In a government building so crowded it felt as if the walls themselves were straining, it was time for the monthly awakening test. People shuffled in and out of long lines, the sound of voices mixing with the electric tension of expectation.
A 16-year-old girl entered the testing room and stood before the glowing Space Stone.
"Just touch the stone. Don't be scared," the worker said gently to the worried girl, speaking from behind bulletproof glass to prevent any accidents from happening.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and slowly lifted her hand toward the stone. She had no idea what to expect, which made her cautious.
As her fingertips brushed against the surface, three lights appeared: light blue (water), dark blue (ice), and white (air). They circled around her in graceful arcs like living strings of energy.
The dark blue light shimmered and then transformed into the shape of a beautiful woman. The figure stepped into the girl, merging with her. The other two lights followed, weaving together in what could only be described as a stunning, almost divine, circular pattern before sinking into her body.
"Congratulations, Marie," the worker said with a calm, joyful voice. "You have awakened three different powers. That puts you in the top already, with a rank of A. You're the second one today to get A rank. That's rare."
The door behind Marie opened. She blinked, returning from the daze of excitement. She had just taken her first step toward her childhood dream of becoming a hero.
"You can get your ID on Wednesday," the worker added.
Marie's heart fluttered.
'That's just three days of waiting. I thought it would take longer... But who else got an A rating with me? If I get to know them, we might be able to form a team, or at least get some future connections,' she thought to herself as she walked out of the room.
She left with a wide smile, the kind someone who just won the lottery would wear. Outside, the crowd was alive with joy. Marie watched people exit the building with glowing faces, happiness radiating from them as they discovered their new powers. She could feel their joy because it mirrored her own.
But then, the sharp sound of crying cut through the noise. Marie's eyes turned toward a boy the same age as her, slumped on the floor. His face was pale, broken, and wet with tears. His test had failed: no powers at all. Others nearby were looking forward with hollow eyes. Their dreams had shattered instantly. After the landing of space stones and introducing powers to the world, most people got at least one. Not having one was closer to a disability than it was to being normal.
Marie's smile vanished so fast it was as if something had ripped it away. The weight of reality pressed down on her. Not everyone was lucky. Not everyone got a chance. She remembered then: if she truly wanted to be a hero, responsibility would always sit on her shoulders, heavy and merciless.
As she sank into thought, walking toward the exit, she was jolted by a sudden impact.
"Ouch!" she gasped.
A boy, about her age, with brown hair, had bumped into her shoulder while sprinting toward the exit.
"Sorry!" he shouted quickly but didn't stop running until he disappeared outside.
Marie barely gave him another thought and continued her way home.
That evening, Marie sat at the kitchen table, her parents across from her, their faces glowing with pride and disbelief.
"Three powers, A rank!" her father said, shaking his head with a laugh. "Our daughter's a prodigy."
Her mother clasped Marie's hands. "Can you show us? Just a little? Please?"
They both had one power. They didn't think she would get three. Even though powers aren't genetic, or at least that's what the world knows, there was still not much known about the space stones.
Marie hesitated, glancing at the glass of water in front of her.
"Okay."
She raised her hand over the glass, focusing on the calm blue energy that lingered beneath her skin. The water lifted out of the glass, then froze solid with a sharp crack that echoed in the kitchen. Frost bloomed outward in a flower shape.
Her parents gasped.
"It's beautiful," said her mom.
Marie smiled, but it faltered when she noticed her breath. It came out in misty clouds, and the air around her felt... wrong. Cold, yes, but not just that. Lonely. Empty.
Something inside the ice flower pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. For a split second, she saw a reflection: eyes, faint and distant, staring back at her from within the frozen water.
She blinked, and it was gone. The frost began to fade.
She took a deep breath.
"Are you alright?" her mother asked.
"Yeah," Marie lied softly, rubbing her arm. Her skin still tingled where the cold had spread, but beneath it was another feeling, something familiar.
She forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just... need to practice more."
Her father laughed, proud and oblivious, but Marie's eyes lingered on the melted ice. The reflection was gone, but the chill stayed.
The next day.
Marie walked toward her high school. It was her last week there before she took the test to transfer to an academy for professional heroes. Her heart was light, her steps confident. With an A-rank awakening, admission was guaranteed.
She finally reached the school and paused at the main doors.
She stood there, looking at the building, letting the memories rush back: childhood laughter, friendships, struggles, lessons. The bittersweet weight of leaving in less than a week struck her deeply.
The school itself wasn't special. It looked like any ordinary school in the country: a plain main gate that opened into a yard, a walkway leading to the entrance of a four-story building. There was a small football field, a basketball court, and a rooftop where students often ate their lunches. No swimming pool. No fancy design. Just a normal school for normal kids.
Marie took a deep breath. She knew she was late and prepared herself to be yelled at by her teacher. With determination, she stepped through the gate.
The moment her foot crossed into school grounds, everything changed.
The atmosphere froze.
Silence swallowed the world. The only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat, loud, frantic, hammering inside her chest. Her breath quickened, adrenaline flooding her veins. Sweat broke across her skin, sliding down her arms.
Her body tensed on its own, instinctively preparing for survival. Her emotions twisted: anger, fear, and a suffocating dread.
Something was watching her.
It was up there, on the roof.
Her eyes strained to look, but her body refused to obey. Every nerve screamed at her not to face it. One word rang through her mind over and over, a word that made her blood turn to ice.
DEATH.
Then, suddenly, it was gone.
The silence lifted. The world returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
Marie gasped, trembling. Her arms were slick with sweat, and the ground beneath her feet glittered faintly with a thin layer of ice: a reflection of the fear and power that had surged out of her without permission.
"What was that?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "And... why did it feel so familiar?"
She remembered what had happened at her house, the eyes that stared at her from the ice.
'Are they related?'
Her thoughts were cut short by a voice she knew too well.
"What are you doing coming here so late? The bell is about to ring."
It was her math teacher, who had been patrolling the grounds for tardy students.
"Sorry, miss. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," Marie replied, her voice so exhausted it sounded like she had just run a marathon.
The teacher frowned, noticing her state. "Did you come here running?" she asked, concern softening her tone.
Marie, unable to think of another excuse, decided to go along with it.
"Yes. I ran here as fast as I could. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll head to class."
Before the teacher could question further, Marie had already walked away, her mind spinning.
'There is something wrong in this school,' she thought grimly. 'And I will find out what it is, or who is behind that feeling.'