A narrow street. The light was almost nonexistent. The noise of the city felt far away. It was as if the world had forgotten this street.
A young boy was walking alone. He quickened his steps. "I need to get out of here…" But there was no exit. The more this thought echoed in his mind, the narrower the street felt.
The air changed. Suddenly, silence grew heavy. It was as if not only sound, but time itself had been pulled away from that narrow space.
At the end of the street, a silhouette appeared.
Pitch-black armor. Completely seamless. No decorations, no marks. Only absolute darkness. It was as if light died there before it could be born.
The boy stepped back. "Who are you?!" No answer came. Only approaching footsteps. Not heavy, not fast. Certain. Like a decided ending.
The dark figure stopped and looked at the boy. There was no face behind the mask, yet the feeling of being watched was there. In that gaze, the boy felt himself small, worthless, even like an "extra."
Then it spoke. Its voice was calm, low, and echoing: "You will be useful to me."
The boy froze. "W-what…?"
It took another step closer. The air collapsed, as if the street itself physically narrowed. The walls were not moving, but the pressure increased.
The boy wanted to run, but his legs did not move. His body was not obeying commands.
"Don't run," it said. "It's a waste of time."
There was no anger in its voice. No urgency. That was more terrifying.
The boy trembled. "Please… I—"
The sentence was cut off.
The figure leaned in. It paused for a moment, as if examining him; like an object, a tool. Not a human… but an "option."
"Suitable."
With that word, the boy's breath stopped.
And at that moment, the boy's body seemed to be "emptied." It did not collapse, it did not fall. It simply became hollow inside. His eyes went blank for a moment, then flattened as if nothing had ever happened.
The street became silent again.
The figure disappeared. As if it had never been there.
And a few seconds later, the young boy stood up. He paused for a moment. Then continued walking as if nothing had happened.
---
The academy morning meant "first day" for new students. But for Noah, this word meant nothing. The first day… was not just a beginning, but the start of being chosen.
He felt quite hungry; he wanted to be full, but he could not decide which food to eat. Even this thought gave him a strange taste.
Hundreds of students had gathered in front of the massive gates. Each one meant a different power, a different future. But in Noah's eyes, this "future" felt exaggerated.
Noah was walking through the crowd. His face was calm, his eyes were not observing… they were analyzing. He was weighing people one by one.
"Weak…" "Noisy…" "Not dangerous…"
Each sentence was like a judgment. But it was not spoken aloud. It only echoed in his mind.
Someone was next to him. Sarah. His sister. Arms crossed, looking around with disdain.
"So this is it?" she said. "All this exaggeration for this?"
Her voice tried to overpower even the crowd's noise.
Sarah raised her hand. At her fingertips, a flame formed, instantly turned into ice crystals, then back into fire. The energy shift made even the air tremble.
"Two elements, one body," she said proudly. "Naturally, I'm the one who stands out."
Noah walked without looking. As if he did not even consider speaking necessary.
"Idiot."
Sarah frowned. "What did you say?"
"Nothing."
But Sarah had already heard it.
She sped up and stepped in front of him. "You know, your empty stare is annoying. You wouldn't die if you tried to come here like a normal person."
Noah stopped.
The stop was not sudden. It was as if not him, but the environment itself had stopped.
His eyes briefly shifted to Sarah.
"Normal people…" he said. "And are you one of them?"
There was no mockery in his tone. Not even curiosity. Only a statement.
Sarah paused for a moment. Then laughed mockingly.
"You… are the most abnormal one."
The gates opened. The voice of the staff called out: "New students. Proceed to the placement area."
The crowd moved.
Sarah stepped forward. "I'm going to the top class. Watch and learn."
Noah walked behind her.
"I don't care."
But inside, something else passed through him.
"I hope my classmates here have good abilities."
---
The room was silent.
Diana's office faced the academy campus through large glass windows. Daylight filtered in, but it did not dissolve the heaviness inside the room. On the walls were old records, achievement lists, and classification reports; all cold evidence of things that had already happened.
Diana took a sip of her coffee. The moment the cup touched her lips, she paused briefly, then slowly lowered it.
"Are you sure about this, Zenith?"
Zenith stood by the window. He was looking outside, but what he saw was not the campus. Something farther… a void even memories could not reach.
"Yes."
His voice was clear. No hesitation.
"My sixth sense is never wrong."
Diana gave a faint laugh. But there was no amusement in it; more like an old exhaustion.
"Sixth sense…"
She tapped her spoon lightly against the cup. The thin metallic sound briefly echoed in the room.
She leaned back in her chair and spoke without taking her eyes off Zenith.
"Someone like Void… heh, quite an interesting claim."
Zenith's expression did not change. The word "interesting" had no meaning in his world.
Diana glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"So you believe he is in the academy."
Zenith nodded slightly.
"Yes."
There was a short silence. In that silence, even the sounds outside the academy building felt distant.
Diana placed her cup on the table. The porcelain sound was controlled.
"Fine. Being a teacher is not a problem. Do what you want."
"To find Void is the most suitable place. Even if he is not here, I can at least track his trace."
Diana tilted her head slightly. Her eyes looked empty, but that emptiness gave a sense of depth; as if anyone looking into it would get lost.
"Good," she said. "So you're not here to teach… but to track."
Zenith did not respond. He neither confirmed nor denied. He was simply there.
---
Diana stood up and reached for the files on the desk. Even when her fingers touched the papers, she was not in a hurry.
"As the academy director," she said.
Her voice became slightly firmer.
"This is not just a place for surveillance."
Zenith turned his head for the first time. His gaze locked onto Diana.
"Don't speak as if you don't know me. I trained you."
Diana paused briefly. That sentence had opened an old memory, but she closed it immediately.
She smiled faintly.
"And with technology this advanced, you still use paper?"
"It's the safest."
Diana shrugged.
She smiled, this time more controlled. But there was a subtle crack of the past in her eyes.
She opened a file.
"Telekinesis users list."
Even the rustling of the papers carried seriousness.
Zenith immediately became focused.
"How many?"
Diana shrugged.
"Few enough."
A short pause.
"Scattered enough."
She turned a page.
"And risky enough."
She lowered her voice slightly:
"Even if you are number one hero, even if you are the strongest hero in the world, if people find out you are searching for Void here, things will get messy."
Diana continued:
"Some people pretend to be Void to attract attention. Families become anxious. The academy must avoid chaos."
Zenith took the file. He was not looking at the paper, but at the information inside.
"A bit of chaos doesn't matter."
His voice was calm.
"The outside world has never been peaceful anyway. The Villains' Union has gathered, while the Heroes' Union is still watching them."
"If you find something, inform me, Diana."
Diana sighed.
"Fine."
She walked toward the window. Before heading to the door, she stopped.
"Go then."
Before opening the door, she spoke one last time:
"If your sixth sense is correct… that would be frightening."
The door opened.
Zenith closed the file. With a single motion.
"Don't worry."
His voice was different this time. More certain.
"I am here no matter what."
He walked and left the room.
The door closed.
The room became silent again.
Diana was alone.
She did not move for a while. Then she slowly sat down in her chair. She placed her elbows on the desk and interlocked her fingers.
She closed her eyes.
For a moment, that cold and powerful expression disappeared.
It was replaced by a suppressed excitement.
She reached for her coffee but did not drink it. She just held it.
Then, in a very low voice, she murmured:
"Ah… Void…"
Even the name created a different weight in the room.
She opened her eyes.
Now that gaze was no longer the gaze of a director.
It was more dangerous.
More impatient.
More obsessive.
She placed the cup on the table.
"My dear Void…"
Silence.
And then a very soft chuckle.