The great hall of the Voidwalker HQ hummed with quiet power, the kind that pressed against the chest and made every breath feel heavier. Marble floors glowed faintly under the rune-light, and the banners of the ranks swayed gently despite the still air. I still couldn't believe I was here—standing at the heart of the organization everyone else only whispered about.
The Leader, tall and regal in midnight robes, studied me with unreadable eyes. "Step forward," she said, her voice echoing across the chamber. "The Resonance Core awaits."
I forced my feet to move, though each step made my pulse quicken. Mira gave me a small nod of encouragement from the sidelines. I tried to cling to that, but the nerves in my chest were like fire.
The machine stood before me like some alien monument—half crystal, half steel, its veins pulsing with threads of light. Hunters who had already been tested gave it a wide berth, as though the thing might bite.
"This device," the Leader said, resting her hand on it, "reveals one's affinity with the Ranks. Few surpass the limits of a single path. Fewer still survive the strain of resonance. If you are ready, step inside."
I swallowed hard. "And if I'm not ready?"
"Then the Void will reject you," she said calmly.
That answer did not make me feel better.
Still, I clenched my fists and stepped into the chamber. The doors sealed behind me with a hiss, cutting off the world outside.
Inside, the air vibrated. White lines snaked across the walls like veins of light. Symbols appeared in front of me—the spiral of the Larkers, the sigil of Supporters, the flames of Hunters, and the jagged mask of the Jokers.
The machine's voice boomed, flat and unfeeling.
"Resonance initiation. Measuring…"
The marks flared one by one. First the Larker sigil glowed blindingly, pulsing in perfect harmony with my heartbeat.
"Larker: 100% resonance."
The Supporter sigil lit next, wrapping me in a wave of warm energy that made my wounds tingle.
"Supporter: 100% resonance."
The flames of the Hunters roared to life, so hot I thought my skin might burn—yet it felt natural, as if the fire belonged to me.
"Hunter: 100% resonance."
Finally, the jagged mask appeared, its shadow creeping across the chamber. My chest grew heavy, but the darkness bent easily beneath my will.
"Joker: 100% resonance."
The four marks spun around me, orbiting like stars. I expected the machine to stop there. To spit out my path and open the doors. Instead, the chamber shuddered violently. Sparks rained from the walls.
"Error. Resonance exceeds parameters. Searching… Searching…"
And then it appeared.
A fifth mark, unlike the others. A white crown of impossible brilliance.
The air pressed down like a tidal wave. My knees buckled as my body screamed under the strain. Blood trickled from my nose, then my ears. My vision swam.
"Infinity resonance detected. Designation… VOIDWALKER."
The light exploded. My world vanished into blinding white—then darkness.
When I woke, I was lying flat on the cold floor of the HQ hall. My body ached as though I'd been torn apart and stitched back together. Around me, a circle of faces loomed—Hunters, Supporters, even seasoned Jokers—all staring at me as if I weren't human.
"He resonated with everything," one whispered.
"That's not possible."
"Did you see the crown? He—he lit up the Voidwalker mark!"
Mira knelt beside me, worry etched in her face. "Hey—can you hear me? Stay still, you're bleeding badly!"
The Leader stepped forward, her silver hair gleaming under the runelight. Her gaze pierced me like a blade. "Infinity for all ranks… and the crown itself. The Core has spoken."
She raised her voice so all could hear. "From this day forth, this one stands as candidate Voidwalker. A rare existence, and a burden heavier than any of you can imagine."
The hall erupted with murmurs. Some reverent. Some fearful.
Me? I just groaned. "Can… someone get me water?"
They led me deeper into HQ after the announcement. My legs barely worked, each step wobbling. My body felt hollow, like I'd poured all my blood into that machine. Mira supported me most of the way, though she scolded under her breath the whole time.
"Do you realize what just happened? People train their entire lives to resonate with one path, and you… you just—ugh! Do you ever stop causing trouble?"
"Not on purpose," I muttered, dizzy.
We reached a corridor lined with dormitories. Symbols on the doors marked whether they belonged to squads of Hunters, Supporters, or Jokers. I barely paid attention, just staggering toward the first open doorway I saw.
What I didn't realize… was that the door I opened had a very large, very obvious symbol of a white feather painted across it.
The girls' dormitory wing.
I stumbled inside, half-blind with exhaustion. The scent of lavender and soap hit me a moment before the sound did—laughter, giggles, and the splash of running water.
I blinked. The walls weren't lined with beds. They were tiled. Steam clung to the air.
"Oh no," I croaked. "This isn't—"
"KYAAAAAAH!"
The scream pierced my ears as half a dozen girls in towels spun toward me, wide-eyed. Soap clattered to the ground. Someone hurled a bucket across the room.
I opened my mouth to explain—then blood rushed out of my nose from the resonance strain. My vision tilted.
And I passed out cold on the bathroom floor.
When I came to, the world was upside down. Literally. My ankles were tied with rope, and I dangled from a beam in what looked like a laundry room. Mira stood with her arms crossed, her glare hot enough to burn.
"You walked into the girls' bathroom," she said flatly.
"I was… dying," I croaked. "Didn't read the sign…"
A group of Supporters nearby tried (and failed) to smother their laughter.
The Leader's voice cut through the room, calm but stern. "Release him. He is too valuable to hang like game meat."
Reluctantly, Mira untied me. I landed in a heap on the floor, groaning.
The Leader knelt beside me, placing a cool hand on my shoulder. Her eyes softened for the first time. "The path you walk will not be easy. Infinity resonance means infinity burden. But perhaps your foolishness"—her gaze flicked toward the bathroom hallway—"will remind you you're still human."
I chuckled weakly. "So… I'm not expelled?"
She almost smiled. "No. From this day, you will train here. You carry the title of Candidate Voidwalker. Wear it well."
Her words rang heavy in my chest. Candidate Voidwalker. A title no one else in this hall carried. My destiny had just shifted forever—though judging by Mira's glare, surviving my teammates might be just as hard as surviving the Void.