Two guards stood some distance apart. They were like guardians of the night, watching their surroundings and guarding a tall, wide gate. No one could see what was beyond the gate from either side.
Soon, the sun peeked out, shy and blushing orange, playing hide and seek with the world. Its rays fell on many things, including the words "Royal Academy" written on a tower in the middle of the academy. Gradually, its shyness faded, and it came out fully, gazing at the world and finding everyone.
It is 17 January 2400, 9 p.m., at the Royal Academy. Students began entering the academy through the heavy black iron gate. The guards checked their unique student numbers and matched them with their images.
Many male students were staring at a 18 year old girl. She was beautiful—tall and lean, with black hair and brown eyes.
The guard was checking her unique student number and matching it with her image, but he was stunned by her beauty. Even the academy's camera wasn't worthy of capturing it.
She was wearing black pants and a jacket. As she entered the academy, the first thing she saw was a long road leading straight to a tower with Royal Academy written on it. While walking along the road, she noticed a four-storey building. Female students were coming out of it — it was the girls' hostel.
She turned right at the tower and reached a two-storey building where her training sessions were held.
When she turned right at the tower, she saw a building on her left — it was the main building for studies.
She entered the two-storey training building with a backpack on her back. On the ground floor, there were many wrestling mats and soil areas for practicing martial arts and physical training. The first floor had rooms and benches for viewers.
The second floor was rectangular, with an open space in the middle so that people on the ground floor could see the first-floor ceiling. There were roof-glasses in the center of the ceiling, and sunlight was coming through them.
The ground floor had no rooms and no partitions; it was a large hall stretching to the edges of the building. Many students were practicing with each other or with punching bags. She placed her backpack against the wall and took off her jacket. She was wearing a T-shirt underneath. Then she walked to a punching bag and started practicing.
She punched with her right, then her left, adding a right kick and a left kick from time to time. After a few minutes, her stamina ran out and she was about to sit down to rest. But suddenly, someone sneaked up behind her, grabbed her around the stomach, and made a gesture as if slitting her throat. A voice came from behind, "And here you died for the ninth time, Constina Starcy."
Constina Starcy freed herself from the grip around her stomach. She grabbed the person's hand, placed it on her shoulder, and turned in such a way that the person behind her flipped over, flew through the air, and fell on the ground in front of her.
Then Constina mimicked stabbing someone in the throat and said with a smile, "And here you also died for the ninth time, even after attacking sneakily, Maria."
Maria was a lean girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She was tall, though shorter than Constina. Maria had a bigger chest. She was wearing pants and an old T-shirt. She wasn't as beautiful as Constina, but she was still attractive.
She sighed and said, "But how can you survive even after I slit your throat? You were already dead."
Constina stood up and offered her hand to help Maria get up. Then she said, "A person can survive for five to fifteen seconds even with a deep wound on the throat. But if the injury isn't too severe, the survival time can increase to minutes."
Maria pouted. Then, as an idea came to her mind, a smile appeared on her face and she said, "What if I split your neck from your body?"
Constina also smiled. She raised her hand, flicked her finger, and lightly tapped Maria as she said, "Even after that, my mind can stay conscious for about fifteen seconds, and my body can remain active for thirty seconds."
Maria came from a poor family, and Constina was from a middle-class family, so Constina was obviously more knowledgeable than Maria—because she had more resources, not because she had more money. Despite that, Maria was about to rebuke her, but the teacher arrived and shouted, "Everyone, come and gather here in a circle, with me at the center!"
Every student left their practice mats and soil arenas to gather around the teacher. There were students from rich families and poor families, wearing everything from expensive clothes to worn-out ones.
Soon everyone gathered, forming a circle around the teacher. The teacher was about to begin when they heard the sound of a door opening. Every student turned toward the noise, including the teacher. Murmurs spread through the group, and the teacher's eyes widened. He was shocked beyond comprehension.
Seven students were entering the hall—but what truly shocked everyone were the guards behind them. The guards wore navy blue uniforms—pants, shirts, and jackets—with a crown symbol on their chests.
They were Royal Guards.
After seeing the Royal Guards, every student glanced at the seven students with a new perspective. They now understood that those students were from royal families. The teacher ran out from the circle and greeted them.
Everyone was so shocked and so captivated by the Royal Guards and the royal students that no one noticed the Academy President was among them.
The Academy President was old but looked middle-aged. He was tall and muscular, with hair that was a mix of black and white, and a beard of the same colors. He stepped toward the teacher and said with a nod, "His Highness has sent a letter instructing that these students be taught in the academy along with everyone else. Tell all the students that they will learn and train with them until the day of the trials."
Some students were still clueless, and Maria was one of them. She was confused and asked her best friend, Constina Starcy, "Who are these people, and what's with all this reaction? It's not like they're royal kids or something."
Constina stared at Maria for a moment before turning her gaze back to the royal students. Then she nodded. Maria frowned at first, but soon she understood—and without even realizing it, her eyes had widened in surprise.
The teacher nodded toward the Academy President and gestured for everyone to come and join the classes. Everyone—including the guards, the seven students, and even the School President—approached and entered the circle's Empty space.
The Academy President stepped forward and introduced himself first. "As some of you may know, and some may not, I am your Academy President, Brody Sorfin. These are royal princes and princesses, and they are here to learn alongside you. Treat them kindly, just as you would your friends. The King has instructed that no one should be discriminated against or given special treatment. From now on, you may address them by their names—there is no need for honorary titles, and no one will punish you for it."
The Academy President then turned toward the seven students and gestured for them to introduce themselves. A tall boy with a medium muscular build and black curly hair stepped forward and said, "Hello everyone, I am Trontis Rutherson, the eldest son of King Austin Rutherson. I hope to become friends with all of you. Please treat me as you would treat any friend. Don't hold back just because I am a royal. Treat me as a normal student. Thank you."
He was 22 years old and good-looking. He wore simple wrestling pants and a T-shirt.
Then a tall, lean boy stepped forward. He was 21 years old and had black hair and looked handsome. He wore pants and a T-shirt. In a calm, expressionless voice, he said, "My name is Sronkil Rutherson. And as my brother said, there's no need to fear us or treat us differently. Just treat us like normal students."
Sronkil stepped back. Then a very beautiful girl stepped forward. She was 18 years old. Every student, both male and female, was enchanted by her beauty. She had black hair, slightly large eyes, and pink lips. She had a lean build and wore black pants and a T-shirt. In a sweet, enchanting voice, she said, "My name is Rivernia Rutherson. I hope we can be good friends."
Everyone was so mesmerized that they didn't even hear her name or what she said properly. She then stepped back, where she had been standing before.
A very beautiful girl with curly black hair stepped forward. She had a lean build and medium height—neither too tall nor too short. She was 17 years old. She mesmerized everyone the moment she appeared, and now the crowd seemed divided: some were captivated by Rivernia, and some by this new girl. She stepped up and said with a slight smile, "Hello, I am Voilentina Rutherson. I am excited to learn with you all. Thank you."
Next, a beautiful girl came forward. She was 19 years old and had short black hair that reached her neck. She wore purple pants and a golden T-shirt. With a smile, she said, "My name is Eliza Rutherson. Nice to meet you all, and I'm looking forward to our training." With that, she stepped back to where she had been standing.
Some boys and girls were listening and observing these royal kids. One boy couldn't hold back and asked, "Why are these girls and boys from royal families so beautiful and handsome? Is it because they're from royal families?"
Another boy was about to answer, but another royal princess stepped forward. She was 20 years old and had black hair. A vertical scar ran across her left eyebrow. The scar didn't make her look ugly—in fact, it enhanced her beauty and grace. With an expressionless face, she said, "I am Elisa Rutherson." That was it. People were expecting more, but she said nothing else and stepped back.
The boy who had been about to answer earlier, but was interrupted, finally spoke, "They're beautiful and handsome because they have every resource to take care of their bodies." Just then, another boy stepped forward.
He was 18 years old, with a tall and muscular build. His black hair reached his neck, and he wore pants and a T-shirt. He stepped forward and said, "Wilmont Rutherson." That was all.
Every student glanced at one another. Among them was Maria, who looked at Constina and said, "What's with these last two royalties…" She was about to say more, but the teacher interrupted her.
The teacher stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "As you heard, these students will be joining you. They are not special—they are as normal as you. So from now on, we will have seven more students."
The Academy President glanced at the teacher and nodded. Then he looked at the guards, and with a single nod, they walked out of the training hall, leaving only the teacher and the students behind.
The teacher then introduced himself again, "As you know, I am Gardy Tiwon. I will be teaching you the most valuable fighting techniques in the short amount of time we have left."
Gardy was thirty-six years old and had a medium build with well-defined muscles. He had scarlet-colored hair and slightly red eyes. He wore pants and a thin coat.
He gestured for the seven students, who were standing in the middle of the circle, to join the rest of the students. Then he continued, "As you know, on the first of January, an otherworldly entity appeared in the sky and transmitted its voice into everyone's mind. It claimed to grant powers to people, and once a person chose a power, that same power could not be granted to anyone else. So those who chose early had the advantage of selecting stronger abilities and will become very powerful and influential in the future. The same is true for our enemies."
He then glanced at every student and continued, "You, me, and everyone—whether from a poor family or a rich one—have the duty to protect the Government Society from the Independent Society and the Lawless Society. You are the future of our society. We do not discriminate against anyone. We have only 14 days until the first trial. On the first of February, we will enter our first trial. We must clear it no matter what and remain as stable as we have always been. You must do this for our society and maintain peace, so that our families can eat without hunger and smile like they did in the past." With that, he instructed everyone to begin their training.