While all of this happened, in a different location, there was a different kind of excitent going on.
The Top 25 dorms were a world of luxury compared to the rest of the academy's housing. Reserved for the crè de la crè, it was a haven for the elite, featuring premium furnishings, private bathrooms, top-tier food services, and even personalized AI assistants. Each door bore a sleek digital display with the occupant's na glowing softly.
At the door of one such room, Micah Reeds leaned casually against the fra, dressed in a white vest and shorts. His hand rested firmly on the backside of a second-year student, pulling her close as they exchanged a heated kiss.
The girl, Olivia Crane, was a stunning brunette with short, tousled hair that she was attempting to ta into a loose knot. Her academy blazer hung loosely on her shoulders, half-buttoned, revealing the lacy black bra underneath. Smudged lipstick traced the curve of her lips, evidence of their earlier activity. Despite her disheveled appearance, she exuded a sultry confidence as she adjusted her uniform.
She finally broke the kiss, gently pushing against Micah's chest. "I really have to go," she said, her tone apologetic yet teasing.
Micah let out an exaggerated groan, running a hand through his bald head. "Do you really have to?" His voice carried a mock pout as his hands tightened briefly around her waist, pulling her closer.
Olivia chuckled, stepping back and straightening her blazer. "I wish I could stay, but I've got beast core augntation in my next period. You know how strict that class is."
Feigning a dramatic sniffle, Micah pretended to wipe away an imaginary tear. "You're breaking my heart, Liv."
Her teasing smile softened, and she stepped back in for a quick hug. "I wish I could stay too…with my hero," she murmured against his ear.
Micah's cheeks flushed, and he let out a sheepish laugh, though his grin betrayed how much he loved hearing it. "Stop it," he said, though his tone lacked any real protest. His hands wandered again, squeezing his hands between the crack of her ass firmly as she pressed closer.
"Why?" Olivia asked, her lips brushing against his cheek. "You are a hero. Because of you, most of the first years survived Cannadah. Everyone knows it."
Micah's blush deepened, and he stamred, trying to play it humble. "Babe… I told you, Lucas helped too."
Olivia pulled back slightly, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief. "Lucas isn't my man," she said firmly. "You are." She leaned in for one last kiss, slow and lingering, before stepping away.
As she adjusted her skirt and tied her hair into a ssy knot, she gave him a playful glance over her shoulder. "Don't wait too long to find later, hero," she teased, swaying her hips with an exaggerated wiggle as she walked down the hall.
Micah stood there, watching her retreating figure with a satisfied smirk, his ego thoroughly stroked. For now, the world outside his dorm didn't matter.
Micah shut the door behind him, a sly smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as his gaze fell on the crumpled sheets and a discarded tie on the floor—the unmistakable aftermath of their recent "exercise." He leaned back against the door for a mont, relishing the lingering mory, before muttering to himself, "Still got it."
He pushed off the door and stretched, cracking his neck. "A free day," he said with a grin. That was one of the perks of being in the Top 25. Their schedules were considerably more lenient than the lower years, leaving him with plenty of ti to do... absolutely nothing.
His eyes wandered back to the bed, but with Olivia gone, the room felt a little too empty. "Alright, ti to keep busy," he muttered, strolling over to his bedside table.
He picked up his sleek tablet, unlocked it with a swipe, and navigated to his private ssages. His inbox was a sprawling list of nas, each one saved with a playful or affectionate emoji beside it—hearts, winks, flowers, stars. Micah scrolled through the nas leisurely, his mind already sifting through the possibilities.
"Let's see," he said, tilting his head thoughtfully. He ntally cataloged them as he went, taking stock of each na:
'Lisa—too clingy right now. Emily—fun, but I just saw her last week. Jasmine—busy with training, probably not an option. Claire... His finger hovered over the na. Hmm, maybe Claire. It's been a while... and she's always down for a good ti,'
Micah smirked. His looks might not have been extraordinary, but his rank as Number 5 made him practically untouchable. Status was everything, and he had it in spades. Won flocked to him not just for his rank, but for the thrill of being associated with soone in the Top 25.
"Alright," he said, tapping on Claire's na and composing a quick ssage. "Let's see who's available to make this free day worthwhile."
Micah smoothed over the details of the et-up with Claire effortlessly. The first-year girl from 1C accepted his invitation without hesitation, confirming she'd be at his block shortly.
"Perfect," he muttered, tossing the tablet onto his bed. All he had to do now was wait.
Minutes dragged by as he sprawled across his bed, arms behind his head, his foot tapping idly against the mattress. He rubbed his bald head absentmindedly, swinging his head back and forth. The anticipation was starting to get to him.
Finally, a knock broke the silence.
"Right on ti," he muttered, sitting up quickly. But first—he swept the room for any lingering evidence of Olivia's earlier visit. He double-checked the sheets, cleared the bedside table of her hair tie, and sprayed a quick burst of air freshener for good asure. Satisfied, he approached the door, smug grin firmly in place.
Opening the door, Micah greeted it with the brightest, most charming smile in the galaxy—
Bam!
The next thing he knew, his head snapped to the side with enough force to make him stumble. Pain exploded in his jaw as he doubled over, clutching his face.
"What the hell?!" he sputtered, looking up to see Lucas standing in the doorway, lightning flickering ominously around his hands.
Micah scrambled to his feet, instinctively backing away as Lucas stepped into the room, his towering fra practically filling the space. The Number One student was an imposing figure on any day, but today... Lucas looked pissed.
"What gives?" Micah managed, keeping his voice steady as he wiped a bit of blood from his lip.
Lucas didn't answer imdiately. Instead, he advanced another step, forcing Micah to retreat farther. His eyes were hard, his face set in a scowl.
Micah raised his hands in surrender, his tone shifting. "Okay, okay! What's going on, man? Let's talk about this!"
Lucas narrowed his eyes, electricity crackling along his fingers. "Why are you such a bitch, Micah?" His voice was low and dangerous.
"What?" Micah blinked, genuinely confused.
"Don't play dumb!" Lucas snapped, his tone sharp enough to make Micah flinch. "Why'd you snitch on Noah to Commander Albright?"
"Snitch? I—what?!" Micah's confusion deepened, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for so explanation. "I didn't say anything to anyone!"
"Don't play dumb with ," Lucas growled, the faint hum of electricity growing louder.
"As we speak, Noah is being held for questioning. They're accusing him of willful concealnt—hiding his true potential to avoid being sent to the frontlines. Do you even know what that ans? They're saying he might've committed a war cri, Micah."
Micah's mouth fell open, his confusion morphing into shock. "Wait—what? Noah? A war cri? Are you serious right now?"
Lucas's glare didn't waver. "Serious enough that if anything happens to him, I'll be back. And trust , Micah, you'll have more than a busted lip to worry about."
Micah swallowed hard, his back pressing against the wall. For once, he was speechless as Lucas turned and walked out, the door slamming shut behind him.
---
anwhile, at the testing center, things were getting really heated for Noah.
One of the lab technicians, a short man in a pristine white coat with sharp glasses, stepped forward. He held a tablet in one hand and gestured for Noah to direct his attention above him.
"Look up," the technician said curtly, his voice carrying an air of disinterest.
Noah obeyed, his gaze landing on the large crystal suspended above the platform. Its surface shimred faintly, a pearlescent white hue that seed almost alive.
"That's a void stone," the technician began, tapping the tablet and bringing up a display on the nearby wall. "Specifically calibrated to asure abilities."
Noah remained silent, his heart hamring in his chest as the man continued.
"Let refresh your mory in case you've forgotten." The technician swiped at the tablet, and a chart appeared on the wall.
"Humans with awakened abilities are categorized into four classes. First generation, second generation, third generation, and the rarest of all, alpha class. Each class is further divided into levels 1 through 10, depending on the strength and refinent of the ability."
The technician pointed at a digital ter displayed on the wall, divided into sections with corresponding colors.
"When the test begins, you'll be exposed to direct energy from the void stone. The crystal will react to your energy signature, and its color will change accordingly. If it turns green, you're a first-generation awakened human. Blue indicates second generation. Red ans you're third generation. And black..." He paused, his tone growing heavier. "Black ans you're alpha class."
Noah's throat went dry. He already knew all this, but hearing it again in this context made his pulse race.
"If the crystal turns black," the technician continued, "this facility won't be able to determine your exact sub-rank—whether you're S, SS, or the exceedingly rare SSS. That requires specialized equipnt not available here. However, procedures are in place to escalate the matter if such a result occurs."
The technician locked eyes with Noah, his gaze clinical. "Understood?"
Noah gave a stiff nod, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
"Good," the technician said, stepping back. "Brace yourself. The test will begin shortly."
Noah's mind raced as he stood there. He rembered vividly the last ti he had undergone this exact procedure, just a month ago. Back then, the crystal had turned green, and the ter had labeled him a level 5 first-generation awakened human. That result had been expected, unremarkable even.
But now?
Now he had a system—sothing that defied logic, science, and every rule about abilities he had ever known. Since that fateful day in the cave during the first expedition, everything had changed. He hadn't just survived the encounter with the category 3 beast; he had awakened sothing far greater.
The void system.
And with it, an SSS-ranked ability that he still didn't fully understand.
For a fleeting mont, Noah considered confessing everything, turning himself in before the test revealed the truth. But how could he possibly explain the existence of a system only he could see? He'd sound insane. Worse, they'd probably write him off as a victim of trauma or hysteria—a first-year student who had cracked under the pressure of facing a beast far beyond his capabilities.
He could also just show them. Use Entropy Touch, one of the skills he'd unlocked, or even summon Nyx. One demonstration would erase all doubt about his newfound power. But that would an sothing far worse.
It would an admitting, in front of Albright and everyone else, that he knew he'd reawakened. That he'd been hiding it.
The mont that revelation ca out, it wouldn't matter how strong he was now. The military didn't care about excuses or survival instincts. Rules were rules. Hiding sothing of this magnitude would be seen as betrayal, as a willful act of defiance.
For the first ti, Noah realized the truth wouldn't set him free.
It would bury him.
Even if they believed him, the implications of his new abilities would lead to questions he couldn't answer. He wasn't ready to be dissected, taphorically or otherwise.
'But now,' he thought grimly, staring at the shimring void stone above, 'I'm about to be exposed.'
Noah exhaled shakily, stepping fully onto the platform as the humming of the void stone grew louder. The energy in the room shifted, and the crystal's soft glow intensified.
"All systems calibrated," the technician announced, his voice clipped. "Beginning test... now."
The crystal pulsed, releasing a wave of energy that rippled through Noah's body. His heart pounded as he waited for the inevitable reaction—the mont his secrets would be laid bare for all to see.
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