> "Another zero?"
Professor Arkell's voice rang through the classroom like a divine smite made of pure judgment.
The massive screen behind him displayed everyone's performance results from the Divine Aptitude Trials. In bold crimson text, at the very bottom of the list:
JIN, KAIRO – 0% SYNC — STATUS: UNAWAKENED
Kairo slumped lower in his seat, hoodie pulled up like it could shield him from shame. It couldn't. Not from this.
He heard snickering behind him.
"Bro's still running on demo mode," someone whispered.
Then came the familiar nasal cackle.
"Come on, even Milo scored better than you," said Tobin Velgar, two rows back, smug as a peacock on protein powder. "His only power is being a human fridge magnet!"
Kairo raised a hand without turning. "Correction. He also makes an excellent Bluetooth speaker if you stand close enough with a playlist."
Half the class laughed. Even Milo, a wiry guy with static-charged hair and what looked like a fork stuck to his chest, gave a dramatic salute. "I attract more than just metal, ladies."
Lina Seris shifted seats in visible disgust.
Arkell wasn't laughing. The man's face looked like it had been carved from stone and disappointment.
"Kairo Jin. As the only non-awakened student still enrolled, you have exactly two weeks left to show progress—or you'll be reassigned to non-combatant labor."
Translation: Get powers or get a mop.
"Understood, sir," Kairo said, his voice the picture of fake politeness.
Internally, he was flipping Arkell off in seven languages and a few rude emojis.
---
Later That Day – Dorm Room 17B
Kairo flopped onto his bed like gravity had given up on him too.
"I swear, if I hear one more person say, 'Believe in yourself and your powers will bloom,' I'm gonna bloom into a full-on arsonist."
His roommate, Juno Grey, was hanging upside down from the top bunk, reading a manga and dangling a slice of cold pizza like it was an ancient relic.
"Still no ping from the gods, huh?"
"Not even a spam call."
"You sure you're not just cursed?"
"Honestly, that would be more interesting."
Kairo pulled out his phone, intending to lose himself in Frog Punchers 4: Battle of the Amphibians. But instead of frogs, he got this:
> [Divine Compatibility: Scanning Nearby User…]
[Search Result: 0% Match. Status: Complete Trash.]
"…Excuse me?"
Juno peeked over the edge. "New game?"
"I don't even remember installing this."
Before he could say more, another pop-up appeared:
> [Divine Sync Error Detected]
[Searching for Nearest Viable Anchor… Anchor Found.]
[Device Registered. Status: Incomplete Link — Awaiting Calibration.]
His phone pulsed once—like a heartbeat—and then returned to normal.
No lightning. No glowing transformation. No dramatic theme music.
"...Well, that wasn't ominous at all."
---
The Next Day – Training Field 4
"Today we spar," Arkell declared, clipboard in hand and expectations already dead inside.
Group 5 was called up. Kairo found himself standing opposite none other than Tobin Velgar. The smirk on Tobin's face could have been seen from a drone.
"You should just lay down now, Phone Boy. It'll save you a concussion and a broken ego."
"I'd rather let your flaming ego trip over itself first," Kairo said, dropping into a defensive stance that looked vaguely like he'd watched two martial arts videos instead of one.
Arkell gave the signal. "Begin!"
Tobin lunged forward, palms igniting with flame.
Kairo's brain screamed RUN, but before he could move—
His phone vibrated sharply in his pocket.
> [Ability Detected: Divine Signature – "Zorenth the Blade-Warrior"]
[Trial Mode Initiated. Physical Sync: Temporary Override.]
Suddenly, Kairo's body reacted on its own. He dipped beneath the fireburst, pivoted, and lashed out with a spinning leg sweep. Tobin's feet left the ground—and his dignity left with him.
BAM. The jerk slammed into the dirt hard enough to dent it.
Silence.
Even Arkell's clipboard hit the ground.
Kairo blinked, still crouched. "Did… did I just karate the flame outta that guy?"
> [Trial Completed. Energy Depleted. You still suck… but slightly less now.]
The message vanished.
From the sidelines, Juno shouted, "BRO, THAT WAS STRAIGHT-UP ANIME!"
Tobin groaned. "I… hate you… so much…"
Kairo stood there, stunned. Not because he just won, but because he didn't understand how.
His phone's screen flickered briefly, then displayed:
> Sync Level: 2% — More Calibration Required.
Status: Active Candidate.
"Okay," he whispered, breath catching in his throat, "this isn't just some weird app…"
His eyes locked onto the message on the screen, glowing faint gold.
> "Next Divine Aptitude Assessment begins tomorrow."
He gulped.
Because tomorrow…
He'd be ranked again.
---
And he had no idea if this cheat engine of a phone would work twice.