I was lying in bed, thinking about what had happened... first the school kidnapping... Dilan's death, the police taking us out of school, mom hugging me, going home... and...and the helplessness, the weakness, and the uselessness.
Mom always says that the strong are the ones who make the decisions and the weak are the ones who listen... that man shot because he was the strong one, and Dilan was the weak one.
I stayed on the ground crying because I am weak.
*Sobbing*
"I don't want to be weak," I told myself, the sound of the gun echoing in my mind.
*Stronger sobbing*
"I won't be weak," the image of Dilan falling backward flashed through my mind.
"I will be the strongest!"
At that moment, I didn't know it, but that night, through tears and nightmares, I made a promise that would shake this world entirely.
...
Seven years later
"Honey, do you have everything you need?"
"Yes, mom."
"Did you study enough?"
"Yes."
"Good... you know, sometimes it's hard to believe how much you've grown. I still remember like it was yesterday when I held you in my arms, and now look at you, getting ready to enroll at the Vanguard Hero Academy."
"..."
"Well, good luck, honey, I know you'll surprise me."
And with that, I said goodbye to mom and looked at the imposing arched gates. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and began walking along with countless other young people who also wanted to enroll. In the future, they might be my friends, but today, they are my enemies.
...
I entered the classroom assigned to me through the academy's website, where I would take the written exam. I walked in and saw that half of the seats were already occupied. I looked around but didn't see Selphira anywhere, and since she's usually very punctual, I suppose she was assigned to another room.
I looked around as if I were simply observing the others, but in truth, I was using my gene-scanning ability to see if there was anything useful here. And there was—a boy with purple hair and a bored expression, sitting in the corner, staring out the window.
I decided on my course of action and sat at the desk next to him.
"You don't seem very excited," I said.
"I'm not," he replied dryly.
"Really? Not even a little nervous?"
"Why be nervous when you know you're going to pass?" What arrogance, I couldn't help but think at his response.
"I'm Aelyra," I said, extending my hand.
He raised an eyebrow but shook my hand anyway and said, "I'm Lucas." And at that moment, I copied his gene.
...
The written exam was difficult, but nothing I couldn't handle. After the written exam came the practical test, which was divided into combat, support, mechanics, and genetics depending on the area you wanted to specialize in. Naturally, I chose combat.
We split into groups depending on which exam we were going to take. Then, we boarded buses, and after a few minutes of driving, we arrived at an enormous stadium.
It was the academy's stadium, one of the largest and most renowned in the world.
"Wow… it's really huge."
"Right?" replied a voice I didn't recognize. When I turned, I saw a tall girl with red hair and green eyes. She wasn't as tall as me, thanks to my Superhuman Body gene that made me six feet tall, but she was still very tall for a girl.
"What's your name? I'm Thalia."
"I'm Aelyra, nice to meet you," I said, extending my hand and using gene analysis on her, barely hiding my surprise at what I discovered, and of course, I copied her gene.
"Well, I'd love to chat more, but we're about to start, so good luck!" And with that, she entered the stadium.
"Well, at least she seems lively."
"And who was that?" asked a voice I recognized this time.
"Hey, Selphira. How did your exam go?"
"Good, it was a bit tough, but nothing impossible."
We chatted a little before a voice boomed through a megaphone.
"THE EXAM WILL START IN FIVE MINUTES. IF YOU DO NOT ENTER BY THEN, YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED."
With that, everyone ran inside with a bit of panic. Inside, there were even more students, all looking at how the enormous stadium held a small city with buildings, houses, power towers, and more.
We didn't have to wait long before a man descended from the ceiling, wearing a red suit, with fire coming from his hands like rockets.
"HELLO, FUTURE HEROES!" said the man into a microphone connected to the speaker system.
"It's Crimson Blaze, the number one hero in the city!"
"It really is!"
"So the rumors are true!"
"Is he really going to be a teacher here?"
And so all the young people started talking about the hero, until he coughed to get everyone's attention.
"Well, I like the enthusiasm, but I need to explain how the exam will work. I know the details were included in your registration, but rules are rules."
"Everyone has a paper with a number. That number, besides being your registration number, is also the zone where you will begin the exam." He scanned the crowd for any questions and, seeing none, continued.
"The exam is... based on points! And how do you earn points? Simple... by killing monsters, which will be released when the exam starts. Don't worry, the entire stadium is monitored at all times, so if anyone needs help, we'll intervene. However, at that moment, you'll be expelled from the exam. You'll keep the points you earned up to that point, but you won't be able to earn more." He paused again.
"So... GOOD LUCK! Believe me, you'll need it."