The WHU headquarters looked different that morning.
After the rank announcement, everyone carried a new expression on their faces. Some were proud. Some disappointed. Some simply thinking.
Asher Ashborne was silent.
Vale wasn't there.
His name had appeared under Rank D, but he was no longer here. That absence felt heavy — like a physical weight pressing down inside the room.
The massive training hall doors opened.
A new day. A new stage.
New Introductions
Students began forming small groups.
A blonde girl with bright, energetic eyes approached first.
"You're Asher Ashborne, right?"
Asher nodded quietly.
"I'm Julia Hansen. Rank B. My twin brother Julian is here too."
Julian stood a little behind her — calmer, more observant.
Julia smiled slightly.
"Rank A isn't bad. Congratulations."
"Thanks," Asher replied.
His tone wasn't cold. It wasn't warm either. Just direct.
A black-haired boy stepped forward next.
"Tobias Roth. Rank C."
His voice was calm but heavy.
Another tall, light-haired boy joined.
"Martin Lambert. Rank C. I saw your test. That was a pressure wave, right?"
Asher hesitated for a second.
"Yes."
Martin's eyes widened.
"Can you control it?"
Asher didn't answer.
Because he wasn't sure.
Ego
On the other side of the hall, a different kind of presence stood out.
Rank A.
Vincent Rossi.
Sharp posture. Confident eyes. Controlled movements.
He walked straight toward Asher.
"So you're Rank A too."
"Yes."
Vincent's lips curved slightly.
"Interesting. I'm the real Rank A here."
Julia frowned.
"The ranking says both of you are Rank A."
Vincent replied calmly,
"Rankings don't show everything."
He stepped closer to Asher.
"I hope your power isn't just for show."
Asher didn't look away.
"I hope yours isn't just words."
For a moment, the hall went quiet.
A silent rivalry had begun.
Sebastian Arrives
The doors opened again.
Silence fell instantly.
Sebastian entered.
His golden hair reflected the morning light. His face was calm, smiling as always.
But his eyes were deep.
"I see alliances are already forming."
His soft, narrow voice carried across the hall.
"Today, your first training begins."
A holographic screen appeared.
Endurance Test
"No matter how strong your power is," Sebastian continued, "if your body and mind are weak, it means nothing."
A circular platform activated in the center of the hall.
"This test will increase pressure. Physical and psychological."
Asher's chest tightened slightly.
Pressure.
The Training Begins
The platform activated.
At first, the gravitational force was manageable.
Rank D and C students struggled slightly.
Then the pressure increased.
The air grew heavier.
Some knees trembled.
Sebastian stood calmly.
"Control your breathing."
Julia clenched her teeth.
Tobias closed his eyes.
Martin wiped sweat from his forehead.
Vincent stood upright, unshaken.
Asher felt something different.
This pressure wasn't unfamiliar.
His power was pressure.
For a brief second, the field around him distorted.
Sebastian immediately noticed.
Asher forced it down.
The destructive force inside him wanted to respond.
The pressure reached maximum intensity.
A few seconds of near-death silence.
Then the system shut down.
Sebastian smiled.
"You all passed."
The hall exhaled.
No one had fallen.
The Conversation
After everyone left, Sebastian spoke quietly.
"Asher. Stay."
The hall emptied.
Now it was just the two of them.
Sebastian sat on the edge of the platform.
"Your power reacts."
Asher remained silent.
"Pressure field. But the problem isn't your ability."
"What is it?" Asher asked.
Sebastian looked at him.
"You're suppressing it."
Asher frowned.
"I can't control it."
Sebastian shook his head.
"Wrong. You're afraid."
The word was direct.
"Your power is destructive. But you see it as an enemy. It's part of you."
Asher's gaze darkened.
"If I let it out… I'll hurt someone."
Sebastian smiled softly.
"Then don't 'let it out.' Learn to guide it."
Silence.
"You can't control something you refuse to accept."
For a moment, something shadowed Sebastian's eyes.
"And remember… pressure doesn't only destroy. It shapes."
Night
Asher returned to his room.
Darkness was quiet.
He lay on his bed.
Sebastian's words echoed in his mind.
"You're afraid."
He closed his eyes.
The Dream
Darkness.
Then fire.
Screams.
Young Asher.
His mother's cry.
His father's voice.
Pressure.
The ground bends.
Walls crack.
His mother lies in his father's arms.
Blood.
His father looks at him.
"Run…"
Asher can't move.
Pressure explodes.
His mother's eyes fade.
His father's last breath.
"Don't… suppress your power…"
The scene shatters.
Asher wakes up with a sharp gasp.
His breathing is fast.
Sweat covers his forehead.
The room is silent.
But the pressure inside his chest remains.
He clenches his fist.
This time—
He won't run.