A bright screen flickered in front of my eyes, casting a faint, rhythmic glow across the dark surface of my desk.
I slouched back against the worn fabric of my armchair, tilting my head toward the ceiling, and let out a long, heavy sigh that practically rattled my ribs.
The rest of my bedroom was swallowed whole by darkness, quiet— yea, of course —heavy, and almost blinding in its own suffocating way.
Outside, the world was completely dead, save for the hum of the old desktop fan that had been struggling for its life all summer.
I stared blankly at the code compiler on my screen, watching the exact same error line mock me for the 4th hour in a row, wondering if dropping out of college online courses was something I could reasonably pull off without getting kicked out onto the street.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
The sudden, sharp tap against the wooden door panel made me flinch slightly.
"Rex?" a woman's voice called out from the hallway, calm and entirely unbothered by the late hour.
"Yes?!" I shouted back, rubbing my dry, tired eyes with the heel of my palm until it hurted Abit..
"Come out here for a second. We need to talk."
"Alright?" I muttered to myself, pinching the bridge of my nose as I dragged my exhausted frame out of the chair.
I slid my feet into my worn house slippers, shuffled over to the door, and swung it open.
Standing in the hallway light was my mother.
For a woman nearing her mid-fifties, she looked infuriatingly composed— long, flowing brown hair draped over her shoulders, piercing emerald-green eyes, and that perpetual, faint smile that usually meant she had either cooked something weird or done something deeply irresponsible behind my back.
"Sup?" I muttered, leaning against the doorframe.
"We need to talk," she said smoothly, not even waiting for an answer before turning on her heel and gliding down the stairs. "Living room. Now."
I trailed behind her with heavy, dragging steps, watching her sit down on the plush leather couch.
I slumped into the armchair opposite her without saying another word.
Without missing a sec, she reached down to the glass coffee table between us, picked up a crisp white envelope, and slid a single sheet of official-looking paper across the dark wood until it rested right in front of me.
"Look at it," she instructed, crossing her legs.
"Sure..." I picked it up, expecting a utility bill or maybe a late tax notice.
Boom! Nevermind.
Printed right at the top in heavy, gold-embossed lettering was a dorm assignment notice. "Wow. Yay? I got a dorm now. Fantastic." I offered a flat, deadpan response, staring at the printed text.
She nodded solemnly, reached across the table to take my limp hand in hers, and looked me dead in the eye with a serious, almost dramatic gravity. "Now," she said softly, "go start packing."
"Wait—what?" I blinked, pulling my hand back slightly. "Packing? Right now? It's literally past midnight!"
"Now, Rex."
"Tch." I let out another tired sigh, pushing myself off the couch, and turned back toward my room.
Guess I was packing tonight… and I'm definitely not gonna say 'I'm packing down there too.' Cus that's cringe as fuck.
An hour later, I was sitting in the passenger seat of her sedan, staring out the foggy side window as the city streetlights blurred past us.
Down on the corner of a residential street, some random guy in a sweater was happily buying a double-scoop cone from an ice cream truck under a flickering yellow lamp.
Ice cream. At one in the morning, in the absolute middle of my entire life falling apart without warning.
"Wow," I muttered under my breath, leaning my cheek against the cold glass. "Good for him. Living his best life while I'm being disowned."
My mother glanced over at me from the driver's seat, steering with one hand while speaking casually, as if she hadn't just forced me to stuff my entire existence into two duffel bags in under twenty minutes.
"Just play with your phone, Rex," she said, tapping the steering wheel. "We still have a pretty long drive ahead of us."
I let out a low sigh and leaned back into the leather headrest. "Yeah. Sure."
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, unlocked the screen, and began scrolling mindlessly through news feeds and video apps just to numb the mounting boredom.
Halfway through swiping past generic memes and cooking clips, a bright red 'LIVE' notification popped up at the top of my screen.
Curious, I tapped it without thinking.
The video expanded instantly.
On screen stood a young girl in an ornate, enchanted academy uniform, surrounded by floating, intricate pink magic circles that hummed with energy.
She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving as she chanted a long, ancient spell in a language I couldn't even begin to translate.
Bright crimson sparks danced across her fingers like static electricity, and after a final, resounding word— WHOOSH! A massive, roaring fireball, easily the size of a minivan, bloomed over her open palm.
"No way," I muttered flatly, my eyes glued to the screen.
She swung her hand forward, targeting a monstrous, three-headed BOAR that was roaring terrifyingly in the background, and launched the spell.
The resulting explosion rocked the camera feed so hard the audio distorted into static.
The boar screeched in agony as flames enveloped the clearing.
But right as the shockwave washed back over the streamer, the intense heat caught her enchanted uniform.
In less than a second, her clothes caught fire and tore apart like cheap, burnt tissue paper.
The live chat instantly went berserk, scrolling at a hundred miles an hour with spam and emotes.
A fraction of a second later, the stream froze, threw up a TOS violation warning, and abruptly terminated the broadcast.
I stared at the black screen in complete silence for 3 seconds. Slowly, I tapped the power button and locked my phone.
"Wow... cool," I muttered to the empty dashboard. "Her clothes got shredded by her own spell. Kinda lucky she survived, I guess?"
If you're wondering why some woman was casually throwing military-grade fireballs on a live broadcast like it was a casual Tuesday vlog— well, 6 or 7? Wait, it was 43 years ago, the world completely broke.
Out of nowhere, people across the globe started 'awakening' mana circuits inside their bodies.
Just like that, overnight, the laws of physics took a back seat.
Now humans could summon fire, ice, lightning, etc power or whatever weird magical bullshit their imagination— and their newly awakened bodies —foolishly allowed.
Monsters began spilling out of spatial rifts soon after, cities adapted to the threat, and somehow every major educational institution on Earth decided to rebrand itself as a 'magic power academy' to train the next generation of spell-casters.
Because of course they just can... why wouldn't they?
I let out another tired sigh, sinking deeper into the leather seat as I stared up at the dark car ceiling. "This is probably why I don't even have a j*b," I murmured softly to myself.
"I don't even know if I'm ever going back to college... or if there's a single legitimate college in this country that'll actually accept an unawakened guy like me. Or should I say… Manaless."
No magic. Zero mana. Not even a tiny spark to light a candle.
But, I actually do have one solitary talent in this world... and it's cooking.
I can make a mean plate of carbonara or a perfectly seared steak, but last time I checked, monster-hunting guilds weren't actively hiring sous-chefs to fight some dragons or bs.
So, yeah. No magic, no mana, and apparently, no future.
Life was going absolutely fantastic.
I lowered my phone, looking back out the car window.
The city lights had completely disappeared. Now, all I could see through the dark were trees. Dense, ancient, towering pine trees packing both sides of the narrow two-lane highway.
Way too many trees.
"Mother," I called out slowly, my brow furrowing. "Isn't a college dorm supposed to be located... I don't know, inside an actual city? And why a dorm anyway? Why didn't we just rent an apartment near the local community center...?"
"Ohoho." She let out a small, amused laugh, like I had just said something completely adorable instead of deeply concerning.
Without answering my question, she reached down to the center console, pulled out a second sheet of folded paper, and tossed it into my lap.
"Take a look at this one," she said cheerfully.
I picked up the paper, unfolding it under the faint cabin light. But the second my eyes hit the dark violet seal at the top, an immediate bad feeling settled deep in my gut.
────────────────────────
「To Rex Knox, (just skip this application)
We regret to inform you— That you are no longer eligible for a normal life.
After a comprehensive evaluation of your latent potential, genetic markers, and psychological profile, the [Vahard Magical School] has determined that you meet the minimum qualifications required for enrollment.
This decision is final.
As of this letter's delivery, you have been officially accepted into Vahard Magical School, the world's foremost institution for magical education, research, and controlled anomaly containment.
You have been assigned: Dormitory: On campus (details enclosed)
Status: Special Admission
Magical Affinity: Undisclosed (pending awakening)
Please be advised: Attendance is mandatory.
Failure to enroll may result in consequences beyond the jurisdiction of mundane authorities.
Vahard Magical School assumes no responsibility for: Anything you do… if you die we don't care, actually we do but just Don't die. (≧▽≦)
Classes begin soon.
Do not be late.
Do not ask questions.
Welcome to Vahard.
—Arcane Admissions Office
[Vahard Magical School.]
────────────────────────
"Harva— no, wait... VAHARD?" I squinted at the bold, glowing text, my jaw dropping slightly. "What the actual FUCK is this?! Mom, I don't even have magic! I literally fail every basic mana test!"
She let out a small sigh, way too calm for someone who had just handed her son an execution order disguised as a school acceptance letter.
"Somehow," she said lightly, "it was the only institution that accepted your application."
"WHAT?!" I jerked upward so fast my head slammed violently into the hard car ceiling with a deafening THUD! "Ouch!! What the hell?! I didn't even apply for this place!"
She scratched the back of her head, offering a breezy, innocent smile through the rearview mirror like this was all just a harmless little practical joke.
"Tehe~ I may have... filled out and submitted an online application form for you a few weeks ago," she confessed, winking. "...And somehow, it actually got accepted! 😘"
"OH MY GOD!" I buried my face in my hands, groaning in absolute agony as the pain in my scalp throbbed. "Mom... you do realize VAHARD is literally one of the most prestigious— and notoriously dangerous —magic academies on the entire continent, right...? Half the students there are high-noble heirs or freak-of-nature combat prodigies!"
"Oh, don't worry about the small details, sweetie," she said cheerfully, turning the steering wheel sharply onto an unpaved gravel path. "Isn't this exciting? A brand-new experience! You'll make so many interesting friends! Urrr~"
"Ah... hahaha..." I let out a weak, dying laugh, sinking back down into the passenger seat until my chin hit my chest. "Yeah. Sure. Friends. I'm just gonna go die asap."
Realizing that arguing with her logic was a lost cause, I gave up on thinking altogether.
I slumped against the cold leather seat, pulled my hood over my eyes, and let sleep take me away from this nightmare. 'Yeah... fuck this whole situation. I'm just going to sleep until we crashed.'
…
…
…
***
*Honk! Honk!*
"REX!!! WAKE UP!!! WE'RE HERE!!!"
I jolted awake with a sharp gasp, blinking furiously as my blurry vision struggled to adjust to the blinding morning light filtering through the windshield.
My neck was stiff, my head was still aching from the ceiling impact, and my mouth felt dry.
I wiped my face and looked out the side window.
Standing directly in front of the car was a set of massive, 20 feet tall black iron gates embedded into ancient stone walls.
Above the towering archway, carved in bold, glowing silver runes that hummed with subtle magic, was a sign that read: [VAHARD MAGICAL SCHOOL].
"Haha... well," my mom said, drifting and pulling the car to a smooth stop right beside the entrance checkpoint. "We're here!" She turned in her seat, looking at me with a bright, proud smile. "Now go."
"That's it?" I stared at her in utter disbelief. "No 'I'll miss you'? No 'good luck'? No 'try not to die, my sweet son'? Nothing?!"
She cleared her throat, suddenly clasping her hands together in front of her chest and smiling way too cutely for her age. "Tehe~ sowry, my lovely Rex! Bye-bye, and good luck out there! Mwua Mwua 😚😘."
I let out a long, soul-tired sigh, already completely exhausted before the day had even officially started.
I opened the car door, dragged my heavy luggage out onto the gravel driveway, and slammed the door shut.
The car engine revved instantly.
Before I could even take a single step toward the gates, my mother threw her head out the driver's side window and screamed at the absolute top of her lungs, her voice echoing across the entire courtyard: "I'LL MISS YOUR COOKING, REX! DON'T FORGET TO TEXT OR MAIL ME YOUR RECIPES!!!"
*VRRRROOOOM!*
The sedan kicked up a cloud of dust and gravel, speeding off down the forest highway like it was escaping a crime scene.
A heavy, suffocating silence descended over the academy entrance.
Dozens of arriving students— decked out in pristine, high-society magic robes, carrying expensive enchanted staff cases and glowing grimoires —slowly turned their heads to stare directly at me.
I stood there in my faded hoodie and jeans, clutching my beat-up duffel bag, and glared back at the crowd with pitch-black, murderously unbothered eyes.
"The Fuck y'all looking at?!" I barked.
The students flinched, whispering frantically among themselves before immediately looking away and quickening their pace through the gates.
...Good. Day one, minute one, and I had already established total dominance.
I dragged my bags over my shoulder and took my first step through the gates of Vahard, gritting my teeth against the morning chill.
I swear... stress is going to be the absolute death of me long before any monster gets the chance.