In Neo-Seoul, where glowing ley lines pulsed under streets of floating stone, where the sky itself shimmered with magical wards, Jin Ha-joon was a nobody. A Null. A mistake.
He crouched behind a crumbling wall in the old district, the metallic hum of a Ministry patrol drone buzzing in the distance. The broken ruins here were a stark contrast to the majestic spires of the main city, where magic dictated everything from transport to architecture. In these forgotten corners, the remnants of the "pre-magic era" remained, waiting to be scavenged by the desperate.
Ha-joon scanned the rubble, his calloused fingers brushing over glyph-inscribed shards and enchanted debris. Most of it was useless—cracked mana stones, burnt-out conduits, trinkets long drained of their power. But then his hand landed on something… unusual.
It was a cube. About the size of his palm, it gleamed faintly in the dim light, its surface etched with symbols he didn't recognize. Unlike the magical artifacts he'd seen in black markets, this cube felt cold, mechanical.
"What the…?" Ha-joon muttered, turning it over in his hands. For a brief moment, he thought he felt it pulse, almost like it was alive.
The hum of the drone grew louder. Swearing under his breath, Ha-joon shoved the cube into his satchel and bolted through the ruins, his worn boots slipping on cracked stone.
---
Neo-Seoul at night was a symphony of magic. Floating lanterns drifted lazily along ley lines that curved like veins through the city. Shops glowed with enchanted signs, their colors shifting in mesmerizing patterns. To most people, it was breathtaking. To Ha-joon, it was a reminder of everything he didn't have.
The cube weighed heavily in his bag as he entered his family's cramped apartment in the lower district. The walls were lined with peeling wards meant to keep out pests, though they rarely worked.
His mother, seated at the table mending a torn coat with a flickering enchantment needle, looked up. "You're late again."
"Found something," Ha-joon said, avoiding her gaze.
She sighed. "Ha-joon, you know nothing good comes from scavenging the old districts. If the Ministry catches you—"
"They won't," he cut in, pulling out the cube. "Besides, this might be worth something."
His mother's brow furrowed as she glanced at the object. "That's not… magic, is it?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
Her expression darkened. "Get rid of it. If it's technology, it's illegal. Do you want us both arrested?"
Ha-joon opened his mouth to argue, but the sharp knock at the door froze him. His mother paled.
"Hide it. Now," she hissed.
---
The black envelope arrived the next morning.
Ha-joon stared at it, his name etched in flowing, golden script across the front. It sat on their table like a curse.
"Open it," his mother said, though her voice wavered.
He tore it open, revealing a single sheet of parchment.
> Dear Jin Ha-joon,
You have been accepted to Arcane High, the premier academy of magical arts. You are expected to report for orientation tomorrow. Special transport has been arranged.
Ha-joon blinked. "This has to be a joke."
His mother looked equally baffled. "You're… Null. Why would they…"
Before they could process the letter, a shadow passed over their window. Ha-joon glanced outside and felt his stomach drop. Hovering above their building was a sleek, black carriage pulled by spectral horses, their forms shimmering like mirages.
A knock came at the door, softer than the one last night but no less foreboding.
"I'm not going," Ha-joon said firmly.
"Yes, you are," his mother countered.
---
Arcane High was nothing like Ha-joon had imagined.
The academy stood atop a mountain overlooking Neo-Seoul, its towers spiraling into the clouds, each glowing with ancient runes. The air thrummed with power; ley lines converged here, their energy palpable even to someone like Ha-joon.
As he stepped off the spectral carriage, he was immediately aware of the stares. Students clad in elegant robes of varying hues whispered as he passed, their eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.
"Who's that?"
"Looks like a Null."
"What's he doing here?"
Ha-joon ignored them, clutching his satchel tightly. The cube inside felt heavier than ever.
The induction ceremony was held in a vast arena, its walls adorned with shifting murals depicting legendary mages of the past. Thousands of students filled the stands, their chatter echoing in the enchanted space. At the center of the arena, a massive glyph had been inscribed on the ground, glowing faintly.
Ha-joon stood among the first-years, feeling utterly out of place.
"Welcome to Arcane High," boomed the voice of Master Seo Jin-woo, the headmaster. He was an imposing figure, his dark robes flowing like liquid shadow. "Today, you will prove your worth by summoning your Gyeonggi—the magical spirit tied to your soul. Step forward when your name is called."
Ha-joon's heart sank. He didn't have magic, let alone a Gyeonggi.
One by one, students stepped onto the glyph, their summons filling the arena with dazzling displays. A girl with fiery hair conjured a phoenix. A boy with a cold smirk summoned a wolf made of ice. The crowd roared with approval each time.
Then came Ha-joon's turn.
He stepped onto the glyph, the weight of thousands of eyes pressing down on him.
"Jin Ha-joon," Master Seo announced. "Begin."
Ha-joon clenched his fists, willing something—anything—to happen. The glyph remained dim.
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"Is this a joke?" someone shouted.
But before Ha-joon could step away in shame, his satchel glowed. The cube burst from his bag, hovering in the air. The glyph beneath his feet flared to life, brighter than it had for anyone else.
The laughter turned to gasps as the cube unfolded, its panels shifting like clockwork. A surge of energy shot through the arena, and an otherworldly construct emerged—a blend of sleek metal and glowing runes, unlike anything anyone had ever seen.
"What is that?" someone whispered.
Master Seo's eyes narrowed. "Impossible…"
The construct spiraled upward before slamming into Ha-joon's chest, embedding itself as a glowing mark on his arm. The arena erupted into chaos.
---
In the aftermath, Ha-joon was dragged into a meeting with the faculty.
"You brought technology into this school," one professor accused, his tone dripping with disdain.
"I didn't mean to!" Ha-joon protested.
"It chose him," Master Seo interrupted, his gaze heavy. "This isn't ordinary technology. This is a relic from the pre-magic era. And if it's awakened…"
The headmaster's words trailed off, but the implications were clear.
As Ji-hoon stood up and walked towards the door, ready to leave the serious atmosphere and the room, a voice spoke, "You aren't thinking about leave just yet, are you?" This voice wasn't of anyone he had heard in this room before. This voice itself shook him and made his legs shake from fear itself.
"Did you guys.. hear that?" As Ji-hoon turned to his side to check up on the others, he noticed the others were already numb from the sheer force and boldness of the voice.
Just then, a black figure appeared across the room and in a corner.
"What do you want!?" I asked, but he stood there, menacingly glaring at us, and after a period of 5 minutes passed... He disappeared into thin air, giving us a feeling of reassurance.
With him gone, all of us could now breath some fresh air.
Master Seo had his own ideas about who that could have been, as he began to speak his ideas out loud, my ears blocked his voice with a sharp high frequency sound, making my mind go all blurry.
"You aren't prepared enough to hear this." It was that same voice from earlier, as if it was warning me to try and not hear their voices.
I quickly ran out of the room, leaving the door open, dashing into the open campus. My ears were back to normal and there was no sound blocking the other voices in my head.
"So.. am I a Student here now?" I still had this lingering thought in my head, as I wasn't even a magic wielder..
"You probably are." Master Seo chased after me, finally stopping when he reached me, keeping his hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks, I guess," I replied, looking at the mark of the glyph on my hand, "Am I cursed?"
He disagreed and didn't believe that I was cursed, I was chosen by some pre-magic era relic and was now it's owner or.. it's vessel.
"Many people like you, exist in this world, you don't have to suffer this pain alone, you know?" Being comforted by Master Seo was something I didn't expect, but I don't dislike this feeling either.
"Don't worry, we will find a way to let you have your desired high schooler life in this school where magic flows like water." He added, as he turned to his side and left.
"Master Seo walks pretty fast." In just a few moments, he disappeared from my sight almost as if he had teleported.