Axel’s turn drew more attention than expected. He wasn’t a celebrated genius like Alexander, nor had he ever been considered a standout. Hell, just half a month ago, most students barely knew his name.

  But two incidents in Dune had changed everything. Now, even if other schools weren’t expecting much, they were at least curious.

  Under the stage, Grey looked away, unwilling to watch. He’d seen this kid struggle for three years. He knew better than anyone how hard Axel worked. He really thought the kid had a chance—a real shot at breaking free from poverty and obscurity. But after what happened a few days ago... Grey clenched his jaw. This isn’t fair.

  .....

  "Axel’s up next," Ryder murmured, nudging Vale. Vale had already finished her test—she’d hit 95 Force, right on the cutoff line. She wasn’t worried, though. With her academic record, she was still confident in her future.

  She barely reacted, just nodding absentmindedly as she continued chatting with some of the high-scorers.

  Axel, meanwhile, exhaled deeply and stepped onto the platform.

  The examiner, an older woman, barely spared him a glance. She pressed the button and waited for the results.

  Normally, the number would appear within three seconds. But the screen stayed blank. Seconds dragged on.

  Silence. The crowd started murmuring.

  "What's going on?"

  The male examiner in charge of the test frowned. The female examiner twitched slightly, then suddenly gestured for him to come over. "Check the machine. Is it broken?"

  "Huh?" The man scowled. "These machines are standardized—no way it's—"

  Then he saw the number. He stopped mid-sentence. His entire body stiffened like he’d just been hit with a jolt of electricity. His head snapped up, eyes locked on Axel in pure disbelief.

  The shift in their expressions caught everyone’s attention. Students in line craned their necks, whispering.

  "What the hell is going on?"

  "Why did they stop?"

  Then, in an uncharacteristically gentle voice, the examiner turned to Axel.

  "Axel, let’s test you on another machine."

  Axel raised an eyebrow. The woman who had been strict and cold before suddenly sounded oddly polite.

  "Alright," he said simply. He stepped aside, letting another student finish before redoing his test on a separate device.

  The moment the scan started, he felt it—the Force detection wave sweeping through his body. This time, there was no delay.

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  The examiner straightened, cleared his throat, and read the number aloud. "Brookhaven High—Axel. Force, 159."

  The world stopped. For a split second, no one moved. No one spoke. Even the insects chirping in the background seemed impossibly loud.

  Then— The entire testing field erupted.

  "WHAT!?"

  "159?!"

  "That’s past the threshold for the four major war academies! There are barely a hundred people in the country who qualify each year—he just fucking blew past that!"

  "Wait, wait—he's even higher than Alexander?!"

  Outside the test area, students who had already finished sucked in sharp breaths. Cassia, one of the top scorers, stared at Axel as if seeing him for the first time.

  She could still remember the Axel from months ago— the guy who dug through trash bins for raw stone fragments after class.

  Now? She swallowed hard. "I guess I can't be the eldest sister anymore." Nearby, Storm blinked, then muttered, "That’s fucking insane." It was probably the first time in three years he had ever cursed.

  Vale, who had been mid-conversation with some top scorers, whipped around. Her beautiful face went from shock to confusion—and then to something deeper. A strange, uncomfortable realization settled in her stomach. The noise around her blurred.

  Ryder let out a slow breath. For someone like Vale—who built her entire future on social connections—this wasn’t just surprising. It was a goddamn earthquake.

  At the observation deck, silence stretched among the school principals. Then— The director stood up. For the first time that day, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

  "Good… good!" His booming laugh filled the room. "Mason, you bastard! You were playing games with me this whole time—THIS is what you were hiding?!" All his leaderly airs were gone. He was grinning like a madman.

  Meanwhile, Mason was completely stunned. His thoughts raced. 159 Force?! What the fuck just happened?!

  Wait… Didn’t Kieran say Axel was seriously injured? Mason's brows furrowed. Kieran wouldn’t have lied. But even if Axel had recovered, there was no way in hell he should be capable of this. 159 Force? That number was absurd.

  “Mason, don’t play dumb,” someone muttered.

  Another principal let out a dry chuckle. “Right. Congratulations.”

  For a moment, the school leaders stood there in silence. Then, one by one, they stepped forward to shake hands. Faced with such an overwhelming display of talent, there was no room for jealousy—only envy.

  Students scoring this high weren’t unheard of, but they were rare. And when they did appear, they were usually the children of elites—kids who grew up with the best resources, best training, and best mentors from day one. Even among them, breaking 140 Force on test day was a feat.

  But Axel? A nobody from Dune?

  The test field buzzed for minutes before things settled down and the exams continued. But for some students, the damage was done. Before today, they had ambition. Goals. Dreams of standing out.

  Now? Axel stood like a mountain in their path, casting a shadow over everything.

  Standing alone at the edge of the field, Alexander barely blinked. For as long as he could remember, he had been labeled a genius. He had scored over 100 Force a month ago and had successfully awakened ten days before the exam. He was used to being ahead of everyone.

  He had never experienced a day like today. For the first time in his life, he felt it— Someone surpassing him.

  Outside the campus, Annabelle squeezed through the packed crowd, her curious eyes locked on the testing area.

  “Big news! A top-tier monster just got tested!” someone shouted.

  “Tsk, you’re late,” another person scoffed. “You’re talking about Alexander, right? He awakened days ago.”

  “I’m not talking about Alexander.”

  That got people’s attention. Parents and onlookers turned their heads.

  “Then who?”

  “Some kid in the Force test—159 Force!”

  “…You sure you heard that right?”

  “Yeah! Name’s Axel.”

  Annabelle’s eyes widened. A moment later, she smiled, her heart settling down. She turned her gaze toward the campus, toward Axel. "I knew it." .....

  "Wait a second, Axel—come back here."

  Axel had just stepped down from the platform when the middle-aged examiner called him back. Confused, he turned around.

  "You need to take the test again," the examiner said.

  Axel hesitated. Was something wrong? The man scratched his head. “Damn, I almost forgot—we need to check if you’ve awakened.”

  “Oh, I—”

  Before Axel could answer, the examiner had already pressed the button. A moment later, the results appeared.