The academy bell rang for the final time.
Across the enormous grounds, students slowly made their way toward the central assembly hall.
Some walked in groups, talking excitedly about their dorm assignments. Others moved alone, quietly observing their surroundings.
Jezebeth walked among them with his hands in his pockets.
He wasn't particularly nervous.
If anything, he was curious.
This was the first time he had been surrounded by people his own age who could actually use Shikigami abilities.
For ten years, his world had mostly consisted of his family, servants, guards, and one very annoying skeletal dragon living inside his soul.
The academy was different.
It was unfamiliar.
And that made it interesting.
As he entered the assembly hall, Jezebeth noticed several students looking in his direction.
Whispers followed.
"That's him."
"Who?"
"Jezebeth Chronos."
"The Chronos heir?"
"Special Candidate Number One."
Jezebeth heard them.
He simply ignored them.
He found an empty seat and sat down.
So they already know.
He wasn't surprised.
The Chronos name carried weight.
But apparently, his entrance examination had carried even more.
The conversations throughout the hall gradually died down as the lights dimmed.
Footsteps echoed from behind the stage.
A man walked out.
He wasn't particularly tall or imposing.
Yet the moment he appeared, the entire hall became silent.
His white hair contrasted sharply against his dark uniform, and despite his age, there was an unusual vitality in his movements.
He stopped at the center of the stage.
"Welcome."
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet every student heard him clearly.
"To those entering this academy for the first time, welcome."
He paused.
"And to those returning..."
His expression hardened.
"Try not to disappoint me."
A few students laughed nervously.
The headmaster didn't.
"My name is Elias Veyron. I am the headmaster of this academy."
His eyes swept across the room.
"You were not admitted here because you are special."
Jezebeth raised an eyebrow.
"You were admitted because you possess potential."
The headmaster paused.
"There is a difference."
His gaze sharpened.
"Talent without discipline is useless."
"Power without control is dangerous."
"And confidence without understanding..."
He let the silence linger.
"...is stupidity."
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
Jezebeth almost smiled.
I like him.
"You will be tested."
The headmaster continued.
"Your abilities. Your judgment. Your control. Your physical limits."
"Some of you will discover that you are stronger than you believed."
His expression became colder.
"Others will discover that you are not."
Nobody spoke.
"This academy does not exist to make you comfortable."
He turned slightly toward the enormous emblem behind him.
"It exists to prepare you for the world outside these walls."
The emblem began to glow.
"The world does not care about your family name."
His eyes moved across the students.
"It does not care about your talent."
"It does not care about your potential."
A brief silence followed.
"Out there, strength has consequences."
Jezebeth's expression became serious.
"Learn to control your Shikigami."
"Learn to control yourselves."
"And most importantly..."
The headmaster's eyes narrowed.
"Learn when not to fight."
The words stayed with Jezebeth.
He thought of Arahel.
Don't show everything.
The headmaster continued.
"Before we conclude, there are two students I want everyone in this academy to remember."
A large screen descended behind him.
The first number appeared.
01
The hall immediately became restless.
The headmaster looked toward the screen.
"Special Candidate Number One."
The screen changed.
A photograph of Jezebeth appeared.
Dark hair.
Calm expression.
Sixteen years old.
The name beneath it was unmistakable.
JEZEBETH CHRONOS
The room erupted.
"So that's him."
"The Chronos heir..."
"He's only sixteen?"
"I heard his assessment was insane."
"Apparently he didn't even use his full ability."
Jezebeth stared at his own picture.
He blinked.
They really put my face up there.
He sank slightly into his seat.
"This is embarrassing."
The student sitting beside him glanced over.
"You don't look very embarrassed."
"I am."
"You don't."
"I'm embarrassed internally."
The student stared at him.
Jezebeth shrugged.
The headmaster raised one hand.
The noise gradually disappeared.
"Jezebeth Chronos achieved the highest overall score during this year's entrance assessment."
Silence.
"His results placed him significantly above the other candidates."
A few students looked toward Jezebeth.
Some were impressed.
Others looked annoyed.
A handful looked competitive.
Jezebeth noticed all of them.
He didn't react.
The screen changed.
02
A new photograph appeared.
A girl stood beneath the number.
Long silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
An expression that revealed almost nothing.
Her name appeared beneath the image.
SERAPHINA VALE
The murmuring began again.
"Candidate Number Two..."
"The Vale family?"
"She's ranked right beneath Chronos?"
"I heard her score was almost identical."
Jezebeth studied the screen.
So she's second.
The headmaster continued.
"Seraphina Vale achieved the second-highest overall score."
The image remained on the screen.
"She possesses exceptional talent and has demonstrated remarkable control over her Shikigami."
Jezebeth leaned back.
He wasn't particularly interested in the ranking itself.
What caught his attention was the way Seraphina's eyes looked in the photograph.
Calm.
Focused.
Like she wasn't interested in being second.
Jezebeth smiled faintly.
Interesting.
The headmaster looked toward both names.
"These rankings do not make either of you untouchable."
His gaze swept across the hall.
"Nor do they make the rest of you insignificant."
"Tomorrow, everyone starts from the same place."
He paused.
"Show me what you can do."
The screens disappeared.
The assembly was dismissed shortly afterward.
Students flooded out of the hall.
The conversations were louder than before.
Most of them were talking about the two special candidates.
Jezebeth walked through the crowd quietly.
He could already feel the attention following him.
Some people stared.
Some whispered.
Others simply watched.
He didn't mind.
If anything...
He was looking forward to tomorrow.
---
Later that night, Jezebeth returned to LaCroix Dorm.
His room was quiet.
He placed his academy bag beside the desk and checked his phone.
His schedule had already arrived through WhatsApp.
08:00 - Introduction to Shikigami Theory
10:00 - Ability Control
13:00 - Combat Assessment
Jezebeth stared at the final subject.
A smile slowly appeared.
"Combat assessment."
He placed the phone down.
Ten years of training.
Ten years of controlling his abilities.
Ten years of preparing his body.
And tomorrow...
He would finally get to see how far that preparation had taken him.
Jezebeth walked toward the window.
The academy grounds were almost completely dark.
The massive training arena stood in the distance.
He could already imagine the battles that would happen there.
His eyes narrowed.
"Candidate Number One..."
He chuckled quietly.
"I guess that's something."
A faint laugh echoed inside his mind.
Jezebeth froze.
Ryoma.
He could feel the dragon stirring within his soul.
"You excited too?"
Silence.
Then another quiet laugh.
Jezebeth smiled.
"Tomorrow, then."
He climbed into bed and pulled the blanket over himself.
His eyes slowly closed.
For once, there was no training.
No pressure.
No expectations.
Just anticipation.
Tomorrow would be his first real day at the academy.
And for the first time in ten years...
Jezebeth Chronos was ready to find out what waited beyond the walls of the Chronos Mansion.
His breathing slowed.
His thoughts faded.
And eventually...
He fell asleep.
Unaware that by tomorrow evening, the entire academy would know exactly why he had been named Special Candidate Number One.