11:23 A.M.
A small knock echoed on the student council office door.
"Enter," Julianna said while stirring her cup of green tea.
The door swung open, revealing Zen standing in the doorway.
"Not gonna lie, I'm getting a sense of déjà vu."
He stepped in and closed the door behind him.
She chuckled, amused.
"At least you came willingly instead of me having to drag you here like last time."
She gestured at a glass of cold chocolate milkshake on the table before the opposite sofa.
"And I've prepared a drink you'll actually enjoy this time."
"I expected as much." He sat down on the sofa and picked up the glass.
"Well, don't mind if I do."
He didn't hesitate to take a sip before speaking again.
"So, what is this about?"
She didn't stop stirring her tea. She didn't look up either. Nor did her expression change. "Knowing you, I must ask if you're already aware of why I called you here."
"I have a rough idea," he replied.
"Didn't expect any less." She finally took a sip of her tea. "Last time we spoke, all I did was ask you questions about the Authorities. I was so absorbed in the topic that I didn't even thank you properly for helping us all back on our feet when we basically lost a ten-against-two scenario. And especially when you stopped Aquila and me from entering the bomb's blast radius."
A brief memory flashed in her mind—the moment she was sprinting through the fourth-floor balcony corridor at room 407—before an ice glaive flew in and plunged into the wall four meters ahead, forcing her to slide to a stop. In a fraction of a second, she felt Kyoya crash into her from behind, taking them both down to the floor before room 407 exploded violently into a ball of fire.
She stared at her own reflection in the tea.
"Our gear shields were depleted too."
Zen finished his drink and put the glass down.
"As a Warrior yourself, you know there's no need to thank me for performing duty."
He paused briefly.
"And I know that you didn't call me here just to thank me."
Julianna's smile slightly dimmed.
"Zen... I have a request."
She lifted her head and looked directly into his eyes.
"...Guide me."
Sunlight filtered through the curtains, dimly lighting up the room as the current head of the Marcevelle family, after remaining bedridden for three months in a row, finally took his last breath.
Family members and relatives surrounded his bed—some unable to look at him in such a state, and some unable to even blink at the sight. Several of his loyal staff consoled his wife as she quietly shed tears in the corner.
Sitting on a chair beside his bed, clutching his right hand, face buried in his blanket that was now soaked with tears, was his only daughter, just entering her teenage years, still sobbing away.
After years of imprisonment due to criminal charges he continuously insisted on having no affiliation with, he was all skin and bones, with several injuries that spoke of harsh treatment. His condition had continuously worsened so much since release that in his final days he was barely able to open his eyes, speak, or move a finger. Even the best healers in the country couldn't understand what they were dealing with. Their abilities proved useless.
For years he had fought bravely against persecution. For the past three months, he had fought with everything he had against death. In the end, he failed in both.
Funeral, burial, mourning—months had passed since then. Despite having a house full of staff and personnel, the Marcevelle estate was quieter than it ever had been in the past few decades.
Julianna sat at her study table, but she couldn't focus. She slumped over the desk, completely burying her face between her arms.
She wasn't over it.
Ever since her father had passed away, she had been obsessing over the idea of taking the political path like him, even though her parents never wanted her to.
Her father had divided the family's properties accordingly among key members in his will. She was a part of it. But what she had that no one else did was authority. In a few years, she could legally take charge as the family's new head. If she did, very few would have the power to question her decisions. And only her mother would have the power to say otherwise.
The plan was clear. In the short time she had, she needed to gather as much knowledge as possible.
So, outside of her academic studies, she turned to libraries. She would read books on any topic that interested her—science, mathematics, politics, fiction, theories, mysteries, myths, legends.
The wide range of topics led to something... unexpected.
Authorities.
Not the authority over her family that she was chasing. Authority over an element.
One had caught her full attention.
Authority of the Sea.
If she could obtain it, she'd have the power to lead the entire race of elementals and potentially end all the persecution every water elemental faced because of the element's representative families that worked with mafias and several global criminal organizations.
But there was something strange about the book she was reading. There were seven elements. But the book referenced only four Authorities.
Authority of the Sea, Authority of the Forest, Authority of the Inferno, and Authority of the Tempest.
Why only four? Were there only four? Or were there more left to be discovered?
She didn't think much further. If there were more, she'd stumble upon them in her future research.
Right now, she had bigger goals. She knew she'd have to take small steps to reach them. And she was already making plans.
Today is Julianna's eighteenth birthday. It has been a year since she took on the family's responsibilities and worked for their interests.
Just a few days ago, she assigned her closest uncle as the acting head of the family. She's leaving for Nexus Pentagon to pursue the career of a Warrior.
The minimum age required to apply for admission to a Warriors Academy is sixteen. She had spent two extra years sticking to traditional academics and mentally preparing herself.
Her mother was hesitant, but not completely against the decision. Today, as they stood in front of a car at the large estate entrance, she gave her daughter a warm hug and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. The hug lasted longer than any before.
"Prends soin de toi, Julia (Take care of yourself, Julia)," she said softly.
Julianna hugged her tighter. Even after preparing for two whole years, she almost didn't feel like leaving. Almost.
The East Wing Warriors Academy—located on the eastern island of Nexus Pentagon.
The institution is considered one of the best in the world for its achievements in various research and engineering sectors of the Warriors Military Legion. It earned a spot among the few academies that worked closely with the WML headquarters.
The institution had dominated the annual Nexus Academic Warrior Championship four times in six years. The senior warrior division lost two times in a row after a four-year winning spree. The junior warrior division had also won four trophies, though not in a row like their seniors.
Last year, none of them made it to the top.
Regardless of the history, Julianna had her eyes on this academy in particular for various sectors and the large database she could gradually access.
About a year and a half earlier, businessmen from her uncle's company arrived in the islands to navigate the geographical and political landscape. They established a small network and a settlement for the family.
Julianna arrived here with a decent idea. While preparing for the entrance exams, she also tagged along on the company's business trips to travel around and understand the day-to-day life of the ordinary people who lived here.
Compared to regions scarred by Rogue Nulls and devastated cities under reconstruction for decades, this place thrived with normalcy.
The entrance exams weren't easy. But they weren't impossible either. Written and physical—she had scored well in both and thus made it into the academy as a first-year top-five A-rank student.
All those years of preparation had finally paid off.
Despite having a recently purchased family estate on the eastern island equipped to provide her maximum comfort, she moved into the academy's student dormitories.
She knew she'd be mistreated and looked down upon—and it proved true not long after classes officially began; she hadn't come all this way to back down.
"I already told you twice to leave me alone!" Julianna stepped backwards, clutching a gear instruction manual in her left hand.
The guy from second year stepped forward with an innocent face.
"Come on now. Let's sit down at the cafeteria and talk it out over lunch."
He and his friends had cornered her by the lockers.
Julianna swung her left hand and slammed the book into his face with a loud thud.
His friends flinched.
"Oh, that's gonna hurt."
Blood pooled under his cheeks, swelling visibly. "Hey, I'm trying to be nice here. Just because you have a pretty face and good grades doesn't mean you get to disrespect me like that!"
"Do we have a problem here?" A sharp female voice cut through everything.
He took a second to process.
"Who the hell..."
He knew that voice.
"Wait a minute..."
His face instantly went dark. His friend's eyes blew wide open before they even turned to check. "Uh oh..."
There she was, dark hair with purple edges, hands on her hips, and a pair of dangerous purple eyes—the new girl who had built a reputation for bullying the bullies.
Madoka Fuyukawa, first-year, top-twenty S-rank.
The next moment, Julianna closed her eyes while continuous smacks and agonizing groans attracted an audience. Some were already recording.
When she opened her eyes again, all the guys were lying on the floor, shivering as if they'd been traumatized for life, and Madoka was already wiping dust off her hands. "You, okay?"
"I'm fine..." Julianna replied. "...You're that girl from section one."
"I've seen these people mess with you before. Sometimes they don't learn without a good beating." Madoka turned and gestured for her to follow. "Not the best place for introductions. Let's grab lunch before time's up."
Julianna blinked and followed behind, carefully stepping around the victims of Madoka's brutality. "Won't this all get you into trouble?"
Madoka shrugged.
"Eh. Don't worry. I know the director personally."
The midterm Rank Reassessment Exams were here.
The first two years as a junior student of the Warrior Division were for getting accustomed to the ways of a Warrior and choosing a sector to focus on at the end of second year.
The next four years as a senior student were for studying and mastering your selected line of work.
The Rank Reassessment Tournaments were standard practice for integrating the junior students into the Warrior culture. Instructors expected nothing more than mediocre combat performance, with a few exceptional cases.
The climb was steep. Twenty-five students from each year, in groups of five; five group-stage duels per student; the top two would be selected for the mixed bracket for a round of twenty, and from there it was standard progression until the finals.
The academy would handpick students from the leaderboard for the annual Nexus Academic Warriors Championship and also provide custom-made combat gear.
On the day of the finals, dust settled as Julianna's opponent finally fell to his knees and was incapacitated shortly after.
"And first-year A-rank number three, Julianna Favina Marcevelle claims the top spot on the leaderboard!" The announcer screamed.
The arena crowd went wild!
Julianna, however, barely held her stance as sweat dripped down her cheeks. She was breathing so heavily as if she had run a marathon for the first time in her life.
Madoka had finished in third place.
Both had pulled it off in standard combat gear—making a huge name for themselves, earning fans and admirers—and of course, enemies.
Shortly after the tournament, the Student Council President, who had graduated from the Junior Warrior Division last year, decided to return the position to the rightful junior students.
An election would be held. Candidates would run in pairs for President and Vice President positions. They'll have three weeks to run their campaigns, and in the fourth week of the month, the students will vote.
This was a massive opportunity for Julianna. Yes, she had won the tournament. She was now seen as the strongest Warrior among the juniors.
But it didn't help the lesser students who were water elementals. They were still mistreated, and it was getting worse day by day as propaganda kept spreading across the globe.
If she could become the representative of the student body, she could at least change others' perception of her elemental race inside the academy, if not the entire world.
It would mean the world to her.
But there was a small problem. She had a lot of fans and admirers, but none dared to run in the election with her. People knew about the workload that came with the position as well as the benefits. That's why only a few who were confident enough ever tried.
She could ask her closest friend, Madoka. Would she agree, though? Madoka just didn't seem the type. But she knew not to judge a book by its cover, and asked anyway.
"Sure."
Julianna blinked.
"Really? I honestly thought you wouldn't be interested."
Madoka rolled her eyes. "If I'm being honest, that position comes with a mind-breaking amount of work. So, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be interested. But I like what you're trying to do. So, getting you up there is the priority. As for me..."
She shrugged. "I'll probably resign my position soon, and they'll pick another student to fill the VP slot. I'll be back to my good old days. Win-win."
Julianna blinked again, snorted, and pressed a hand over her mouth, though it didn't stop her from bursting out into laughter. "You're willing to go through all this tedious paperwork just to resign in the end?"
Madoka smiled. "I can go to great lengths to support a good cause. And honestly? Given our reputation, with the right campaign strategies, winning is gonna be the easy part. Others don't stand a chance."
And she wasn't wrong. While others gave grand speeches and empty promises, Madoka and Julianna were quietly working on practical issues that had been bugging the students for a long time.
They even managed to get the academy training grounds its long-overdue renovation, turning it into a clean, green, and attractive training field like it once was. They also received the director's approval for flexible training hours for the students.
Stelle observed the training grounds.
"Instructors will monitor and provide necessary support to students willing to improve."
Before she turned and walked away, she looked at Madoka and Julianna. "Thank you both for bringing attention to this matter, Miss Marcevelle and Miss Fuyukawa. I wish you both the best of luck for the upcoming election."
Madoka and Julianna exchanged glances and smiled.
After three weeks of running campaigns, it was finally time.
Four candidate teams. Eight students.
All of them stood on the auditorium stage. Their pictures, names, and basic information were in neat order on the mega screen behind them.
The current President, soon about to resign, took the podium to explain the procedure.
All students present from both first and second year will receive a notification in their gear HUDs. They'll have five minutes to select two of the eight candidates and lock in their choices via fingerprint. Simple and efficient.
The timer started shortly after.
Every student got a ping from their gear. The entire auditorium lit up with blue HUDs and broke out into murmurs.
For the next five minutes, all candidates waited patiently—some confident, some sweating.
Julianna glanced at Madoka. She seemed unfazed by the crowd. That alone put her at ease.
The timer continued ticking down.
"We're down to the final thirty seconds," the President said.
The last of the students submitted their votes as the timer dropped below ten.
6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
"Time's up!"
The mega screen shifted.
Processing results. Please wait…
All eyes on the screen. A whole agonizing minute of processing and validating the entries.
Only Madoka wasn't looking at the screen.
And it finally shifted once more. A leaderboard popped up. "And team two takes the victory with a staggering forty-five percent of the total votes! Congratulations to Miss Julianna Favina Marcevelle and Miss Madoka Fuyukawa!"
Half the students burst into cheers.
Madoka smirked. She already had a reputation for standing up for the weak. Julianna's fanbase was also substantial. Their combined efforts had boosted their popularity significantly. Some had even developed a crush on Julianna because of her charms.
As the President called them both to the podium, Julianna stepped forward.
For once, everyone was going to take her words seriously. For once, she had the power to make changes for her people's betterment. She planned to make the most of it.
Halfway through the year, teams were put together.
Julianna had finally received her custom combat gear, Leviathan. Madoka had received Black Scorpion.
Both gears were developed completely based on their preferences.
Combat gear, standard or custom-made, required DNA from its assigned user to calibrate its core based on their element. Almost as if it had a mind and will of its own.
If the user were a non-elemental, the core would instead focus on their mental and physical aspects.
All the team members seemed to have incredible synergy with their newly received custom gear. Hopes were high for the upcoming NAWC.
A passenger plane landed at the East-Wing International Airport.
The team had returned home. They were exhausted. Moods were down.
The NAWC had concluded. They finished in fifth place.
The Junior Warrior Division had lost twice in a row now—the first time in seven years.
Madoka and Julianna managed to put on an exceptional show. They had amazing synergy as a duo, but the rest of the team couldn't match it. Two people could carry the team so far.
Two months later, Madoka resigned from her position as planned. She had maintained responsibilities for four whole months.
In a meeting, the council decided to let the candidate with the second-highest votes for the Vice President position take charge.
The year finals were also approaching. Same written exams. Same tournament. Same format.
This time, she had Leviathan. Confidence was at an all-time high.
The tournaments kicked in, and she dominated through the group stage and mixed brackets—a flawless run.
She had won the finals and defended her position as rank one. But something felt wrong. It was... not as challenging. The victory was almost tasteless. Why?
Madoka finished fourth this time. But Julianna knew something most didn't.
"It's unfair that you're always on suppressants. No one would stand a chance against you otherwise," Julianna argued.
Madoka threw the empty can into a recycling bin. "It's a necessity. There's a small chance for an Infused Null to lose control and go rogue. Of all the two hundred Nulls out there, more than three-fourths are Infused Nulls. This suppressant is the only reason we're allowed to walk freely under constant GPS surveillance. Or we'd be tied up in a lab and constantly researched upon."
"But you wouldn't go rogue for not having suppressants for the duration of the tournaments, right?"
Madoka placed a hand on Julianna's shoulder with a teasing smile as she walked by. "Theoretically, no, I wouldn't. But what's the fun in plowing through the brackets using Null powers? I do enjoy a challenge."
Julianna did too. Even though she struggled with her energy reserves, few could challenge her.
The year had passed. Madoka and Julianna were now in their second year.
The Vice President of the student council had resigned due to extreme stress from the workload.
A private election was held. The student most suited for the position… was a freshman.
Edric Nathaniel Havelock.
The students who had entered the academy this year looked more promising than ever. Edric was one of them. Calm, perceptive, exceptional at handling tasks that usually required more than one person.
To everyone's surprise, he was also an Infused Null. He was under constant GPS surveillance like Madoka.
Three new students had flipped the academy's social landscape on its head this year. The heirs of the ruling family of Ignisar—representatives of the fire elemental race, House of the Sun, the Solheims.
Crown Princess Cassie Lysandra von Solheim. Quiet, hard to approach, hot-headed to the point that she earned the nickname of "Intimidation Incarnate" in about a month.
Princess Viara Elysia von Solheim. Cheerful, warm, always helping out others. No one could express any hate against her. Think about harming her—and you were public enemy number one.
And finally, Prince Kyoya Aquila von Solheim. The person who made others' jaws drop before he even entered the academy. He earned a spot among the S ranks with his top-tier marksmanship. On top of that, he had charms. Girls at the academy had an entire fan club dedicated to him.
Besides these major cyclones—already dominating the academy's social hierarchy—a few other admissions were worth noting.
A Canadian prodigy, oblivious to his own capabilities, had entered the region.
Max Elliot Bennett.
Most students didn't know about him. Julianna was only instructed to keep an eye on him.
The son of a well-known blacksmith in the Legion had also entered the academy.
Finn Morrison.
He was a non-elemental with custom combat gear handcrafted by his father, and he was already in the A ranks. Madoka knew him personally.
This year's roster for the upcoming NAWC was oozing with talent.
Five months into the year, a student would transfer to the East-Wing Warriors Academy under an F-rank profile.
Someone who, despite being the worst student institutionally, would end up in the middle of the academy's top social group, and someone she didn't expect to carry the very thing she had built her life around.
This person was associated with a top S-rank she knew personally, and yet he was at the bottom of the leaderboard? Ironic.
People's disbelief made the story as convincing as it was suspicious. She checked his profile like many others.
Everything seemed legit. He was a lore-accurate F rank, and he would've gotten away with it too, until an incident involving him and Crown Princess Lysandra brought the entire school's attention to him, prompting a deeper look into his profile.
Zen rested his arm against the armrest and propped his chin up on his hand.
"What kind of guidance could you possibly be seeking from me?"
Julianna finished her tea and set the cup down. "I've been chasing every bit of information I could gather on the Authority of the Sea for years now. Never in my life did I think I would see it in person so soon."
Zen smirked, amused.
"So, you built your entire life around 'The Legend of Elemental Authorities'."
Julianna gave a confident grin.
"So you know the name of the book as well?"
"I do," he replied. "But let me ask you this."
"What if the Authorities weren't real?"
Julianna tilted her head. "You think I haven't thought of that? Whether I get the Authority of the Sea or not, I've already chosen to walk the path of a Warrior. I've already chosen to someday directly confront those guilty of letting the credibility of the water elemental race sink under their ocean of greed."
She glanced out the window and looked back at him.
"But now, I know the Authorities are real."
Her eyes narrowed as she spoke. "Wielding even a single Authority would give someone the power to demand global attention. You have three of them."
She crossed her legs and propped her chin on one hand. "I don't have to be the one who restores our global reputation and earns the water elemental race a spot in the Legion alongside the other clans. You have the power to do it. And I'm willing to help in every way necessary should you need any."
Zen listened the entire time, and finally exhaled. "I may have the power to make that happen, but I can't do so without risking the infrastructure of the entire world. So, that's a no. You should already know that I can't explain why."
"In that case, you just have to guide me till I get my hands on it, no? And don't get me wrong," she added quickly with an innocent smile.
"The other reason is that I believe I've already hit a ceiling," she explained.
" I've made it to the top institutionally—even though I'm realistically not; I've survived long enough under pressure as Student Council President—and I am confident I can keep going, and I've hit a combat ceiling that I believe needs some supervision to break through. Anything and everything I learn from you will only help me in the long run."
Zen raised an eyebrow.
"Why me specifically?"
Julianna rolled her eyes. "Let's see... Lysandra has improved significantly since you started training her, Elysia just broke through her combat ceiling because of you, and I've heard tales about how you and Madoka would constantly push each other's limits during practice."
Zen sighed.
"You're the second person this month who came prepared."
"My charms don't work on you, so a logical argument was the only option." Julianna chuckled. "Honestly, I was surprised at first when I found out Madoka had a step-sibling she never told me about. Given everything I know about you now, I understand why."
"So, Zen... What's one more student?"
Zen briefly closed his eyes. "Sure... What's one more student... Just know that I'm not as gentle as others. So, here's my first piece of guidance for you…"
His eyes snapped open.
"If you need an Authority to confront your people, then you're not worthy."