The sun was shining brighter than usual—probably because summer was creeping in. Not that it mattered. Today had embarrassment written all over it.
After a long, bumpy ride on the school bus, we finally pulled into the Camp Grounds—our school's special training zone that doubled as a summer camp and a battlefield for stress.
We were each given our own rooms to settle in before the Ranking Exam. I found the most out-of-the-way room I could, tossed my bag on the bed, and started unpacking. Peace at last—until the door creaked open.
Alice.
Slender frame. Cold blue eyes. No expression, just the usual silent challenge in her gaze.
My rival since day one of homeroom and defense class. She always had something to prove. And for some reason, it was always about beating me.
We just stood there, locked in an awkward stare-off.
I opened my mouth to say something—
Bang! Door flew open.
"I'm sorry—did I interrupt something?" James grinned like a devil who smelled drama. "I just came to check on Ty."
Of course. This was going to haunt me later.
"Ty, you ready for the exam?" Bruce asked, snapping me out of the showdown. "Because I know I'm not."
I shrugged. "Aiming for A-rank. Hopefully."
"I can't say the same for some people," Phil teased, shooting playful looks around the room.
James clapped his hands together. "Alright, we need to settle the biggest mystery of the year—Tyrone and Alice."
Bruce nodded solemnly. "It's gone on too long."
"I thought Tyrone liked Aria," Mike added cluelessly.
"Eria," Phil corrected. "And she's so shy, she turns invisible when he tries to talk to her."
"How do you even know that?" I asked.
Phil smirked. "The walls have ears, brother."
"I always thought it was Sage," Phil said with a laugh. "Azure Guild Master's daughter? Bro, you looking to get flame-roasted?"
While the chaos continued, I slipped out.
I needed air. And quiet.
Creak. Bang. "Ahh!"
I smacked a hand over my mouth.
"Ty, you good?" Robert called from inside.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.
Standing in front of me was Eria.
Short. Soft-spoken. A kind of quiet warmth in her presence that made everything slow down.
"Sorry," she said, voice trembling. "You didn't look well on the bus. I just wanted to check on you."
"I'm alright. Just tired," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.
Then—
"Ahem."
My stomach dropped. The guys.
"Hi, Eria," Mike said, grin widening. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"We heard Ty talking and decided to drop in," Bruce added. "Anyway, we'll just—"
Too late. Eria vanished—literally. Ghosted in the most literal way.
And finally, I was alone.
I wandered off into the more secluded part of camp, earbuds in, thoughts spinning. That's when I bumped into a security guard.
"Sorry, sir, I didn't see—"
"No worries, kid," he said, smile too calm, face half-turned away.
Weird. And why was my arm stinging?
I glanced down. Fresh cut.
He'd sliced me.
Deliberately.
My stomach twisted. I waited for him to get out of sight and followed.
He led me to a part of the camp not marked on any map. I ducked into a broom closet and watched.
Minutes later, a tall hooded figure arrived.
"You fool!" the figure hissed. "The boy is the key. He holds the power of creation and destruction. With him, we own the world. He's smarter than he looks—probably already suspicious."
"He didn't see my face," the guard stammered.
"That's worse, idiot!" The figure punched him. "Wait for the task force. They'll clean this up."
My breath caught in my throat. My hands were shaking. That hooded guy's hand—it wasn't just dark. It looked... wrong.
I ran.
Hard.
When I reached my room, it looked like the guys had moved in. Great. I cleaned up, grabbed my jacket, and made a beeline for the instructor's office.
But then—I saw him.
The same security guy. Laughing with the instructor like they were old pals.
And he saw me.
Run.
I ran until I crashed into Bruce and Robert back at the dorms.
"Dude, you good?" Bruce asked, wide-eyed.
I spilled everything—about the guard, the hooded figure, the weird cut, the talk about power.
We didn't speak after that. We just knew what to do: stay quiet, wait until after the exam, and report everything to the school authorities.
The next day, training started. Brutal drills, nonstop sparring, pushing our powers to the point of collapse. Except me—I just tried not to collapse first.
Test day came fast.
"All examinees, report to your pods," the announcement blared. "Unleash your powers until instructed to stop. Your output determines your rank."
I stepped into my pod.
And when it was all over?
5 S-rankers.
10 A-rankers.
20 B-rankers.
10 C-rankers.
5 D-rankers.
And 1 Null.
Guess who.
The auditorium filled with quiet tension as we lined up for the inauguration ceremony.
Then—
"I hear gunshots!" the girl beside me screamed. She was a C-ranker—enhanced hearing.
BOOM.
A tower crumbled in the distance. Smoke poured into the sky.
The Camp Grounds were under attack.