Rain poured over the city as Ryker sat in a chair, the dim light from the lamp casting long shadows across the walls. The events of the entrance exam replayed in his mind — the explosion, the cloaked man, and those chilling words:
"You're the one."
What did that man mean? And why did his presence feel… familiar?
"Are you okay, brother?" Hinata asked softly.
"Yeah, Hina," Ryker replied, trying to sound calm.
Meanwhile, news spread like wildfire across campus. Rumors twisted into legends — that a rogue god had entered the school, that a forbidden spell had been cast, that the world itself was on the brink of collapse.
But amid the chaos, one name started to surface — a mysterious figure seen moments after the explosion at the east wing.
A student claimed to have witnessed someone — not a teacher, not a guard — calmly walk into the smoke and drag out three unconscious students before vanishing again.
"He moved like a ghost..."
"No way a first-year could do that."
"They're calling him... Mr. Unknown."
One Week Later
Classes began.
Ryker, Sol, and Celica were placed in the same homeroom — Class 1-A.
Their homeroom teacher strolled in, half-asleep. A man in his late 30s with messy silver hair, stubble on his chin, and eyes that looked like they'd seen too much — and cared too little. A can of soda in one hand, a lazy smirk on his face.
"Yo. I'm Aria. Congrats, you're all officially prisoners in this fancy magic cage."
He let out a loud yawn and dropped into his chair.
"Any questions before I ignore them?"
One brave student raised his hand. "Uh… who is Mr. Unknown?"
Aria scratched his head. "I Don't know. Sounds cool though."
Silence followed, until Aria suddenly sat up straighter, his gaze sharpening.
"Alright. Let's make this fun. I'll ask you all something instead: What do you think about God?"
Most students answered in sync: "God exists! He created the world."
But Ryker stood up slowly.
"I don't believe in God. If he existed… where's the proof?"
The room went quiet for a beat—then exploded into shouting.
Blasphemy. Arrogance. How dare he?
"Sit down! What kind of answer is that?!"
Aria lazily raised his hand, and the room instantly fell silent.
"He doesn't believe. So what? That's his choice." He cracked his neck. "I'm not here to babysit your beliefs."
He grabbed a chalk and scribbled on the board. "Let's talk about something real. Your Magic Cores. Everyone has one. The basics are Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. Combine Fire and Wind? You get Lightning. Combine others? You might discover something unique."
He pointed to a glowing orb beside his desk.
"One by one, come up and check how many elements you've got. Most of you will have one or two. Three? That's rare…"
His eyes glanced at Ryker for just a second. And then he yawned again.
"Let's get this over with."
Students lined up, nervous and excited, testing their powers.
Test and class end.
After class, Ryker, Sol, and Celica made their way toward the cafeteria, the hum of students chatting and the clatter of trays filling the halls.
But just as they turned a corner, a group of older students blocked their path — tall, rough-looking boys with arrogant smirks. Their uniforms bore the symbol of Class 3-D, a year known for delinquents and troublemakers.
One of them stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"So you're the hotshot first-year everyone's talking about."
He sneered. "If you're that strong… then fight me, you bastard."
Ryker looked at him, his eyes cold — eyes that had witnessed death and fire.
"Who the hell are you?"
His voice was calm but sharp.
"And why would I waste my time fighting garbage?"
The 3-D student growled and swung a punch straight at Ryker's face — but Ryker caught it mid-air, effortlessly.
Gasps echoed around them.
Ryker didn't flinch.
"Don't step back," he muttered, his face unreadable but filled with a silent fury.
Then — without warning — Ryker twisted the guy's arm and delivered a brutal punch to his jaw. The student flew back, crashing into a table. No one dared move. His power… his presence was terrifying.
Just as Ryker clenched his fist again, ready to finish it—
A hand grabbed his wrist.
"That's enough."
It was a girl. Calm, confident, with sharp eyes and long black hair.
Aisa.
Her voice wasn't angry — it was steady.
Ryker froze, his eyes meeting hers.
"Who is this girl...?" he thought.
His fist slowly loosened. The tension faded.
Sol and Celica stepped in beside him.
"Come on, Ryker," Sol said. "Food's waiting."
Ryker didn't say a word. He gave the fallen student one last look, then turned and walked off with his friends.
Aisa stood there quietly, watching him as he disappeared into the cafeteria — her expression unreadable.
Cafeteria
In the bustling cafeteria, Ryker, Sol, and Celica sat at a corner table, quietly eating their meals. The air was heavy, whispers still circling about the earlier fight.
Suddenly, the room went silent as a tall, broad-shouldered student entered — sharp eyes, confident walk. The aura around him was heavy.
King.
The most feared third-year in the academy. His real name was Kenta, but everyone called him King.
He walked straight to Ryker's table.
"Why did you beat up that guy?" he asked, tone cold.
Before Ryker could speak, Sol leaned forward.
"He threw the first punch. Ryker just defended himself."
King's eyes narrowed.
"You're lying. Everyone saw it. I want the truth."
Ryker glanced around.
Dozens of eyes stared at him — judgmental, accusing. The crowd already made up their minds.
King folded his arms.
"Just say sorry. That's all."
Ryker calmly placed his chopsticks down, stood up, and looked King dead in the eyes.
"It wasn't my fault. I'm not apologizing for doing nothing wrong."
The cafeteria froze.
King, irritated, stepped closer — placing a firm hand on Ryker's neck.
Gasps filled the room.
"He's touching him…!"
"No one talks back to King…"
"He's done for."
Ryker's expression didn't change.
His voice, cold as ice:
"Move your hand away, you bastard."
The tension was electric.
But before things could explode—
"Kenta. Back off."
A calm, sharp voice cut through the silence.
Shin, the quiet genius of the academy, stood at the edge of the table.
King blinked.
"Shin…?"
"Ryker did nothing wrong," Shin said.
"You know me. I don't talk unless I'm sure. He's innocent."
A long pause.
King looked at Shin… then at Ryker.
Finally, he sighed and took a step back.
"…I'm sorry." he muttered.
Gasps again. King just apologized?
Ryker didn't respond. He just sat down and continued eating.
But in his mind… one thing was clear:
This school wasn't going to be peaceful.