Testing Day was the biggest event of the year in Dune—bigger than the damn Christmas.

  By early morning, Brookhaven High was already packed. A sea of people crowded the entrance—civilians, spectators, and students, all eager to witness the most anticipated competition of the year.

  Axel and Annabelle barely managed to squeeze through.

  "Brother, I'll wait for you here. Good luck!" Annabelle stood out in the crowd, wearing a floral dress and a hand-woven straw hat, the sunlight catching the delicate strands of her hair.

  Axel took a deep breath, tightening his grip on his student ID before handing it over to security.

  "Don't worry." He flashed her a rare smirk and stepped inside.

  .......

  From the top-floor viewing room overlooking the massive school playground, Principal Mason observed the arriving students.

  "Axel's here, sir." His assistant's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Mason turned, his eyes finding Axel in the crowd.

  A sigh slipped from his lips.

  A few days ago, Axel had been one of the most promising talents at Brookhaven—someone who could have been their third trump card alongside Theo and Cassia.

  Then came the incident. No one could have predicted it. No one could have foreseen him getting dragged into something so dangerous—and suffering serious injuries because of it.

  Mason wasn't an Awakener, but he knew how much those injuries had cost Axel. Even if his strength hadn’t technically decreased after recovery, his performance today would be affected.

  He shook his head. A damn shame. Not just for the school—but for Axel himself.

  "This year, it'll be up to Theo and Cassia to carry us," Mason muttered.

  His gaze shifted across the field to where Principal Theodore of Shadowridge High was chatting it up with government officials, laughing like he already owned the place.

  Mason's jaw tightened. Shadowridge High is about to walk away with most of the city's resources.

  "Axel, Over Here!" Before Axel even turned his head, he already knew who was calling. Cassia.

  The moment her voice rang out, heads snapped in his direction.

  Among them? Ryder and Vale. The two were always well-connected, and unsurprisingly, they were already mingling with some of the students from Shadowridge High.

  And the moment Axel's name came up? The attention shifted immediately.

  "This is Axel from your school?" A girl from Shadowridge snorted, glancing over. "He looks... pretty average. Nowhere near as impressive as Senior Alexander."

  Vale and Ryder laughed.

  "Yeah," Ryder smirked. "Compared to Alexander, everyone today is just a background character."

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  Vale barely spared Axel a glance. After meeting Alexander, she didn’t even feel the slightest regret about Axel anymore.

  And in the center of the buzzing crowd—one lone figure stood apart from the rest. Alexander.

  In the Shadowridge High lineup, Alexander stood alone in the corner, his expression unreadable. His sharp, indifferent gaze drifted over the crowd—not with arrogance, but with the detached air of someone who had already won. For him, today wasn’t a test, just another day.

  Vale exhaled softly. "Alexander is just... too damn good."

  Over the past few days, she and Ryder had been busy networking with geniuses from other schools, expanding their connections before heading to the War Academy.

  And out of everyone she had met—Alexander stood at the top.

  He had awakened early, and in the most recent school assessment, his Force levels had already exceeded 130—far surpassing anyone else their age.

  Vale glanced at her phone, where Alexander’s name was now saved in her contacts list. And just like that, Axel felt irrelevant.

  Her future was at the War Academy. Her circle would be filled with people like Alexander.

  ......

  "Everyone, line up by school! The test is starting!"

  Staff members moved through the crowd, organizing students into rows as the teachers stepped back.

  Unlike the usual school tests, today’s results wouldn’t be measured on campus machines—instead, the testing was conducted by neutral examiners, ensuring that no one had any chance to cheat.

  "Finally," Axel muttered under his breath. If this had been a few months ago, he might’ve felt nervous. With his Force levels skyrocketing and his house secured, his mind was at ease.

  Up in the viewing room, the school principals fell silent, all eyes turning toward the Dune Education Bureau Director—a man in his fifties, but carrying the presence of a king.

  His gaze landed directly on Alexander.

  "Theodore, you’ve done well this year," the Director said. "Training someone like Alexander will make my report to the provincial government... much easier."

  A satisfied smile tugged at Principal Theodore's lips, while the other school leaders exchanged glances but remained silent.

  "Let’s see how the test goes," the Director added.

  Mason’s expression darkened. He could already tell. Shadowridge High was about to dominate.

  .....

  With seven high schools, seven examiners, and over 800 students, the test would take the entire morning to complete. Students lined up according to height, putting Axel toward the very end.

  At the front of the line stood a testing machine—tall and metallic, resembling a standard height and weight scale, though it operated on far more advanced technology.

  Though it wasn’t yet their turn, everyone was listening intently.

  "Jack—82. Next."

  "John—93."

  "Sam—83."

  The examiner’s voice rang out one score after another, each name called swiftly before moving on to the next. The student who had just taken the test, Sam, froze.

  His face turned red—humiliation and disbelief warring on his features. "No way... That’s impossible!" he blurted.

  His voice shook, panic creeping into his tone. "I always get above 85! My family even bought me pills this week—how the hell did my score go down?!"

  The examiner frowned. "Step down," he ordered sharply. "Your test score is final. Do not hold up the line."

  But Sam refused to move. Tears welled in his eyes as a staff member grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

  His voice cracked as he shouted: "I worked my ass off for three years! How the hell am I supposed to explain this to my parents?! Do you know how much money they spent on me?!" His anguished cries echoed through the hall.

  For a moment, the students behind him stood frozen in fear.

  A tall examiner stepped forward, his voice booming over the restless crowd.

  "Students! You may have tested your plateau Force before, but remember—Force levels fluctuate. Stay calm and don’t let nerves get the best of you."

  His gaze swept over the students, some of whom were already sweating—not just from the heat, but from sheer anxiety.

  "Once you’re tested, your score, student number, and name will be recorded. After that, leave immediately." His voice hardened. "Anyone lingering around will have their scores invalidated."

  With that, he turned on his heel and walked away. The nervous energy in the crowd spiked.

  Several students, suddenly uneasy, started whispering among themselves—some even trying to swap places to buy more time before their turn.

  The minutes crawled by. The sun climbed higher, baking the concrete underfoot. The air thickened, the heat pressing down like a suffocating blanket—yet, for many, their hands and feet remained ice cold.

  "Storm? Force 101."

  Storm stepped forward. His face remained as unreadable as ever, but Axel noticed the subtle tell—his fingers twitching.

  The examiner looked up. "Have you awakened yet?"