"Kaine... Kaine..."
A voice echoed in the back of his mind, slowly cutting through the haze of his thoughts.
"Kaine!"
The sharp yell snapped him back to reality. His head jerked up, eyes slightly unfocused as he met the stern gaze of his teacher.
"Y...yes, sir?" Kaine stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
The entire class was staring at him now, some smirking, others barely containing their laughter.
"You seem to be lost in thought," the teacher said, annoyance laced in his tone. "Tell me, is there something more important than this class right now?"
Kaine swallowed hard. "N-not at all, sir."
The teacher's lips curled into a sly grin. That wasn't a question—it was a trap.
"If that's the case, why don't you come up and demonstrate for the class how to create a Vaxian spell potion?"
A wave of dread settled in Kaine's stomach. He knew exactly why the teacher had called him out.
"B-but, sir, I—"
"Stop complaining and come to the front," the teacher ordered, his voice sharp and commanding.
Kaine hesitated, but he could feel the weight of a hundred eyes pressing down on him. His classmates were grinning, some whispering to each other, waiting for the inevitable humiliation. With a resigned sigh, he pushed himself up from his seat and walked to the front of the classroom, each step heavier than the last.
The table before him was lined with the necessary ingredients for a Vaxian spell potion. He stared at them for a moment, collecting himself before he got to work.
A Vaxian potion was considered basic by most standards. It wasn't just a healing potion—it went beyond that. A healing potion could mend wounds, but a Vaxian potion restored lost stamina and mana. It was a staple for warriors and mages alike, making it a fundamental part of alchemy.
The process was straightforward, but Kaine's problem had never been about knowing how to make it. It was what came at the end.
Minutes passed, and he worked in silence, grinding, mixing, and carefully layering each ingredient. His hands moved on their own, precise and controlled. By the time he reached the final step, the classroom was filled with an eerie silence.
This was it.
For the potion to be complete, it needed one last thing—magic. A sufficient amount of magic needed to be infused into the mixture for it to activate. It was second nature to everyone in this class, something as normal as breathing.
But among a field of blooming flowers, there was always one that refused to grow.
That was Kaine.
Born with magic next to nothing, he was the black sheep of his family, of his class—of the entire Academy. In this world, everyone was born with abilities, a gift bestowed upon them by the gods who ruled over Earth. These abilities determined a person's potential, their standing in society, and their worth.
Kaine had nothing.
Not a single ability.
Not even a spark of magic strong enough to be recognized.
His family had treated it as an embarrassment. His peers saw it as a joke. And this teacher—he saw it as an opportunity to humiliate him.
"Now, add the final ingredient," the teacher said, the same wretched grin plastered on his face.
The class chuckled in amusement. They were all waiting for him to fail.
Kaine took a deep breath and pressed his hand over the potion. He gathered what little magic he had, forcing it out in a controlled stream.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The potion began to glow.
A bright, shimmering light pulsed from the liquid, illuminating the entire room. The smirks and whispers ceased instantly. The teacher's face twisted in confusion.
'What…? I thought he couldn't use much magic…'
The light flickered—then dimmed. The glow faded into nothing, and the potion returned to its normal state.
Silence filled the room. Then, the smirks returned, and the murmurs resumed, louder this time.
The teacher let out a chuckle, shaking his head as if he had expected this outcome all along. "Do you know where you went wrong?" he asked, his grin widening.
Kaine clenched his fists at his sides. "Yes, sir," he said quietly.
"And what is that?"
"Lack of magic." His voice barely made it past his lips.
"Exactly!" The teacher turned back to the class, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. "Honestly, I don't know why you're still here if you can't even manage something as simple as a Vaxian potion." He scoffed. "And you're in your final year?"
Laughter erupted throughout the room.
Kaine kept his gaze down, his nails digging into his palms. He had gotten used to this. He should be numb to it by now.
The teacher stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning in. "If I were you, I'd drop out and forget about becoming a Holy Knight."
Kaine didn't react.
He just turned and walked back to his seat, ignoring the whispers, the grins, the pitying looks from the few who weren't laughing.
He drowned them all out.
—
Hours later, school had ended.
Kaine sat outside the Academy on a bench, staring up at the sky. The city was bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun. Above, aero-mobiles zipped through the air, and the magic dome that protected the city shimmered faintly.
It was a beautiful sight, a perfect harmony of magic and technology.
But it was all a façade.
A pretty illusion to distract people from the truth.
Beyond the walls of the city, beyond the light and safety, there was darkness. The Abyss.
A century ago, the Abyss had appeared on Earth, bringing chaos, destruction, and something else—opportunity. It had unleashed monsters, plagues, and horrors beyond imagination. But it had also brought treasures, power, and even new life.
Other races had emerged—Elves, Dwarves, Demons, Beastkin. Humanity had changed. The world had become something out of a fantasy novel.
But fantasy was a lie.
The strong ruled. The weak suffered. That was reality.
Kaine sighed, rubbing his temple. He was tired. Tired of the expectations, the ridicule, the constant reminder that he was nothing.
A familiar voice broke through his thoughts.
"Kaine!"
He turned just in time to see someone running toward him.
A girl, dressed in the Academy's black and gray uniform, a dragon crest embroidered on the breast pocket. Her long, dark hair swayed with every step, and her violet eyes gleamed under the setting sun.
The moment he saw her, his expression softened.
A genuine smile spread across his face.
It was his sister—Calista Duskbane.