I bolted through the forest, my breaths ragged as the trees blurred into indistinct shapes around me.
"Come on, come on," I muttered under my breath, the ground crunching beneath my feet.
The faint hum of the mask lingered in the back of my mind, a constant, quiet presence I tried to ignore. I didn't have time to think about it now.
I skidded to a stop, my heart sinking.
"The messages from Mom…" I whispered, a chill running down my spine.
They'd been clear. Wishing me luck, reminding me not to be late.
At first, I'd assumed they were fresh. But now that I thought about it…
"How long was I in there?" I muttered, panic creeping into my voice.
My mind raced, piecing it together.
"Three days," I said aloud, my breath catching in my throat.
The weight of the realization hit me like a blow.
"Three days since I left for the cathedral. Three days trapped in that place… and recovering."
I clenched my fists, forcing my legs to start moving again.
"The entrance ceremony," I said, the words tumbling out as I pushed forward. "It's today."
My steps quickened, the forest a blur of shadows and motion around me.
"Of course it's today. Of course I lose three days right before the most important event of my life," I growled, frustration mixing with fear.
By the time I reached the dormitory, the city was already buzzing with activity. The mana-powered public transit zipping along, streets crowded with students in their crisp uniforms, and banners fluttering in the breeze.
Bursting into my room, I barely paused to catch my breath before ripping open the locker. My uniform lay neatly folded inside, untouched since I had first equipped myself days ago.
"Not much time," I muttered, stripping off the tattered, soot-stained uniform and pulling on the fresh one.
The new outfit fit perfectly, its crisp lines and embroidered emblem of Astrea Academy gleaming in the sunlight streaming through the window.
But in my rush, I didn't notice the small detail I had overlooked.
My sword still carried the faint scent of blood from my encounter with the fire wolf.
**Astrea Academy**
The academy's main hall was immense, its vaulted ceiling stretching impossibly high, adorned with banners bearing the sigils of the Twelve Great Houses of Astrea.
Once, there had been thirteen.
In the center the star of House Astrea itself the royal house that rules over humanity.
Founded by Lord Astrea Humanities First Divine Mage.
The hall buzzed with energy as students filed in, their nervous chatter filling the air.
"I heard Celeste Astrea is attending this year"
"I heard children of multiple great houses are also attending"
"What is your element"
"Are u ready for the duel"
The stage at the far end of the room held a massive crystalline orb, pulsing faintly with mana.
"What is that?" a student asked.
"That is Orb of Evaluation, the device used to reveal each student's mana core rank, progress, and elemental affinity."
Kai Pov
I slipped into the hall quietly, my eyes scanning the room for familiar faces.
I saw many but not the one I was looking for.
Mortis.
Even though I had never met him in this world, I recognized him instantly.
He stood alone.
He was tall most likely over 180 cm.
He was thin and his skin was sickly pale he looked as if he could drop and die any moment now.
But that wasn't what I noticed, It was his eyes.
Those mirrored eyes, reflecting the void itself, sent a chill down my spine.
Mortis the chosen hero of reality.
The energy in the hall grew tense as the evaluations began.
One by one, students were called to the Orb of Evaluation. Each name echoed through the chamber, followed by the flare of mana as the orb revealed their ranks and elements.
"Novice. 10%. Fire Element."
"Novice. 12%. Ice Element."
"Novice. 14%. Wind Element."
Applause rippled sporadically, enthusiasm rising and falling with each result. The higher the progress and the rarer the element, the louder the reactions.
"Kai Night."
The chatter dimmed as I stepped forward. My heart pounded in my chest, and my hands felt clammy as I placed them on the orb.
A pulse of energy surged beneath my fingertips, warm and oddly comforting. The orb flared, brilliant light flooding the hall.
"Novice. 18%. Space-Time Element."
It seems like merging with mask also made my mana core make some progress.
The room fell silent.
And then the murmurs began.
"Space-Time?"
"That's a element fs"
"18% too.."
I withdrew my hand quickly, the weight of their stares pressing down on me.
So much for flying under the radar,
As I passed, I couldn't help but glance at Mortis.
Mortis pov
Space-Time.
The whispers around the hall were mere static to me.
It wasn't the rarity of the element that caught my attention. Nor the unusual 18% progress.
It was him.
Kai Night.
He didn't exist.
No threads. No echoes. No presence in any of the timelines I had seen. He was an anomaly, a void that defied reason.
I tilted my head, watching him as he stepped back into the crowd, his shoulders tense under the weight of so many gazes.
I couldn't see his future.
Every other student in this room was laid bare to me, their paths unraveling in my mind like threads of silk. Their victories, their failures, even their deaths.
But not Kai Night.
In every timeline, every reality, he simply wasn't there.
"How curious," I murmured to myself, the words barely audible.
"Mortis," the announcer called, and the hall fell silent once again.
No surname. No title. Just Mortis.
The whispers began as I stepped forward.
"Who's that?"
"No last name?"
"He doesn't look like much."
Their words didn't bother me.
The orb's light dimmed as I placed my hand on its surface.
It hesitated, as if reluctant to reveal its findings.
Then the orb flared.
"Element: Unknown."
A ripple of confusion spread through the crowd.
"Unknown?"
"What does that mean?"
"Is that even possible?"
I withdrew my hand, my expression calm. The orb didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.
I looked towards Kai but his radiant blue eyes as calm as ever without the slightest hint of surprise.
It's as if already knows everything.
How interesting.
Selena pov
Valtheris one of 12 great noble houses famous for their war element.
Selene Valtheris watched the evaluations with a mix of disdain and boredom. Most of these students were unremarkable. A few had potential, but none were worth her attention.
Until Kai Night.
Her crimson eyes narrowed as the orb revealed his Space-Time Element.
"Impossible," she muttered under her breath, her fists clenching at her sides.
The rarity of the element was one thing, but the sheer audacity of someone like him possessing it infuriated her.
Someone from a lesser noble family.
And then came him.
"Mortis," the announcer called, and Selene's expression hardened.
Her twin brother, the outcast of House Valtheris, had no right to be here.
As the orb flared, revealing his element as Unknown, she smirked.
"Figures," she muttered. "Even the orb doesn't know what to make of you."
But beneath her scorn was unease.
He shouldn't be here.
No one else in the hall knew who he was, but Selene did.
Mortis Valtheris, disowned by their family for reasons even she didn't know. A shame and a stain on their house's honor.
Her father deemed him a monster.
Yet here he was, standing tall, drawing attention he didn't deserve.
Her gaze flicked back to Kai Night, then to Mortis.
"Both of you," she whispered, her voice low and venomous. "Stay out of my way."