"What are you doing?" Argun scolded.
A thirty-four-year-old man glanced at him. He was standing while holding a book in his hand. He had been in the library for more than three hours. Something had caught his attention. He was trying to find out what it was, but until now, he had not found it.
After glancing, the thirty-four-year-old man returned his focus to the book he was holding. He read quickly, flipping through the pages one after another.
Argun, who was being ignored, walked closer. "You're still curious about Raven's talent? I already told you, he's untalented. You saw it yourself, the altar didn't shine. That means he has no talent," he said.
The thirty-four-year-old man closed the book he was reading and put it back in its place. This time, he looked at Argun. "He's not without color. His talent color is white. That's different."
Argun frowned. "White talent? That never existed." Talent only had four level's: Green, Blue, Red, and Gold. Below that was colorless, which meant no talent at all. "Are you having a fever?" Argun teased, pressing the back of his hand to his friend's forehead.
That hand was immediately brushed away. "If he were colorless, then the screen wouldn't have appeared to show any information. Did you forget that?"
Argun fell silent at those words. After he recalled it, he realized his friend was right. Children without talent couldn't trigger the information screen. But Raven had. That meant he did have a talent.
"No matter how bad someone's talent is, the light will always be green. The only difference is its brightness. Having no color at all is impossible," added the thirty-four-year-old man.
Argun tried to process what entered his head. He was confused. He scratched his head repeatedly, though it wasn't itchy. Quickly, he shook his head. He still didn't believe what his friend said.
"I'm sure it's just a minor error. Maybe Raven's color is green, but it was too dim to be seen. That's why it looked colorless." Argun nodded to himself, convinced. "Yes, that must be it."
His friend glanced at him and shook his head. "Whatever you say."
**
At the same time, Raven was sitting near the window inside the dorm room where he lived. He gazed outside. From above, he could see several students walking around with their own purposes. Raven was merely observing, waiting for something to arrive.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
The sound of knocking came from the door. Raven immediately stood up. He opened the door and saw an envelope lying there. Without hesitation, he picked it up, closed the door, and sat back down in his place.
"I wonder which class I'll be in this time?"
Without waiting long, Raven opened the letter and read it quickly. His eyes immediately focused on one part, and at that moment, a wide smile appeared on his face.
"...Congratulations, you have been assigned to Class F. Starting today, you have advanced to 2nd Year."
At Roselight Academy, there were three Year's students had to pass before officially becoming hunters. At the first year, students were trained in the basics such as combat skills, general knowledge, and other fundamental subjects.
After one year, they would participate in the Blessing Ceremony, the same one Raven had attended yesterday. That ceremony marked the transition to the 2nd year and determined which class they would enter based on their talents.
There were seven classes at the second year's: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Class A consisted of the most talented students, while Class F was where the rejects were placed. But besides those, there was also a special class—Class S—made up of extraordinary students, though very few in number.
And Raven was placed in Class F, the lowest class, despised for being filled with unremarkable students.
"Class F, huh?" he muttered softly.
He folded the letter neatly and looked at his reflection in the window. His gaze was deep, as if measuring himself. In his previous life, he had been one of the pillars of his generation, one of the best. But now, he was in Class F.
So different from the path he once walked.
"This is the beginning I was hoping for."
**
The evening breeze entered through the open window. In the distance, the academy bell rang three times, signaling the change of training schedules. The sound of students' footsteps echoed below, filled with excitement. But Raven didn't join them this time.
In that small room, Raven sat alone.
Just as he was about to stand, there was another knock at the door.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
"Come in," he said calmly.
He already knew who it was. This moment was exactly as he remembered.
The door opened slowly, revealing a short-haired girl wearing a 2nd Year training uniform. A faint smile adorned her face.
That girl was Raven's childhood friend. They had known each other since Raven was seven years old. However, she was a year older than him. Now she was already at 2nd Year and a member of Class A. She was one of Roselight Academy's talented students.
"Raven!" the girl greeted cheerfully as she walked toward him. "I heard you advanced to 2nd Year. Congratulations on your achievement!" she said with a bright smile.
"Yeah, I did," Raven replied.
The girl nodded proudly. "Which class did you get into? Class A or..." her eyes widened with excitement, "don't tell me you got into Class S?"
Raven shrugged his shoulders. "I got into Class F," he said while tossing her the letter he had just received.
"Huh? You're not joking with me, right?"
Once again, Raven shrugged. "Just read the letter yourself," he replied.
Rhea quickly grabbed the letter and began reading. As her eyes ran across the words, they widened—not from excitement this time, but from shock and disbelief.
She looked at Raven. "This is impossible. You..."
Raven scratched his head. "Well, what can I say? This is my fate."
Rhea stepped closer and held both of his shoulders. "Are you alright? You're not going to do anything stupid, right?"
Raven frowned. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
Rhea sighed in relief after hearing that answer. A smile appeared on her face. "Thank goodness."
Raven sat down on the chair near his bed. Then he turned toward his childhood friend. "Can I ask you for a favor?"
Rhea tilted her head slightly. "Sure."