The morning air around Elaris Academy carried a bite, the kind that warned you to stay sharp. Alexander adjusted the strap of his basic Academy-issued satchel and followed the flow of students toward the main lecture halls. Most didn't even glance his way. Good. He preferred it that way—for now.
Still, his ears caught murmurs. Names dropped like stones in the current. Rovan, Aric, Kaela, Crystal. The elites. The top of the pyramid. Everyone else orbited around them, trying to find a foothold in the academy's brutal hierarchy.
"Yo, Alex!"
He turned as Milo jogged up beside him, winded but smiling. "You heading to Combat Theory first or the Elemental Foundations class?"
"Elemental," Alexander replied. "Figured I should understand what I've got before I punch stuff with it."
Milo laughed, pushing his glasses up. "Smart choice. Not everyone around here leads with their brain."
They walked together past courtyards buzzing with students and into the long eastern wing, where various elemental tutors conducted assessments and practical training. Jace was already waiting inside, arms crossed, next to a circular ring drawn with glowing glyphs.
"About time," Jace muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched like he wasn't really annoyed.
The class was small—fifteen students, mostly Low-Tiers. The instructor, a stern woman with deep scars across her arms, introduced herself simply as Instructor Nyra. Her voice carried over the quiet room like thunder.
"Power without understanding is chaos. I don't teach tricks. I teach control. Who here can manifest an affinity?"
A few raised their hands. Jace demonstrated a flicker of fire. Milo hesitated, then showed a thin ripple of water. Alexander stepped forward and, focusing his breath, let the tremor of geomancy ripple under his feet. The stone shuddered just enough to crack the circle's edge.
Nyra's eyes narrowed.
"Control it. Don't break it."
Alexander nodded, hiding his smirk. She reminded him of the Inferno Trials system—not cruel, just demanding. And fair.
The day passed in a steady blur of energy and information. In Weapons and Combat, they sparred with practice blades. Alexander was paired against a larger boy who underestimated him.
He corrected that mistake in seconds.
"Where'd you learn footwork like that?" the instructor barked after Alexander dropped his opponent with a simple feint-and-sweep.
"Nowhere formal," he replied.
"Maybe you should start teaching then."
By Beast Ecology, his muscles ached, but he soaked in every word. Portals led to realms filled with beasts that evolved on energy alone. Crystals formed in their cores—Beast Crystals, which powered everything from weapons to city grids. Ranks, qualities, affinities…
It was like peeling back layers of the world he'd only scratched.
The afternoon light was turning golden when he stepped out toward the central plaza. Students lingered, chatting in tight circles. Rivalries crackled in the air. Two elite-tier students were dueling mid-air above the training field, their elemental control absurd.
He paused. One of them was Crystal. Her hair whipped behind her like fire as she battled another top student in a storm of air and light.
She won.
The crowd roared.
He kept walking.
---
Later, just before curfew...
Alexander walked with purpose, heading back toward the dorms. The sky was bruised with fading light, and most students were retreating for the day.
"Alexander!"
The voice stopped him cold.
Crystal.
She jogged lightly to catch up, breathless. Still radiant. Still dangerous.
"I saw you today," she said, brushing hair from her face. "You're… different. Stronger."
He didn't stop walking.
"Don't follow me."
"I'm not—I just—"
"You told me then that you didn't want anything to do with me and you didn't care what happened to me. I haven't forgotten a single thing that happened then, So don't pretend to care now."
Her face twitched. Hurt? Maybe. Or just surprised he wasn't falling over himself like before.
"I was scared then. I didn't know what to do."
"Yeah. And now you're scared that I remember."
She stopped walking. He didn't.
That night, he took the long route home. Past the storage hangars, near the fountain circle. Just in case. He wouldn't risk leading anyone to the base. Not yet. Not even close.
Back at Dorm D-17, Jace was lounging on the top bunk with headphones in, Milo was half-asleep in a book, and Calen—the newest addition to their trio—was tinkering with a broken rune pistol, swearing under his breath.
"You're late," Calen said, not looking up.
"Got stopped."
Milo peered at him. "Crystal?"
Alexander nodded.
Jace whistled. "Man, she moves fast."
"Not fast enough," Alexander muttered, dropping onto his bed.
He stared at the ceiling, feeling the system shift within him. Like it was stirring.
[System Core Stabilizing... Personality Module Calibrating...]
The voice that answered him wasn't cold anymore.
"You did well today, Alexander. Your enemies are watching. But not closely enough.
The more you upgrade ,the more you seem human but I guess it's a good thing for me
" Alexander you must be joking I am not human but a system"
"And yes, of course, it's a good thing for you. After all, fulfilling your desires is what I want."
"we haven't done that yet, to do that you need to get used to the changes we will both experience"
He smiled.