Leon stood at the entrance of Horizon Archery Academy.
A towering silver building with glowing blue accents, it looked more like a corporate headquarters than a school. Above the entrance, a massive holographic screen displayed highlights from past students—perfect shots, intense duels, lightning-fast reflexes.
His heart pounded with excitement.
"This is it."
After being rejected from the Military Archer Registration Center, he had spent hours searching for an academy that would accept him. Horizon was one of the best. If he could train here, he'd get the qualifications he needed to join the military and find Iris.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.
The interior was just as futuristic as the outside—holographic targets, advanced training rooms, and walls lined with high-tech bows. Dozens of students moved about, some adjusting their sleek energy-enhanced bows, others testing new arrows in a digital shooting range.
Leon approached the registration desk, where a woman in a black and silver uniform glanced up.
"Name?"
"Leon Ortez."
"Previous academy?"
Leon hesitated. "…I trained on my own."
The woman raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"You'll need to pass an entry test. Do you have an approved bow?"
Leon grinned and slung his old Martian bow off his back. It was scratched, repaired dozens of times, with a grip worn from years of use.
"This is my bow."
The woman frowned. She reached out, scanned it with a handheld device, then sighed.
"This bow is unqualified."
Leon blinked. "What?"
"It's outdated. The pull strength is too weak. And these modifications—" She scrolled through a list on her screen. "Illegal energy boosters? Stabilization assist? On Earth, we follow regulated specs. Your bow doesn't meet any of them."
Leon's stomach dropped.
"But—I can still shoot! I'll prove it!"
She shook her head. "Without an approved bow, you can't register. Academy rules."
Leon's hands clenched around the bow. This thing had carried him through countless fights, through brutal Martian training. And now they were telling him it wasn't good enough?
"…So what do I do?"
She tapped a button, and a list appeared on a holographic screen in front of him.
"You need an academy-approved bow. Either purchase one or craft one under supervision. Once you have it, come back for the test."
Leon exhaled slowly, nodding.
"Fine."
He turned and walked out of the academy, gripping his "unqualified" bow tightly.
Outside, the city stretched before him—a dazzling landscape of floating walkways, anti-gravity trains, and shimmering skyscrapers.
Leon walked, his boots scuffing against the smooth pavement.
He passed massive weapon shops displaying sleek, state-of-the-art bows—far beyond anything he could afford. Inside, well-dressed students tested their new gear, laughing, comfortable in this world that wasn't built for people like him.
Leon felt the weight of his old bow pressing against his back.
On Mars, it had been his lifeline.
Here, it was worthless.
"Damn it."
He needed a new bow.
And he had no idea where to start.