Essence is sacred. That's what I was taught from a young age.
My friends call me Ron. My family calls me Mischa. But to the rest of the Essence-using world, I'm known as an Essence-Blessed—an individual born with a higher Essence count than normal, requiring training from adolescence to master its use. And I did just that.
I was great at everything—achieving high grades in school and excelling in my clan's training. I did my best to prove I was the clear frontrunner to take my mom's place as the next Fortune Keeper, head of the Fortune Clan, and the person responsible for keeping both this world and the normal world spinning.
But everything changed when I finally made it to the academy.
From the outside, it looked like a normal college, but beneath the surface, it was the heart of the Organization—the governing force of Essence users dedicated to fighting in an ongoing war.
"Mr. Fortune, as much as we'd love to marvel at the latest Fortune prodigy, class must continue. Perhaps you'd like to introduce yourself?"
Professor Lucid's voice sliced through the murmurs of the lecture hall, laced with a subtle push of bloodlust. A cold shiver ran down my spine.
I exhaled, standing up. My plain black sweatsuit rustled slightly as I adjusted my stance, the weight of three swords at my waist familiar and grounding. I rolled my shoulder, revealing the seven of spades tattoo on my arm as I infused it with a faint pulse of Essence.
"My name is Laron Fortune, of the Fortune Clan." My voice steadied. "I look forward to protecting this world with all of you."
"Thank you, Mr. Fortune," Lucid said, his tone carrying a trace of amusement. "Since you seem eager to impress, why don't you answer one of the prompts on the board?"
I scanned the board, choosing question five.
"In battle, Essence can be used in two primary ways: first, through the manipulation of one's own Essence into weapons, and second, through the use of Domains, which harness the world's natural Essence."
"Perfect. Mr. Adams, would you care to expand on weapons?"
Beside me, a tall, broad-shouldered figure sighed and stood lazily.
"My name is Zach Adams. I'm from the Breaker Clan. The use of Essence in weapons varies depending on the type of weapon," he said before attempting to sit back down.
"And we'd be honored if you could go into a little more detail," the professor prompted sarcastically.
Zach rolled his eyes.
"You should've just said that from the start. I don't get why the Fortune brat got to choose his prompt, but whatever. Weapons used to be rare and exclusive to the elite, but these days, they're more accessible and categorized into three levels."
"Level One includes basic weapons pre-infused with Essence or made from corpse parts. A toddler could use one if they got their hands on it. Level Two requires at least a semi-proficient user who can channel their own Essence into the weapon. And Level Three… well, those weapons are on par with, if not superior to, Level Three Awakened Domain users."
Zach finished with a smirk, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he returned the professor's earlier jab.
"Well, I thought you'd want to piggyback off your friend," Professor Lucid responded matter-of-factly. "Now let's let the last member of your trio finish us off."
On my other side, a smaller figure stood, moving a bulky bag out of the way. Amir Robinson. He glanced around the room before speaking.
"I'm not from a recognized clan, so I won't bore you with their name."
A few students chuckled. Amir ignored them.
"Domains have remained fundamentally the same throughout history. Their growth follows different paths, but within the Organization, we classify them into three levels."
"Level One: Users reach their physical limits and gain 360-degree perception. Some advanced users can slightly manipulate Essence in their Domain, but it's mostly a passive enhancement."
"Level Two: Users can lightly manipulate the Essence in the area. Allies within the Domain experience increased Essence flow, while enemies find it disrupted."
"Level Three: The user alters the very properties of a space within their Domain, reshaping reality itself using natural Essence."
"Textbook answer, Mr. Robinson," Lucid acknowledged with a nod. "And if everyone has gone, I'll—"
"No, everyone hasn't," a short, red-haired figure said from the front of the class.
Before the professor could respond, she continued.
"My name is Deyanis Solaris, but you can call me Deya. I'll take question one since everyone else skipped it."
"Be my guest, Ms. Solaris," Professor Lucid said, still slightly embarrassed.
Deya stood confidently and answered.
"Agency teams are usually made up of five members: one senior officer and four academy students." She exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, Ms. Solaris, but it's a little more complex than that. Among the four students, one is designated the team leader. I'm sure you already knew that," the professor replied, regaining his composure.
"And since this is your first day," Professor Lucid continued, gesturing to the board, "I'll announce the team leaders based on your academy entrance rankings."
The professor wrote the rankings on the board as the class murmured in anticipation:
Team Leaders and RankingsH. Spectre – Rank 1E. Evermore – Rank 2S. Fortune – Rank 3J. Musket – Rank 4K. Obsidian – Rank 5
Murmurs spread through the room. I clenched my fists, irritation bubbling inside me.
"Yes," I said, my voice tight with irritation and slight confusion. "I was told I had the best entrance exam scores. So how am I only ranked third?"
"Welcome to the real world, Mischa," a voice drawled from across the room.
Hayden Spectre.
I felt my blood boil.
"Who gave you permission to use that name?" My hand went to the hilt of my sword.
"What, only your dear mother can—"
Before he could finish, I appeared in front of him, sword drawn and aimed at his neck. For a moment, I was ready to strike—just a little cut—but then, I couldn't move.
My eyes darted back to the professor, who stood calmly, his hand slightly raised.
"As much as we'd all love to see a battle between two members of top-tier clans," Lucid said evenly, "this isn't the time. Class, what you are experiencing now is my Level Two Domain—of course, not at full power. While most of you might not feel any negative effects, these two are completely immobilized. Right now, even a normal human could take them down."
Then, something shifted. Lucid's stance faltered slightly. His Domain flickered.
"Sorry, Professor," Zach said, Essence pulsing as he disrupted the Domain. "That's my future team leader you've got there."
"Also, we'd appreciate it if you kept your bloodlust in check," Amir added, his hand subtly lowering a concealed weapon.
Lucid's eyes flickered with interest.
"This is going to be an interesting year."
I exhaled sharply, sheathing my sword as I turned away.
On my way back, a small figure stepped in front of me.
"Hi!" she said brightly. "I don't know if you caught my introduction—I'm Jenny Musket. Can I see your swords? They look like ones my great-uncle made."
"That's because they are," I replied, still agitated. "But you'll have to wait."
I nodded toward the door.
"They're here."