Three.
Two.
One...
Click.
The sound echoed through the stadium.
Once.
Twice.
Click.
Sharp heels struck polished stone.
Unhurried.
Every step carried across the silent stadium.
Heads turned instinctively.
Then—
She appeared.
White shirt. Blue tie. A navy skirt.
Jet-black hair rested over one shoulder, framing pale blue eyes that were calm, cold, and impossible to read.
She walked without hesitation.
As though thousands of eyes meant nothing.
The whispers began immediately.
"Who's that?"
"She's beautiful..."
"What school is she from?"
"I've never seen her before."
She stopped before the crystal orb.
The chief examiner looked down at his tablet.
"Details."
"Mu Liani."
"Silver Rings High."
"Seventeen."
He nodded once.
"Begin."
Without a word—
Mu Liani placed her hand upon the orb.
Silence.
Then—
A soft blue light bloomed beneath her fingertips.
The crystal glowed gently at first.
Then brighter.
And brighter.
The stadium held its breath.
"What rank do you think?"
"Maybe B-rank?"
"No..."
"I think she's at least A-rank."
Tia watched quietly.
'Idiots.
'They don't know who she is.
The screen flickered.
Status: Awakened
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Another line appeared.
Rank: A
Gasps erupted.
Then another.
Power Type: Predictive Instinct
And finally—
Core Trait: Frost Affinity
Silence.
For one brief moment—
No one spoke.
Then the entire stadium exploded.
"An A-rank?!"
"She awakened with a Core Trait!"
"Impossible."
"She's a genius!"
Tia remained expressionless.
Predictive Instinct...
A troublesome ability.
One after another—
Students stepped forward.
Ranks appeared.
Dreams were born.
Dreams were crushed.
"D-rank."
A boy collapsed to his knees.
His lips trembled.
His future—
Gone before it had even begun.
"Next."
Tia stepped forward.
Finally.
"My turn."
The examiner looked up.
"Details."
"Ming Tia Xu."
"Clifflong High."
"Eighteen."
He nodded.
"Begin."
Tia stepped toward the orb.
'Pointless.
His gaze settled on the crystal.
'Nothing will change.
Then—
A thought crept into his mind.
Small.
Dangerous.
...What if it does?
His heartbeat quickened.
For the first time since returning—
Doubt appeared.
What if history changes here?
Slowly—
He raised his hand.
His fingertips touched the crystal.
Cold.
Thump.
His heartbeat echoed in his ears.
Thump.
The stadium fell silent.
Eyes locked on the stage.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Still nothing.
The orb remained dark.
A knot formed in Tia's stomach.
...No.
The whispers returned.
"It didn't react."
"No awakening?"
"What a waste..."
The examiner sighed quietly.
He took one step forward.
"Next—"
Flicker.
A faint pulse spread through the crystal.
Tia's eyes lifted.
"...It reacted."
The crowd froze.
"No way..."
The light spread slowly through the orb.
Then—
Crack.
A thin fracture appeared.
The examiners stiffened.
Another crack.
Then another.
The crystal trembled violently.
"What's happening?"
"It wasn't supposed to do that!"
The glow surged.
Wild.
Unstable.
The entire orb shook.
The chief examiner's expression changed instantly.
"Step back!"
Too late.
The light vanished almost immediately.
The stadium fell into complete silence.
The orb grew cold again.
Then—
The screen flickered.
Words slowly appeared.
One examiner stumbled backward.
His face drained of color.
"...That's—"