I stared at the card with laser focus. This wasn't my imagination. The outlines were definitely sharper than before—I could make out the figure standing at a table, various objects arrayed before it. The Magician was waking up.
Holy shit.
My heart hammered against my ribs. Two years of nothing, of zero compatibility across six facilities, and now this? After one beating from a mountain disguised as a teacher?
I touched the edge of the card carefully, half expecting it to burn my fingers. It felt warm, alive somehow. Like it was breathing.
"So you're real," I whispered. "You actually exist."
No response. What was I expecting—for the card to start talking to me? But something had happened in that training hall. Time had slowed. A cosmic suit-wearing jackass had appeared out of nowhere and called me boring.
And now the card was changing.
This could change everything. I'd been training my body for two years, pushing it past every limit, but the reality of gate running is brutal—without an Anima, without that stat transfer and ability access, I was just a human with good reflexes fighting monsters that could tear through concrete.
But if I could summon something—even something weird and unclassifiable like the Magician—I might actually have a shot.
I might finally get answers about what happened to my father.
My stomach growled, interrupting my contemplation of cosmic possibilities.
Right. Food. I hadn't eaten since early morning.
I slipped the box back into my jacket pocket and pulled out my phone, opening the academy app. A campus map showed the cafeteria was back near the main academic building—I'd passed it on the way here.
The walk back gave me time to think. About Reva Calloway and her weird interest in me. About the Magician and what the hell actually happened in that training hall. About how my first day at Valen Academy was going exactly as weird as I'd expected but in completely different ways.
At least Reika had dropped me at a school with some amenities. The place was practically a resort compared to the military-style facilities I'd trained at before. The dorms were apartment-level nice, the campus was beautiful, and as I approached the cafeteria, I could smell actual good food waiting.
"Thanks, Granny," I muttered, imagining Reika's annoyed face if she heard me.
The cafeteria was huge—a glass-walled space with views of the northern mountains, filled with long tables and smaller booths. Students queued at various food stations offering everything from traditional Aldenmoorian cuisine to global options.
And everywhere I looked—girls. Girls in the academy uniform, which consisted of extremely short skirts that someone in administration had clearly designed while thinking with something other than their brain. Some wore thigh-high stockings, others knee socks, many just bare legs despite the mountain chill.
Yeah. Lots of amenities.
I grabbed a tray and loaded it with enough food for two people. When you train without Anima stat transfer, you burn calories like crazy. I'd just found an empty table near the window when someone slammed into my shoulder, hard.
My tray wobbled but didn't fall. Years of training had given me pretty good balance.
"Sorry about that," a voice said, not sounding sorry at all.
I turned to face a guy about my height with amber eyes and dark hair. He wore his uniform perfectly—gold trim on the blazer indicating Pioneer track, tie knotted with military precision. Three other gold-trimmed students flanked him, all wearing the same expression of barely concealed amusement.
"No problem," I said, moving to step around him.
He shifted to block my path. "Wait a second. That white hair... You must be Sterling. The Mad Hero's son."
The cafeteria went quiet around us. Great. Just what I needed.
"That's me," I replied, keeping my tone casual. "And you are?"
"Cael Renner. Class 1-A." He said it like I should recognize the name.
I didn't. "Cool. Now if you'll excuse me, my food's getting cold."
I tried to step around him again. This time his hand shot out, gripping my shoulder.
"Not so fast," he said, voice dropping. "I've got a question for you, Zero."
"Zero?"
"That's what they're calling you. The kid with zero compatibility." His smile never reached his eyes.
"How'd someone like you even get into Valen? Was it daddy's connections? Oh wait, he's not exactly in a position to pull strings anymore, is he?"
My body went rigid. The box against my ribs suddenly felt hot enough to burn through my jacket.
"Move. Your. Hand." Each word came out like a separate sentence.
His smile widened. "Make me."
The cafeteria had gone completely silent now. Students at nearby tables turned to watch, sensing the confrontation brewing.
I could take him. Even with his Anima's stat transfer, I'd been fighting without enhancements for two years. But starting a brawl on my first day probably wasn't the best move.
Probably.
Before I could decide whether to deck him or not, a new voice cut through the tension.
"Is there a problem here, Renner?"
A girl with pale blonde hair tied in a high ponytail approached our little standoff. She wore the Pioneer track uniform with gold trim, but unlike Cael, she seemed to possess actual human emotions beyond smugness.
Cael's hand dropped from my shoulder. "No problem, Seraphine. Just welcoming the new kid."
"Looked more like harassment to me." She turned to face me. "You must be Maximus Sterling. I'm Seraphine Vayne, Class Representative for 1-A."
Up close, she was stunning—high cheekbones, clear blue eyes, and a face that belonged in magazines. But there was something careful about how she held herself, a control that went beyond normal composure.
"Pleasure," I said, shifting my tray to one hand so I could shake hers.
Her grip was firm, businesslike. "Don't let Cael bother you. Some people think Pioneer track means they own the place."
Cael scowled. "We're just wondering what he's doing here, Seraphine. You saw his file too. Zero compatibility across six facilities. The Exceptional Circumstance Provision wasn't meant for cases like this."
"The provision exists for circumstances the system can't classify," she corrected. "From what I understand, that describes his situation perfectly."
"If the orb said zero, believe the orb," Cael insisted. "He shouldn't be here taking up resources better spent on actual contractors."
I laughed. I couldn't help it.
They both turned to look at me.
"Sorry," I said, not sorry at all. "Just funny hearing about 'wasted resources' from a guy with heated floors in his bedroom."
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A/N: Thanks for reading this chapter! Support by adding to your library and giving a power stone or two. Comment for a cookie!