The black uniform lay folded on the edge of the bed, its fabric finer than anything Elias now Noah Astra had ever touched in his seventeen years of life.
Silver embroidery traced elegant, twisting patterns along the sleeves and cuffs, subtle enough not to overpower the dark fabric but intricate enough to mark its wearer as someone of status.
The academy's emblem a silver dragon's eye encircled by runes was stitched onto the left side of the chest, its gaze ever-watchful.
Elias' fingers, still slightly trembling from the surreal shock of waking in this world, trailed over the fabric before slowly pulling it on.
It fit perfectly, tailored to this body a body with lean muscle, refined posture, and a natural grace Elias had never possessed.
As he adjusted the collar, memories not his own, but Noah Astra's began to surface like fragments of glass rising from a dark lake.
Memories of a life of privilege the only son of Duke Astra, born into power and wealth so vast it could make nations jealous. A boy with more tutors, servants, and suitors than anyone could count and yet, Noah Astra had always felt… nothing.
Cold indifference was Noah's defining trait. He drifted through life like a ghost in his own story, powerful enough to excel, detached enough not to care. A villain born not out of malice, but apathy.
But Elias the real Elias knew better. That apathy was a shield, a brittle wall hiding something Noah had never understood. Loneliness. Emptiness.
You and me aren't so different after all, huh?
That thought made Elias' chest tighten, but he shook it off. There was no time for reflection.
He had work to do.
After fastening the final silver button, a sudden jolt of memory struck him the ring.
His heart skipped a beat.
In the novel, The Ring of Abyssal Grasp was a mysterious artifact, one Noah Astra had possessed since childhood.
But the original Noah, blind to its significance, had tossed it aside into a drawer in his walk-in closet, completely unaware of its potential.
Elias' feet were already moving before the memory had fully settled.
He crossed the spacious room larger than the entire upper floor of his old house and pushed open the heavy double doors of the walk-in closet.
The sheer scale of it stunned him for a moment.
Rows upon rows of clothes, from casual silk shirts to formal attire suited for noble gatherings, lined the walls.
Shoes polished to mirror-like perfection rested in neat rows.
Yet none of it mattered.
He dropped to his knees, yanking open the first set of drawers, fingers searching frantically through gloves, belts, and accessories until.
There.
A pitch-black ring sat at the bottom of the drawer, unassuming in its simplicity. No gemstone, no decoration just a smooth, obsidian band so dark it seemed to drink the light around it.
Elias held it between his fingers, feeling a faint hum against his skin. Power subtle, but unmistakable.
The Ring of Abyssal Grasp.
In the novel, it had been a wasted treasure, overlooked by its own owner.
But Elias knew exactly what it was and what it could become.
Right now, it was only capable of one thing: summoning an invisible black hole-like field, centered around his body, capable of absorbing most of the physical impact from incoming attacks.
It wouldn't block magic, and it couldn't nullify all damage especially from stronger opponents but for someone at the start of their journey, it was already a lifesaver.
It would grow with him, the ring's power deepening alongside its wielder's strength.
Noah had squandered it.
Elias wouldn't.
He slid the ring onto his finger, the cool metal fitting perfectly as though it had been waiting for him all along.
The hum grew stronger for a moment before fading into silence, but the comforting sense of a shield at his back lingered.
He turned, crossing the room once more, pausing by the nightstand, where a sleek, glass-like device rested.
At first glance, it resembled a phone but it wasn't. In this world, it was a Manacomm, a device that combined communication spells with modern technology.
With a tap of his finger, the time flashed across the screen.
9:00.
His heart skipped. The entrance ceremony for Aguroquin Academy began at 9:25 and being late wasn't an option. Not for Noah Astra.
The chauffeur would be waiting.
He moved swiftly down the marble staircase, his polished boots silent against the floor, and found the front door already open.
Outside, a sleek black SUV-like carriage, its wheels floating inches above the ground thanks to levitation enchantments, idled by the driveway.
The chauffeur, a man in a tailored black suit with a professional but distant expression, opened the door without a word.
Elias no, Noah stepped inside, the leather seats plush beneath him as the door closed softly.
The vehicle pulled away, gliding silently down the paved streets of the Astra Estate, through towering gates adorned with the family crest a silver hydra coiled around a broken sword.
As the vehicle rolled toward the academy, Elias leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment, organizing his thoughts.
He knew how the story began.
The novel had painted it vividly.
The entrance ceremony was where Noah Astra made his first mark and his first mistake.
Despite ranking 2nd in the entrance exams, Noah had thrown a fit, openly challenging the 1st-ranked student none other than Ares Valtorin, the protagonist.
Ares was everything Noah wasn't. Warm, idealistic, a born leader the kind of person others naturally gravitated toward.
Noah's arrogance had cast him as a bitter rival, his personality shaping Ares' perception of him as a cold, insufferable antagonist.
That had been the original Noah's path.
But Elias had no intention of following that script.
He would still challenge Ares but not out of pride. He would challenge him to test him. To learn.
To sharpen himself against the story's hero without turning him into an enemy.
Rivals could become allies. Even friends. And if Elias as Noah played his cards right, he could position himself as the shadow to Ares' light, neither enemy nor friend, but something far more dangerous:
A variable.
The vehicle passed through the city, its glass towers reflecting morning light, the sky filled with drifting ships powered by crystal engines.
The capital of Aqarias was as breathtaking in reality as it had been in the story perhaps even more so.
Streets bustling with merchants, adventurers, and aristocrats, all flowing toward a single destination:
Aguroquin Academy, the continent's most prestigious institution for nurturing future heroes,and scholars.
Its gates, forged from obsidian and trimmed with gold, loomed ahead like the mouth of a sleeping dragon.
Elias could feel it the weight of expectation, of history, of fate.
Noah Astra's fate had been sealed in the original story. A villain doomed to die before his potential could ever bloom.
But now?
Elias smiled faintly, fingers brushing the black ring on his hand.
This villain would not die a footnote.
This time, Noah Astra would rise not just as a rival to the hero, but as a power that could reshape the story itself.
The SUV slowed to a stop at the academy gates.
It was time to meet Ares Valtorin.
And change both their destinies forever.
…
Ares' POV
The grand auditorium of Aguroquin Academy was filled with the buzz of excitement and hushed whispers, each voice carrying a mix of curiosity and nervous anticipation.
Today was the day the day that would determine the course of his future.
Ares Valtorin sat near the front, his posture straight and attentive, though his nerves churned beneath his composed exterior.
He had always been a calm and collected individual, but today was different.
He glanced around the room, observing the other students. Some were fidgeting, others whispering to each other, clearly excited about the start of the ceremony.
The students were all first-years, fresh faces from every corner of the continent, eager to begin their training.
As his eyes wandered, he couldn't help but overhear the murmurs about him and Noah Astra.
He didn't need to hear more to know what they were saying.
After all, the rivalry between the two of them had already become the stuff of legend before they had even entered the academy.
Noah Astra the second-ranked student in the entrance exams, rumours about the son of a powerful noble house wasn't happy about being placed second to anyone, let alone to Ares Valtorin, the student who had captured the academy's attention with his talent.
Ares shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to ignore the whispers.
They were probably just rumors, maybe even half-true, but his gut told him that the tension between him and Noah would be palpable.
You can handle this, he thought to himself, straightening his back. It's just another challenge. Another trial to face.
Ares had been good at hiding his nerves.
The doors of the auditorium suddenly creaked open with a loud echo, and every head in the room turned in unison.
Ares' heart skipped a beat, but he quickly masked his reaction with a calm expression, keeping his posture steady.
Noah Astra had arrived.
Ares recognized him immediately. White hair, as bright as snow, and eyes the color of amethyst that gleamed with an unsettling brilliance.
His aura commanded attention, but not in the way most heroes did. It was different colder, sharper.
Noah wasn't here to impress anyone, he was simply here to take his seat in a world that had long since forgotten how to hold his interest.
Noah entered with the effortless grace of someone who had never had to try to be noticed.
His steps were precise, deliberate, and his gaze never faltered from the path ahead of him.
He didn't glance at anyone in the room, not even as the whispers grew louder.
Ares' breath caught as Noah passed by him. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, but neither of them spoke.
There was no greeting. No recognition. Just a shared silence that spoke volumes.
Noah sat down next to Ares, still without a word, and settled into his seat as though he belonged there.
His gaze lingered on the stage, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
The room's energy seemed to shift slightly, like the tension had just doubled.
Everyone was now waiting for something an announcement, a speech, anything. But above all, they were waiting for Noah Astra's next move.
Ares let out a quiet breath, trying to shake off the nervousness that had settled in his chest. But it wasn't the thought of the ceremony that worried him.
It was Noah. Something about that boy's aura, his complete disinterest in everything, left Ares feeling unsettled.
'Why did he sit next to me?' Ares wondered. It wasn't as though they had any particular connection.And yet Noah had chosen to sit next to him in a room full of empty seats. What was he planning?
Before Ares could dwell on the thought for too long, the doors of the auditorium swung open once more, and the Vice-Principal of Aguroquin Academy stepped onto the stage.