"Next!"
The voice echoed sharply across the Awakening Hall, bouncing off marble walls and ceiling-high pillars. Hundreds of teenagers sat in stiff silence, arranged in rows, each one holding their breath.
Kai stood when his name was called. His steps echoed on the stone floor as he walked toward the artifact at the center of the stage — the Awakening Obelisk.
As he approached, he could hear the whispers again.
"That's the Sector 9 kid."
"Orphan, right? Probably won't even get an F-rank."
"Yeah. No lineage. No affinity. Just a waste of time."
Kai didn't flinch. He was used to it. Words were just words.
The official standing by the stone didn't look up. He'd seen too many like Kai.
"Place your hand on the artifact. Don't move until I say."
Kai exhaled slowly and placed his hand on the cold, dark surface of the Awakening Stone.
Nothing happened.
Then, for a split second, a shimmer. A flicker. A spark of black-purple light spiraled from the obelisk—and vanished just as quickly.
The crowd murmured. A few gasps. Then laughter.
"That's it?"
"Did it glitch?"
"Not even a full glow. Must've failed."
The official frowned. "No class detected. No rank." He turned a page on his clipboard. "Step aside."
Kai didn't move. His fingers still pressed against the cold surface.
"I felt something," he said quietly.
The official sighed. "Everyone feels something. Doesn't mean you awakened. You're done. Move aside."
Kai stared at the stone a second longer, then slowly lowered his hand and walked off the stage.
The crowd was louder now.
"Total failure."
"First in five years. What a joke."
Kai sat back down, keeping his head low. His hands were shaking—not from shame or fear, but from something else.
He opened his interface.
[System Booting...]
[User: Kai Ren]
[Initializing Awakening Sequence...]
A flash.
His vision blurred for half a second as text scrolled rapidly in his mind.
[Awakening Complete]
[Class Acquired: ???]
[Rank: SSSS]
[Title: Void Emperor (Sealed)]
[Skill: Void Gaze — Locked]
[Skill: Domain of Nothingness — Locked]
[Skill: Void Spawn — Locked]
His breath caught.
"...What?"
He blinked.
No… S-Rank was the top. That was what the entire world believed. There had never been anything above it.
SSSS?
He read it again.
Void Emperor.
The name alone felt heavy, like it meant something more than just power.
He scrolled down.
[Warning: Awakening Artifact unable to recognize class data.]
[System registration failed. Manual sync in progress...]
So that's why the obelisk didn't react. It didn't know how.
Kai's heart pounded in his chest.
I'm not a failure… I'm something else.
He looked up just as the next student stepped onto the platform. A golden glow lit up the hall.
"B-Rank!" the artifact announced.
The crowd burst into cheers. The boy smiled and raised his hand like a champion.
Kai looked back at his status screen.
Nobody else can see this.
And I can't tell them.
They'd never believe it. Hell, the system itself barely understands it.
If I tell them… they'll either lock me away or dissect me.
His fists clenched.
So I'll let them think I'm nothing. Let them laugh. When the time comes, they'll see what real power is.
Later that evening, Kai wandered through the outer courtyard of the academy. His transfer had already been rejected by default—no class, no rank, no admission. He'd be expelled by morning.
He stood by the fountain, staring into the rippling water.
"What are you still doing here?"
The voice came from behind him.
He turned slowly to see Dane, Sector 3's elite. Shiny uniform, perfect hair, the whole package. A group of followers stood behind him.
Kai didn't answer.
"You should be packing your things," Dane said. "Or do failures get confused about directions, too?"
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Didn't realize you cared so much about my schedule."
Dane chuckled. "I just like seeing garbage where it belongs. Besides, I've never seen a complete zero before. It's... kinda impressive."
Kai turned back to the fountain. "Then take a picture."
A flicker of anger crossed Dane's face.
"I'm being generous, you know. The rest of us had to earn our ranks. You? You wasted everyone's time."
Kai didn't move.
"Nothing to say?" Dane asked, stepping closer. "Maybe I should make you say something."
Kai slowly turned.
"You want to hit me?"
"I might."
Kai shrugged. "Go ahead. I've already got nothing to lose, right?"
Dane raised a fist—but a sharp voice rang out before it could fall.
"That's enough!"
Instructor Lira strode across the courtyard, her coat flaring behind her.
"Dane," she snapped. "Back to your dorm. Now."
"But—"
"Now."
Dane glared at Kai one last time, then stalked off with his crew.
Lira turned to Kai. "You shouldn't be here. You're not on the academy roster anymore."
"I know."
She watched him a moment longer, her eyes sharp. Then her tone softened. "You were calm. Most who fail panic. Cry. You didn't even flinch."
Kai shrugged. "Nothing to flinch about."
Her eyes narrowed, just slightly. "You felt something, didn't you?"
Kai hesitated. "What do you mean?"
"The artifact. It reacted for a moment."
Kai met her gaze. "If it didn't give a result, it doesn't matter."
"Doesn't it?" she asked quietly.
He didn't answer.
After a long silence, she sighed. "I've seen irregularities before. But never a full blank with a reaction."
Kai said nothing.
"I'll make a note in your file," she said finally. "Just in case."
He nodded once.
As she turned to leave, she called back over her shoulder.
"You have one night left in the dorms. Make it count."
Kai stood alone in the dark courtyard as the wind picked up around him.
He opened his interface again, gazing at the words on the screen.
[Void Emperor (Sealed)]
They don't need to know.
Not yet.
Let them think I'm a failure.
It'll be easier to rise when no one's watching.