The sun had barely risen when Aria groaned, curling further into his blanket. He had been enjoying a blissful sleep until a sharp, enthusiastic voice shattered the peace.
"Wake up, Aria!" Ski shouted, practically bouncing as she barged into the room.
Aria cracked open one eye, his face etched with annoyance. "What was that for?" he grumbled, pulling the blanket over his head.
Ski, undeterred, beamed. "We're testing your powers today! You can't just sleep in!"
"Can't this wait until tomorrow?" Aria muttered.
"Absolutely not!" Ski exclaimed. "You unlocked your powers yesterday, and we have no idea how strong you are! I even called Roy and Alice to help out!"
Aria sighed dramatically. "Wow, thanks for the wake-up call," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
At the Park
By mid-morning, the group was assembled at a nearby park. Aria, dressed in a baggy hoodie and sweatpants, yawned loudly as Ski excitedly outlined the day's agenda.
"First up: Strength!" Ski announced with a flourish.
Aria groaned. "I could be in bed right now…"
"Come on, dude!" Roy said, slapping Aria on the back. "You're not even curious about what you can do?"
"I mean, sure," Aria replied, scratching his head. "But it's way too early for this."
Alice chuckled, her voice calm and elegant. "It's not the training he minds. It's his sister dragging him out of bed before dawn."
"Exactly," Aria replied with a mock-serious nod.
Roy grinned. "Fair enough. But trust me—you'll thank us when you see how awesome you are!"
Ski clapped his hands. "Alright! Let's start. Aria, I want you to throw this rock as far as you can."
Roy walked over, casually hoisting a rock the size of a small house with one hand. "Here you go," he said proudly.
Aria blinked. "You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all!" Ski chirped. "Just toss it like it's a baseball."
Shrugging, Aria walked up to the massive rock. "Alright," he muttered, gripping it. "Let's get this over with."
He gave it a light toss—barely trying—but the result was catastrophic.
BOOM!
The rock rocketed into the sky, shattering the sound barrier. In less than ten seconds, it disappeared beyond the Milky Way.
The group stood in stunned silence.
"That… was insane!" Ski shouted, his eyes sparkling with pride.
"Dude, you're a beast!" Roy added, laughing.
Even Alice, usually composed, looked impressed. "Well done, Aria."
Aria scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, I guess?" he said, still processing what he'd just done.
Ski waved off the next test. "No need to punch the boulder. That rock was heavier than Mount Everest."
Aria froze. "Wait, what?"
Next, Ski set up a makeshift track that looped around the entire neighbourhood.
"For your super speed," Ski explained, "I want you to run seven laps. Let's see what you've got!"
"Seven laps? Are you trying to kill me?" Aria grumbled.
Alice offered a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine. My record is five seconds for seven laps. You've got this."
Aria raised an eyebrow. "Right. I keep forgetting you're all monsters in your own way."
He took his position at the starting line, muttering under his breath, "Here goes nothing."
"On your mark, get set… GO!"
In a flash, Aria was gone, leaving behind a massive sonic boom. Everything blurred as he sped through the course, finishing almost instantly.
When he returned, he was barely out of breath. "So… what's my time?"
Ski checked his stopwatch. "0.2 seconds."
Aria blinked. "That's faster than light, isn't it?"
"Yup! Faster than Alice, too!" Ski grinned.
Alice crossed her arms, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Not bad," she admitted, though a flicker of competitiveness flashed in her eyes.
"Not bad?" Roy scoffed. "That was AWESOME!"
Alice elbowed him. "Don't ruin the moment," she said dryly.
Aria, meanwhile, looked ready to collapse. "Can we… take a break now?"
"Nope!" Ski chirped. "Next up: Durability!"
Ski turned to Alice. "Think you could test his durability with one of your energy attacks?"
Alice nodded. "Of course."
Aria's eyes widened. "Wait, WHAT?!"
Before he could protest further, Alice summoned a massive flaming sword. With a single swing, she struck him directly in the chest.
The impact rang out like a thunderclap, but Aria didn't even budge.
"Whoa," Roy said, clearly awestruck. "He's like a tank!"
Aria looked at his unscathed body in disbelief. "I'm supposed to feel invincible, right? Because all I feel is sleep-deprived."
The list kept growing
The tests continued throughout the day.
Ski jotted down notes as they discovered more of Aria's abilities:
Elemental control
Weather manipulation
Time manipulation Sonic screech
Healing factor
The list kept growing, with no end in sight. By nightfall, the park was a wreck, and the group was exhausted.
Aria snapped his fingers, restoring the area to its original state with a flash of light. "There," he said. "Good as new."
Roy laughed. "You're amazing, man!"
Alice nodded. "And to think, we've barely scratched the surface."
Ski beamed with pride. "You're incredible, Aria. I'm so proud of you!"
Aria sighed, his shoulders slumping. "This is what I get for putting every power imaginable into one character profile." He muttered to himself, "I'm like a gag character."
The others laughed, and the day finally came to an end.
Six Days Later
Aria groaned as his alarm blared. Ski burst into his room, grinning. "Wake up, Aria! Today's the Reign Academy entrance exam!"
Aria sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Oh, right…"
He threw on his usual baggy hoodie and sweatpants, only to be intercepted by Alice and Roy outside.
The blaring alarm clock shattered the morning silence, earning a groggy groan from Aria as he rolled over in bed.
"Not again…" he muttered, fumbling to turn off the noise. Before he could return to sleep, Ski burst into the room, her energy levels far too high for the early hour.
"Wake up, Aria! Today's the Reign Academy entrance exam!" Ski announced, practically glowing with excitement.
Aria sat up slowly, his hair a dishevelled mess. "Oh, right… The thing you've been talking about nonstop all week," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Ski grinned. "And for good reason! You're going to crush it out there!"
Aria grabbed his usual baggy hoodie and sweatpants, throwing them on as he shuffled toward the door. However, as soon as he stepped outside, he was intercepted by Alice and Roy, who were waiting for him on the porch.
Alice's sharp gaze swept over him, and she frowned in disapproval. "What are you wearing?" she asked, crossing her arms.
Aria blinked, looking down at himself. "Uh… My favourite clothes?"
Alice sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're about to take an entrance exam at one of the most prestigious academies in the world, and you show up dressed like that?"
Roy chuckled, clapping Aria on the shoulder. "Hey, at least he's consistent."
Alice shot Roy a look before pulling out a neatly folded white summer dress and a pair of elegant sandals from her bag. "Here. Put these on," she commanded.
Aria stared at the outfit in disbelief. "You can't be serious," he said, his voice flat.
"I'm completely serious," Alice replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You're not going to embarrass us by looking like you just rolled out of bed."
"But I did just roll out of bed," Aria protested.
Alice pushed the outfit into his hands. "No excuses. Go change."
Roy laughed, leaning against the doorframe. "Don't fight it, man. You know she'll win."
Aria groaned dramatically as he dragged his feet back inside. "This is ridiculous," he muttered under his breath. "I'm doomed."
Back in his room
Aria sighed heavily as he trudged back to his room, only to find both Ski and Alice already waiting for him.
"Are you guys seriously going to dress me?" he asked, his tone a mix of annoyance and disbelief.
"Yes!" they replied in perfect unison, their voices firm and unyielding.
Before Aria could protest, they sprang into action. Ski handed him the white summer dress, while Alice presented the light brown sandals and a jacket that, much to his surprise, matched the outfit's style perfectly.
"Come on, hurry up," Alice said, her sharp gaze daring him to argue.
Reluctantly, Aria changed into the outfit under their watchful eyes. When he was done, he stood in front of the mirror, feeling utterly out of his element.
Ski clapped her hands together, her face lighting up with pride. "Oh my gosh, my brother is ready to conquer Reign Academy!" she said, practically squealing with excitement.
Alice stepped back, a satisfied smile on her face. "See? I told you this would suit you. You've exceeded my expectations by a mile—you're a natural beauty," she said calmly, though the pride in her voice was evident.
Aria glanced at his reflection, then back at the two of them. "Thanks, you guys," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm—but a flicker of genuine gratitude shone through.
Ski beamed. "You're welcome! Now let's go—you're going to blow them away!"
The Day of the Reign Academy Test
The trio stood before the gates of Reign Academy, gazing at the awe-inspiring sight. The school loomed large, a testament to its reputation, with sleek, modern architecture adorned in a pristine white and gold colour scheme. It exuded an air of wealth and sophistication while managing to look both contemporary and timeless.
Aria let out a low whistle, taking it all in. "So this is Reign Academy."
Roy smirked, clapping him on the back. "Good luck passing! Just try not to destroy the school while you're at it."
Alice added with a teasing grin, "Yeah, and make sure you hold back enough not to cause the end of the world."
Aria rolled his eyes. "Geez… thanks a lot," he replied in a dry tone.
Roy and Alice burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
Aria sighed heavily. "What am I, some sort of gag character?"
Leaving his companions behind, Aria walked toward the entrance.
The Entrance
As Aria stepped through the grand gates, his presence immediately drew attention. The courtyard was filled with participants, all chatting nervously, but the moment they noticed Aria, the atmosphere shifted. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Who's that?"
"She's so pretty!" one participant said in awe.
"She's gorgeous!" another added.
"It's almost like she's some kind of divine being," a third marvelled.
Aria groaned internally. Divine being? I'm still human, you know, he thought to himself, trying to ignore the murmurs.
The crowd's fascination didn't stop there. A group of boys began muttering to each other, unable to hide their admiration.
"She's way too pretty," one said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Do you think I'll have a chance to get her number after this?" another asked, his tone hopeful.
Aria's frustration grew. Too pretty? What does that even mean?
Before he could dwell on it further, a familiar voice broke through the noise.
"Well, well, if it isn't Aria."
Aria's expression flattened as he recognized the voice instantly. He turned, unimpressed. "I know that voice all too well. It's you, Lucas."
Lucas, with a cocky grin, crossed his arms. "I see you're here for the test too?"
Aria sighed. "Yes, I am," he replied, his voice devoid of enthusiasm.
Lucas's smirk widened. "Good. I've been waiting to pay you back for what you did last week."
Without waiting for a response, Lucas turned and walked away, leaving Aria to sigh again. "He's still mad about that?" he muttered sarcastically to himself.
Before the chatter could start up again, a new voice cut through the crowd.
"That's enough talking," the voice called out.
All eyes turned to the speaker, a tall, messy-haired man in his twenties with a dishevelled lab coat and glasses that sat crookedly on his nose. He exuded an air of laziness, like a scientist who had rolled out of bed five minutes ago, but his presence commanded attention nonetheless.
"My name is Maxwell," he said, his tone oddly amused. "I'll be your instructor for today's test."
Aria raised an eyebrow. His voice doesn't match his tone at all, he thought to himself.
Maxwell continued, his grin widening. "The test is simple. First, we'll check your speed with a lap around the school. Then, we'll measure your physical strength using a gravity-enhancing dumbbell. Finally, we'll test your overall power level by making you punch an indestructible dummy."
Aria blinked. Power level? Why do we need power levels?
Maxwell clapped his hands together. "So! Who's going first?"
"I will!" Lucas declared confidently, stepping forward.
Maxwell grinned. "That's the spirit!"
The Speed Test
The group moved to the starting line for the first test. Maxwell stood ready, stopwatch in hand.
"Are you ready?" Maxwell asked.
Lucas nodded, his confidence unwavering.
"GO!"
Lucas activated his gravity powers, making himself nearly weightless as he sprinted around the track. His feet barely touched the ground as he completed the lap with impressive speed.
Maxwell glanced at his stopwatch. "15 seconds," he announced cheerfully.
Lucas smirked, turning to the others. "See that?"
Maxwell's expression didn't change. "Too slow," he said casually.
The courtyard erupted with gasps and murmurs of disbelief.
"That was slow?!" one participant exclaimed.
"Are you kidding me?!" another shouted.
Maxwell chuckled at their reactions. "If you think that's impressive, you're in for a rude awakening. That's just an average time here. To make it into the Reign Academy, you need to go beyond exceptional—like Roy and Alice."
The mention of the two names caused a ripple of excitement among the participants.
"Roy and Alice? Even though they're our age, they're already legendary!"
"Do you think we'll get to meet them in person here?"
Aria sighed as the chatter grew louder. "This is going to be a long day" he thought to himself
Aria thought to himself, "Please, let this be over so I can go home, watch my anime, and eat junk food."
Maxwell called out cheerfully, "Next!"
One by one, participants completed the lap. Finally, it was down to the last two—Aria and a girl.
"That will be me!" came a loud, cocky voice filled with pride.
Participant 6 exclaimed, "It's Alexis!"
Participant 7 leaned closer, whispering with excitement, "I heard she's just as strong as Roy and Alice."
Participant 8 scoffed, crossing their arms. "So why's she here, then? Just to show off how powerful she is?"
Another participant chimed in, rolling their eyes. "That's what I heard. Typical Alexis—always needing the spotlight."
The girl who stepped forward stood at 5'8" with light orange twin tails tied with ribbons. Her aura exuded arrogance, like a spoiled rich kid who reviled in her own greatness. Alexis had powers tied to manipulating light energy rather than fire like Alice.
Alexis sneered, "I've been waiting for you peasants to finish so I can have my turn."
Aria sighed internally. "She seems like such a charming person," he thought sarcastically.
As Alexis stepped up, her body began to glow with a bright, blinding light, radiating confidence.
Maxwell grinned. "Are you ready? GO!"
With her light-based powers and enhanced superhuman abilities, Alexis completed the lap in the blink of an eye.
Maxwell checked the timer. "1 second!" he announced, astonished.
The crowd erupted in gasps. Even Maxwell looked impressed.
"That was incredible," Maxwell added with a grin.
Alexis smirked smugly. "Of course. Did you expect anything less?"
Finally, it was Aria's turn.
Maxwell called, "Who's next?"
"That would be me," Aria replied in a calm, elegant tone.
The moment Aria stepped forward, the jaws of the participants dropped once again.
"Not this again," Aria thought, frustrated.
Participant 7 whispered, "That must be the rumoured girl everyone's been talking about."
Participant 8 added, "She's even more beautiful than the stories say. She's in a league of her own."
"Seriously, why can't they treat me like a normal person?" Aria thought, sighing.
Alexis eyed her curiously. "So that's the famous Aria. Let's see if she can beat me."
Aria got into position. "I'll just use less than 1% of my speed and power. How hard can this be?" he thought to herself.
Maxwell raised his hand. "Are you ready? GO!"
The moment the signal was given, Aria moved so fast that time seemed to stand still for him. In a flash, he was back at the starting point.
The crowd stared, stunned.
"So, what was my time?" Aria asked, embarrassed by the attention.
Maxwell stammered, "Uh… 0.4 seconds."
Aria blinked in disbelief. "0.4 seconds? I thought I was holding back! Damn it!" Annoyance crept into his tone, though he hid it well.
The crowd burst into chatter.
Participant 1 gasped, "Not only is she beautiful, but she's insanely strong too!"
Participant 2 whispered, "Do you think she's even human?"
Aria frowned internally. "Stop comparing me to my siblings," he thought, a twinge of worry surfacing.
Alexis approached her, clearly impressed. "Aria, you beat my record with such ease."
"Oh no, does she want to fight me?" Aria thought nervously, preparing for a challenge. Instead, Alexis extended her hand.
"I, Alexis, acknowledge you as a friend," she declared proudly.
Relieved, Aria took her hand with a polite smile. "Thank goodness she just wanted to be friends," he thought.
The crowd erupted again.
Participant 3 exclaimed, "Did you see that? She made friends with Alexis so easily!"
In the background, Lucas clenched his fists in frustration. "I'll make you pay, Aria. It should be me getting all the fame and attention!" he thought darkly, his jealousy growing.
Next, it was time for the strength test.
Maxwell grinned, "In this test, we have prepared dumbbells that have the ability to increase their weight the longer you hold them. Since I didn't mention the average score for the last test, I'll tell you now: the average for this test is 100,000 points."
The participants exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes widening in shock.
Participant 7 gasped, "100,000!?"
Participant 8 exclaimed, "That's impossible!"
Alexis leaned in, whispering to Aria, "Are you worried?"
Aria smirked slightly, whispering back, "No, how about you?"
Alexis shrugged confidently. "Not at all. Getting 100,000 points is easy."
Lucas, standing off to the side, clenched his fists. "I'll make sure to beat you this time."
Lucas was up first. He grabbed the dumbbell with all his strength, using his powers to make it lighter.
"GRNN!" he grunted as he began lifting it.
The dumbbell's weight shifted, and the display flashed: 105,000 points.
"Yes!" Lucas grinned triumphantly. "Try and beat that, Aria," he thought to himself.
One by one, the other participants tried, each getting varying results. Finally, it was down to Alexis and Aria.
Alexis stepped forward first, her energy manipulation powers flowing effortlessly through her. Using her enhanced superhuman strength, she directed the energy to lift the dumbbell with ease.
The dumbbell's display lit up: 689,000 points.
Maxwell whistled. "Impressive!"
Alexis smirked, her voice dripping with pride. "Of course it's impressive. It's me we're talking about."
Now, it was Aria's turn.
Aria stepped up to the dumbbell, quietly telling himself, "Okay, I just need to be careful. I don't want to use too much strength this time." He gripped the dumbbell and began to lift it cautiously.
100,000 — the dumbbell's display blinked.
500,000 — the weight increased as Aria continued.
1,000,000 — the numbers climbed higher.
The crowd stared, astonished, as the weight continued to rise. Alexis, however, simply smiled with satisfaction, enjoying the show.
The numbers on the dumbbell kept increasing, surpassing what anyone had thought possible. The dumbbell's display flickered out of control, unable to register the weight. The last recorded number before the display froze was 100,000,000,000.
Aria stood still, a bit frustrated. "Damn it, I thought I was using even less power than before!" he thought, irritated with himself.
Participant 6 whispered in awe, "She's way too strong… she has to be a monster."
Participant 7 added, "She's too good for us. I'm surprised she's not rude or arrogant."
Participant 5 whispered, "She's way too pretty and beautiful to be human…"
Aria sighed inwardly, feeling the weight of their gazes. "I'm a human, too! Can they just treat me like a normal person?" he thought with a hint of frustration.
Alexis leaned over, her smile widening. "Why don't you show off more? It'll feel great. You should try it sometime."
Lucas, watching Aria, clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I swear, I'll make you pay for this!" he thought, a burning jealousy and rage starting to boil within him.
Finally, it was time for the last test of the day.
Maxwell cleared his throat, looking at the remaining participants. "In this test, we've prepared indestructible dummies for you to punch. The average score for this test is 1,00,000 points."
The participants were already starting to panic.
Participant 5 groaned, "Why did I even join this?"
Participant 4 muttered, "This is too much work… I'm leaving now."
One by one, the remaining participants began to exit, leaving only Lucas, Alexis, and Aria behind.
Maxwell raised an eyebrow. "I see that you three are the only ones left. Impressive."
Lucas smirked arrogantly. "Those people were weak and pathetic," he said boldly, looking down on the others who had left.
Alexis nodded with a smug expression. "100% agree. They were unworthy of even entering here in the first place."
Aria hesitated for a moment before speaking up, her voice filled with concern. "I think you guys are being a bit too harsh…"
Maxwell, however, shook his head confidently. "No, they are 100% correct. Those people were weak and not ready to be here."
He paused for a moment before continuing with a calm tone, "Now, let's continue with the test."
With a slight chuckle in his voice, Maxwell added, "As I mentioned earlier, we have prepared indestructible dummies for this final test, and the average score for this test is 1,00,000 points."
Lucas stepped forward with a determined smile. "Time to outshine Aria once and for all," he muttered to himself.
With a burst of power, Lucas punched the dummy with all his might.
The display on the dummy read: 1,100,000 points.
Maxwell clapped his hands, amused. "Well done."
Next up was Alexis, but before she approached the dummy, she turned to Aria with a smirk. "Aria, try to show off more of your power, even just a little bit," she said, her voice both smug and oddly kind.
Alexis focused, gathering her energy and blasting the dummy with a powerful surge of light.
The dummy's display flashed: 50,000,000 points.
Lucas's eyes widened. "50 million… I knew she was powerful, but to be this strong is just ridiculous."
Finally, it was Aria's turn. He reflected on what Alexis had said—"Fine, you want more power? I'll give it to you." But at the same time, he reminded himself to be cautious.
"Just use a little more power... but not too much," he thought.
Aria clenched her fist and let out a breath, carefully releasing less than 0.5% of his power.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from the impact, completely obliterating the so-called indestructible dummy. The display flickered as the dummy's final reading flashed: 999,999,999,999/immeasurable.
The three of them stared, wide-eyed in disbelief.
Alexis broke the silence. "So you did use more power than before."
Aria sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… maybe a little too much."
Lucas looked stunned. "First, he beat me at school, and now he beats me at the test for Reign Academy?"
Maxwell, unfazed, stepped forward and nodded. "With that, the test has ended. We'll mail your results shortly."
A few days later, in the early morning, Aria was still half asleep when a sudden whoosh filled the air.
Ski burst through the door, her energy practically radiating from her. "Aria, you're going to be so happy!"
Aria, groggily pulling himself from his bed, mumbled, "Sis, you're making way too much noise this early."
Ski beamed with excitement, holding up an envelope. "Good news! Your letter from Reign Academy has arrived!"
Aria's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, it came..." he thought, his voice slightly anxious. "I wonder if they'll accept me after what happened during the test…"
He took the letter, but before she could even open it, Roy and Alice suddenly appeared at the front door.
Aria raised an eyebrow. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked, his tone dry.
Roy grinned. "We wanted to know if you passed the test."
Alice added, "And Ski told us about the letter, so we rushed over as fast as we could."
Aria sighed, half-exasperated. "Figures. She'd do that."
Without another word, Roy and Alice stepped inside, clearly eager to hear the results. The three of them crowded around Aria as he hesitated for a moment before opening the letter.
he slowly unfolded the paper and read aloud:
"Congratulations, Aria. You have been accepted into Reign Academy. You have achieved the highest results of all new participants, even breaking world records. We would be more than happy to accept you."
The room fell silent for a moment before all three of them turned to each other in shock.
Roy blinked in disbelief. "Did he—?"
Alice's voice was full of awe. "He seriously did."
Ski's eyes sparkled with excitement. "My brother…"
The three of them cheered in unison, jumping up and wrapping Aria in a group hug.
After a few moments, they pulled back, grinning from ear to ear.
Roy punched Aria lightly on the arm. "See? I told you you'd pass!" he said with an infectious amount of energy.
Alice smiled calmly but couldn't hide the joy in her voice. "I'm so happy."
Ski hugged Aria tightly, her voice filled with excitement. "Aria, I'm so happy! That's my brother!"
Aria, still a little nervous, gave them a sheepish smile. "Well, thanks for the encouragement," he said with a nervous laugh.
End of Chapter 2