, as if understanding. Kael smiled—slightly. A small, defiant smile.
"You're gonna have to survive with me. Deal?"
The blob gave a little quiver, and Kael swore he saw a spark of life in its eyes.
Yhe professor continued, oblivious to Kael's internal vow. "Remember, the System evaluates survival, compatibility, and growth. F-Rank beasts are the rarest chance to unlock hidden evolution paths. Very few reach even C-Rank… but those who survive often become anomalies. Anomalies can break evolution rules. Perhaps even… ascend to dragon-level potential."
Kael froze. Dragon-level potential?
The students around him barely listened. They were too busy staring at their spectacular summons. But Kael's ears perked up. He didn't have a spectacular summon. He had a lump of gray mush… and yet, this System, this cruel thing, whispered a hint of hope in his mind.
A tiny spark. A crack in the ceiling of despair.
"So… maybe…" Kael muttered. "maybe I'm not worthless."
He remembered his parents' faces that morning. Their trembling hands. Their whispered prayers. Their hope pinned on him.
"I won't let you down. I don't care what everyone else thinks. I don't care if I'm the joke of the century. I'll… I'll show everyone."
Kael slammed his palm against the stone floor. The blob trembled—but then, something incredible happened. A faint aura shimmered around it. Not fire. Not wings. Just… potential. Pure, raw, desperate potential.
The other students noticed. Whispers rose.
"Did… did that thing just—?"
Kael gritted his teeth. "Watch me," he growled.
Of course, nothing went smoothly.
Kael's summon wobbled, slipped, and landed flat on its face, oozing grayly across the floor.
The crowd howled.
Cassian snorted.
Some girls screamed in laughter.
Kael groaned, crouched beside it, and muttered:
"Stop flopping around like a stupid… thing! Focus!"
The blob, somehow, blinked, lifted its "head," and made a noise somewhere between a gurgle and a squeak. Kael nodded.
"Good. That's a start. We survive together… or we die together. Deal?"
A hush fell over the hall. Even the professors seemed intrigued, leaning forward slightly.
Kael didn't notice. He was already thinking about tomorrow, about feeding schedules, about survival exercises, about proving Cassian wrong—and maybe, just maybe, about evolving his F-Rank lump into something that would make everyone's jaws drop.
The laughter still rang in his ears. But Kael smiled through the burning rage in his chest.
"Let them laugh," he muttered. "The joke's on them. I'm just getting started."