Leo stood at the edge of the balcony, his eyes scanning the chaotic, vibrant sprawl below. The sheer scale of the Aethelgard Hub was overwhelming. Floating platforms drifted through the air carrying heavy cargo, neon-blue runes glowed along the stone pillars, and the air was thick with the scent of raw energy and expensive tobacco.
'Wow. What a sight. It's exactly like those fantasy games,' Leo thought, mesmerized by the impossible architecture that defied every law of physics he had ever studied. It was as if the dreams of a thousand architects had been stitched together with magic and steel.
"What does Aethelgard even mean?" he asked.
"It's the name of the worldwide Awakened organization," Susan replied, her pace brisk as she moved forward. "They are the ones who manage the transition from this world to Origin. Stay close."
An employee directed them toward a free counter where an old lady, likely in her sixties, sat contentedly patting a cat in her lap.
As Susan and Leo stepped up, the cat, which had been purring a moment ago, suddenly bolted upright. It stared at Leo with dilated pupils and let out a guttural, terrifying hiss. "MEOWWW!"
"Debra? What's happened?" the old lady asked, startled.
The cat's tail trembled violently. With a final, sharp hiss, the creature dived into the old lady's shadow and vanished completely.
"Humph. How strange," the woman muttered, turning her gaze toward Susan. "Well, hello. Forgive Munchkin; she must be having a moment."
Susan narrowed her eyes, glancing from Leo to the spot where the shadow-cat had disappeared.
"We're here for a pre-registration," Susan said, gesturing to Leo.
"Oh my, what a handsome Lord candidate," the old woman said softly. "Can I see your sigil for proof?"
Leo showed the tattoo. Laura had already warned him; candidates couldn't hide their marks before entering Origin.
"Confirmed. Name?"
"Leo Vayne,"
"Alright, since this is just a pre-registration, proof is all we need." She opened a drawer and pushed a white card toward him. "This is a Starter Pack, Common grade. It contains a vague map, enough food to survive for a week, and a common summoning scroll. Every new Lord gets one to help them start."
She smiled kindly. "Just touch the card and think of sending it to your sigil. After a few tries, I'm sure a bright young man like you can succeed."
"That's it?" Leo asked, his face blank.
"Haha, what did you expect? A grand ritual? A sacrifice? If you pass your trial, you'll come back here for the real tests."
"Let's go," Susan said, already walking away. Leo struggled to keep up with her long strides.
"Wait, that's it? We came all this way for a basic map?"
"Impatient youth," Susan grumbled under her breath.
"Are you cursing me under your breath?" Leo asked, catching the tone.
"No."
She led him into a massive hall filled with high-end displays. Leo whistled at the variety—masterwork swords, shimmering shields, and artifacts that looked like they belonged in a museum.
"I need an uncommon grade starter pack," Susan told the woman behind the glass counter.
"Of course, Madam." The clerk returned with a card that looked like Leo's, but it was glowing with a deep, metallic bronze hue.
"Anything else?"
"No, thank you." Susan caught the card and tossed it to Leo as they headed for the exit.
"Hey, is this one free too?" Leo asked, admiring the way the card felt warm in his hand.
"Free?" Susan scoffed. "That card cost around five hundred thousand dollars."
Leo froze mid-step, his fingers tightening on the card. ''Half a million? For a starter pack?''
"You should thank Miss Laura for her generosity," Susan said. "She's betting a lot on your survival."
Leo swallowed hard. He was about to speak when a soft, melodic voice rang out behind him.
"Leo?"
Leo and Susan turned. Standing before them was a woman whose beauty defied standard description. She had hair as black as a moonless midnight that spilled over her shoulders, and eyes that held a depth of ancient obsidian. She was elegant, poised, and radiated a quiet, terrifying power.
'Baek Hye-na,'' Susan thought, her posture stiffening. 'From that maniacal Baek clan.'
Hye-na looked at Leo with a flicker of nervousness, waiting for him to acknowledge her. A butler standing behind her narrowed his eyes, clearly offended by Leo's lack of reaction.
"Young man," the butler snapped. "My lady just greeted you. Should you not at least return the gesture?"
Leo didn't even look at the butler. He stared at Hye-na for a moment, then let out a heavy, tired sigh. He turned his back on her and walked away.
It wasn't that he hated her. But looking at her only brought back the taste of his old life and the pain. 'If not for her, Steven might never have noticed me. If not for her, my aunt might still be safe.' Every memory associated with her was a reminder of his ruin.
"You!" the butler shouted, stepping forward with rage.
Before he could lay a hand on Leo, Hye-na raised her hand. Her voice was cold, devoid of the softness she had shown Leo. "Stop."
She watched Leo's retreating, her fists clenching until her knuckles turned white. As they exited the shop, Hye-na turned to her butler.
"The next time you raise your voice toward him," she said, her tone a lethal, bone-chilling warning, "I will remove your head from your body. Do you understand?"
The butler trembled, sweat instantly soaking through his shirt under Hye-na's icy gaze. "Forgive me, my lady! I... I will never repeat it!"
***
In a hilltop private villa overlooking the city lights, Steven Lockwood laughed as he turned the shimmering scroll in his hands. Silver threads crawled across its surface like living veins.
His sword instructor, a seasoned warrior with scars like faded memories across his arms, stood respectfully behind him.
"Young master, a rare rank summoning scroll… few candidates ever bring one on their first trial," the instructor said with cautious admiration.
Steven smirked, puffing out his chest. "Please. If Father tried, he could toss me a Hero scroll."
The instructor forced a smile, but inwardly sneered. 'Even your father nearly died recruiting the last Hero. Conceited brat.'
Steven opened his messages casually, then stopped cold. It was a photo sent by a subordinate. In the image, Leo was standing beside Hye-na. Steven's jaw tightened, and the scroll crumpled under his grip.
'That bastard dare? And she—talking to him? Ignoring me?'
Acid boiled in his gut. He replayed the memory of Hye-na decisively rejecting him last semester. The murmurs. The humiliation. Everyone was saying she was looking at Leo, not him.
His eyes darkened.
"So he's also a chosen Lord…" he muttered.
The instructor sensed the shift and stepped back. The temperature in the room dropped, a faint ripple of hostile resonance leaking from Steven's skin.
"I'll kill him in Origin," Steven whispered. "I'll tear down his entire existence. And her too… if she stands with him."
His fingers tightened around the scroll until the silver glow pulsed ominously.
Across the city, unseen threads stirred- blood, fate, and hatred weaving toward the inevitable clash.