The morning air was cold. Footsteps echoed lightly across the academy paths as two figures jogged side by side.
"I'm telling you, if we keep this up, I might actually become a morning person," Jae said, stretching his arms mid-run.
"You won't," Kael replied flatly.
"Wow. No faith."
Kael didn't answer. Jae glanced at him. "You didn't sleep, did you?"
A pause. "Not really."
Jae smirked. "Thought so. You looked like you fought a ghost in your dreams."
Kael exhaled slightly. "Felt like it."
They slowed down as the dorm building came into view. But Jae stopped. Kael looked up. Standing just outside the dorm entrance... the principal. Silent. Waiting.
Jae leaned slightly toward Kael. "What did you do?"
"Nothing."
The principal's gaze shifted. "Kael. Follow me."
Jae raised a brow. "That's crazy."
Kael didn't argue. He just walked past him. Jae called out behind him
"Don't get expelled."
No response.
They walked in silence. Not toward any classroom. Not toward any known part of the academy. The further they went the quieter it became. Until they stopped in front of a door Kael had never seen before. No label. No markings. The principal placed his hand against it a faint pulse. The door opened.
Inside rows of weapons. Not ordinary ones. Each piece is ced with intention. Swords. Spears. Blades. Artifacts. The air felt heavy.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. "What is this?"
"A place for weapons that outlast their owners."
That made him pause. The principal walked forward. Stopped at a stand. Pulled out something wrapped in cloth. The cloth fell away. A black staff. Dark. Sleek. Green patterns faintly running through it like cracks.
Kael stared at it. "A stick?"
"A weapon."
Kael frowned. "Everyone else gets swords... something useful."
Silence.
"And I get this?"
The principal stepped closer. "This weapon once belonged to the strongest individual this academy has produced."
Kael blinked. "Then why give it to me?"
"Because the previous owner requested it."
A pause. "How would they even know I'd be here?"
No answer. Instead "This weapon is far beyond what you think it is."
The staff was held out. Kael took it. It felt off. Not heavy. Not light. Just wrong.
"Still feels like a stick."
The principal watched him. "Not every weapon reveals itself immediately."
Kael clicked his tongue slightly. Then he stopped. Something shifted. Not outside. Inside. His gaze moved. Slowly. Until it landed on something else. Two handguns. Resting quietly. Nothing special about them at least visually.
Kael frowned. "Why those?"
He stepped forward. Almost unconsciously. The staff lowered slightly in his grip. His hand reached out and grabbed one. Then the other. The moment he held them something clicked. His grip adjusted naturally. His stance shifted. His breathing steadied. Without thinking he raised one. Aimed. No hesitation. No doubt. Just instinct.
For a moment everything felt clear.
"Huh."
The principal watched quietly. Then "Interesting."
Kael lowered the gun slightly. "What?"
"...Those were mine."
Kael looked at him. "You used guns?"
"Before anything else."
A pause. "Then why are they here?"
The principal's gaze didn't change. "Because I outgrew them."
Silence. Then he looked directly at Kael.
Kael's grip tightened slightly. "So what, I just take them?"
A small pause. Then "Yes."
Kael stared at the guns again. Then holstered them. The staff was still in his other hand. "Weird combination."
"Not every path is clean."
Kael didn't respond. He turned and walked out.
Jae was exactly where he left him. Leaning against the wall. "You alive?"
" Yeah, I guess."
Jae pushed off the wall. "So what happened?"
Kael walked past him. "Got weapons."
Jae blinked. "Weapons? Plural?? Nahhh."
Kael kept walking. "Come on, we're late."
The classroom buzzed with noise. Students talking. Laughing. Arguing. Kael and Jae stepped in. A few eyes turned into some whispers.
"That's him."
"He got called to the principal, right?"
Jae smirked. "Famous already."
Kael ignored it. They took their seats. Moments later, the door opened. Silence followed. A teacher walked in. Calm. Composed. They set their materials down. Then looked at the class.
"I'll keep this brief. My name is Instructor Kaizen."
Their gaze swept across the room. "And before any of you get stronger... you need to understand what you are."
Silence.
"You are not human. Not fully."
Kael's eyes lifted slightly.
"This world wasn't always like this. There was a time when everything was separate. Different realms. Different beings. But something changed. Those boundaries were broken. And everything began to mix."
The teacher's gaze hardened slightly. "That is why you exist. Hybrids."
Kael's hand rested lightly near the guns.
"Beings born from what was never meant to connect. Some of you are stable. Some of you are not."
For a brief second their eyes stopped on Kael. Then moved on.
" And those who are not... either evolve... or break."
Kael leaned back slightly. The word Hybrids lingered in the air. A few students leaned back, uninterested. Others listened carefully. Then a hand raised lazily from the middle row.
"We already know this. We're not beginners... we're not like the F-ranks."
A few laughs. Jae clicked his tongue. " Here we go."
The teacher didn't react immediately. She simply looked at him. Calm.
" Is that so?"
The boy smirked. "Yeah. We didn't come here to hear basics."
Silence. Then "Stand up."
The tone changed. Not louder. Sharper. The boy stood. Confident. "Come here."
Now the room was paying attention. The boy walked forward. Still relaxed. Still smirking.
" Show me," she said.
He scoffed slightly. Then raised his hand. A small burst of energy formed basic Nivara output. Nothing special. The teacher watched.
"This is what you think mastery looks like?"
Before he could respond she raised her hand. A small flame appeared simple. Controlled. But the temperature in the room shifted instantly. The flame wasn't wild. It was precise. Dense. Alive.
"This is basic."
The boy's expression changed slightly. Then she stepped forward. The flame flickered and suddenly it expanded. Not into a blast but into controlled streams that wrapped around his arm without touching it. He froze.
"...W-what"
"Control. Is knowing exactly how much power to use... and how much not to."
The flame vanished instantly. The boy stepped back. No smirk this time.
"Return to your seat."
He did. Quietly. No one laughed. No one spoke. Jae leaned slightly toward Kael. "Yeah I'm not talking in this class."
Kael didn't respond. But his eyes stayed on the teacher. She turned back to the class.
"Now that I have your attention. You'll be having a practical assessment. One week from now. You will be placed into teams. Your objective will be simple. Capture the opposing team's flag. This will not be a game. You will be evaluated on combat ability, control, strategy... and survival. Failure is not recommended."
At the very top of the room near the back, a figure lay slouched slightly in their seat. Silent. Still. As if asleep. But at the mention of the test, his eyes opened. Sharp. Focused. Ren.
"Finally" A faint smirk formed. "Something interesting."
Back below Jae stretched his arms. "Yeah... I'm cooked."
Kael leaned back slightly. One hand resting near the guns. The other was loosely holding the staff beside him.
"A week" His eyes lowered slightly. "That's enough."
"...Use the time wisely."
"You have one week."
The instructor walked out.
Noise filled the room instantly. Jae stood, stretching. "Yeah, I'm not trying to get embarrassed." He looked at Kael. "Come."
They moved past the main training area. Far enough that no one else was around. Just open ground. Quiet. Jae turned to him. "Alright." No jokes this time. "You're gonna learn properly."
Kael crossed his arms slightly. "Finally."
Jae smirked faintly. "First stop trying so hard. You fight like you're forcing everything."
Kael frowned. "Then what am I supposed to do?"
Jae stepped back. "Imagine this. You're not trying to get stronger. You're trying to survive. Picture someone stronger than you. Faster. Coming straight at you. No time to think."
Silence. Kael closed his eyes. He pictured it. A figure rushing him fast. Dangerous. Real.
"Now move."
Kael stepped and this time it wasn't forced. His body reacted. Naturally. Faster. Cleaner. His eyes snapped open.
"Again." Jae's voice was calm.
Kael moved with a burst of speed THUD. His step cracked the ground slightly. Kael froze.
" That wasn't me."
Jae grinned. "That was. That's your Nivara responding."
Kael looked at his hands. "Feels different."
"Good." Jae nodded. "Now let's make it useful." He pointed at Kael. "Take them out. The guns."
Kael paused. "Why?"
"Just do it."
Kael pulled them out. Balanced. Natural. Jae nodded. "Now aim."
Kael raised one. Focused on a distant target. Then paused. "This doesn't have bullets."
Jae smirked. "Exactly."
Kael glanced at him. "Then what am I shooting?"
Jae tapped his chest. "Nivara. Weapons here don't rely on ammo. They rely on you."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. "Care, to explain."
Jae crossed his arms. "Every weapon in this place is just a structure. A medium. Something that shapes Nivara. Swords cut because Nivara flows through the edge. Spears pierce because it's focused forward. And those? They release it."
Kael looked at them again. "So I shoot energy?"
Jae shrugged. "If you want to say it like that. But it's more like you're pushing your Nivara outward. Fast."
Kael adjusted his grip slightly. "So how do I do it?"
Jae smirked. "Same way you moved earlier. Don't force it. Imagine the shot. Feel it leave your body."
Silence. Kael focused. Target ahead. Breathing steady. He imagined it the moment of release. The impact. Then he pulled the trigger.
Nothing. He clicked his tongue. "Again."
Jae didn't react. "You're still thinking. Stop."
Kael exhaled. Closed his eyes briefly. Then raised the gun again. No overthinking. No hesitation. Just instinct. He fired.
BANG.
A sharp burst of force shot forward slamming into the target. Cracking it. Kael's eyes widened slightly.
"I did that?"
Jae grinned. "Yeah. You did."
Kael looked at the gun. Then fired again BANG. Cleaner. Stronger. More controlled. A small smirk formed.
"Okay."
Jae nodded. "That's your baseline. Movement. Strength. And output. Nothing crazy. But enough to fight."
Kael lowered the gun slowly. "Feels unstable."
"Yeah."
Jae reached into his pocket. Pulled out a small band. "Put this on."
Kael took it. "What is it?"
"Helps your flow stabilize."
Kael slid it on. Immediately the difference hit. Everything felt smoother. More controlled.
"Better."
Jae smirked. "Don't rely on it. It's just to keep you from messing up."
Kael raised the gun again. Fired. BANG. Clean. Precise. Controlled. He lowered it slowly. For the first time he didn't feel weak.
Jae stretched. "Yeah, you might actually survive that test."
Kael scoffed lightly. "I was going to anyway."
Jae laughed. "Yeah, sure."
The wind passed through the empty field.
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Thanks for reading:)