The morning sun shone through the window as Zin woke up, remembering his strange meeting with Caius from the night before. He decided to keep it to himself for now, not knowing how to talk about such an unbelievable event. Today, he had to focus on real life, and the sadness of losing his mother was heavy on his heart.
As he got ready to go to school, his dad, Mark, stood in the doorway. His face showed deep sadness, his eyes red from many sleepless nights and sorrow.
"Zin..." Mark's voice broke, showing his pain clearly. "I—I'm so sorry, son. I don't know what to do. I'm... scared."
He looked at his father. The man who had always been strong and reliable was now struggling with their loss. Mark's shoulders shook as he cried, his hands trembling. He had always been protective, but now Kazekiel could see his father's weakness—his feeling of being lost.
"It's not your fault, Dad," He said softly. "We tried our best. Mom understood that more than anyone." He stepped closer and hugged his father tightly. "She always told us, didn't she? 'There's beauty in life, even in the hardest times.' That's what she wanted us to remember."
Mark cried openly now, his son's words comforting yet painful. He held onto Zin, the sadness finally coming out completely. It was the first time in days that Mark let himself truly grieve in front of his son.
As his father's crying started to ease, Zin whispered, "She would want us to keep going. We'll get through this. Together."
Mark nodded, unable to speak due to his emotional state, but his eyes expressed his thanks. It wasn't much, but it was enough to help him get through another day.
Later that morning, He headed to the academy. The usual route seemed different now, with the recent happenings weighing heavily on him. As soon as he stepped onto the academy grounds, he saw Wilfred, his supposed friend, standing with a group of students. Their eyes met for a second, and Wilfred gave a mocking smile.
"Look who's here. The Zero-Ranked Mage," Wilfred said, making sure everyone nearby could hear. His words hurt, but Zin had already decided not to let them affect him.
He kept walking, ignoring the teasing. Wilfred's words were painful, but Zin had bigger concerns. He wouldn't let small insults break him, especially after everything he had already lost.
While walking to his class, he accidentally bumped into a small, thin girl wearing a clean blue uniform—she was a senior mage, judging by her clothes. She looked up, surprised, but her expression relaxed when she saw Kazekiel's apologetic face.
"I'm really sorry, I wasn't paying attention," He quickly said, moving aside to let her go by.
The girl smiled, her eyes showing warmth and understanding. "It's okay. Just be more careful next time."
He nodded and rushed to his classroom, feeling the day's stress increase. But as he sat down, he couldn't stop thinking about that short meeting with the girl. For the first time in days, a small spark of hope lit up inside him.
In the classroom, the first-year students sat still, all eyes on Professor Tobias Ogun at the front. The class was about Magical Metallurgy and Magical Circuits, a tough subject that needed careful attention and a strong grasp of magical ideas. Professor Ogun was known to be strict and demanding, which made the students nervous. His skill in creating complex magical circuits made the class even more challenging for the students.
As soon as Professor Ogun walked into the room, he snapped his fingers, making glowing balls of light appear out of nowhere. These light balls floated above each student's head. The room quickly filled with a soft buzz of magical power as the light balls moved down towards the students. One by one, the light balls went into the students' bodies, giving them a small burst of energy. After a short time, the light balls came out of the students and went back to Professor Ogun, turning into a glowing paper-like shape.
The students looked at each other with worried faces as the light balls returned to the professor. Zin also felt a strange feeling inside him as the light ball passed through his chest.
"Biometric analysis finished," Professor Ogun said quietly, pleased as the orbs vanished into his hand. He looked around the class with a neutral expression, then clapped his hands.
Caius appeared in Zin's mind, floating at the edge of his thoughts like a quiet watcher. His voice, calm and wise, echoed in his thoughts.
"It's called Innate Light Biometrical Calibration," Caius explained, his ghostly figure standing next to Zin, unseen by the rest of the class. "A seemingly simple magical pattern with complex parts. It reads the Soul Codex, the core of a person, to gauge their skills and create what we call a 'Soul Apparatus'—also known as a System."
He blinked, trying to make sense of what he was hearing. Soul Codex? Apparatus? The words were confusing. Seeing ZIn's puzzled expression, Caius grinned and moved closer.
"Take it easy, kid. Just say 'Status Window,' and you'll get it."
With some hesitation, Zin said softly, "Status Window."
Suddenly, a bright magical pattern appeared in front of him, lighting up the whole room. The pattern twisted and formed a clear energy screen that hovered in front of Zin. On the screen, complex symbols and words showed his skills, stats, and other details.
[Name: Zin Maverick]
[Class: None]
[Title: None]
[Rank: Zilch]
[Level: 0] (0/5)
[Str: 2]
[Agi: 1]
[Int: 3]
[Def: 2]
[Mana: 1]
[Skills]
[Luck of the Faded (Passive) Lvl. 1]
[Description: Despite their lower rank and struggles, the mage's failures have resulted in unlikely strokes of luck at the most critical moments.
Effect: Once per day, the mage can automatically avoid an otherwise fatal or debilitating attack.]
[Mana Resillience (Passive) Lvl. 1]
[Description: Due to their limited magical abilities, this mage has developed an innate resistance to mana fatigue, allowing them to recover their mana faster than others.
Effect: Recovers 5% of total mana every minute of rest or during breaks in combat.]
The room went quiet.
Professor Ogun, who had been looking at his papers, suddenly looked up, his eyes wide with surprise. He stared at Zin as a bright window appeared, showing the full profile of the young Zero-ranked mage. The professor's face showed both confusion and worry—no first-year student should have been able to create such a complicated display without his help.
"W-What…?" Professor Ogun stuttered, breaking the silence. He moved closer, his usual calm manner shaken. "How did you…?"
Zin, just as surprised, looked at the glowing screen in front of him. Just like Caius had mentioned, his whole profile was there: his rank, magical skills, and even a detailed look at his magical potential—things he had never seen or thought about before. The screen showed abilities and traits he didn't know he had. He couldn't believe what had just happened.
The professor took a few more steps closer, his eyes squinting. "Creating a Soul Apparatus without any guidance? That's...impossible for someone at your level," Professor Ogun whispered, mostly to himself rather than the class.
Zin, still stunned, looked at the glowing panel. His heart was pounding. What was happening? How could he, a mage with no special powers, create such a complex magical object?
"I told you," Caius's voice whispered gently in his thoughts. "This is just the beginning. Your journey isn't as simple as what this world expects of you. You've been chosen for something far greater."