The sun blazed over Arkhos Arcadia, its towering spires stretching high into the sky. The academy stood like an unshakable fortress, its ancient stone walls holding centuries of history, power, and trials that had shaped the strongest Awakeners in existence.
Today, 500 hopefuls gathered before the Examination Gate, standing on the edge of either greatness or failure. Only few would make it through. The rest would be sent home, their dreams crushed before they even began.
The air was thick with tension. Some stood tall, confident in their strength. Others shifted nervously, gripping weapons or muttering incantations under their breath. The trials ahead would not be easy—three brutal stages designed to eliminate the weak, pushing every Awakener to their limits.
Among the hundreds of examinees was Katxu, a 16-year-old with sharp blue eyes and wild white hair. Despite his energetic and carefree nature, his movements were sharp, his focus unwavering. This was his first trial, just like the others, but deep down, he knew—
Some would pass. Most would fall.
With a swift leap, Katxu and the other examinees raced toward the starting point, jumping across rooftops, dashing through stone bridges, and weaving through the air with effortless speed. The first trial was about to begin.
For many, this was the start of a legend.
For most, it would be the end.
***
[KATXU'S POV]
As I arrived at the Examination Gate, the air buzzed with energy. The other examinees stood around, each wearing a different expression—some excited, some confident, others stiff with nerves. A few remained completely unreadable, their faces like stone.
I could feel the weight of the moment, the mix of emotions pressing down on me. My gaze drifted across the crowd, scanning every face, until my eyes locked onto him.
A young man, standing at a distance, his dark hair slightly tousled, his black eyes cold and unyielding—like he could kill me with a look alone. A katana rested at his side, and a heavy aura surrounded him, suffocating, oppressive. My body tensed as an unnatural chill ran down my spine.
I should look away. I want to look away. But something about his presence held me there, frozen in place, as if an invisible force had chained me to his gaze.
Before I could even process what was happening, a whisper from behind broke my eye contact.
"Hey, don't look at him."
I flinched, snapping out of the trance.
"What the f—" The half-formed curse slipped from my lips before I could stop it. My head turned fast, eyes landing on a young man—probably around 18 years old, with brown hair and an easy, almost playful smile. He was a little taller than me, and unlike the cold, suffocating presence of the guy I had just been staring at, this one radiated a warm, calm aura.
"I said don't look at him," he repeated, unfazed by my reaction.
I narrowed my eyes. "Why not?"
"His name is Dairon," he said, his voice dropping slightly. "He's a well-known Awakener from the Vampire Clan. There's a rumor that if you lock eyes with him… you become his next target."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He sighed, glancing toward Dairon before lowering his voice. "Last examination, he was disqualified. They say he lost control… nearly killed the examinees around him. No one knows exactly what happened, but ever since then, no one dares to look him in the eye."
A cold shiver ran through me. No wonder his presence felt so suffocating.
Before I could respond, the guy extended a hand. "By the way, I'm Danryu." Then, his eyes flicked toward the symbol on my bandana, and he smirked. "So, you're from the Soju Temple, huh?"
I raised a brow. "How did you know?"
Danryu chuckled. "That emblem—it's unmistakable. I visit that temple now and then to pray. The monks there won't stop talking about some prodigy training under the Grand Master."
I sighed, adjusting my bandana. "Yeah, that's me."
Danryu grinned. "Figures. Hope you live up to the hype."
Before I could respond, the bells rang, their deep chime echoing across the academy grounds.
"Listen, all examinees! Welcome to Arkhos Arcadia!"
A booming voice echoed across the grounds, carried by magic, filling the air with an almost tangible weight. It wasn't coming from a single person—it surrounded us, pressing down like an unseen force.
"Today, you stand at the gates of the greatest Awakener academy in history. But not all of you will pass. Only few among you will earn the right to step beyond these gates. The rest? You either fail or fall."
A hush fell over the crowd, the weight of those words sinking in.
"This examination has three stages. Each one will push you to your limits. Some of you will break. Some will rise. But before we begin, remember these three rules:"
"First— Survive. If you fall, you fail. Simple."
"Second— Do not kill. This is a trial, not a massacre. Take a life, and you lose yours."
"Third— Don't die. If you die here, you were never meant to make it."
A heavy silence followed. Some shifted uncomfortably, others stood firm. My heart pounded, but excitement surged through me.
Then, the bells rang again, louder this time.
Before anyone could react, the ground beneath us cracked violently, splitting apart in jagged lines. A sudden force pulled us downward, dragging everyone into the abyss below.
I struggled to move, but my body felt heavy, like something was pressing down on me. Even Awakeners with flight abilities couldn't react fast enough, their wings and magic delayed, as if something was interfering with them.
The air twisted around us, and in the next instant—
We were falling.
***
"Ahhhhhh..."
The only sound I could hear around me was the panicked screams of the other examinees.
As I kept falling, a wristband suddenly appeared on my arm, glowing with a faint green light.
At the same time, massive rock fragments materialized above us, seemingly from nowhere. They weren't just falling—they were accelerating, coming at us faster and faster.
Some examinees got hit instantly, their bodies twisting from the impact. Others reacted quickly, using magic to shatter or dodge the incoming debris.
I watched as one Awakener narrowly avoided a boulder—only for it to slam into someone else behind him.
Some weren't just dodging.
They were intentionally hurling the rocks at others.
I snapped back to consciousness just in time to see four massive rocks hurtling toward me.
Two from above.
Two thrown by other examinees from my sides.
They were coming fast—too fast.
My chest locked up. No time. Too fast. Too many rocks. Where do I—?!
My talismans wouldn't work. These rocks were too dense, too powerful to break with them. I had to think fast—or I wouldn't make it.
"Fuck it!" I muttered, realizing I had no weapon on me.
Then, an idea hit. My body moved before my mind could even process it.
I clenched my teeth—and took the hit. The first rock slammed into my ribs like a hammer, but I used the blow to twist midair, flipping sideways just in time—
CRACK!
The other three collided in a midair explosion of stone and sparks.
I forced myself to move. I couldn't just fall helplessly.
I pushed off the rock, using its momentum to launch myself downward. My feet landed on the bottom of the falling boulder, riding it like a platform as it sped toward the ground.
Glancing back, I saw other examinees still fighting in midair, strategizing, attacking, and eliminating each other—anything to get ahead.
I was falling too fast.
The ground was approaching too quickly.
I was going to get crushed.
Then—
"STRANGLING VINES!"
A loud voice boomed from above, familiar and sharp.
Thick vines shot out, wrapping around the boulder above me, stopping it just inches before it could flatten me.
In front of me, another set of vines formed a thick bed of leaves, catching my fall.
"Aaaaah!"
I crashed into them, my body bouncing against the soft leaves before finally coming to a stop. Above me, the rock shattered harmlessly against the vines.
Danryu came falling down right after me, wrapped in vines, using them to slow his descent.
I exhaled, my heart still racing.
"Oh, it was you! Thank you for saving my life, Danryu!"
He grinned, catching his breath. "No worries. I had to save myself too. If I didn't break that rock, I'd have crashed right into it."
"I owe you one!" I said, still catching my breath.
Danryu chuckled, shaking off the stray leaves clinging to his clothes.
I looked around. Examinees were still falling.
Some lay unconscious, sprawled across the ground from the impact. Others were wounded, groaning in pain as they struggled to move. A few stood completely unharmed, as if the fall had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
It was a total disaster.
I hadn't even noticed what happened to the others—I had been too focused on surviving.
I took a deep breath and looked around.
The surroundings were dark, cold, and vast—a massive cave with jagged walls stretching endlessly in all directions.
We were far from the ground. The only light came from a small, distant glow below, barely illuminating the cavern.
A voice rolled through the cavern like thunder bouncing off steel.
"Survived the fall? Good."
From the shadows, a mountain of a man stepped forward. His eyes gleamed like burning coals, and every step echoed like a war drum.
"Welcome to your pre-exam."
"Though, some of you are barely standing."
He scanned the injured, his gaze unreadable.
"By the way, I am the Head of the Armies and the Guardian of the Academy. I'll be your guide for the pre-examination."
"Pre-examination?!" Some examiners muttered in confusion.
The man smirked. "You heard me right. Before you can enter the main stages, you must first pass this pre-examination. Consider that fall your first test."
Murmurs spread across the group. Pre-exam? That wasn't mentioned before.
The guardian raised a hand, and suddenly, something strange happened.
"Some of you didn't survive—and will be eliminated immediately."
One by one, red pulses flickered on wrists across the field—dull glows turning bright as blood.
Then—silence.
Their bodies flickered. Shimmered.
Gone.
A cold chill ran through me.
So, failing meant disappearing.
The guardian continued, unfazed by what just happened.
"Some of you are wounded and can barely move. Let me make this clear—we will not be healing you. If you can heal yourself, do it. Otherwise, you have one choice: quit."
He lifted his wrist, tapping his own wristband.
"To forfeit, simply press your wristband and say 'submit.' Note that no one can force you to quit except yourself."
Silence. Then—
"Ugh… I can't do this…"
An injured examinee groaned in pain, his voice trembling.
Tap.
"Submit."
In an instant, his body vanished—just like the others.
More examinees hesitated, their gazes shifting toward their own wristbands. Some clenched their fists, determined to stay. Others… weren't so sure.
"Seems like there are no more quitters."
The guardian muttered as the remaining examinees stood their ground. No one else pressed their wristband.
His gaze swept over us before he spoke again.
"I see you all understand the three main rules."
The guardian's gaze shifted—sharp, focused, surgical—until it landed on one figure.
A boy with a katana, still as death. Cold eyes. No fear.
The air around him stopped moving. Even the cave seemed to wait.
Dairon.
And the look the guardian gave him wasn't warning.
It was remembering.
We all knew what he had done before.
And so did the guardian.