Nova Void Academy, the academy for the Evolved in Aetheris of the Novarion Federation. It is one of the best academies among the six great academies of the six great nations. Its influence stretched far beyond its immediate borders, drawing prodigies, aspirants, and the ambitious from across the federation.
The academy stretched across six monumental buildings, each serving a distinct purpose: classrooms, Core training, experimental labs, research archives, dormitories, and specialized arenas. At the center stood the main building, a masterpiece of precision and purpose.
Its refined alloy, fused with a shard of Celestial Fragment, gave it a faint, otherworldly gleam. Smooth, plain surfaces reflected light in clean lines, and tall, narrow windows offered glimpses inside. Transparent tunnels linked the buildings, emphasizing order and function over ornamentation.
Despite its minimalism, the structure had a quiet beauty, drawing students forward with the promise of knowledge and mastery. A circular fountain at its base amplified the academy's
Rafael was mesmerized by the academy's beauty. How could a school even look like this? How much did they even spend on it?
He couldn't help but stare, his eyes tracking the seamless joints of alloy and glass, the faint mist curling off the fountain, the sharp scent of clean metal in the air. Students bustled past him, but he felt anchored, small under the looming weight of the place.
Right before the gate, multiple lines of new students formed. Rafael was unsure about what was happening. He tried to take a look, but failed because of too many students. His view was blocked by shoulders and heads.
Their chatter rolled over him like a wave — a thousand voices overlapping, laughter mixing with nervous murmurs, the soft scuff of shoes on the stone plaza.
What shit is going on now? Ughh... Crowd and suspense, I hate both.
"Did you hear? They're giving out the academy emblem… with rank color," someone said, voice barely audible.
Another voice asked, "Huh? They know it already, right?"
"They do, but it is kind of mandatory from what I heard," a third voice muttered.
What?? No way... Fuck it!! They will know... Everyone will know. Rafael started to panic; his heart started to run faster.
Rafael's throat went dry. His mind screamed a hundred different thoughts at once, but none of them made sense.
Why here? Why now? Why the hell do they need to announce it in front of everyone?
The crowd shifted, the lines moving slowly toward the front gates where a tall platform had been erected. On it, several senior students stood in their pristine white uniforms, their emblems gleaming proudly on their chests. Each emblem glowed faintly with a color—some bright, some dull, but all unmistakable.
White, Emerald, Azure, Violet
The ranks.
Each color depicted the place of the Evolved. And each one had its own name.
Rank 1, the Initiate, glimmered pale white, just stepping into the world of the Evolved. Rank 2, the Adept, shone emerald, a sign of growing skill. Rank 3, the Ascendant, radiated azure; those who had begun to master their gifts. Rank 4, the Transcendent, glowed violet, walking the line between human and legend.
They were the common ranks for students; though Rank 4 was rare, there were quite a few among the students.
One by one, students were called. Their names echoed through the plaza, followed by the faint click of a device and the presentation of their emblem. The color shone clearly, and the crowd reacted each time, gasps for rare ranks, polite claps for the common ones, and stunned silence whenever a gold appeared.
Rafael's palms sweated. His fingers wouldn't stay still, twitching against his sides. He could feel the weight of invisible chains tightening around his chest.
"Hey! Are you okay, Rafael?" Fredric asked in a low voice. "You seem... afraid?"
Rafael froze. Afraid. The word echoed, stabbing deeper than it should have. Did everyone see it? Was it that obvious? His stomach twisted.
Don't say that. Don't make it real. He clenched his teeth, irritation bubbling up from the panic clawing inside him.
"Just—leave me alone," he muttered, sharper than he meant.
Fredric was surprised at his anger; he didn't say anything more.
The voice echoed—
"Next… Kael"
A tall boy with sharp features walked forward, his emblem flashing Emerald. The crowd murmured politely. A decent rank, but nothing extraordinary.
"Next… Fiyara"
A slim red-haired girl stepped forward, serious and graceful. Her emblem glowed Azure, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Rafael swallowed. That's solid and strong.
"Next… Soren"
Another boy, slightly shorter, brisk and confident, moved up. His emblem shimmered Emerald, drawing polite applause.
The line crawled forward.
Each step was a countdown.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
And then—
"Rafael"
The name shot like a bullet through the plaza. His legs felt like they belonged to someone else, but somehow, he forced them to move. Every step toward the officials was heavy and suffocating.
He reached the platform.
The official in charge, a stern man with a face like carved stone, regarded him briefly before pressing something on a sleek device. The emblem in his hand pulsed faintly… waiting.
"Place your hand," the man instructed.
Rafael hesitated. His chest screamed, Don't do it. His mind raced. If I touch it, they'll see. Everyone will see.
"Now," the man repeated, voice sharper.
Rafael's hand trembled as he reached out, the cold metal brushing against his skin.
Suddenly, a faint hum rippled through him. The familiar flicker of letters appeared across his vision.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE ENGAGED]
[RANK OBSCURATION PROTOCOL: ACTIVE]
Rafael's eyes widened. What—?
The emblem pulsed, brighter and brighter—then stopped. A single color spread across its surface.
Grey.
The lowest. The weakest.
The crowd erupted instantly. Laughter. Murmurs. Pity. A few snickers from the back.
"Grey? Already? Hah, poor bastard."
"Guess not everyone here is a prodigy."
"Rafael, was it? Never heard of him."
"I heard Grey ranked cannot exceed Rank-0."
"Hey, isn't the admission limited to Rank-2?"
"Outbreak sympathy case, maybe."
Rafael's chest caved in. His fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his skin. He wanted to scream, to tear the emblem apart, to vanish into the ground and never come back.
But then—just for a second—he caught it. A flicker across the emblem that no one else seemed to notice.
For the briefest heartbeat, the gray shimmered… not dull, but black. Deep, suffocating, endless. And then it was gone.
Rafael's breath caught.
And the system whispered again.
[VOID SYNCHRONIZATION: 13%]