Awwww
Awww
Aww
Morning came without urgency.
No alarms screamed Kayden awake.
No sharp command echoed in his mind.
No system message blinked into existence the moment his eyes opened.
Just light.
Soft, unassuming sunlight slipped through the narrow gap in the curtains, tracing pale lines across the ceiling. Kayden lay still, staring upward, listening to the quiet rhythm of the city beyond the walls. Carriages rolling over stone roads.
A vendor shouting somewhere far below. The distant hum of life continuing, unaware of anything unusual.
Too normal.
Kayden sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. No irregular heartbeat.
No heightened awareness. No invisible presence guiding his breathing like it usually did.
The System was silent.
Not dormant.
Not gone.
Silent.
That distinction mattered more than Kayden wanted to admit.
He swung his legs off the bed and stood. His balance was perfect. His muscles responded naturally as he stretched.
Everything felt… ordinary. Almost disappointingly so.
After washing and changing into his Starcrest Academy uniform, Kayden paused briefly in front of the mirror.
The reflection stared back at him—dark eyes, calm expression, no visible trace of anything forbidden or dangerous.
You wouldn't know, he thought.
He stepped into the living space.
Leonhart was already awake.
The older man sat at the small wooden table near the window, a steaming cup in one hand, the other resting idly against the edge of the table.
He wore casual clothing, but his posture was upright, alert, like someone who never truly relaxed.
"You're up early," Leonhart said without looking away from the window.
"So are you," Kayden replied.
Leonhart chuckled softly. "Old habits."
Kayden adjusted the strap of his bag and moved toward the door.
Leonhart finally turned. "Eat something before you go."
Kayden shook his head. "I'll grab food near the academy."
Leonhart's brow creased slightly. "You've been saying that a lot."
Kayden paused.
"It's just training," he said. "Schedules are tight."
Leonhart studied him quietly. Not suspicious. Not probing. Just… observing.
"Inter-Academy years are never gentle," Leonhart said at last. "Even when people pretend they are."
Kayden looked back at him. "You competed before."
Leonhart nodded. "Once, back in the days with your parents ".
"And?"
Leonhart took a sip of his drink. "I learned when to stop pretending things were normal."
Kayden didn't ask more.
At the door, Leonhart spoke again.
"Be careful," he said. "Especially this year."
Kayden nodded once. "I will."
As the door closed behind him, Leonhart remained seated, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Especially you," he murmured.
...
The bells rang across Starcrest Academy.
Not the short chime signaling class changes.
Not the gentle toll that announced meals.
This was long. Deep. Meant to gather everyone.
Students froze mid-step. Conversations faltered. Training dummies were left half-destroyed. Kayden felt the subtle shift ripple through the grounds as if the academy itself had taken a breath.
This wasn't routine.
He followed the flow toward the central plaza, noting things others didn't. Reinforced barrier seals glowing faintly along the outer edges. Seniors positioned along walkways, not guarding, but watching.
Too many eyes.
When Principal Aria Nightfall stepped forward, silence fell naturally.
She didn't raise her voice.
She didn't need to.
Her presence alone demanded attention.
"Students of Starcrest Academy," she said calmly. "The Inter-Academy Competition has been officially confirmed".
Excitement rippled through the crowd.
Whispers burst forth like sparks.
Aria lifted a hand. Silence returned.
"This year's competition is different, it will be hosted across multiple academies," she continued. "It will last several weeks and will be observed by external organizations."
Kayden felt his stomach tighten.
Observers.
Sponsors.
External forces.
"This competition," Aria said, her gaze steady, "does not measure strength."
Some students exchanged confused looks.
"It measures judgment."
Her eyes moved across the crowd.
Then stopped.
Just once.
On Kayden.
No accusation. No expression. Just awareness.
Kayden lowered his gaze immediately.
When her attention moved on, his pulse slowed—but not completely.
The moment Aria dismissed the assembly, sound flooded back in.
Rayden practically bounced. "Did you hear that? Multiple academies! That means elite-level opponents!, this is going to be interesting".
"Elite-level injuries," Liora replied.
Rayden waved dismissively. "Minor inconvenience."
Marek stood stiffly nearby, jaw clenched. "This is our chance."
"To get humiliated?" someone muttered.
Rayden laughed loudly. "You people worry too much."
The laughter spread.
But it didn't linger.
Kayden listened quietly, absorbing the rumors swirling around him.
"They say people disappear—"
"No, that was only once—"
"My cousin said the arenas shift mid-fight—"
Kayden said nothing.
He didn't need rumors.
He already knew this competition wasn't meant to be fair.
Instructor Halden Voss stepped forward next.
"Only three groups will earn the right to represent Starcrest Academy," he announced calmly.
"Strength alone will not decide this—but every group must prove why they deserve to stand on that stage."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"Each group will demonstrate its worth," Halden continued. "Not through words.
Through action."
His gaze shifted slightly.
"Primyte will conduct the evaluations. He will test your combat capability, control, and cohesion."
That caught everyone's attention.
Rayden frowned. " why him."
Halden's voice hardened.
"Be prepared. The inter-academy competition begins next week."
A pause.
"Each chosen team will be assigned escorts."
Not instructors.
Not mentors.
Escorts.
Primyte — Floating Supervisor.
Rayden frowned. "What does floating mean?"
Liora answered quietly. "Unrestricted."
Kayden understood.
Watchers.
"Him again ." rayden muttered.
Tomorrow," instructor halven finished, "your strength will be tested."
Silence followed—heavy, expectant, unavoidable.
Kayden felt it before it happened.
A presence stepping into his path.
Primyte.
"You walk alone often," Primyte said casually.
"Outside these walls," Primyte continued calmly, "control isn't graded."
Kayden met his gaze.
"It's judged."
Primyte stepped aside.
No threats.
No explanations.
Kayden walked on.
The System did not speak.
Not to warn him.
Not to guide him.
That silence felt intentional.
Kayden clenched his fists slightly.
I can't rely on it.
I can't rely on them.
That realization weighed heavier than fear.
Far from Starcrest Academy, a report was reviewed.
"Starcrest participants confirmed."
A pause.
"One anomaly flagged. Unconfirmed."
Interest stirred.
That night, dorms were quiet.
Students packed.
Weapons were cleaned.
Kayden folded his uniform carefully.
He stared at his hands.
The System remained silent.
And he finally understood—
The competition wasn't where things would begin.
It was where they would stop hiding.