Months passed after Joey's adoption, just as the three boys had expected.
Their parents made it clear that they wouldn't be training as intensely anymore, which meant they couldn't complete their Daily Missions every single day. Surprisingly, that didn't bother them much. In exchange, they gained something far more important—time.
Time to spend with their mother and father.
Time to do things they never could before.
And thanks to the units they gained from adopting Joey, life felt just a little less heavy.
More than anything, though, they loved having Joey with them.
They hadn't expected to love having another sibling this much—but they did.
Joey was still shy, still careful with his words, but over time he warmed up to them. The nervous edge faded, replaced with something real. Something natural.
He was finally starting to feel like he belonged.
⸻
August 22nd
It was late when Joey walked into his new home.
Riven and Jordan were already asleep, worn out from the day ahead—August 23rd.
Their birthday.
"What did you get them, Ms. Harlow?" Joey asked softly.
He still wasn't comfortable calling her Mom. The same went for Kaden. Even now, it felt awkward, like he didn't quite deserve to use those words yet.
Candice smiled and disappeared into the closet. A moment later, she returned, carefully pulling out two motorbikes.
"Thank you for using your units to help pay for these, Joey," she said, her smile warm and genuine.
"No problem, Ms. Harlow," Joey replied, smiling just as brightly. "It's the least I could do."
Kaden stepped forward and placed a firm but gentle hand on Joey's shoulder.
"The units were originally yours," he said. "You staying here—being part of this family—has helped us more than you know. Giving you a home is the least we could do."
Joey nodded, his chest feeling strangely tight.
He quietly made his way toward the boys' room, ready to sleep.
Inside were two beds—one bunk bed and one regular-sized bed. Jordan slept on the bottom bunk, Riven on the top.
Joey yawned and flopped onto the regular bed, burying his face into the pillow.
Just as his eyes closed, he heard a whisper.
"Psst. What did they get us?"
Riven's voice.
Jordan shifted as well.
"Weren't you guys asleep?" Joey asked, confused.
"What? Of course not," Jordan waved it off. "So—what'd they get us?"
Joey didn't respond. Instead, he turned over and pulled the pillow closer.
"Hey—" Riven started.
Then came soft snoring.
Riven paused.
…Wait.
Did he just—?
A sense of déjà vu hit him.
"Oh," Riven thought, smirking. "Did he just hold a grudge?"
Chuckling to himself, Riven settled back into bed, excitement bubbling in his chest for tomorrow.
⸻
August 23rd
The next morning, the house exploded with movement.
Riven and Jordan leapt out of bed and sprinted into the living room—only to stop short.
Joey was already sitting at the table.
"Happy birthday, guys," the golden-haired boy said, smiling.
"Thanks!" they replied in unison.
Their parents joined in moments later, offering their own birthday wishes.
"We have a restaurant reservation at 4:30," Candice said. "Make sure all three of you are ready."
"Yes, ma'am," they all replied.
After their Daily Missions—mostly light exercise—Riven checked his system status. With the academy drawing closer, he wanted to see where he stood.
⸻
[System Status: Riven Harlow]
Level: 6 (24 / 750 EXP)
Race: Human
Awakening Stage: One
Strength: 13
Speed: 15
Durability: 12
Health: 29 / 29
Energy: 18 / 18
Riven frowned slightly.
Durability was still his weakest stat.
Without hesitation, he assigned his unallocated stat point there.
Then he checked Jordan's status.
⸻
[System Status: Jordan Harlow]
Level: 6 (50 / 750 EXP)
Race: Human
Awakening Stage: One
Strength: 11
Speed: 12
Durability: 16
Health: 23 / 23
Energy: 22 / 22
⸻
Over the following months, Riven and Jordan were honest with Joey.
They told him about that night.
About the vision Joey had seen of his future self.
About the system—and how it worked.
They explained cores. How taking another person's core could grant power. How Riven had been able to heal Crasfer the day Joey injured him.
Joey listened carefully.
Even as he grew closer to the twins, something inside him stirred. He wasn't a bonded party member yet—he didn't have a system—but deep down, he could feel it.
He was getting close.
⸻
Later that evening, the family gathered at their usual restaurant.
The same one they visited often.
The same one where Nico worked.
"Looks like we've got recurring customers," Nico's father laughed.
"Yeah," Nico sighed. "Seems like it."
She hadn't changed her routine much. Training still came first—no one was holding her back.
After dinner, the Harlows paid the bill and headed home. They hadn't eaten much, saving both money and appetite.
Dessert waited for them.
A birthday cake.
"One, two, three—happy birthday to you~"
Candice sang as Kaden and Joey joined in. Riven and Jordan blew out the candles, laughter filling the room as everyone clapped.
Then Candice and Kaden stepped out.
Riven and Jordan exchanged excited looks.
They loved whatever gifts their parents gave them—whether it was a notebook they'd treasure forever or a toy they'd never let go of.
Anything from them mattered.
The door opened.
Their parents returned, rolling in two large objects wrapped in colorful paper.
The twins tore the wrapping away instantly.
Two dirt bikes gleamed beneath the lights.
"Aww—thank you, Mom! Dad!" they shouted, throwing their arms around their parents in a tight group hug.
Joey stood off to the side, rubbing his arm as he watched—until Kaden reached out and pulled him into the embrace as well.
Joey hugged back, surprised… and happy.
Later, after cake, the three boys handled the cleanup—washing dishes, wiping counters, sweeping the floor.
"Thanks, man," Riven said as he passed Joey.
"For what?" Joey asked.
"For this," Jordan added, holding up his fist. "We wouldn't have gotten those bikes without you."
Joey bumped his fist gently.
He noticed how natural it was between them—one hand offered, the other following with a fist bump.
He liked it.
He liked having family.
He liked having brothers.
Months passed, and before they realized it, the day had finally arrived.
Today was the day.
Jordan, Riven, and Joey stood in their room, bags packed and resting by the door. The weight of what was coming sat quietly in the air—not fear, not excitement alone, but something in between. A beginning.
A week earlier, officials from the academy had arrived at their home. They hadn't stayed long. No speeches. No explanations. Just uniforms, neatly folded and handed over with practiced efficiency.
Now, those uniforms lay spread across the beds.
The academy uniform was simple—but unmistakable.
It was worn like a jacket, structured yet flexible, designed for movement rather than appearance. Four reinforced buttons ran diagonally across the chest, allowing it to be fastened quickly and securely. The top half of the uniform was a deep, bold red, while the bottom half faded into a sharp orange, the colors blending cleanly at the waist
The three boys all agreed on one thing.
Red and orange was a strange color combination.
Other colors could have worked—black, blue, silver—anything else, really. But it wasn't their choice. It never was.
Still, they pulled on the uniforms.
Each of them carried large suitcases, packed tightly with everything they owned that mattered. When they were finally ready, they stepped into the living room to say goodbye.
Candice and Kaden were already waiting.
Their mother's eyes were red, tears threatening to spill as she stepped forward.
"Look… I know there's a chance you might not all go to the same academy," Candice sniffled. "But no matter where you go, I want you to remember something."
She wiped her eyes with a tissue.
"We love you. And no matter what happens, we'll always be with you—right here." She pressed a hand to her chest before blowing her nose again.
Kaden stepped forward next, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
"Today is the day," he said, voice firm but heavy. "You boys will start making decisions in your lives—decisions you won't be able to change once they're made."
He looked each of them in the eyes.
"You need to be safe out there. If you're together, stick together. Protect each other. You hear me?"
"Yes, sir," all three replied at once, saluting him instinctively.
They hugged their parents one last time before turning toward the door.
"MY BABIES!" Candice cried out as they stepped away.
Kaden gently held her back. "Be safe, my sons," he whispered.
⸻
The three boys walked down the street together.
As they went, they saw others their age doing the same—bags in hand, faces tense, all heading toward the same destination.
Joey gradually fell behind.
Riven and Jordan walked a little ahead, just as planned.
They didn't want anyone to know the three of them were close.
Not everyone in the walls knew the Harlow family had adopted Joey. In fact, many believed Joey had been kicked out long ago—some even thought he was dead. That was why people stared when they saw him now, alive and walking toward the academy buses like everyone else.
Eventually, they reached the bus stop.
Dozens of students were already waiting.
Riven and Jordan stood side by side. Joey stayed farther back, lingering in the shadows.
They noticed others wearing uniforms similar to theirs—but some were different. Blue and black stood out the most. Those students lived in Section A, closest to the inner walls.
Which meant they would be picked up first.
The massive gate of the wall began to open.
A deep rumble shook the ground.
Four red buses rolled out first.
Then four blue buses.
And finally—
One golden bus.
Every student standing at the curb swallowed nervously.
They all knew what this meant.
This was the deciding moment. Where they would go. Who would claim them. What their future might look like.
No one believed one academy branch was necessarily stronger than another—but no one truly knew. Information from the outside was scarce, and parents rarely spoke about their own experiences.
The buses stopped.
An adult stepped off the golden bus first.
"Welcome," she said calmly. "My name is Shinive. I am the representative for the Dawn Faction camp."
Her gaze swept over the crowd.
"If you were scouted by the Dawn Faction, please step forward and present your proof."
Silence.
Minutes passed.
No one moved.
Shinive frowned slightly. Being scouted by the Dawn Faction was rare—but not unheard of. Even then, those who failed to show promise could lose their pseudo-scholarship and be transferred directly to the academy instead.
Realizing no one would step forward, she turned and boarded the bus.
The golden bus slowly pulled away.
"Now that that's settled," a man said as he stepped forward from one of the red buses. His voice was harsh, commanding. "Those attending Sigil Gate Academy, come forward so we may determine which branch you'll be assigned to."
The crowd visibly tensed.
"And those without an evolution ability," a woman added gently, her voice soft and reassuring, "please come this way so we can determine your placement."
Some evolvers glanced toward her group.
"Lucky," one student whispered under their breath.
"Lucky," one student whispered under their breath.
"Did someone say something?" the man barked into the crowd.
Silence.
The student who had spoken shrank back, too afraid to step forward. No one wanted to find out what kind of punishment that man might hand out.
"Good," the man said, brushing his shoulder as if dust had landed on it. "That's what I thought. Now—step up, state your name, and I'll escort you to your bus."
Jordan was the first to move.
He stepped forward, clearing his throat. "My name is Jordan Harlow."
The man leaned in and whispered something into his ear.
"Bus four. Academy Branch Two."
Jordan straightened.
"Proceed," the man shouted.
Jordan flashed a peace sign at his side as he walked toward the fourth bus.
Branch Two, huh… Nico thought, glancing toward Riven.
"Next."
Students began stepping up one after another. As the line continued, the man started noticing something—patterns. Too many students were ending up where they clearly wanted to be.
He wasn't stupid.
With a frown, he activated something on his wrist. A digital die projected itself into the air, spinning rapidly before stopping each time a student stepped forward.
Joey's turn came next.
The man glanced at him—but didn't spin the die.
"My name is Joey Cro—" Joey stopped himself.
That name wasn't his anymore.
"Harlow," he corrected quickly. "Joey Harlow."
He knew he couldn't lie to the academy. All he could do was hope they chalked it up to coincidence.
"Bus four. Branch Two," the man whispered flatly.
Joey froze for half a second.
Then he nodded and walked toward the bus, confusion swirling in his head.
They didn't even hesitate…
He had expected them to split them up—especially after admitting his last name matched Jordan's. Maybe the man had forgotten Jordan entirely.
…Unlikely.
More students were assigned before Nico stepped forward.
She didn't care much whether she ended up at the same academy as the others—but she wouldn't mind it either. Familiar faces would make things easier.
The digital die spun.
Riven watched it anxiously.
Please…
The die landed on four.
"Bus four," the man ordered.
Nico headed over without hesitation.
"Yes," Riven thought. This means we're all going to the same academy. Our luck is insane.
After several more students, it was finally Riven's turn.
He stepped forward, expecting the die to appear—or to be sent somewhere else entirely.
Instead, the man simply pointed.
"Bus four."
That was it.
No confirmation. No explanation.
Riven didn't question it.
He turned immediately and boarded the bus before the man could change his mind.
Inside, students sat scattered throughout the seats. Most were alone, clearly unfamiliar with one another, though a few whispered quietly in small groups.
As Riven walked toward the back, he spotted two familiar faces.
Jordan and Joey sat together.
The seat beside them was empty.
"Is this for me?" Riven asked dryly.
The two looked up and smiled.
"Of course it is, idiot," Joey joked.
Riven dropped into the seat just as the bus began to move.
"What kind of luck is this?" Jordan laughed. "I guess our plan really worked."
"Yeah," Joey agreed.
"See?" Riven said confidently. "I told you there was nothing to worry about. My luck is absolute."
That confidence shattered instantly.
"I don't buy this for a second."
The voice came from behind them.
All three turned around.
Nico leaned against the seat, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
"No offense," she continued, "but there's no way this is a coincidence. Same academy. Same branch. Same bus? Yeah—no."
Jordan frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying this feels… orchestrated," Nico replied calmly. "Like someone wanted this outcome."