BEEEEP! BEEEEP!
At exactly 7:45 a.m., a piercing alarm tore through every dorm in the academy. The sound rattled the walls, yanking students out of sleep without mercy.
Liam shot upright with a yelp, nearly tumbling off his bed. His hair stuck up in every direction as he blinked wildly.
"Wha—?!"
Felix groaned and shoved his face into his pillow. "Too early. Way too early."
Beatrix was already on her feet, adjusting her uniform with practiced calm, as if this routine was familiar.
"Class starts at nine," she said evenly.
Raze sat up, rubbing his eyes. His body felt heavy for a moment, then settled faster than expected.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
It seems like becoming a half-ling makes this body need less sleep.
Outside the dorm, soldiers were already shouting orders.
The alarm didn't stop until everyone was out of bed.
Felix stumbled around half-dressed, hopping on one foot while struggling with his pants. "Why does a military school need alarms this loud?"
He nearly collided with Liam, who was frantically buttoning his shirt, hands shaking.
"C-couldn't they give us five more minutes?"
Liam muttered, yanking on his boots. His hair refused to stay down no matter how much he smoothed it.
Only Raze and Beatrix stayed calm.
Beatrix was already brushing her teeth. "You're moving too slow," she said flatly. "If we're late, they won't care why."
Raze followed, splashing cold water on his face. The remaining fatigue vanished instantly.
This place won't tolerate weakness.
Felix shoved his toothbrush into his mouth next, mumbling curses through the foam.
"First day and already torture."
Minutes later, they stepped outside.
"Move it!" a soldier barked.
"Five minutes to the canteen!"
The crowd surged forward.
Inside, the smell of fresh food filled the air. Long tables stretched across the room as students hurried through the lines.
Felix sat down with his tray, eyes lighting up. "Now this is what I'm talking about." He tore into his food without hesitation.
Liam ate carefully, glancing at the soldiers lining the walls. "They're watching us like hawks…"
"Discipline," Beatrix said calmly. "If they relax even a little, chaos follows."
Raze nodded.
As he finished, his brow furrowed.
Normally, this much food would have been enough.
Now, it barely registered.
His stomach still felt… empty.
'This is strange. Is it my body? Or the system?'
He leaned back slightly, keeping the thought to himself.
Felix wiped his mouth, clearly satisfied. "Best breakfast I've had in years."
Liam continued eating slowly. "I can't even focus. My stomach's tied in knots."
"You'll need the energy," Beatrix replied.
An alarm suddenly blared through the canteen.
"Classes begin in five minutes!" a soldier shouted.
"Your homeroom teachers will be stationed outside your classrooms!"
Chairs scraped as students rushed to their feet.
Raze stood, brushing his tray aside as the others joined him.
Felix grinned. "Well then. Time to see what kind of hell they've prepared for us."
The hallways flooded with movement.
Soldiers shouted directions while drones hovered overhead, scanning the students.
Raze walked with his group, eyes tracking the corridors.
Smooth panels glowed faintly along the walls. Mechanical arms adjusted sections of the ceiling. Massive screens played footage of soldiers tearing through training simulations.
Even the corridors feel alive.
Felix whistled. "I swear this place could swallow a city."
Beatrix silently memorized everything. Liam stayed close, gripping his bag straps.
They stopped at a wide steel door.
Aria Veyne stood beside it, clipboard in hand.
"Group Four," she said. "You're with me."
The door slid open.
Inside, the classroom was sleek and cold. Metallic desks. Glowing consoles. Large screens displaying planetary maps and battle formations.
Raze headed for the back row. Felix dropped into the seat beside him without hesitation.
"Best view in the room," Felix whispered.
Liam slid into the chair next to Raze, shoulders tense.
Beatrix walked straight to the front and sat down, posture straight, attention locked forward.
Aria entered last. The door sealed shut behind her.
Silence fell instantly.
"Good," Aria said. "At least some of you understand basic awareness."
Her gaze swept the room.
"This classroom will not tolerate arrogance, laziness, or excuses. If you believe this academy exists to make you special, you're already wrong."
No one moved.
"Before training begins, you need to understand why you're here."
She tapped her tablet. A screen activated, showing grainy footage of the Xin tearing through cities. Twisted bodies. Inhuman movement. Screams lost in static.
Several students stiffened.
"One hundred years ago, humanity was prey," Aria said. "We survived because people awakened. Power changed the balance."
The footage shifted showing humanity fighting back. Energy, fire, steel.
"Some families kept that power within bloodlines," she continued. "Original Bloodlines. Refined. Inherited."
Her eyes paused briefly both Felix and Beatrix.
"For everyone else, Awakening Books were created. Level one to seven. Most will never see anything above two. Higher levels are fought over like weapons."
The screens went dark.
"You are here because the war never truly ended," Aria said. "Enemies still exist. And not all of them come from beyond the stars."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Some of you will rise. Some of you will fail. And some of you will discover that effort alone isn't enough."
Silence pressed down on the room.
Raze leaned back slightly.
'So this is the foundation. Bloodlines. Books. Power.'
Felix looked entertained.
Beatrix remained unreadable.
Liam looked like he wanted to disappear.
Raze's eyes stayed forward.
Whatever this academy was meant to create,
he already knew one thing.
He didn't belong on the same path as everyone else.