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  ?? Quick Note Before You Read!

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  Another morning, another day. Birds chirped outside Ryu’s window as he finished packing his bag. He downed a glass of warm milk, took a bite of toast, and stepped outside. Grabbing his cycle, he decided to stop by Aiden’s place since he had some time to spare.

  As he pedaled through the quiet streets, he glanced back at his house. It was quite large for a student’s home. Soon, he arrived at Aiden’s place. The windows were all shut. With a sigh, Ryu climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. No response. He knocked three more times, but still—nothing.

  “Tch.” He clicked his tongue and pulled out his phone, dialing Aiden’s number. After multiple attempts with no answer, he let out an exasperated sigh. “Agh! Guess I’ll have to do this again—”

  Just then, the door creaked open. Aiden stepped out, disheveled but awake. A moment of silence passed before Ryu practically exploded, “GAH! Am I dreaming?! You, the guy who’s always sleeping, up this early… for SCHOOL?!”

  Aiden winced at the volume, plugging his ears. “Too loud. Pipe down.”

  Ryu crossed his arms. “That was a surprise. Guess you took my words seriously. Fine, whatever. We’re getting late—let’s go!”

  Aiden nodded lazily, and together, they headed to school.

  After settling into their classes, Mr. Theodore Brookshade, Class 2-A's homeroom teacher, walked in, his voice as commanding as ever. “Today, all Year 2 students will have a physical exam. It will be held after the lunch break. Assemble on the grounds of Block A. Be prepared.” With that, he left the room.

  The classroom buzzed with reactions. Some students were excited to escape regular lessons, while others worried about how it would affect their grades. Ryu, however, simply stared at the board before letting out a loud sigh.

  The cafeteria was its usual mess—students talking, laughing, and shoving past each other with trays full of food. Ryu sat across from Aiden, poking at his meal with a vacant stare, lost in thought.

  Aiden, on the other hand, was completely zoned out, staring at his cream bun, oblivious to the rustling around him. Ryu grabbed a chilled can of juice and pressed it against Aiden’s cheek, hoping to snap him out of his trance.

  “What are you doing?” Ryu asked.

  Aiden blinked, barely registering the question, before slipping right back into his daze.

  Ryu sighed, shaking his head. Of course that was ineffective. What was I even expecting? A reaction?

  Unbothered, he shrugged and started eating his lunch.

  Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a commotion near the entrance.

  A group of upperclassmen had surrounded a first-year girl, their postures aggressive. One of them, a tall guy with a cocky smirk, loomed over her while his friends laughed.

  Ryu tensed.

  The girl stood her ground, arms crossed, her face unreadable—but Ryu didn’t notice that part. His body was already moving before his brain caught up.

  He left his tray on the table and strode toward them.

  “Oi,” he called out, loud enough to turn heads. “What the hell are you doing?”

  The upperclassmen turned, eyebrows raised. The leader, still smirking, tilted his head. “Mind your business, kid.”

  Ryu ignored him and looked at the girl. “You okay?”

  She blinked, then—without a word—slipped right past them.

  Ryu frowned. Wait… she wasn’t stuck? Then why—

  “See? No problem here,” the guy said, stepping forward. “But now, we got one.”

  Ryu exhaled through his nose, forcing himself to stay calm. “Look, I don’t want any trouble. Just quit acting like a jackass and go eat your damn food.”

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  The guy’s smirk twitched. “What’d you say?”

  “I said—”

  The punch came fast. Ryu barely dodged, stepping back as chairs scraped against the floor. Heat rushed to his head.

  The cafeteria lady at the counter shouted, “No fighting inside!”

  They locked eyes.

  Ryu’s pulse pounded in his ears.

  Fine.

  Outside, then.

  The fight didn’t last long.

  Ryu was good—but the guy was bigger, stronger, and just as much of a hothead. A few exchanged blows later, Ryu was on the ground, breathing hard, sporting a couple of bruises, but nothing serious.

  He sat up, wiping his cheek as the upperclassman snorted, cracking his knuckles. “Tch. Waste of time.”

  Ryu didn’t answer. He just grinned through the pain. After a while, a shadow loomed over him. Aiden stood there, casually munching on his cream bun, holding another out for Ryu.

  “Mmm. Wanna eat?”

  Ryu twitched, veins popping on his forehead. Aiden took another bite. “No? Alright, more for me.”

  “GAH! I’LL KILL YOU!” Ryu shot up, chasing after him, but Aiden effortlessly outran him. Panting, Ryu shouted, “I got my ass handed to me, and you just watched?!”

  Snatching the bun from Aiden’s hands, Ryu furiously started eating. Aiden, still sluggish, barely lifted his bun. “Too much effort… you looked fine.” He gave a lazy thumbs-up.

  Ryu’s eye twitched. “You know magic! You could’ve beaten them.”

  Aiden stretched, yawning. “Meh.”

  A moment of silence. Ryu glanced at the half-eaten bun in his hand, grip tightening. “This is not fair.”

  Aiden licked his fingers, turning away. “Then beat it.”

  Ryu didn’t respond. But the way he zoned out said enough.

  Later, all Year 2 students gathered at the field for the physical exam. The energy was high, and the presence of outsiders watching was unusual. Ryu noticed but ignored it, stretching. Aiden, as expected, stood at the back, yawning, uninterested.

  The tests began—sprints, endurance runs, jumps, burpees, and strength challenges. Despite having no magical enhancements, Ryu pushed himself to keep up. Meanwhile, Aiden observed the crowd… and then—

  He saw someone.

  In an instant, Aiden’s sluggish demeanor shattered. Before anyone could react, he shot forward with lightning speed. His movements were flawless, his jumps powerful, his sprint terrifyingly fast. He shattered previous records by a huge margin, leaving even the top students in shock. Even the instructor stood baffled.

  Panting from his own attempt, Ryu gawked. “What the hell…”

  Aiden finished the last event miles ahead but stood frozen at the finish line. His heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears. Something felt… off.

  Ryu ran up to him. “Aido? Aidooo—AIDOOO!” No response. He waved his hand in front of Aiden’s face. Nothing.

  Clap! Ryu clapped loudly next to his ear.

  Aiden flinched, rapidly blinking back to reality. The crowd erupted with questions.

  Annoyed by the noise, Aiden muttered, “Ugh… noisy.”

  Ryu smirked. “That was awesome, man. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

  Aiden shrugged, looking restless. But before Ryu could say more, the instructor called the students back.

  Back in class, murmurs spread among the students.

  "Hey, did you hear the news? There might be a war soon between Yuánxuán and Aryavarta," one student whispered.

  "Yeah, I saw that too," another replied. "Those two nations have been on bad terms lately. Traveling there could be dangerous."

  Before the conversation could continue, Mr. Theodore Brookshade, their homeroom teacher, stepped forward. His deep voice silenced the room.

  "Finals are approaching. And with them, the most important decision of your high school life."

  The classroom fell into a tense hush.

  "After the exams, a practical assessment will determine your future path. Those with strong magical abilities will be sent to one of the nine elite magic academies, where they can choose between combat roles or positions supporting society. However, those with little to no magical affinity will need to excel academically and physically to qualify for the Army Academy. Other career paths exist, but for most non-magical students, the army remains the main goal."

  Students exchanged nervous glances. Some were excited, while others looked uneasy.

  Ryu clenched his fists.

  He had always wanted to fight alongside magic users, but fate never granted him an affinity. No matter how hard he tried—again and again—nothing ever manifested. He held onto hope for years, waiting for a miracle. But that day never came. Eventually, he gave up.

  The whispers of others still echoed in his mind:

  "That kid? He’ll never amount to anything."

  "No affinity? He’s got no future."

  "A failure from a family of magic warriors."

  But what broke him wasn’t the gossip. It was his father’s words:

  "You’re a disgrace to our lineage. We’ve given up on you. Don’t shame us anymore."

  Those words shattered him.

  If he couldn’t be a magic soldier, then he would become a soldier in the army. That became his goal. He had always lagged behind his peers—physically and magically. He had no friends until he met Aiden, but that was a story for another time.

  As these thoughts churned in his mind, Mr. Brookshade’s smirk returned.

  "However," he continued, "before the assessment… I have good news."

  The students leaned in.

  "As a reward for your hard work in the exams, the school has organized a five-day expedition to the Royal Beczethone Ruins, along with a campsite trip. Consider this a farewell gift from us teachers—a final adventure with your friends before you all go your separate ways."

  Excitement erupted through the classroom, breaking the tense atmosphere.

  Mr. Brookshade’s voice cut through the cheers, "Enjoy yourselves. Because after that, your future begins."

  Ryu exhaled. He was excited about the trip, but his mind remained heavy. The real challenge wasn’t the exams or the trip—it was the assessment.

  His future would be decided there.

  Clenching his fists, he took a deep breath.

  "I’ll make it. I’ll become one of the best cadets."

  Chapter End

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  End-of-Chapter Note

  If you enjoyed this chapter or have any thoughts, I’d love to hear them! Whether it’s something you liked, something that felt off, or any suggestions, feel free to share. I’m always open to feedback, criticism, and discussions to make the story even better.

  I’m also experimenting with my update schedule! If you’d like to see more frequent updates or have any input, drop a comment or leave a review. Your support truly makes a difference!

  If you're enjoying the journey so far, please consider leaving a review and rating—it helps a ton and keeps this story going strong. Your feedback and encouragement mean the world to me!

  Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! ????

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