The room buzzed with faint mechanical hums as the evaluation machine powered up, its interface flickering with cascading lines of data. Alfred practically bounced onto the platform first, unable to hide his excitement.
"Alright, let's see what I've got!" he grinned.
The machine whirred to life, scanning him from head to toe. A holographic display materialized above, showcasing his abilities.
Name: Alfred Dhark
Ability: Fire Manipulation
Rank: ???
A hush fell over the room.
The faculty members exchanged uncertain glances, while Dean Wren's expression hardened. The usual rankings—E, D, C, B, A, or even S—were nowhere to be seen. Instead, just a set of question marks.
Gloria gave a low whistle, folding her arms with an amused smirk.
"Well, that's interesting."
Alfred blinked. "Huh? What's with the question marks?"
"Step down," the dean said, his voice unreadable. "Aria, you're next."
