After a long pause,
Helios erupts with a revelation.
"Sir… were you the boy?" his voice hesitates . "Are you the Unicorn?!"
The room echos with silence
Ceto continues to as if the question was not asked
"Class, that is all we will cover for history today."
Levia raises her hand.
"Sir, but are you? She asks "You didn't answer him."
Ceto sighs.
"All will be revealed in due time," he continues. "Class, we shall be proceeding with the Power Scale trial next. You will have one hour to prepare."
"Only an hour?" Helios disputed.
"That's plenty of time, boy. You're just weak," Drakon replies.
"I am not week," helios snaps "ill prove it due time"
Drakon looks over at helios in disbelief
"Your imitation isn't worth my time,boy"
Levia's voice chimes in
"Sir? I thought we were not doing anything physical today. That's what you said."
"Wait, yeah sir," Helios adds, "you said that,"
Ceto paused and looked at the class.
"Take this as a lesson. In this world," he says. "never stay comfortable in the knowledge you hold."
Levia prepares to ask another question
Ceto raise his palm
"In this life, information is power" he says calmly "but it is a power you are not yet ready e to wield"
He scans the room
"Asnwers will come when you are ready"
Ceto turns and walks out
"You have an hour. Go prepare"
Darkon and levia leave the room
Helios hesitates looking over at the hologram
Its flickering with life
Helios turns and leaves.
"Helios"
He halts
Levia stands just a few feet away her arms behind her
"Are you going to be late again?"
"I've got time" helios replies "I got a whole hour"
"He challenged drakon again. he never thinks things through" she internal processed
"Do you never think these things through?" she says " this is an exam we've have never done before. You could get hurt" her voice slips with worry
"Dont worry i got this" helios replies "this test is going to be light work"
Litva sighs. hes hopeless
" okay" she says quietly "i believe in you helios"
Helios walks away leaving the school zone
the food section is still open
Helios breaks into a run
"Heyyy my mann" the food worker says "what do you need today"
"You already know" helios replies "Triple burger. One grilled chicken patty, not fried. Two lamb patties. Two buns. No veg. Sesame buns. All in one."
The worker pauses, staring at him
"You know you can just say 'the usual,' right?"
"Next time i promise" helios replies with smirk on his face
The worker leaves to get helios food ready
30 minute late
Helios finally takes a bite of his burger
"Begin" - a agent screams
A droid launches toward drakon, acceleration so violent the sonic boom is heard for miles. To human eyes, it had vanished.
But drakon can sees it
The thermo signature is too obvious
The droid attempts to close the distance, its system calculating a blow that should kill most
Drakon shifts ever so slightly to the left
The blow lands
A shockwave erupts outwards so vicious it felt like the room shaked to existence.
Ka boom
Dust fills the training ground .
When it clears, one figure remains
Drakon
Unmoved
Unbroken
Unbothered
The droid's arm trapped within his grip, the metal screaming under the pressure
As he gently lays his palm on the droid power system
"A droid power" he says calm and certain "is null, compared to mine"
Heat surges
The core shaking
The droid explodes, showering millions of fragments around the training grounds. Drakon staring directly at the agent
"Your training fails me"
Muffled thuds of footsteps are heard approaching the training ground
Slow. heavy. unmistakable.
Drakon heart sinks
"...ceto"
The dust at the entrance begins to clear
Revealing a figure standing there tall and unmoving, draped in dust and debris
Ceto
No rushing. No posture of attack
His presence alone. changes the situation for drakon
Ceto looks at drakon with annoyance, sharpened with disappointment
"I said train" ceto says "i did not say distroy"
"But.. sir" drakon replys
"I don't want to hear it" ceto interrupts "clean your mess the trail starts soon"
Silence follows
Drakons lowers his head
And begins to clean the wreckage he created
Levia walks into the training room.
"So where is Helios?" Levia asks. "Trials are about to start."
Levia rolls her eyes.
"I thought he was with you," Drakon replies, confused.
"He will be here," Ceto says. "He knows better."
"Ahhh, boss, that was an amazing burger," Helios says with pleasure. "Anyway, what time is it?"
"It's one p.m., Helios," the worker answers.
Helios leaps out of his chair.
Sprinting toward the training room,
he hears Ceto saying,
"We shall begin with him."
Crashing through the doors, Helios bursts in.
"I'm not fully late, am I?" Helios shouts.
"Get in the line," Ceto says. "I'm about to explain the Power Scale trials."
Ceto stands before his students, voice steady.
"What I'm about to teach you is not meant to be used for motivation, let alone encouragement."
"This is reality."
A hologram once again ignites behind him, showing a list of tiers.
"This is the one and only power scale you should use," he says. "It exists so you understand where you are placed, not where you wish to be."
"Only the leaders can change your placement, not you."
Ceto looks at Helios.
Ceto gestures to the bottom.
"Tier one, two, and three, as well as six, are reserved for humans and humans only," he says. "We will not be covering them. All you need to know is those lives are expendable."
Ceto looks at Levia, who is raising her hand.
"No questions at the moment," Ceto continues.
"Tier four. This is for you. Due to your age and lack of experience and training, you are deemed a danger to yourself."
Ceto looks at the class
"After you, we have tier five. These are mythical operatives. These are Avatars who are trusted with any form of mission."
Ceto continues
"Tier seven and eight are similar, but different. Tier seven is minor major Avatars. Tier eight is major Avatars."
He pauses.
"Minor majors are city-level threats. If they turn major, they are national threats. Living weapons."
"Tier nine is legendary heroes. These are people who can kill any form of curse or mythic."
The room feels smaller.
Ceto pauses.
"Then we have mythical Avatars. Not all beings can reach this. Most should never try. They can take on the government and this entire unit."
The hologram darkens.
The air thickens.
"This," Ceto pauses, "is the Cursed Power Scale."
His eyes sweep the room.
"Unlike the Gifted, curses grow through obsession, suffering, and intent."
The hologram shifts. A new list forms behind him, glowing faintly.
"This scale is measured by colour. It begins with green."
Ceto continues.
"Green represents low-level threats. Tier one to three.
Humans are often deployed here. Occasionally, we run training operations."
His gaze snaps to Helios.
"Focus, Helios," Ceto says, irritation slipping through.
The hologram shifts again. Red floods the room.
"Red indicates confirmed hostile threats. Tier four to six.
Cities enter lockdown.
Gifted units are deployed."
He turns to the class.
"In these moments, hesitation gets people killed. You must be prepared."
The red dissolves into black. A three-headed silhouette forms. Cerberus.
"Black is a national-level emergency.
Airspace is closed.
Military and Gifted forces move together."
His voice hardens.
"Threats at this level will harm. They will kill."
The hologram collapses into darkness.
Then hell opens.
Only a smile remains.
Ceto pauses.
"Omega. Extinction-level risk."
He breathes in.
"At present, we know of only one Omega-level entity. Typhoon."
A beat.
"And we believe he can surpass it."
The room feels smaller.
"If an Omega event occurs, this unit does not engage alone.
Total shutdown follows. Borders sealed.
Only mythical and legendary Gifted reach the front line."
Ceto's tone turns cold.
"If they fail—"
He stops.
"Humanity loses."
Ceto straightens his posture
The room still silent
The units eyes struck with fear
"Class. These trials will determine where your current power level stands. On both scales."
He takes a step
"After these trials, the leaders will decide your placement beyond Tier Four. That decision will define your role, your limits, and your future."
His eyes sweep the young avatars
Helios and drakon now grinning
"Take this seriously."
A pause.
"Let's begin."