3.
2.
1....
Click.
.
.
.
Click.
.
.
.
Click.....
The sound of heels echoed through the stadium.
Sharp.
Measured.
Heads turned.
Instinctively.
Then—
She appeared.
White shirt.
Blue tie.
Navy skirt.
Jet-black hair rested over one shoulder.
Pale blue eyes.
Calm.
Cold.
Unreadable.
She moved like she belonged there.
And the whispers began.
"Who's that?"
"She's beautiful…"
"What school is she from?"
She stopped before the orb.
"Details."
"Mu Liani."
A pause.
"Silver Rings High."
"Seventeen."
The officer nodded.
"Begin."
She placed her hand on the orb.
Immediately—
It responded.
Light bloomed across its surface.
Soft at first.
Then brighter.
The stadium held its breath.
"What rank do you think?"
"B?"
"No… maybe c…"
Tia watched quietly.
Idiots.
They don't know who she is.
The screen flickered.
Status: Awakened
A ripple passed through the crowd.
Then—
Rank: A
Power Type: Predictive Instinct
Core Trait: Frost Affinity
Silence.
Then—
Chaos.
"An A-rank?!"
"With a core trait?!"
Tia's eyes narrowed.
Predictive Instinct.
…Dangerous.
One after another—
Students stepped forward.
Ranks appeared.
Dreams rose.
Dreams died.
A boy dropped to his knees.
Rank: D
His face collapsed.
All hope—
Gone.
"Next."
Tia stepped forward.
It's my turn.
"Details."
"Ming Tia Xu."
"Clifflong High."
"Eighteen."
The officer nodded.
"Begin."
Tia stepped toward the orb.
Pointless.
His eyes fixed on it.
The result won't change.
Then—
A thought.
Small.
Dangerous.
…But what if it does?
His chest tightened.
What if everything changes here?
His hand rose.
Slowly.
And touched the orb.
Cold.
Thump.
His heartbeat echoed.
Thump.
The stadium fell silent.
Nothing happened.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Nothing.
The orb stayed dark.
Tia's stomach dropped.
…No.
Whispers began.
"It failed."
"No ability?"
"What a waste."
The officer stepped forward.
"Next—"
Then—
Flicker.
A faint glow.
Tia froze.
The light spread.
Slowly.
His eyes widened.
"…It's reacting."
The crowd stirred.
"No way—"
Then—
The orb trembled.
A crack.
A thin line of light split across its surface.
The officers stiffened.
Another crack.
Then another.
"What's happening?"
The glow surged.
Violent.
The orb began to shake.
The chief examiner stepped forward.
"…Step back."
Too late.
The glow vanished.
Everything went dark.
The orb—
Cold again.
Then—
The screen lit up.
Words appeared.
One examiner stumbled backward.
"What the hell—"
His face drained of color.
"…That's—