September 19th, 2099
The day had finally come.
Kai stood in front of the famous School of Gifts and Curses. The place was huge and looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Dome-shaped buildings stretched across the land, glowing with shimmering force fields. These barriers were said to be strong enough to stop even the strongest monsters.
"Malakai Blackwell, I assume?" a soft, friendly voice said.
Kai turned and saw a young woman with long blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was stunning.
"Yeah," Kai replied.
"I'm Maddison. I'll be your guide today. Welcome to the School of Gifts and Curses," she said with a cheerful smile.
"Thanks," Kai replied, feeling slightly more relaxed.
"Alright then, follow me."
As they walked through the courtyard, Maddison gave Kai a quick tour. "Pretty cool, huh?" she said, noticing him looking around in amazement.
"Yeah. I've never seen anything like this," he replied, still taking it all in.
She nodded and continued walking. "Come on, I'll show you where the students live."
As they passed by, Kai could hear students talking and laughing. The whole place felt alive.
"Our living spaces are based on your rank," Maddison explained. "It helps keep everyone motivated."
"Rank? How do they figure that out?"
"It's a mix of how you do in class, how well you fight, and how much you contribute to the school."
They reached the main plaza, and Maddison pointed at a large, fancy building.
"That's Luminary Haven. That's where the top students live. Private rooms, luxury everything."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Must be nice."
"Next is Ethereal Residences. That's for students ranked 101 to 200."
"And after that?"
"Shadows Retreat. For students ranked 201 to 300. It's a mix of private and shared spaces. Pretty decent."
Kai saw students practicing their fighting skills nearby.
"Looks like fighting is a big deal here."
"Yep. Combat's just as important as books," she replied with a grin. "After that, we've got The Arcane Towers for ranks 301 to 400. And finally, the Underdogs. That's for ranks 400 and below."
Kai nodded. "So where am I staying?"
Maddison pulled out a small tablet and tapped the screen.
"Usually, students are ranked after the entrance exam. But since you were specially invited, your rank was chosen at random."
She paused.
"Rank 250," she said at last. "You'll be staying in Shadows Retreat."
Kai let out a small sigh.
"Figures. That old man set this up on purpose."
Still, he didn't complain. He was just glad to be here.
They arrived at his room. Maddison smiled. "This is your stop. Oh...and you have a roommate. Good luck."
Kai raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
After she left, he opened the door. The room was way better than he expected. Two beds, clean furniture, big desks, and even a nice bathroom.
"Not bad," he muttered.
On one of the beds, a boy was snoring loudly. He had dark skin and short dreadlocked hair. He looked completely relaxed.
"You've got to be kidding me," Kai said, shaking his head.
But then something else caught his eye..a dark red uniform folded neatly on his bed.
He picked it up and changed into it. The fabric felt smooth, and the design was detailed and sharp. It fit perfectly. On the chest was a glowing wolf symbol. The mark of unity and strength.
As Kai checked himself in the mirror, he heard a voice.
"The others wear blue, by the way."
"What the—?!" Kai jumped back in shock.
The snoring boy was now sitting up, legs crossed and hand resting on his chin.
"Yo," he said with a grin. "Name's Michael. Michael Balogun. You?"
"Malakai Blackwell."
"Well, Malakai, I guess we're roommates. What took you so long?"
"I don't even know how to answer that to honest."
"How long were you pretending to sleep?" Kai asked a question in return
"Long enough."
"You weren't asleep at all, were you?"
"Not even close. So... what's with the crown?"
Kai narrowed his eyes. "You already know."
Michael smirked. "Fair enough. Anyway, we're late."
"Wait, what—?"
Before Kai could finish, Michael walked through him.
"Woah."
Michael grabbed his uniform and got dressed. Kai couldn't stop staring.
"How did you do that?"
Michael looked at him with glowing red eyes and grinned. "You already know."
Kai smirked. "I think I'm gonna like it here."
---
As they walked down the hall, everyone stared at them.
"Why's everyone looking?" Kai asked.
"You've got a floating crown, dude. Not exactly lowkey," Michael replied.
"I can't turn it off, believe me, I tried."
"Sounds like a you problem. Anyway, we're here."
They stopped at a classroom door labeled: A9.
Kai was lost in thought when a sharp voice interrupted him.
"Move."
He turned slowly and froze.
The girl was unbelievably beautiful. Red hair, golden eyes, pale skin, and a cold, elegant expression. She walked past him without another word.
Michael burst out laughing.
"Damn, man. Don't feel bad, Alexandria does that to everyone."
Kai grumbled and quickly followed her into the class, not wanting to get caught staring again.
The room was neat, with seats arranged in two descending rows.
Michael pointed. "Let's sit over there."
They sat on the third row, far to the right. It was 7:45 AM. Class would start at 8:00, so students had time to chat.
Kai looked around and his eyes landed on a blonde guy with piercing blue eyes.
"Who's that?"
"Damian Knight," Michael answered. "From the Knight family. Big deal. Their guild, Moonfall, is one of the best."
Damian looked sharp and serious. Girls kept sneaking glances, but he didn't seem to notice or care.
Then Kai noticed another girl sitting behind him.
Silver hair. Gray eyes. Gorgeous.
"Who's she?"
"Rebecca Chronoa. Daughter of Arthur Chronoa. Their guild is called New Dawn. Super strong, but super cold too."
Kai nodded. "A lot of important people in this class, huh?"
"Yeah, and that's all of—"
Just then, the classroom door opened.
Everyone went silent.
"Wait—no way…"
"He's here too?"
A tall, white-haired boy walked in. His deep blue eyes scanned the room calmly.
Even Kai looked surprised.
"That bastard…" he muttered.
The boy was Isaiah Salvatore.
The top-ranked student in the entire school.