Rafael only rested that day, without thinking about anything else, not even about the shadow or the humiliation he faced and was about to face. Although he spoke with his mother through Data-slate, he lied about certain topics so she wouldn't worry. 'She doesn't need to know how weak I feel right now. I'll manage this on my own.'
His dorm room was far better than the room he had on the outskirts. It had a window and a comfortable bed that could turn into many things, like a sofa and a wardrobe, etc. There was a study table and a chair, though it had no books on it. Those he would need to collect later. There was also a mini refrigerator, expandable if needed. Rafael ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the desk, imagining how he would organize it later.
Overall, he was satisfied. But that didn't reduce his humiliations. That would continue to grow unless he did something worthy. 'I can't just survive—I have to stand out. Somehow.'
The system didn't do any more Synchronization after that. This relieved him a lot. But he was unsure about the reason for the sudden activation of the system. His fear of the shadow was constantly growing. He refrained from calling the system inside the academy.
Today, he would be going to attend his first class of academy life. He had already guessed how it would go. He will be looked down on.
Rafael got dressed in his new academy uniform. It was a dark, long coat with faint glowing seams, a white shirt tucked in fitted pants that moved easily, and mag-lock boots that clicked lightly to the floor. At the chest on the right side, he had to wear his grey emblem, a simple spiral pattern that echoed the fissures of a Celestial Fragment, symbolizing the Void.
He left the dorm tower for the first time after coming to the academy. But leaving was not the best idea. Along the way, whoever passed by him whispered, laughed, mocked him for his grey emblem.
Fuck it! Why the hell am I in this hell? Rafael was forced to think about this every moment he passed in the academy.
His first class was supposed to be held in the classroom building, a vast, circular chamber behind the main academy building.
Rafael reached his classroom, Void Resonance Studies.
Rafael stepped inside cautiously. The classroom was buzzing with chatter, but upon his entrance, the chatter suddenly stopped. Sharp gazes fell on him.
"Useless"
"Weakling"
"Pathetic"
Rafael froze for a moment, feeling the weight of every word like a physical blow. The black mist on his palm twitched, but he clenched his fist, forcing it back into nothingness. 'What are you trying to do? Can your weak power do any harm to them?'
Rafael forced himself to take a slow breath.
Ignoring the mockings, he scanned the classroom. But doing that was another mistake. He saw both of the Violet, Rank-4, in the same class. One was his partner in the meg-glide, Fredric, and another one was the silver-haired tall boy, Lyric. There was also the Azure-ranked girl, Fiyara.
Rafael's jaw dropped.
In the den of the tigers, he alone was an ant.
Fredric's gaze fell on him, making him stumble for a moment. Instead of joining the others, he walked over with a friendly smile.
"Hey, don't worry about them," Fredric said quietly. "You'll be fine. I've got your back."
Rafael blinked, surprised. 'What is he trying to do? Make a fool of himself? Or lay a trap for me? I have to be careful. I need support for now. Maybe Fredric can be that, but I can't trust him yet.'
"Uh… thanks," Rafael muttered in a low voice.
Fredric clapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Relax. You'll get used to this. Just… don't let anyone push you around."
BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ
The buzzer rang, signaling the start of the class soon.
"Come, sit by my side," Fredric said as he walked.
Rafael quietly followed.
He slid into the seat next to Fredric.
Right after that, a slim young man with long brown hair entered the room. His presence wasn't commanding; rather, it was friendly. He walked confidently, smiling slightly, with curious eyes and no hint of arrogance.
"First-year students of Class C," he began. "Welcome to Void Resonance Studies. From today, you will begin learning how to sense and control the energy that connects everything."
"I am Instructor Sereth. My task is to guide you to hear the hum of the Void, to see the echoes of existence, and to shape them without being swallowed. The Void does not forgive carelessness."
He paused, scanning the faces before him. His gaze lingered on Rafael for half a heartbeat longer than comfort allowed.
Rafael sat stiffly, trying to appear invisible. The grey spiral on his chest burned like a brand.
"Void Resonance is not about strength alone," Sereth said. "It is about awareness. To listen before you act. To know when to hold back and when to release."
Most students listened casually. A few even smirked.
Rafael, however, focused on every word. He wrote notes quickly, not missing a single line. His eyes followed Sereth's every move. When Sereth drew faint resonance patterns in the air, Rafael leaned forward, staring too hard.
Others barely paid attention. Rafael treated it like life or death.
When the buzzer rang, his notes were twice as long as everyone else's. His shoulders were sore, his grip stiff. His mind felt heavy, as if he had fought a battle.
The rest of the class walked out, laughing and chatting. Rafael sat for a moment, clutching his slate. To them, it was just a lecture. To him, it was survival.
***
The History classroom wasn't close to Void Resonance Studies. But Rafael went along with Fredric, letting the boy lead the way through the maze of corridors and bridges that connected the academy's great towers.
Fredric walked with the ease of someone who belonged, hands in his pockets, nodding to familiar faces. Rafael trailed half a step behind, his eyes lowered. Every time students passed them, Rafael caught the whispers again—short, sharp words meant to cut.
"Why bring him along?"
"Is Fredric pitying him?"
"No, he's probably keeping the weakling as a pet."
Rafael's jaw tightened slightly. 'Let them think what they want. I'm not here to impress anyone.'
Fredric's pace never faltered, though Rafael noticed the way his jaw tightened once or twice. He said nothing, and neither did Rafael.
The two of them stepped inside. The air was heavy, different from the crisp hum of Void Resonance Studies. Ancient murals shifted on the walls, depicting wars, crumbling empires, and the blazing fragments of celestial stones falling like meteors. It felt less like a classroom and more like a mausoleum.
Rafael shivered. 'The academy keeps records of every major Void incident.'
Fredric glanced back at him. "You good?"
Rafael nodded quickly, though his chest was tight. He didn't trust his voice.
At the far end of the room stood the instructor, an old man with a spine as straight as iron and eyes that seemed to look through time. His twisted hand held a blackstone staff covered in runes that pulsed softly with each breath.
When the last student entered, he lifted the staff and slammed it to the floor. The sound cracked like thunder. The murals on the walls lit up, and the room fell completely silent.
"History of Aetheris," the old man said, his voice rough and deep. "This is not a story for children. It is blood, fire, and ruin. Today, we begin with the fall of the first nation that tried to control the Void."
The murals shifted, showing a kingdom swallowed by shadow, towers collapsing, and stars disappearing from the sky.
'Humans managed to capture them with those tiny cameras. It's surprising that any of the cameras survived at all, since most technology had failed.' Rafael thought as he watched the large screen.
The class leaned forward, fascinated.
Rafael, however, felt something else. A vibration ran through his bones. His palm itched, and a thin black mist tried to slip free. His eyes widened.
He clenched his fist under the desk, trying to calm himself, but the pulse only grew stronger, and the murals darkened.
Then, the instructor's eyes suddenly fixed on him. For a moment, those grey eyes seemed to burn.
"You," the old man said, his voice cutting through the silence.
Everyone turned to look at Rafael. His heart froze.
The staff glowed faintly, the runes pulsing softly. Then the instructor spoke again, quietly, but every word felt heavy:
"Why does the Void… stir in you?"