In the middle of the ocean, kilometers away from the academy island, she stood there, her eyes closed, floating right above the water, her long silver hair moving with the wind. She began moving slowly upward. Then she opened her eyes, and in that same moment, the ocean around her began freezing. Even though she tried not to make it reach the island, the ice stopped just a few meters away from the shore.

  She began descending slowly as she took a deep breath, visible in the cold air.

  Before she reached the ice, a man appeared out of thin air. He had the build of a warrior, back even broader than most bodybuilders, but his muscles weren't for show.

  "From what I see, looks like the meeting didn't go well."

  "Those old minds refused it again," she said as she reached the ice.

  "Again? You told me you were sure of their acceptance. That's the only reason I'm here."

  "I'm sorry. I thought with another Rank 0 telling them, they would agree."

  "They refused two Rank 0s. That doesn't sound like reality."

  He crossed his arms.

  "There are only three of you. If two failed, try three."

  "I can't. Did you forget who the third is? Convincing Zhao was already hard enough, and the only reason they were able to refuse was because he looked like he didn't really care."

  "Right. Those two fuckers are useless."

  A silent moment passed.

  "So what now? Do I leave or what?" he asked.

  "No, don't leave. I'll find a solution."

  "Your words aren't very convincing after all of that."

  "One week. Give me one more week and I'll solve it. Teach the kids normally for one week. If I can't get them to approve it, you can..."

  She stopped for less than a second, her tone getting softer.

  "You can leave."

  He sighed.

  "Okay. I'll give it one week. After it ends, I'm leaving."

  Right after he finished, he teleported out, leaving her alone again.

  ***

  Roy, still facing down, started slowly standing up.

  "What was that?"

  THUNK.

  Another hit.

  Roy hesitated for a moment before going to see where the sound came from.

  As he walked, he heard it again and again, in a rhythm.

  Roy went to where the sounds came from, quietly, not wanting to be seen.

  As he got closer, he saw the shadow of someone training with a sword, using a tree as a training dummy.

  Roy decided to go closer to see who was doing this, curiosity winning against his fear.

  Roy got closer and he saw her: a beautiful tall girl with red hair and defined muscles, striking the tree with the exact same time between each hit.

  Roy stared at her, unable to understand why the sound of her training had been able to stop what was happening with him.

  'Why? What's special about her?'

  Roy stared at her for a couple of minutes. She was too focused to notice him, even though he wasn't doing much in terms of hiding. Still, he couldn't figure out anything. He shook his head.

  'Better leave before she notices me.'

  He went to his temporary dorm.

  He opened the door. Three of the beds were already taken. He found Omar on one of them in total mess. He looked at him for a second with a small smile on his face.

  Then he went to the empty bed, laying on it, looking at the ceiling, fading into sleep.

  'I just wish for a normal sleep. I'm already at my limits here.'

  ***

  The sun rose, declaring the beginning of a new day. An important day.

  "WAKE UP!"

  A voice that made everyone wake up jumping.

  "EVERYONE GET READY AND GO TO THE TOURNAMENT BUILDING. IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER WHERE IT IS, WELL TOO BAD. YOU'LL NEED TO FOLLOW BLINDLY."

  The sound of people changing, hitting each other, and bumping into random things increased.

  "BE THERE IN 20 MINUTES OR YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED!"

  As those words left the teacher's mouth, the voices of the students became even louder.

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  Roy and Omar, like the others, woke up fast and began changing into more suitable clothes for any kind of test.

  "Hooaaah."

  Omar yawned.

  "Do you feel nervous?" Omar asked Roy in a casual way.

  Roy answered.

  "Not really. You know getting into a lower class doesn't mean anything for what I want to do in the future. And I want the middle anyway."

  "If you weren't nervous, why did you stay after you told us to leave?" Omar questioned Roy.

  Roy kept silent, continuing to change.

  "Okay, I get it. I won't question you any further," Omar said to Roy as they both finished and opened the door to leave.

  As soon as they opened it, they saw students running to the building. The teacher was standing in front of them as they were at the end of the row.

  As Roy and Omar started following the other students' footsteps, they heard the teacher talking to himself.

  "Screaming and making kids panic. Sometimes I really love my job."

  Omar and Roy looked at each other.

  "Will every teacher be like this?" Omar asked.

  "I sure hope not."

  Roy answered.

  As they walked, Roy looked around with his eyes, trying to find the girl from the day before.

  The Tournament Hall was an enormous, dome-shaped building with towering windows and banners displaying the academy's logo. Inside, the open arena stretched wide, with four raised fighting platforms lined up in perfect symmetry. Seats circled around the four platforms, and a half-circle of seats moved across the curve at the beginning of the dome with one-way glass. They looked like VIP seats. The air buzzed with nervous energy, filled with the sound of boots stomping on polished floors, whispers, and pounding hearts.

  Roy spotted Marie almost immediately.

  She was waving them over with both hands, her bright smile unmistakable. Her long white hair was tied into a tiny messy bun, and her uniform was slightly crooked, as if she'd put it on in a hurry, which was true for all students.

  "Took you two long enough!" she said as they approached.

  Omar snorted.

  "Says the girl who overslept yesterday. The only person who came after you was Roy."

  Marie gasped dramatically.

  "How dare you bring up the past on an important day like this."

  Roy let out a quiet breath that might have been a laugh. The three of them had fallen into an easy rhythm since the birthday: a strange, unbalanced trio. The separation from different ranks would land harder on them because of it.

  "Do you think it's gonna be a combat exam?" Marie asked, looking nervous.

  "There are four fighting platforms in front of us," Omar shrugged.

  "So, probably."

  Roy didn't answer. His gaze swept the hall, cataloging everything: the platforms, the instructors standing on the sidelines, the students trying and failing to look calm. He was still trying to find her. He looked at the VIP seats for a second, feeling someone was there even though every other seat was empty.

  And then the hall fell silent.

  A tall woman stepped onto the center between all platforms.

  Her long silver hair cascaded down her back, posture regal, eyes sharp like a blade that had never dulled. Even in a simple black uniform, she radiated authority.

  Marie said,

  "That's her. Principal Elvira Stahl. When I saw her yesterday, I did some research about her to make sure she was the same person. She's insane. Like, in a good way. I think."

  Principal Elvira's voice carried easily through the massive space, firm and clear.

  "Welcome, students of Silvergate. Today, your first evaluation begins, and it might be your last. This test will not determine who is weak or strong, but how you fight. Victory is not the only goal here. We observe, judge, and measure your potential."

  A ripple of tension spread through the crowd.

  "However," she continued, lips curving into a slight smile, "for those who do win their matches... there will be special rewards."

  Excited whispers filled the hall. Marie clapped her hands together.

  "A combat test."

  Omar rolled his shoulders with a grin.

  "I've been waiting for this."

  Roy didn't reply, just thought:

  'Great, a fighting test. Exactly what I needed now.'

  Then his attention shifted again, scanning the faces around them.

  Omar noticed.

  "You're doing that thing again."

  Roy blinked.

  "What thing?"

  "Looking around like you lost something."

  "I didn't."

  Marie chimed in.

  "Oh, you totally did."

  Roy ignored both of them. And then, he saw her.

  The red-haired girl from the night before.

  She was standing a few rows away, posture straight, hands resting lightly on the hilt of her sword. The morning light brought out the faint gold in her red hair, making it look like fire braided into steel. Her expression was calm, almost intimidating.

  Omar followed Roy's gaze, then gave him the most obnoxious grin he could manage.

  "Well, well."

  Marie caught on immediately.

  "Roy, don't tell me you got a crush on the first day."

  Roy's ears burned.

  "I don't."

  "Sure," Omar drawled.

  "Absolutely not," Roy added.

  Marie whispered.

  "He totally does."

  The principal clapped once, pulling everyone's attention back.

  "You will be divided into four groups, one for each platform. Your opponents will be assigned at random. Good luck."

  She raised her hand, and holographic symbols lit up in the air. Names and pictures began appearing rapidly, spinning like a lottery wheel before landing in neat lists beneath the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.

  Roy squinted as his name flickered under Group 3.

  And there it was again: her picture, in the same group he was in.

  her name? Valeria Stormrend

  His heart skipped a beat.

  Omar and Marie both appeared under Group 1.

  Roy didn't have to look to know the faces they were making. He could feel their stares.

  "Lucky bastard," Omar muttered.

  Marie elbowed Roy.

  "This is fate."

  Roy rolled his eyes.

  "It's just random. And it isn't like that."

  "Yeah, sure," Marie sang under her breath.

  The students began to separate into their designated groups. Roy followed the signs for Group 3, ignoring the pounding in his chest.

  When he reached the group, she was already there. Up close, she seemed even taller. Her expression didn't waver as she gave the instructor her sword and received a wooden one. She stood, eyes forward, like the world around her barely existed.

  She glanced at him for the briefest moment. Nothing more. But it was enough to make him straighten his back instinctively.

  Meanwhile, across the hall, Omar and Marie were already laughing at something stupid, probably making fun of him without him needing to hear it.

  The four platforms gleamed beneath the ceiling lights. The test hadn't even started yet, but the atmosphere was thick with anticipation.

  Principal Elvira raised her hand once more.

  "Let the evaluation begin."