I was walking through the Sentinel Base when I suddenly found myself face to face with the fifth-highest ranked student in the program—Ryven.

  “Oh? And who are you? New around here?” he asks, looking me over.

  “Yes,” I reply.

  “That makes you a low-ranker,” he continues. “But as long as you show proper respect, I might let you walk away unharmed.”

  *Who does this guy think he is?*

  “I’ve been doing just fine on my own,” I say.

  “Is that so?” Ryven says. “You nearly got sent to the infirmary earlier. If Horikita had gone all out, you’d still be there. Compared to her, you’re weak.”

  “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

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  Ryven steps closer, hand gripping my shoulder.

  “You see, I don’t like your tone.”

  I slap his hand away.

  “Keep your hands to yourself.”

  His eyes narrow. The hand hovers in mid-air.

  “You’ve got some nerve,” he mutters.

  I turn to walk away—but ice surges from the floor, freezing my legs in place.

  “Not so fast.”

  *Ice attribute… common, but deadly if used right. He’s calculated… probably stronger than me in almost every way.*

  “Apologize,” he says, “or I’ll finish what Horikita didn’t.”

  Pain erupts through my ribs as I’m launched backward. The ice shatters beneath me, and I hit the ground hard, gasping for air.

  *How is he this strong?*

  I force myself up and scan the surroundings.

  “Looking for an exit?” Ryven asks. “I sealed them all. This is the cost of defiance.”

  I close my eyes. Darkness gathers in my hand, forming a katana.

  *Five minutes… if I don’t end this fast, it’s over.*

  “Dark attribute,” Ryven remarks, intrigued. “Rare… maybe you have potential after all.”

  He lunges. I block, but the cold burns my lungs with every breath as his ice domain expands.

  *Frostbite… hypothermia… I need to finish this.*

  I keep blocking, barely holding on. His strikes are reinforced with ice—every hit threatens to break my bones.

  I miss a parry. Pain tears through my leg. Blood spills onto the frozen ground as I collapse.

  *He’s… too strong.*

  “Pathetic,” Ryven sneers. “Is this all you’ve got, Zero?”

  He picks up my student ID.

  “Rank 148. Amateur,” he continues, a cruel grin on his face. “This program doesn’t train failures. Leave, if you know what’s best for you.”

  A hard kick to my head knocks me out. Darkness swallows my vision as he walks away.