Volume 1: Awekening of a fractured core
The academy didn't slow down.
It never did.
By the time Aren and the others left the arena, the atmosphere had already shifted.
The tension of the test was gone.
Replaced by something sharper.
Expectation.
Evaluation.
Judgment.
"Follow the assigned paths to your dormitories."
The mechanical voice echoed once again, as glowing lines formed beneath their feet.
Zeph stretched his arms. "Finally. I need sleep… or food… or both."
"You'll get neither if you fail tomorrow," Lyra said calmly.
"…You're really good at ruining moods."
Kaien smirked. "He's right though. That instructor wasn't joking."
"…No," Noctis added quietly. "He wasn't."
They walked in silence for a while.
The academy interior was far larger than it appeared from outside.
Hallways stretched endlessly.
Aether flowed through the walls like veins, glowing faintly.
Everything felt alive.
Watching.
"…This place is weird," Zeph muttered.
"It's controlled," Aren said.
Lyra glanced at him. "You noticed too."
"It's not just architecture," Aren continued. "The Aether flow is regulated."
Kaien raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Lyra replied, "they can monitor everything."
Zeph froze. "…That's not comforting."
"It's not meant to be," Noctis said.
They eventually reached a massive structure marked with a glowing symbol:
UNIT HOUSING — SECTION B
"Looks like home," Zeph said.
Inside—
The space opened into a wide hall with multiple levels.
Rooms lined the walls.
Each door marked with a number.
"Unit Seven," a voice echoed softly.
A panel lit up.
Room B-07.
"Well, that's convenient," Kaien said.
They entered.
The room was spacious.
Six sections.
Minimal but efficient design.
A central table.
Separate resting areas.
A training interface built into the wall.
"…This is better than I expected," Zeph admitted.
"It's functional," Lyra said.
"Which is all that matters."
A notification suddenly appeared on the wall.
INITIAL RANKINGS — DISPLAYING
The room fell silent.
"Here we go," Kaien said, grinning.
A list appeared.
Hundreds of names.
Scrolling rapidly—
Until it stopped.
TOP 10 — NEW ENTRANTS
Kaien Dravik
Lyra Voss
Noctis Vale
Elyra Solis
Aren Kael
—
Zeph Orion
Zeph blinked. "…Wait, I made top 10?"
"Barely," Kaien said.
Aren didn't react.
But he noticed something.
"…I'm lower than expected."
Lyra looked at him.
"Because of instability," she said.
"You're strong. But unreliable."
"…Makes sense."
Kaien laughed. "Don't worry. Rankings change."
"They will," Noctis added.
"Constantly."
A second notification appeared.
SPECIAL CONDITION DETECTED — UNIT SEVEN
All of them froze.
"…That doesn't sound good," Zeph whispered.
The screen shifted.
UNIT SEVEN — FLAGGED FOR ADVANCED EVALUATION
Silence.
Kaien grinned.
"Now that… is interesting."
Lyra frowned. "Or dangerous."
"…Both," Aren said quietly.
Before anyone could respond—
A deep vibration shook the room.
Then—
A voice.
Different from before.
Lower.
Older.
"Attention all units."
The air grew heavy.
"Your first field evaluation will begin at dawn."
Zeph blinked. "…Field? As in… outside?"
"Yes."
The voice continued.
"You will be deployed beyond academy barriers."
Silence.
"…Wait," Zeph said slowly. "You're telling me we just got here and we're already being sent outside?!"
No one answered.
Because they all understood.
This academy didn't train.
It tested.
And outside—
Was something far worse.
Aren looked toward the wall.
Toward the faint reflection of the shattered sky.
"…Good."
The others looked at him.
"You're serious?" Zeph asked.
"…Yes."
Aren clenched his hand slightly.
That unstable energy flickered again.
"…Because whatever this is—"
His eyes sharpened.
"—it's already started."
Dawn came faster than expected.
Or maybe—
No one really slept.
Aren stood at the edge of the academy platform, looking out.
For the first time—
He saw beyond it.
The outer world of Veylora.
It wasn't like the city.
It wasn't controlled.
It wasn't safe.
The land stretched endlessly—dark terrain, fractured ground, and distant structures that looked… abandoned.
"…So this is outside," Zeph said quietly.
"…Yes," Lyra replied.
"And it's worse than I imagined."
Kaien cracked his neck. "Finally."
Noctis remained silent.
Watching.
Always watching.
A transport platform activated beneath them.
A faint hum filled the air.
"Initiating deployment."
Before anyone could react—
The ground vanished beneath them.
Light swallowed everything.
Then—
Impact.
They landed.
Hard.
Dust rose around them.
The air felt different.
Heavier.
Unstable.
"…This place is wrong," Zeph muttered.
"No," Aren said.
"…It's real."
A low sound echoed in the distance.
Not mechanical.
Not natural.
Something else.
"Stay alert," Lyra said.
"Too late," Kaien replied.
Because something was already moving.
From the shadows.
Shapes emerged.
Twisted.
Distorted.
Humanoid—
But not.
Their bodies flickered like broken energy.
Eyes glowing faintly.
Empty.
"…What are those…" Zeph whispered.
Aren's gaze hardened.
"…Not human."
The creatures moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
One lunged—
Aren stepped forward.
This time—
He didn't hesitate.
Energy surged around his hand.
Unstable.
Violent.
Alive.
He struck.
Impact—
The creature shattered instantly.
But not cleanly.
It dissolved.
Like it had never truly existed.
"…That's not normal," Lyra said sharply.
"No," Noctis added.
"…It isn't."
More appeared.
Dozens.
Surrounding them.
Kaien laughed.
"Now THIS is a test."
Flames erupted around him as he charged forward.
Lyra's ice spread across the ground, slowing movement.
Noctis vanished into shadow.
Elyra raised her hands—light forming protective barriers.
Zeph moved quickly, supporting from behind.
And Aren—
Stood at the center.
Watching.
Feeling.
That same energy.
That same pull.
Stronger now.
Because these creatures—
They felt familiar.
Like fragments.
Like something broken.
Like something connected to him.
"…What are you…" he whispered.
One creature stopped.
Turned.
Looked directly at him.
And for a brief moment—
It didn't attack.
It observed.
Just like—
Something else had.
Then—
It spoke.
Not with a voice.
But with presence.
"Anomaly…"
Aren's eyes widened.
"…You can—"
The creature lunged.
Aren reacted instantly—
Energy exploded outward.
Stronger than before.
More unstable.
More dangerous.
The ground cracked.
The air distorted.
Everything shook.
And for the first time—
The others felt it fully.
Not just power.
Something else.
Something deeper.
"…Aren," Lyra said slowly.
"…What ARE you?"
Aren didn't answer.
Because he didn't know.
But whatever it was—
It was growing.
And somewhere far beyond the shattered sky—
Something watched.
And this time—
It wasn't just curious.
It was… interested.