"DING!!!"
The loud, piercing sound of the emergency alarm woke me up from my dream. I jolted upright on my thin mattress. My heart hammered hard against my chest.
The alarm resonated through the entire academy, cutting through my peaceful sleep along with two thousand other aspirants.
I instantly stood up from my bunk. Like mechanized robots, we all changed into our training uniforms and started moving toward the training field.
Within Vanguard Academy, the intense training over the past six months had shaped us into assassins, stripping away every form of inefficiency.
I moved swiftly with the others, just like I had been doing since I entered the Academy. At this point, I was already used to it.
The terror and horror I had faced since my world crumbled had brought me to this critical point. And today, a new phase of my life was about to start.
I found my teammates standing at one corner of the assembly. They were my bloodline, and together, we had survived the bloodbath and become a team.
Ragnar was six feet tall, with a broad chest and a slight mustache, standing straight with his arms crossed.
Sophie and Bran also stood with Ragnar. Their breathing became irregular. They were anxious about the coming event, and truth be told, it was normal. We had absolutely no idea what to expect.
In front of the whole crowd, a giant portal called the Gateway Arch stood before us. It was massive and definitely nothing like what we'd ever seen.
"So, here we are," Bran quietly said. "It feels like we've been waiting for today for ages."
Ragnar scoffed. He kept his gaze fixed on the massive structure that was before us.
"Guys, let me tell you the truth. I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this."
Sophie glanced at him. "On the bright side, Ragnar. If you die, at least you would stop having nightmares of Instructor Baldwin."
Ragnar smirked faintly. This was a part of who we were—we'd randomly crack jokes. This was how we unburdened ourselves of reality.
These individuals had stood by my side through good times and bad, ever since I entered the Academy.
Since losing my family, I had not experienced companionship like the one I shared with them.
Everyone had their own goals. While others chased survival and power, I went after vengeance.
The two thousand of us recruits had gathered together on the large training field. Faces around me were filled with anxiety and fear, though some showed determination and focus.
The nervous chatter of the crowd died immediately as a new figure appeared on an elevated platform.
This was Chief Instructor Yara Baldwin.
She wore grey combat gear. Her face lacked any form of emotion.
There was a rumor about her that she possessed a rare A-Grade Talent. Some said not only had she survived the verge but she had conquered the whole Celestial dimensions.
Her presence alone commanded an authority that needed no explanation.
Her voice resonated across the training field, amplified by hidden speakers.
"Listen up, aspirants!" she started. Her voice lacked emotion.
"For six months, we have broken you. We have starved you, beaten you. We've done all sorts of things to you.
We did not do this out of cruelty to you, but out of necessity.
The world you knew is gone. The rules of love and compassion that governed it are now.... well, a recipe for a swift and clean death."
She paced along the walkway of the raised platform.
"There is only one truth in this world. The strong live, and the weak die!
Hesitation is a cancer. Mercy is a disease. Today, we offer you the cure."
Her emotionless eyes swept over us.
"You are about to step into the Aurora Vale. This is not a test. The monsters are dangerous. Death... is permanent.
You have one primary assignment in this phase, which is to awaken a Talent. You have to complete this phase with a minimum of a D-Grade Talent, and level 2 must also be unlocked.
Anything less than that means failure. And in this Academy, we do not tolerate failure."
A wave of worry swept over the crowd. A D-Grade was seen as the standard, the most common form of awakened ability.
Instructor Baldwin allowed the weight of her words to sink into everyone's heart.
"But…. survival isn't the only thing we're after. We are not here to create survivors, we are shaping demonic weapons. Your performance within the Vale will be monitored. Your kill count will also be tracked.
Aspirants who are exceptionally skilled in combat and achieve a high number of kills will receive special acknowledgment and rewards from the academy when they come back.
Do you understand?"
The entire atmosphere within the academy changed immediately. The anxiety everyone was feeling disappeared, and now there were countless eyes reflecting various emotions.
Greed. Ambition. Bloodlust. I noticed a group of muscular guys nearby with sly grins on their faces.
The test was no longer just about making it through the Vale; now it had turned into a competition. I glanced at my team.
Sophie squinted a little, trying to size things up, while Ragnar repeatedly tightened and loosened his large hands.
We understood. This changed everything.
"Assistant instructors, distribute the Databands," Chief Instructor Baldwin commanded.
A group of instructors moved out from where they were and weaved through the aspirants.
They gave each of us a stylish, blue wristband. I collected my own wristband. It felt so cool and smooth to the touch.
I put it on, and it tightened quietly, molding itself into my skin.
A few minutes later, a faint holographic light came to life on its surface.
"The Databand is crucial for you in the Vale," Baldwin explained. "Once you enter, it will show your abilities, keep count of your kills, and most importantly, assess and show the level and type of talent you have awakened.
Do not lose it. Do not break it."
Hooked by my curiosity, I focused on the flashing screen. I saw a basic set of stats shining back at me.
Strength: 10
Vitality: 11
Agility: 9
Spirit: 10
Adaptability: 9
The numbers seemed… ordinary. Nothing special. I was not as strong as Ragnar. My speed and reflexes were nothing compared to Sophie's.
I felt a little bit disappointed, but I chose to ignore it. My current stats didn't matter much, anyway.
My family was the source of my motivation and the driving force behind my true strength.
The image ringing in my head of how my world had crumbled, and the burning need to restore my family to what it used to be—that was my true strength.
As the final pieces of the band were handed out by the assistant instructors, a new person showed up on the raised platform.
He appeared both old and ageless. He carried an aura that distinguished him from the other instructors in the academy.
This was none other than the headmaster, Michael Wexford.
I noticed he didn't have bulging muscles like the other instructors, but there was something different about him. An unspoken strength and confidence.
Michael stepped forward. He kept his calm and said nothing, simply scanning through the orderly rows of aspirants standing on the training field.
His voice was not amplified by hidden speakers or anything, but he was somehow audible enough for everyone in the field to hear him perfectly.
His voice was gentle and soft. His words were well-articulated, carefully chosen to help ease the tension Instructor Baldwin had created earlier.
"Aspirants of the tenth set," he started his speech. There was absolute silence across the field.
"You stand on the edge of a new beginning. You have faced hardship. You have accepted aggression.
You have taken this opportunity, hoping to regain a world that was taken from you."
He gestured with his hands as he spoke.
"What you have learned here is just the basis. Your true test begins now. Go. Slay your demons. Claim your power. And return to us as the weapons humanity needs."
With all that being said, he began the incantation.
"Zha'kur ven'tahl orix nuvath, kryn varu xal'tesh!"
The language sounded entirely unfamiliar. It consisted of strange clicking sounds and musical syllables that were not easy to pronounce.
He moved his hands through the air as he drew complex shapes that turned into bright blue lines of light, floating right in front of him.
The Gateway Arch responded. The soft hum grew into a strong, rumbling noise.
The empty space within the Gateway Arch started to glow and change shape.
Colors I had never seen before—vibrant purples melting into liquid gold—started to move. A shining vortex of energy appeared. It was a fluid portal that rippled and vibrated with immense power.
The portal to the Aurora Vale was open.
For a split-second, the two thousand of us stood still. We were astonished by the beautiful and terrifying sight of the opened portal. Then, the spell broke.
The crowd roared in excitement, fear, and a strong craving for power. We surged forward.
"Yes, this is it!" Ragnar screamed, a crooked smile splitting his face. "See you on the other side.... If you want!"
"Just make sure you don't die in the first few minutes, Bran!" Sophie whispered in his ear. With a sly smile, she gave him a gentle push forward.
I took one final look at my team. I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply.
People often say that just before a man passes away, his entire life plays out in his mind. Well, it felt like this could be the end of it all for me.
In the twinkling of an eye, I remembered the good days with my family, followed swiftly by the whole tragedy that had befallen me since the Earth fell to evil.
With those memories fueling my resolve, I opened my eyes and ran into the unknown.