Roshan sat stiffly inside the academy waiting hall while nervously tapping his fingers against his knees.

The room felt far too quiet.

Large clocks ticked softly against the walls while academy workers moved through the halls outside carrying stacks of documents. Occasionally, students passed by the windows laughing among themselves on their way back to training classes.

Meanwhile…

Roshan sat there wondering why three Alliance officials suddenly wanted to see him privately.

“…Did I accidentally break something?” he muttered under his breath.

A nervous thought crossed his mind immediately afterward.

Wait.

What if this was about the training incident from earlier?

His shoulders immediately stiffened.

“No… no way…”

Before he could spiral further into panic, the office door slowly opened.

A tall woman dressed in formal Alliance attire stepped outside before adjusting her glasses slightly.

“Roshan Ryn.”

Roshan stood so quickly his chair scraped loudly against the floor.

“S-Sorry.”

The woman blinked once before stepping aside.

“They’re waiting.”

Roshan swallowed nervously before walking inside.

The private meeting room was much larger than he expected.

Soft white lights illuminated the polished floors while dark wooden shelves lined the walls filled with books and files stamped with Alliance insignias. Three officials sat around a circular table near the center of the room.

The atmosphere felt heavy.

Professional.

Important.

Roshan suddenly became very aware of how poor his academy uniform looked compared to everything around him.

One of the men sitting at the table gestured calmly toward the empty seat across from them.

“Sit.”

Roshan obeyed immediately.

The chair felt strangely expensive.

One official quietly studied several papers in front of him while another older woman observed Roshan carefully without speaking.

The third official finally leaned forward slightly.

“You’re Roshan Ryn?”

“Yes, sir.”

The official nodded once before opening a small black case resting beside him.

Roshan leaned slightly forward out of curiosity.

Inside the case rested a smooth crystal orb roughly the size of a human head. Strange silver markings wrapped around its surface while faint energy pulsed deep within the crystal itself.

Roshan blinked.

“…Cool.”

The officials exchanged brief looks.

The older woman almost smiled.

Almost.

The male official carefully lifted the orb from the case before placing it gently onto the table between them.

“We need you to place your hand on the orb.”

Roshan immediately stiffened.

“…Why?”

“A simple evaluation.”

Evaluation?

Roshan glanced at the crystal suspiciously.

It looked expensive.

Very expensive.

He pointed awkwardly toward it.

“What happens if I accidentally break it?”

“You won’t.”

“…That somehow doesn’t make me feel better.”

The younger official let out a quiet cough that suspiciously sounded like suppressed laughter.

Roshan slowly moved his hand toward the orb.

Honestly, he didn’t want trouble.

And refusing important Alliance officials sounded like a fantastic way to create trouble.

So against his better judgment…

He touched the crystal.

For one second—

Nothing happened.

Then suddenly—

The orb exploded with deep crimson light.

Roshan jerked backward in shock while the dark red energy swirled violently through the crystal like liquid fire. Strange patterns spread across its surface as the entire room became illuminated in crimson light.

The officials immediately stood up.

One of them nearly knocked their chair over.

Roshan stared at the orb with wide eyes.

“…Uh…”

The red glow deepened.

Darker.

Heavier.

Almost unnatural.

The older woman’s calm expression completely disappeared.

The younger official whispered something under his breath.

Roshan looked between all of them nervously.

“Did I break it?”

Nobody answered immediately.

Instead, the officials simply stared at him.

Roshan slowly lifted his hand away from the orb.

The crimson light faded gradually until the crystal became clear once again.

Silence filled the room.

Painfully awkward silence.

Roshan scratched the back of his head nervously before glancing around.

“…So…”

Still silence.

Finally, he pointed toward the orb.

“What does that mean?”

The three officials looked at one another briefly.

Then—

They smiled.

Not normal smiles either.

The kind adults made when they knew something important but refused to explain it.

Roshan hated those smiles instantly.

The older woman folded her hands together calmly.

“It means you are gifted.”

Roshan blinked.

“…Gifted?”

“Yes.”

“…Gifted at what?”

No answer.

The male official carefully returned the orb into its case before closing it slowly.

“You’ll understand eventually.”

Roshan’s eye twitched slightly.

That was NOT an answer.

Before he could ask another question, the officials had already begun gathering their documents.

The meeting was somehow ending.

Just like that.

Roshan stared at them in disbelief while standing up awkwardly from his chair.

“Wait— seriously? That’s it?”

The younger official gave him a polite smile.

“Continue your training normally, Roshan Ryn.”

“…That sounds suspicious.”

No response.

The older woman simply nodded once toward him before the three officials walked toward the exit together.

The door opened.

Then closed behind them.

Leaving Roshan alone in the room.

“…What just happened?”

—

Elsewhere in the academy, Daren dragged a wet cleaning cloth across the staircase railing with visible annoyance.

The punishment duty from earlier still wasn’t over.

Several buckets sat beside him while cleaning supplies were scattered across the steps.

“This is stupid,” he muttered.

A few students passed nearby before quickly avoiding eye contact.

Nobody wanted to interrupt Daren when he looked irritated.

Unfortunately for them…

Miko approached anyway.

She stopped near the staircase before crossing her arms.

“You’re still mad at Roshan?”

Daren didn’t even look at her.

“He got us into trouble.”

Miko frowned slightly.

“That wasn’t entirely his fault.”

Daren suddenly stopped cleaning.

The cloth tightened slightly in his hand before he finally looked up at her.

“Really?”

His tone carried frustration underneath it.

“He keeps doing reckless things without thinking.”

“He was trying to help.”

“And now look where we are.”

Miko stayed quiet for a second.

Daren sighed before standing upright.

“You didn’t see his face earlier,” he muttered. “He looked at us like we betrayed him.”

“…Maybe because we kinda did.”

Daren looked away immediately.

That hit harder than expected.

He clicked his tongue softly before grabbing the cleaning bucket again.

“He should’ve listened.”

Miko watched him silently.

The anger in his voice sounded real.

But underneath it…

Something else lingered there too.

Guilt.

—

Roshan walked slowly through the academy hallways with both hands shoved into his pockets.

His mind remained completely stuck on the crystal orb.

Gifted.

What did that even mean?

And why had those officials looked so shocked?

He pushed open the doors leading toward the indoor training grounds before stepping inside.

The massive arena buzzed with activity.

Students trained across different sections while instructors shouted corrections constantly.

Metal weapons clashed loudly.

Abilities flashed.

People laughed.

Normal academy life continued completely unaware of whatever weird thing had just happened upstairs.

Roshan exhaled slowly before continuing forward absentmindedly.

Then suddenly—

THUD.

He walked directly into someone.

“Ow—!”

Roshan stumbled backward slightly before looking up quickly.

“Oh, sorry—”

The boy standing before him blinked once before smiling brightly.

“No worries!”

Roshan paused slightly.

The guy looked around his age with soft blond hair falling messily over sharp blue eyes. His academy uniform looked far more expensive than normal student uniforms, and a silver watch rested around his wrist.

Everything about him screamed rich.

But strangely…

Not arrogant.

The boy tilted his head slightly.

“You’re Roshan, right?”

Roshan blinked.

“…How do you know me?”

The boy grinned before holding out his hand casually.

“Luke Mitchell.”

Roshan’s eyes widened slightly.

Mitchell.

Even he recognized that surname.

Politician family.

Rich rich.

Roshan shook his hand awkwardly.

“…Oh.”

Luke laughed lightly.

“That reaction never gets old.”

Roshan rubbed the back of his neck.

“Sorry.”

“Nah, you’re fine.”

Luke stepped beside him casually before glancing around the training grounds.

“You’re more interesting than most people here anyway.”

Roshan frowned slightly.

“…Thanks?”

Luke suddenly leaned closer slightly before lowering his voice.

“You know this academy is basically entertainment for high-ranking officials, right?”

Roshan blinked slowly.

“…What?”

Luke shrugged casually.

“The Alliance acts noble publicly, but people at the top love turning everything into games.”

Roshan stared at him.

“…Rich people are weird.”

Luke burst out laughing immediately.

“You’re not wrong.”

Roshan shook his head slightly before continuing toward the exit.

Honestly?

He already had enough confusion for one day.

Behind him, Luke suddenly spoke again.

“Be careful, Roshan.”

Roshan glanced back briefly.

Luke still smiled.

But his eyes didn’t.

“They only pay attention when someone becomes useful.”

Roshan stared at him for a moment before quietly walking away.

The words lingered unpleasantly in his mind.

As he moved through the academy courtyard, students surrounded him everywhere.

Some trained with wooden swords.

Others sat beneath trees laughing together.

A group played around near the fountain while several couples walked quietly through the gardens.

Normal.

Peaceful.

And there he was…

Completely alone.

His friends barely spoke to him anymore.

Some weird officials called him gifted without explaining anything.

And now a rich politician’s son talked like the Alliance secretly controlled everything.

Roshan rubbed his forehead tiredly.

“…Rich people are definitely crazy.”

As he continued walking, his eyes suddenly landed on someone sitting quietly near the academy pond.

Sorrow.

She sat beneath a tree with her shoes resting beside her while her feet dipped lightly into the water.

The evening wind moved gently through her dark hair.

For once…

She looked peaceful.

Roshan hesitated briefly before walking toward her.

Sorrow noticed him immediately.

“You look like your brain got punched.”

“…That specific?”

“A little.”

Roshan sat beside her carefully.

For a moment, neither spoke.

The pond water moved softly beneath the fading evening light while distant student voices echoed through the academy grounds.

Then Sorrow suddenly asked quietly—

“What do you want to become?”

Roshan blinked.

“Huh?”

“When all this ends.”

She hugged her knees lightly while staring at the water.

“What do you want?”

Roshan looked down silently.

Nobody had asked him that before.

Not really.

“I… don’t know.”

Sorrow nodded slowly.

“I think I want peace.”

Roshan glanced toward her.

“That sounds impossible.”

“Probably.”

A small laugh escaped both of them.

Then silence returned again.

Soft.

Comfortable.

Roshan stared at her quietly.

Then before his brain could stop him—

He leaned forward slightly.

And kissed her.

The moment lasted barely two seconds.

Then Roshan’s eyes widened instantly.

He pulled back so fast he nearly fell backward into the pond.

“SORRY.”

Sorrow stared at him completely frozen.

Roshan covered his face immediately.

“I DON’T KNOW WHY I DID THAT.”

“…Oh.”

“…I’m so sorry.”

“…Okay.”

“…That wasn’t creepy right?”

“…A little.”

Roshan groaned in embarrassment.

“This is the worst day of my life.”

Sorrow suddenly laughed quietly.

A real laugh.

Roshan slowly lowered his hands from his face.

Her cheeks looked slightly red now.

Without looking directly at him, Sorrow slowly moved her hand beside his.

Roshan hesitated briefly.

Then held it.

Neither looked at each other.

Both stared straight ahead awkwardly while sitting beside the pond.

But even while holding her hand…

Roshan’s thoughts remained elsewhere.

The crimson orb.

The officials.

Luke’s warning.

Gifted.

Useful.

A cold feeling slowly crept into his chest.

Then suddenly—

Far above the academy…

A loud alarm echoed across the entire campus.