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Chapter 2: The Rebirth
Kai jolted awake, gasping for air as if he'd been drowning in a sea of memories.
The rough wooden ceiling above him spun slowly, the faint hum of a dusty old fan creaking in the stale air.
This was his room.
The orphanage.
Not the battlefield. Not the ruined world.
Alive.
Three months before the gates of Vanguard Citadel Academy would open.
He was seventeen again.
But his heart pounded with the weight of knowledge.
He had died once.
He had failed.
But now he was given a second chance.
---
He sat on the edge of the creaky bed, hands clenched tight, knuckles white.
The past flooded back—the screams, the rift, the betrayal, and Lyra's last moments.
His breath trembled as his fingers brushed a small silver band on the bedside table—the Echo Ring.
A simple ring, cracked and worn, yet somehow humming faintly with a warmth he could barely feel.
---
Three months.
He only had three months to prepare.
To train.
To hide his true self.
To survive.
---
Kai had no family left.
No one to trust.
His mixed heritage—both Light and Dark—was a dangerous secret.
If discovered, it would mean chains, experiments, or death.
So, he had to mask himself.
Pretend to be just an ordinary Earth-element swordsman.
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And that was where the ring came in.
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[Flashback: The Mountain Dungeon]
One month before the entrance exam, Kai had ventured beyond the ruins, climbing the jagged peaks of the forgotten mountains.
The air was thin and biting cold.
Hidden behind a veil of mist, he found a cavern sealed with ancient magic—forgotten by time and man.
Inside, shadows clung to cracked stone walls.
The floor was littered with the bones of long-dead adventurers.
At the heart of the dungeon, on a broken altar, lay a single relic—a silver ring etched with faint runes.
It pulsed once with a dull amber glow when Kai picked it up.
Sliding the ring onto his finger, he felt a surge of raw earth energy—not his own, but borrowed.
With it, he could perform a handful of earth spells.
Just enough.
---
Not enough to stand out.
Not enough to reveal his true power.
But enough to fool the academy's detection devices.
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[Back to Present]
Kai stood in front of the cracked mirror in the orphanage dorm.
His dark hair was unkempt.
His eyes sharp—one gold, one violet, but no one at the academy could know the truth behind them.
He pulled on a patched uniform, grabbed his battered sword, and stepped out.
---
The day of the Vanguard Citadel Academy entrance exam had arrived.
---
The courtyard buzzed with nervous energy.
Noble students strutted confidently in gleaming armor, their family crests blazing on their chests.
Others whispered behind their hands, eyeing the newcomers.
Kai felt their stares like daggers.
"Street rat," someone muttered.
"Looks like a sewer rat," another sneered.
He ignored them.
He had no family.
No noble name.
No privileges.
---
At the center of the yard stood the artifact device—an ancient rune-covered orb set on a pedestal.
One by one, students approached.
Their names were called.
They stepped forward, placed their hands on the orb, and announced their elemental affinity.
The orb flared bright colors—red for fire, blue for water, silver for wind, and so on.
For the nobles, it was a formality—the device accepted their innate power without question.
But for Kai, it was a test of survival.
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When his name was called, he took a deep breath.
Stepped forward.
Hand trembling, he placed his left hand on the glowing orb.
---
Pain stabbed through his skull.
Visions flashed—steel tables, metal restraints, shadowy figures whispering orders.
He bit back a scream.
A voice echoed inside his mind:
> Do not reveal your true power.
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"I am Kai Vason," he said quietly.
"Earth-element magic swordsman."
The orb pulsed green.
Accepted.
---
Kai exhaled slowly.
The device had failed to detect his true powers.
The ring had done its job.
---
Behind him, whispers buzzed.
"A fake Earth user?"
"How did he pass?"
Kai ignored them.
His mind was already racing.
---
Next was the combat trial—a one-on-one duel to test skill and strength.
The instructors announced his opponent:
Celena Solari.
Seventeen years old.
A prodigy from the prestigious Solari family.
Master of Light swordsmanship and flame magic.
Kai's heart sank.
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He glanced at the crowd, then back at Celena.
She looked confident.
Almost bored.
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The duel would decide everything.