BEEEEP! BEEEEP!
At exactly 7:45 a.m., a loud alarm blared through every dorm in the academy. The sound was deafening, waking up every student out of their sleep.
"Wha?!" Liam shot up, nearly falling out of bed, his hair sticking up in every direction.
Felix groaned and buried his face in his pillow. "Too early… way too early…"
Beatrix was already on her feet, moving and adjusting her uniform calmly, as if she had done this like a hundred times.
"Class starts at 9a.m." she said, calmly.
Raze pushed himself up, rubbing his eyes. His body felt heavy from the sudden wake-up call, but a small smirk formed on his lips. 'It seems like becoming a half-ling makes this body require less sleep.' Raze thought.
Through the dorm walls, they could already hear the shouts of soldiers outside, barking orders.
The alarm didn't stop blaring until every last student was out of bed. Raze swung his legs over the side, already reaching for his uniform.
"Damn, damn, damn! Why so early?!" Felix muttered, stumbling around the room as he tried to pull his pants on the right way. He hopped on one foot, almost crashing into Liam, who was frantically buttoning his shirt.
"C-could they not give us at least five more minutes?!" Liam squeaked, as he yanked on his boots with shaking hands. His messy brown hair refused to cooperate no matter how much he tried smoothing it down.
So far, only Beatrix and Raze were the only calm ones. Beatrix was already brushing her teeth by the sink. "You three need to move faster," she said flatly, spitting before rinsing. "If we're late, they'll make an example of us."
Raze quickly followed her lead, brushing his teeth and splashing cold water on his face. The fatigue faded instantly, replaced by alertness. 'This place isn't going to tolerate weakness,' he thought, running a hand through his black hair to straighten it.
Felix rushed in right after him, shoving his toothbrush in his mouth while still mumbling curses around the foam. "T-this is insane—first day and already military torture."
Within minutes, all four of them were dressed in their uniform. As soon as they stepped outside, the shouts began.
"Move it! No dawdling!" one soldier barked.
"Form up! You've got five minutes to be in the canteen!" another roared.
The crowd of teenagers surged forward, funneling into the large canteen building.
Inside, the air was filled with the scent of freshly made breakfast. Students were already grabbing trays and sliding into long rows of tables.
Felix sat down with his tray, grinning. "Finally, something good! Look at this feast!" He tore into his bread like he hadn't eaten in days.
Liam picked nervously at his food, glancing at the soldiers stationed nearby. "It's… kind of scary. They're watching us like we're prisoners."
Beatrix ate calmly, her posture perfect. "Discipline. If they don't enforce it, this entire place would fall apart."
Raze nodded, silently agreeing with Beatrix.
As he finished the last bite on his tray, a faint frown formed on his face. Normally, eating breakfast would be enough to fill him up completely. But now… it barely felt like half. His stomach still carried a quiet emptiness.
'This is strange… Why am I still hungry? The portions here are big enough. Is the system hiding something from me? Maybe my half-ling body needs more energy than a normal human.'
He leaned back slightly, trying not to let his confusion show.
Meanwhile Felix was already finished, his tray practically licked clean. He leaned back with his hands behind his head, rubbing his belly with satisfaction. "I gotta say, the military has one of the best breakfasts I've ever tasted in my entire life," he said with a smug grin.
Liam, however, was still eating slowly, carefully cutting his food into small bites as if savoring every second. "I-it's good… but I feel too nervous to eat properly," he admitted quietly, his eyes darting toward the soldiers keeping watch.
Beatrix glanced at him briefly, her expression calm as ever. "You'll need the energy," she said simply, before returning to her food.
Raze stayed silent, staring down at his empty tray, lost in thought.
The group continued to sit in silence until an alarm suddenly blared through the canteen, cutting through the chatter of hundreds of students. The soldiers stationed nearby immediately raised their voices, barking out orders with the authority of drill sergeants.
"Everyone must head to class and be there within five minutes!" one soldier roared.
"If you don't know where your classes are, your homeroom teacher will be standing beside the classroom door! If you remember their appearance, then you're all good to go!" another added, his voice just as firm.
Chairs scraped back as the mass of students rose to their feet, some scrambling in panic, others moving with forced calm.
Raze stood as well, brushing his tray aside as Felix, Liam, and Beatrix all joined him.
Felix grinned broadly, raising his voice over the noise. "Well then, future soldiers! Let's head straight to class!"
Raze sighed faintly at his enthusiasm, but he followed nonetheless, blending into the sea of students moving toward the towering academy halls.
The hallways of the academy were instantly flooded with students, boots and shoes thudding against the polished floors as everyone rushed to reach their classes in time. Soldiers stood at intersections, shouting orders to keep the lines moving, while drones hovered above, their glowing eyes scanning the sea of teenagers.
Raze walked alongside Felix, Liam, and Beatrix, his eyes darting around as he studied the corridors. The walls were lined with smooth, polished panels that glowed faintly, humming with power. Along the ceiling, mechanical arms occasionally shifted, adjusting panels or repairing sections of the walls. Wide display screens stretched across certain areas, showing footage of soldiers in training, and humans unleashing their abilities in terrifying precision.
'This academy… it's nothing like I imagined. Even the corridors feel alive with technology,' Raze thought, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Man, this place is insane!" Felix exclaimed, grinning ear to ear as he looked around. "Even the walls look like they cost more than my whole house. Wouldn't be surprised if they shoot lasers if someone steps out of line."
Beatrix remained quiet, though her eyes scanned every detail carefully, like she was memorizing everything. Liam stayed close to Raze, his hands clutching his bag straps, clearly overwhelmed by all the noise and flashing lights.
Finally, the group reached a wide steel door at the end of the corridor. Standing beside it was their homeroom teacher, Aria Veyne, clipboard in hand. Her eyes scanned over the group with sharp precision.
"Group Four," she said, her voice smooth yet firm. "You're with me. I am Aria Veyne, your homeroom teacher. Welcome to your first day in the academy."
She slid the door open, revealing a spacious classroom lined with rows of sleek metallic desks and glowing consoles built into them. The walls were decorated with large screens that displayed maps of planets, battle formations, and even diagrams of beasts. The faint hum of hidden machinery filled the room.
Raze walked in first, immediately heading toward the back of the class. He preferred it that way, since it gives off less attention and more room for him to observe. Felix didn't hesitate to follow, sliding into the seat right beside him with his usual grin.
"Back row's the best. Nobody can sneak up on you, plus you get the perfect view of everyone else," Felix whispered, clearly enjoying himself.
Liam shuffled nervously after them, clutching the straps of his bag tighter. He glanced around at the other students already seated before quietly sitting next to Raze, his posture tense. He looked like he wanted to disappear into the chair.
Meanwhile, Beatrix walked straight toward the front of the room without hesitation. She sat with her arms crossed, and posture straight, as if daring anyone to question her decision. She didn't even look back at the others, her attention already fixed on the teacher.
Aria entered last, the door sliding shut behind her. She set her clipboard on the desk at the front of the room and scanned the students with those piercing grey eyes. Even without raising her voice, the room fell into silence.
"Good," Aria said calmly. "At least some of you understand how to act when a teacher enters. This classroom will not tolerate disorder, arrogance, or laziness. If you came here thinking you'll coast by… leave now."
No one moved.
Raze leaned back in his chair slightly, 'So far, it seems like she'll be a strict teacher.' he thought.
Felix smirked, resting his chin on his hand. "I like her already," he muttered under his breath.
"Before we begin your training, you need to understand 'why' you're here. Not just for yourselves, but for humanity as a whole."
The room stayed dead silent. Even Felix leaned forward a bit, his grin fading as he began to focus.
"It's been nearly one hundred years since the war with the Xin," Aria continued, her voice steady but carrying weight. "A race unlike anything humanity had seen before. Their bodies twisted, their power overwhelming, their cruelty unmatched. They invaded our world, and for a time, we were nothing more than prey to them."
She tapped her finger against the desk, and one of the screens on the walls flickered to life. A grim recording played. It showed grainy videos of the Xin tearing through cities, their monstrous forms barely human. They looked like demons straight out of hell. The students stiffened in their seats, the sight heavier than any textbook description could capture.
"But humanity fought back. And we won." Her voice sharpened. "Not because of our technology. Not because of our numbers. We won because of awakenings. Humans began to awaken abilities, powers that rivaled the Xin. That was the turning point of the war."
The images changed, now showing humans with glowing hands, blades of energy, shields of fire, striking back against the Xin hordes.
Aria paced around slowly as she continued. "Some families who awakened first chose to keep their abilities within their bloodlines. We call them Original Bloodlines. Their techniques are passed down through generations, refined and perfected. These families still exist today, and their abilities are unmatched in their raw potential."
Her eyes swept across the class deliberately, pausing for just a moment on Felix.
"But not everyone was born into a bloodline. For the rest of humanity, Awakening Books were created. They were replicas of the knowledge first unlocked during the war. They range from level 1 to level 7, with level 7 being the rarest and most powerful. Most people will only ever touch a level 1, maybe level 2 if they're lucky. Higher levels?" She shook her head slightly. "Those are treasures fought over by nations."
The screens faded to black.
"And now, you're here," Aria said firmly, her gaze locking onto the students again. "You've been brought to this academy not just to train, but to prepare. Humanity has enemies still lurking beyond the stars. You will become our shield, our weapon, our future. Some of you may rise above the rest. Some of you may break. That will be determined here."
She let the words hang into the air. No one dared to speak.
Raze sat back, his expression calm but his thoughts restless. 'So this is the foundation of it all… bloodlines, books, awakenings. But me? I'm walking a path none of them could even imagine.'
Felix smirked faintly beside him, clearly unfazed, though his eyes glimmered at the mention of Original Bloodlines.
Beatrix sat in perfect silence, her arms still crossed, while Liam looked as though his nerves had only doubled after hearing how high the stakes were.