BAM—THUD!

  Theon colpsed to the training floor , his body sliding a few feet before stopping. The gym went quiet for a moment,

  then the whispering started,

  ughing , muttering comments they thought he couldn't hear

  The medical team rushed forward.

  TING.

  [Combat Test Failed]The message flickered inside Theon's NIP interface just before darkness swallowed his vision.

  From the bleachers of the academy gym, a girl scoffed.

  "Isn't that the U-Css who failed badly at st year's Combat Trials too?"

  At the bottom was U-Css, at the top sat S-Css. No secrets there. When the Misanis War began, the government rolled out SPECTRUM ranks to push everyone harder. Fight better, work longer, get rewarded. Those who couldn't keep up got left behind.

  "Weaklings like him shouldn't even be allowed to fight," Orin sneered. "If he took a real punch from me, he'd be in a body bag. Lucky it was just Mira from the lower tier."

  Orin Saito. C-Css combatant. Son of a Drakonis Corporation manager and proud of it. His arrogance filled the room as much as his reputation.

  When Theon awoke, fluorescent lights flickered overhead. He was in the infirmary. Beside him stood the only constants in his fractured life—his mother and two younger sisters.

  "Is it hurt a lot?" Luna asked, eyes filling with tears. "Don't get hurt... big brother."

  "Tell me, tell me who hurt you, I'll kick his butt!" Nora jumped up, showing off her best kick pose. Her tiny face looked more cute than threatening.

  Theon managed a weak smile. He'd always protected them. Since their father died when Nora was just a baby, he had carried the weight of the family while his mother juggled jobs to keep them afloat.

  His mother, Min-seo Han-Mercer, doubled over with another coughing fit before catching her breath. "Theon, please. This isn't worth it. Forget high school. My boss at the hub said he'd hire you tomorrow if you wanted."

  Her voice was tired. Her skin, once bright and full of life, was now pale and worn. She was getting weaker by the day.

  All they could afford was some half-trained T-Css healer who barely knew what they were doing. Real doctors? Insurance? That ship sailed long ago. Nobody without serious credits could afford actual medical care anymore.

  "No, Mom. I can't let us scrape by forever. I'll pass. I have to." Theon's voice shook with resolve. "We can't survive on those wages anymore."

  In this world, basic combat proficiency was mandatory. The New World Government had made sure of that.

  Time passed. Theon kept pushing through his combat training. He missed other csses to pick up cleaning jobs around the district, helping his mom with bills. It also meant fewer chances for Orin to corner him between csses.

  The final half of high school brought the military training phase. After months of preparation, all schools sent their students to the central grounds in District 7.

  Under a brutal sun, Theon stood at the back of the formation, sweat soaking through his uniform. His limbs ached, his breath came shallow. Too thin. Too fragile.

  Just two more months. This is my st chance.

  He'd been desperate enough to try one more awakening. No money for the real thing, so he'd gone for the corporate trap—their "free program." The catch? Sign away your life. Pass their test, become their property.

  He'd failed that too.

  That rejection still stung like a fresh wound.

  "Welcome to your final training," barked the officer. "For most of you, this is the closest you'll ever get to real combat. Let's hope it stays that way."

  The Milroy Rule. Government's favorite excuse. Everyone 18 to 45 gets drafted when war breaks out. No exceptions. Why high schoolers needed to learn to fight? Same answer they always gave: "Be ready or be dead."

  As students lined up for inspection, Theon's gaze froze on a man walking past the ranks.

  A high-ranking officer. His dark skin caught the sunlight, medals across his chest, every step commanding respect.

  Theon's heart pounded.

  I've seen him before.

  A fsh of memory. Screams. Fshes of light. A younger version of that same face, standing over chaos. Theon's biological parents. That man. Images of Luminari.

  Before he knew it, Theon had stepped out of line.

  "Han-Mercer! Where do you think you're going?" Mr. Daley snapped.

  Theon blinked. "Bathroom. Sir."

  The teacher's scowl could melt steel. "Make it quick. And don't even think about wandering."

  At the end of the field, near the restricted section of the base, students whispered about its secrets—tall walls, electrified fences, and rumors.

  Nearby stood Felix Sori. Red-haired, broad-shouldered, scowling under his breath.

  "How am I supposed to organize an expedition like that? I've never even participated in one. Last year, when he mentioned it, I managed to avoid it. But this year… he's not letting it go. He's more serious than ever. If I actually go… I could die out there."

  Grandson of Xavier Sori—one of the most powerful family leaders in the world. Felix bore the crushing weight of his family's honor and generations of tradition. And yet, even he stood at the very back of formation, shoulders tight with dread.

  His muttering stopped when he noticed a student creeping toward the restricted zone.

  Is that kid... sneaking in? He's seriously trying to see if the stories are true?

  Everyone had heard the rumors. Secret research. Alien tech. Maybe even Luminari artifacts.

  Theon wasn't sure what he was doing. His legs moved without thought. His breath was ragged. Mind scattered. That man. That face. The past cwing at his skull.

  I have to know the truth. I need to know who I am.

  He followed the military jeep from a distance. With most guards distracted by the student formations, security had thinned.

  At the checkpoint, he saw a delivery truck offloading food. Workers bustled around, stacking containers—most of them wearing uniforms simir to the academy students'.

  Perfect.

  An idea formed in Theon's mind.

  Theon grabbed an empty container, held it in front of him like he belonged, and slipped past the checkpoint. The guards didn't blink.

  Inside the restricted zone, Theon's surroundings changed. Gone were the training grounds. Now there were bunker-like bs and hurried scientists with serious faces.

  He tossed the container aside and ducked behind a supply crate as voices neared.

  "...the Luminari artifacts are unstable," one officer said.

  "We don't have time. The General wants results before next week's meeting. The Beast Realm's crystals are drying up."

  Beast Realm? Luminari artifacts?

  This wasn't just about military prep.

  Slipping from shadow to shadow, Theon followed them to a vast building at the compound's edge.

  The pce was huge inside—screens floating in mid-air, tech he'd never seen, people in b coats rushing around like ants. But what grabbed him was the crystal in the middle—throbbing, pulsing, almost breathing.

  That thing's nothing like the dinky crystals they showed us in css.

  Theon's heart hammered against his ribs as he crouched lower.

  You idiot. Run. NOW.

  A sudden noise—a loud crash. He'd knocked over a metal pipe.

  CLANG!

  Shouts echoed. "Intruder! Section 3!"

  Panicked, Theon ran. Arms bred throughout the facility.

  WHOOP! WHOOP!

  Red lights fshed down every corridor as he turned blindly through hallways until he found a sealed door, faint blue light bleeding from the edges.

  Pushing it open, he entered a chamber pulsing with energy. Walls shimmered blue. At the center stood an enormous crystal.

  He took a step forward.

  "Don't move."

  The voice froze him.

  The officer. The one from his past. Weapon raised, expression unreadable.

  "Well, well," the man growled, his weapon steady. "Didn't expect to find a student poking around here. How the hell did—"

  The crystal fred.

  A surge of energy tore through the chamber.

  KRZT..!

  The electric shriek of energy filled the air.

  The sound of a thousand screams filled his ears as light consumed everything.

  Then came the explosion.

  WHOMP!

  The bst knocked him backward as everything went white.

  And after that, nothing.

  SPECTRUM Cssification SystemSPECTRUM categorizes enhanced abilities by both power level and expertise

  S-CLASS (Sovereign): World-changing power, fewer than 30 individuals worldwide

  P-CLASS (Paragon): Elite abilities, military/corporate leadership level

  E-CLASS (Exempr): Advanced abilities, specialized operatives

  C-CLASS (Centurion): Solid combat/professional capabilities

  T-CLASS (Tactical): Basic enhanced abilities, entry-level

  R-CLASS (Resonant): Minimal enhancement, limited application

  U-CLASS (Unawakened): No active abilities, baseline human

  M-CLASS (Maverick): Unstable or uncssified abilities (typically illegal)