Rael stood at the door of his home that morning, enveloped by an odd, chilling silence. The grey sky hung low over Pariah, casting a grim shadow over the shabby houses. In front of him, a large black vehicle rumbled with a low vibration that seemed to reach his bones. Its sleek, formidable exterior reflected a faint glimmer of sunlight, looking completely out of place in this area usually filled with rust and dust.Beside Rael, his mother watched the vehicle with a sorrowful expression, while the neighbours gathered around them. Like a magnet, the vehicle's presence drew various expressions from Pariah's residents—admiration, envy, and some unease. Quiet whispers filled the morning air, creating a soft but unmistakable hum in Rael's ears."I hear that Elite Academy is like a palace. The food never runs out," murmured a woman, placing her hand on her hip, her eyes glinting with obvious envy."If he succeeds, their lives will change—from Pariah straight to the top," mumbled an elderly man, shaking his head. His voice carried a mix of admiration and a trace of doubt. In Pariah, opportunities like this came once in a lifetime, if at all."He's lucky to get in there," said a young man by the doorway, looking at Rael with barely concealed jealousy. "Not everyone gets a chance like he does."Rael took a deep breath, trying to ignore the murmurs around him. He turned towards his mother, who greeted him with a forced smile, filled with both hope and sadness. Her weary face reflected her inner struggle, torn between pride and deep concern."Go on, Rael. We'll pray for your success," she said in a slightly hoarse voice. Her hand rested gently on his shoulder, as if giving him the last bit of strength she could before letting him go.With heavy yet determined steps, Rael walked towards the vehicle, his gaze tracing over each corner of the vehicle that seemed so foreign in their midst. As he opened the door, he saw several other students from Pariah inside, their faces mirroring his own mix of anxiety and excitement. He took a seat in the middle row, looking at the faces of those who would be his companions at the Dominion Elite Academy.The vehicle carrying Rael and the other passengers moved with a low hum, winding its way along the roads connecting each inner circle of Dominion. From his window, Rael watched with awe and disbelief at the scenes beyond Pariah Wall, places he had only imagined and heard about in stories whispered through Pariah. Each layer they passed felt like the unveiling of a new world, like chapters in a mysterious life unfolding before him.The first circle they passed was Laboria. As the vehicle crossed the entry, Rael felt an immediate shift in the atmosphere. The sky above was thick with dark smoke from factory chimneys, crowding the landscape like thorns on a snake's skin. The smoke was grey and heavy, filling the air with a sharp metallic scent, slightly charred, making Rael breathe with difficulty. Laboria resembled Pariah—dense, polluted, and weighed down by a tense silence. Yet there was an undeniable difference.Along the roadside, he saw rows of people in worn clothing, lined up almost in rhythm with the surrounding machines. Their faces were grim, etched with patience and resilience. With rough, tireless hands, they continued to produce the raw materials vital to Dominion, tirelessly meeting the demands from the inner circles. Every time they passed a factory, Rael could see the fiery glow from molten metal, the blaze of hot iron, accompanied by the roaring sounds of machinery. Among the workers were children who laboured alongside their families, faces aged beyond their years.Rael gazed deeply, feeling a surge of sympathy rise within him. He knew how hard life was in Pariah, but here in Laboria, although life might be more organised, they too were trapped in an unrelenting cycle. He saw men who were thin but sinewy, elderly women with hardened faces hiding deep-seated patience, all moving in harmony with the machines. The wall separating Laboria from the next circle wasn't particularly high and even looked weathered, as if to signify their lowly place in Dominion's hierarchy.The vehicle then crossed a taller, cleaner wall, entering Nobilia. Here, the atmosphere changed drastically. Like stepping into another dimension, Rael saw grand houses with neat gardens adorned with colourful flowers. The buildings in Nobilia resembled small palaces, surrounded by high black iron fences, each equipped with elegant street lamps. The roads here were clean and orderly, reflecting a life of privilege and luxury. If Laboria was a hard-working machine, Nobilia was a display of beauty veiled in pretence.Along the streets, Rael observed luxury markets offering exclusive goods—fresh fruits, succulent meats, fine fabrics fluttering in shop windows. People in Nobilia were well-dressed, their faces calm and polished, unlike those in Laboria or Pariah. They spoke in low, elegant tones, often with a composed, polite laughter, as if the world beyond their walls was but a distant shadow that couldn't possibly touch their lives.Suddenly, Rael's attention was drawn to an old woman standing at the border between Laboria and Nobilia. She was dressed in worn clothes, starkly contrasting the Nobilia residents. In her arms, she held a pale, frail child, wilted under the harsh sunlight. Her eyes were red from crying, and she pleaded with a guard stationed at the gate into Nobilia."Please, sir... my child is very ill. Let me have some medicine for him or take him to the hospital inside," she begged, her voice trembling, broken by suppressed sobs. The guard looked at her coldly, his face devoid of sympathy, stern and arrogant, like an unfeeling statue."Take your child back to Laboria. This isn't the place for people like you," the guard barked, slamming the large gate shut in front of her, ignoring her rising sobs. The gate closed tight, and the woman could only lower her head, walking away with stifled cries.Rael watched the scene with a mixture of emotions. Justice, a concept that Dominion was supposed to embody, looked bleak to him. The privileges granted only to those living in the inner circles had cemented a sense of injustice. His heart churned, questioning whether the walls were truly built to protect them, or simply to trap the lower classes in an invisible prison.After a moment, their vehicle moved on, bringing them to the innermost circle known as Sanctus. This area was the most exclusive circle, protected by a wall much taller and guarded by elite security. Rael looked up at the towering Sanctus wall, stretching seemingly without end, like a barrier shielding secrets accessible only to the chosen few. Even from the outside, Sanctus radiated an aura of unmatched power, like a golden cage safeguarding the very heart of Dominion's authority.Behind this wall, it was said, was the Holy Council, controlling every move in Dominion. Every major decision, every shift in fortune, stemmed from this central core. The wall wasn't only tall but was also meticulously guarded. Rael saw guards in pitch-black uniforms stationed at every corner of the wall. They held their weapons rigidly but ready, as though anything outside that wall posed a direct threat to their peace within.Rael could only imagine what lay hidden beyond this wall. His curiosity was intensifying. A question flashed through his mind—a question that had never been answered: What exactly did Dominion want to hide from its people? In the quiet of the journey, Rael wondered whether the wall meant to protect them was hiding dark secrets kept at all costs.The vehicle continued, but within himself, Rael felt something shift. The sights he had witnessed today would not be easily forgotten. Every wall they crossed seemed to peel away new layers of truth, long hidden. The desire to understand Dominion more deeply began to burn within him.Pariah, Laboria, Nobilia, and Sanctus—all these reflected a stark divide. If the Aegis Wall was built to protect Dominion from the Gloomspawn threat, why did these inner walls seem to protect the elite from the common people? The Aegis Wall was just the beginning of a layered system, a system that not only organised but also separated lives by status and power. Rael began to question the true purpose of these walls.Rael stared out the window, his gaze darkening. For someone like Rael, raised by Pariah Wall, life already felt like an unending struggle. But today, he realised that a far bigger battle lay hidden—a battle unseen but reflected in each wall they passed.The sun was already rising by the time they finally arrived at the Dominion Elite Academy. Rael looked at the grand building with awe. It stood tall with towering spires, surrounded by an imposing wall that looked impenetrable. Flags fluttered around the academy, each bearing the emblem of one of the academy's houses: red for Auctoritas, yellow for Ingenium, blue for Bellator, and black for Umbra. These four houses represented groups of students with unique talents, each trained to become Dominion's protectors against the Gloomspawn threat.Rael swallowed, feeling his heart pounding faster. This was a world completely foreign to him. The Dominion Elite Academy was no ordinary school; it was a place where only the best and strongest would survive, a place where dreams and fears blended into one.Before Rael could take it all in, a loud voice rang out over the loudspeaker, summoning all new students to the main hall. Rael and the others stepped out of the vehicle, walking through wide corridors towards the hall filled with new students. Every face showed expressions of both anxiety and excitement, just like his own.On stage, several figures dressed in all black stood proudly, each bearing the insignia of the Holy Council on their chests. They exuded a cold and commanding aura, making the hall fall silent.An elderly man with a serious face stepped forward. His sharp gaze seemed to pierce every student as if he could see straight into their hearts. "Welcome to the Dominion Elite Academy," his voice boomed, firm and authoritative. "Here, you are no longer mere students. You are the last bastion for Dominion, the line that will shield us from the darkness beyond. And here, you will face challenges you could never imagine."Rael took a long breath, aware that his life was about to change forever in this place. Whatever awaited him, he knew one thing for sure—his path back to Pariah would likely never be the same again.