From Aren's POV
I didn't expect anything dramatic to happen that morning. I was just trying to keep my head down, like always. But the academy didn't care what I expected.
The moment I stepped onto the cracked pavement outside the Slum District gates, a low hum vibrated through the air. At first I thought it was machinery from the upper districts… until the light hit my feet.
A circle—thin, pale, and almost trembling—glowed under me.
"Seriously?" I muttered. "Now?"
The air tightened around my ribs, like invisible fingers squeezing. Before I could move, the circle flashed. White swallowed everything.
When my vision finally steadied, I wasn't in the street anymore.
I stood in the academy's main hall—wide, polished, and painfully bright compared to the slums. Students in clean uniforms stared at me like I'd tracked mud onto holy ground. Maybe I had. My boots were still dusty.
A man in black robes stepped forward. Older, sharp-eyed, carrying himself like someone used to being obeyed.
"So this is the new one," he said. "Aren Vale."
I hated how exposed I felt, standing there alone while everyone judged me. I pulled my hood down anyway—it felt wrong hiding my face here. My hair fell over my forehead, messy as usual. Dark. Too long. My eyes probably looked half-tired, half-annoyed like they always did.
The instructor's gaze narrowed, studying me like a puzzle.
"You awakened a spatial-type ability. Rare." His voice didn't sound impressed—more like he was trying to figure out whether I was worth the trouble.
I shifted slightly. The hall's cold air made the faint scar on my jaw sting. "I didn't ask for any of this."
Some students whispered. I caught words like slum rat and waste of a slot. I ignored them, but the irritation simmered under my skin.
The robed man lifted his hand, the air distorting around his fingers. "You wouldn't be here unless the academy saw potential. Still… you'll have to prove you belong."
He stepped back. A rectangular portal formed behind him—stable, sharp-edged, humming with energy.
"Step through," he said. "Your evaluation begins now."
My heart thumped once, hard. I wasn't afraid… just cautious. New places never meant safety. Not in the slums. Not in my old world. Not anywhere.
I glanced at the portal, then at the staring students. Some looked curious. Most looked like they hoped I'd fail.
Fine.
I took a breath, rolled my shoulders, and walked forward.
Whatever waited on the other side, I'd handle it.
I always do.