The hum of the teleport bus echoed softly in the silence. Kael sat alone, the sleek black interior reflecting faint neon lights as the vehicle zipped through space.
He opened his system window, fingers brushing the air as if dragging across glass.
Then, he activated a skill he'd been refining for a while now Cloak of Glass. Instantly, a wave of distortion washed over him, and his presence dimmed to the world, his stats reshaping to appear above ordinary.
---
Name: Kael Vernier
Age: 16
Level: 6
Sword Art: Shadow Arts
Core: Awakened (Concealed: Appears Dormant)
Class: Swordsman
Title: The Shadow Prince
HP: 500/500
Stamina: 400/400
Exp: 63/500
Strength: D+
Agility: C
Endurance: D+
Intelligence: D
Perception: D
Willpower: D
Mana: ??? (Locked)
Skills↓
Story↓
Mission: None
---
The illusion was perfect. His power levels would appear manageable, unremarkable even to sensors and high-ranking instructors. That was the point.
With a sigh, Kael leaned against the window, arms crossed, eyes growing heavy.
Before long, he was asleep.
---
He woke to a soft chime and the quiet announcement of their arrival.
Kael stretched slowly, his long white hair brushing his shoulders, and looked outside.
There it stood.
Aetherion Academy.
A towering, majestic structure a castle of steel and starlight, spires twisting high into the clouds, bridges arcing between floating towers, crystalline panels glowing with mana. It was a blend of the ancient and the arcane a futuristic-Victorian marvel forged to train the next generation of elites.
He stepped off the bus, cloak flowing behind him, and approached the gates. The guards took one look at his student ID, scanned it, and wordlessly opened the colossal doors.
Kael walked in.
Following the map interface on his watch, he made his way to the Initiation Hall, the place where all new students were to gather for the academy's opening ceremony.
It was early 5 A.M. and the wide auditorium was mostly empty.
But not completely.
As Kael stepped in and took a seat in the third row, he felt two gazes immediately lock onto him.
He knew those faces well.
The first was a boy with short white hair, cool blue eyes, and a calm expression. Kael's eyes narrowed.
"The main character…"
A reincarnator like him. From the noble House Eldraven. A future powerhouse.
And the second.
A girl with pale skin, jet-black shoulder-length hair, and piercing crimson eyes. She had a longsword sheathed on her left and an aura of cold pride.
Elira Morvayne.
Descendant of the ancient Morvayne Bloodline a lineage tied to blood magic and unparalleled sword talent.
Kael didn't flinch.
He merely sat down, his red eyes half-lidded, head resting lazily on the seat in front of him.
The other two continued to stare, not out of suspicion but curiosity.
A boy with white hair like Eldraven.
Eyes like Morvayne.
And an aura neither could quite decipher.
Kael smirked inwardly.
He had no plans to stand out yet.
So he closed his eyes again, dozing lightly, waiting for the ceremony to begin.