"Leona Schnee. You're not cut out to be a hero," said the main examiner.
His words hit harder than any blow she'd taken during the hero exam. She stared at the man blankly, questions piling up on her tongue. Why? How? But I awakened my innate skill. None of it left her mouth.
She hadn't wanted to take this exam in the first place, but after all the hassle and unexpected excitement of defeating the exam villains, Leona had started to see a future as a hero. And now a single man had crossed it out.
Who are you, even? You're not a hero, just some official in a cheap suit.
Holding herself back from punching the examiner in the face, Leona gritted her teeth and knit her brows.
"That's why," he added with a smile.
Just then, someone placed a hand on Leona's shoulder.
She flinched. She hadn't heard anyone, not even a click of the door opening. The touch was icy despite its light grip, and its chill commanded Leona not to move.
An old voice reached her ear. "I see you thriving in the dark part of our world, Leona Schnee."
The old man's words sounded ominous.
Leona, however, beamed. "Oh, you do? Great! I'm in!"
The examiner and the old man blinked at her immediate agreement.
***
Three days before the hero exam.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Leona! Unlock your door right now!"
She sat in her chair, hugging her knees, watching various heroines in action. Despite her father banging on her room door, Leona ignored him. Perhaps it was better to say she was part of the darkness in her room. Lights off. Shades drawn. The only source of light was her PC screen. Dark circles had already formed under her eyes even though Leona was only eighteen.
"I will never allow you to be an outcast! Don't think you can sit in your room all day and night now that you've finished high school! It's time you made a choice! Find a job or go to college! What will you do once your mother and I are gone?!"
Die? Leona couldn't see herself in a few years, let alone tomorrow. She followed the path laid out for her by her parents and society. Now that the choice was finally upon her, she was lost.
"LEONA!"
Why are you so persistent today? Leona narrowed her eyes, annoyed. She clicked on an AI app on her PC and asked it a question—a common method for people her age these days to find a way out of their predicament.
[Leona: I can't stall Dad anymore. What do I do?]
[AI: Aw, I'm so sad to hear this. I know how you feel. No one likes being forced to do anything! You could buy yourself some time by just searching for a job or college! Your father will see you trying and go easy on you.]
[Leona: ty]
Pushing her chair back from her desk, Leona stretched her legs and awkwardly walked to the door, knocking over a few empty orange juice bottles on the way. She unlocked it and squinted up at her father, but the hallway light made her squeeze her eyes shut. Only after she adjusted did Leona see her father towering over her, all smiles and relief. He didn't comment on her messy hair or the shadows under her eyes, as he usually did.
"I'll go to a hero academy," Leona said evenly. "Watch me."
Her father beamed. "A hero academy? Okay! Break a leg!"
He nodded a few times and turned around, skipping toward the living room to share the news with his wife. Confused, Leona stared at his back until he went around the corner. Wasn't that too easy? Leona silently followed and pressed herself to the wall overlooking the living room. Her parents didn't expect her to be eavesdropping at all; her leaving her room like this would be worth marking on a calendar.
"A hero academy? Honey! You should knock that idea out of her head! It's too dangerous! We don't even have any innate skills!" Leona's mom said aloud.
"Because we're skilless and it's dangerous, I'm fine sending her there! She won't pass, but at least she'll see some sun."
"Sigh… you're right. But where did it go so wrong? At her age, I was in clubs with girls or spending my time with everyone until it went dark…"
Hearing their conversation, Leona understood her father's idea. Touch grass and wave at the sun. Got it, Dad.
Leona returned to her room, locked the door, and sat down. This time, she didn't pull her legs up; she hunched over the keyboard, eyes much closer to the screen. She searched for the closest hero academy with the help of her AI friend. Then she went to its site and signed up for a hero exam for eighteen-year-old students like her.
I just want to be like a cat. Sleep and eat.
She couldn't write that down, could she?
[Leona: Can you fill it for me?]
[AI: Of course! I will need your input and help for the most important questions.]
[Leona: ok]
When done, she closed the page and went back to killing time. Heroines in their sexy outfits drew Leona's attention once again, though she'd never admit she was interested in their clothes. That was so much like other girls that she refused to admit it.
An hour later, she heard the dreaded notification sound.
Is it what I think it is?
***
Three days later…
An alarm rang early in the morning. Leona weakly opened her eyes and groped for her phone. She squinted against the flashbang of the bright screen. Noticing how early it was, she instinctively closed her eyes and hit the pillow.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"LEONA! YOU PROMISED ME SOMETHING!" her father's voice boomed through the door.
I know, I know, Dad!
Reluctantly, Leona went through a quick morning routine like a zombie and finished her breakfast just in time to head out. She put on her most comfortable clothes and shoved her ID card and other important stuff into her pockets. She then met her dad in the corridor.
"I'm ready," she said.
"Are you?" He sighed; his daughter still looked like she had just woken up. "That will be a good lesson for you…"
They left the house and got into the family car. Since it would take an hour to get to the academy, Leona curled up across the back seats and napped. Upon their arrival, her father woke her. Leona reluctantly sat up and nodded to him.
"I'm going," she said.
"Good luck. I'll be waiting for you in the nearby restaurant," he replied.
Leona nodded.
Other high school students her age were also climbing out of their parents' cars or arriving alone. Every one of them wore their school uniforms, all tense.
Naturally, Leona in her black tracksuit drew attention.
Students peeked at her for a few seconds, then looked away, their shoulders relaxing.
Leona stared back, expressionless. They all look at me. Must be because of my tracksuit. I picked my favorite and the most comfortable one.
After that short, strange exchange, Leona followed them into the hero academy and took in the massive building that bore little resemblance to her school—or any school she had attended. It looked more like countless facilities glued together.
Signs along the walkways guided her to the right facility, where Leona was asked for her ID card, her exam admission letter, and other documents.
"All is set. Welcome to North America's East Eagle Hero Academy. I wish you all the best, Leona," said the lady behind the desk.
Leona nodded. "Thank you."
About thirty minutes later, all exam participants gathered in a vast gymnasium filled with various machines. So many people were here that Leona had to squeeze herself in and secure a corner, curling up into her comfortable position, hugging her legs.
A deep stare always works. Just leave me alone.
Moments later, heavy steps resounded across the gym. Everyone craned their necks toward the sound, finding a man in a black office suit walking forward. He had short hair slicked back and black glasses. Behind him were men and women in similar outfits, but none of them walked as comfortably as the man at the helm.
He stopped in front of everyone and crossed his arms behind his back.
"I'm James Swift, a former deputy and now the main examiner for North America's East Eagle Hero Academy. I've worked with heroes at the top and the bottom and developed a keen eye, so you can be assured you're in the right hands. I will be straightforward and blunt, so if I offend you, I'm probably right."
Leona heard the nearest students swallow hard.
"A quick disclaimer for those who came here to try their luck or on a dare. I will not let you off easily now that you've decided to waste my time. You may fail the initial physical exams, but I will still throw you into the final exam, where all of you will fight villains. You'd better do your best."
He sneered and looked down, his black glasses sliding down his nose as he stared at everyone. Behind him, his coworkers traded weary smiles.
Leona stared at James with a deadpan expression. He means me.
The first siren rang out in the hall.
The examiners split and began calling students one by one. Eventually, Leona's turn arrived.
"Schnee!" James called out. "I must have butchered your surname. I apologize in advance. Anyway, let's see how hard you can punch first."
They sneered at her because she appeared fragile, sick, and weak. There wasn't a bead of sweat on her face, so James's face contorted, and he pushed up his black glasses.
"You must be done with your warm-up, right?" James asked.
To the others, it looked like a small cat had just stepped into a tiger's cage!