Morning arrived gently.
Sunlight slipped through the thin curtains, painting the small room in warm gold. Damon opened his eyes slowly, disoriented for a moment—then memory returned. The academy. The exam. Lira. Her grandmother's house.
Not underground.
Not metal walls.
Not blood.
Just… peace.
[System Status: Standby]
[Vital Signs: Stable]
Damon sat up.
The smell of food drifted in from the kitchen. Real food. Not nutrient paste.
When Damon stepped out, Lira was already there, tying her hair while her grandmother moved slowly between the stove and the table, hands steady despite age.
"Good morning," Damon said.
The old woman smiled warmly. "Ah, you're awake. Sit, sit. You need strength for your first day."
Breakfast was simple but filling. Damon ate quietly, savoring every bite. Lira watched him with a small smile.
"You slept like a rock," she teased.
"I haven't slept properly in a long time," Damon replied honestly.
Her grandmother studied him for a moment, eyes kind but sharp. "You look lighter this morning, child. Like someone who finally rested."
Damon didn't know how to answer that.
By the time they reached the academy gates, the atmosphere had changed.
This wasn't an exam anymore.
Students stood in organized lines, uniforms freshly issued, expressions filled with pride, fear, ambition—or all three. Massive banners floated above the grounds:
WELCOME, FIRST-YEAR CANDIDATES
Lira exhaled. "This feels… real now."
Damon nodded.
[System Observation: New Environment — High Information Density]
They entered the main hall, where instructors stood on elevated platforms, eyes scanning the crowd. Whispers followed Damon wherever he walked.
"That's him."
"The Unclassified one."
"I heard he doesn't even have a registered ability."
Will appeared beside them, hands in his pockets as usual. "First day and you're already famous."
"Not the good kind," Damon replied.
Will smirked. "Depends on how you use it."
The head instructor's voice thundered across the hall.
"From today onward, you are no longer examinees. You are students of Celestial Academy. Rankings will be fluid. Survival is optional. Growth is not."
Damon's system reacted instantly.
[Directive Updated: Continuous Growth Required]
Classes were announced. Combat theory. Ability control. Ethics. Survival tactics.
This wasn't a school.
It was a forge.
High above the academy, on a tower far from the students' sight, a figure stood in shadow.
A man in a long coat, face hidden beneath a visor glowing faint blue.
On the holographic screen before him, Damon's profile hovered.
DAMON VALE
STATUS: UNCLASSIFIED
ANOMALY CONFIRMED
The man tilted his head slightly.
"So it's you," he murmured. "The system carrier."
Behind him, another voice spoke. "Should we intervene?"
"Not yet," the man replied calmly. "Let him grow."
His gaze sharpened.
"Break him if necessary."
Back in the academy courtyard, Damon paused suddenly.
Lira noticed. "What's wrong?"
"…Nothing," Damon said after a second.
But the system whispered softly.
[Unregistered Observation Detected]
[Source: Unknown]
[Threat Probability: Dormant]
Damon looked up at the sky, crimson eyes unreadable.
The academy had begun.
And somewhere above—
Someone was waiting for him to fail.