Morning sunlight spilled across a bedroom cluttered with books, clothes, and half-finished sketches.
A girl with dark curls lay tangled in her blankets, clinging stubbornly to sleep.
The door burst open.
"IZZY!"
She jerked awake.
Standing in the doorway was a woman practically vibrating with excitement, holding up a sleek black garment bag like it was a trophy.
"Your uniform came!"
The girl blinked.
"…My what?"
"Your HVA uniform!"
Silence.
The girl slowly sat up, hair a mess, eyes half-lidded with sleep.
"Mom," she said flatly, "that's not funny."
Her mother rushed into the room and threw the garment bag onto the bed.
"I'm serious!"
The zipper came down in one dramatic motion.
Inside was a perfectly folded uniform—midnight black with silver accents, the HVA crest embroidered over the chest like a small blazing star.
The girl stared.
Then she stared harder.
"I was on the waiting list."
"I know!"
"They said maybe next year."
"I know!"
She looked up slowly.
"…Mom."
Her mother grinned.
"You got in."
For a full five seconds, the room was completely silent.
Then the girl screamed.
The front gates of Helios Vanguard Academy were enormous.
Massive iron bars framed by towering stone pillars, each carved with symbols that seemed older than the mountains surrounding the campus.
Students streamed through them in small clusters, their uniforms sharp and identical.
The curly-haired girl stood just outside the gates, clutching the strap of her bag as she stared.
"Holy…"
Her voice faded.
Beyond the entrance stretched a campus that looked less like a school and more like a city carved from marble and glass.
Massive buildings rose like monuments.
Training arenas dotted the grounds like small coliseums.
Students darted everywhere—some laughing, some arguing, some already sparring casually in open courtyards.
The air buzzed with energy.
She slowly walked forward.
"I'm really here…"
Inside the main building, a massive hall had been prepared for the freshmen.
Thirty-two students gathered inside.
Some sat in the arranged chairs.
Others ignored them entirely, forming their own clusters and conversations.
Near the center, a tall blond boy leaned casually against a desk, chatting with several students gathered around him.
He laughed easily, like he had already made himself at home.
"…and then the instructor says, 'maybe try not flooding the training hall next time.'"
Laughter rippled through the group.
"You flooded the hall?"
"Technically," he said, raising a finger, "it was only half flooded."
"Only."
A few rows away, a silver-haired girl sat alone with her arms crossed, her gaze drifting around the room with clear disinterest.
Anyone who considered sitting beside her seemed to reconsider halfway.
Near the back of the hall, a large boy had taken up an entire chair by sitting sideways in it, his long legs stretched out comfortably.
"So this is Helios," he muttered, glancing around.
Behind him, a sharp-eyed boy leaned against the wall, arms folded as he quietly observed everything happening in the room.
Meanwhile, the curly-haired girl stepped into the hall.
She paused in the doorway, scanning the room.
Then her eyes landed on the blond boy.
He laughed again, flashing an easy smile at something someone said.
Her eyebrows slowly lifted.
"Well hello."
She leaned against the wall slightly, studying him like she was evaluating a particularly promising investment.
Tall.
Athletic.
Popular.
And judging from the whispers around him…
"…Hero family," she murmured.
Her grin widened.
"Oh yeah."
A few seats away, two students were already deep in conversation.
A girl with bright, curious eyes sat sideways in her chair, talking rapidly while the boy beside her listened with the tired patience of someone who had known her most of his life.
"—and then my dad said if I destroy another practice dummy I'm paying for it myself."
The boy nodded.
"That's fair."
"Fair?"
She turned toward him.
"They're made for combat training!"
"You destroyed five."
"Four and a half."
He sighed.
"We've been here ten minutes."
"I'm excited!"
"You're always excited."
She grinned.
"Admit it. You missed me."
He smirked.
"Unfortunately."
Their banter continued easily, the rhythm of people who had known each other since childhood.
Across the hall, the curly-haired girl was still watching the blond boy.
He noticed.
Their eyes met.
She smiled immediately.
Bright.
Charming.
Deliberate.
He blinked, then returned a polite smile before turning back to his conversation.
She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"…Challenge accepted."
Before she could plan her next move, the doors at the front of the hall opened.
The room slowly quieted.
A tall woman stepped inside.
Her posture was sharp, her expression calm but commanding. Dark hair tied neatly behind her head, and the Helios crest gleamed on her uniform.
She walked to the center of the hall.
"Good morning."
Her voice carried easily across the room.
"I am Kara Phineas."
Several students straightened immediately.
"I will be one of your instructors here at Helios Academy."
Her gaze swept slowly across the thirty-two freshmen.
"All of you passed the Helios entrance examination."
A few proud smiles appeared.
"At Helios, first-year students are divided into two classes."
Now everyone was paying close attention.
"Class A and Class B."
She clasped her hands behind her back.
"Both classes follow the same academic curriculum. Both graduate as licensed heroes."
A pause.
"However…"
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Class A moves faster. Expectations are higher. Training is significantly more demanding."
No one needed clarification.
Everyone wanted Class A.
Mrs. Phineas activated a small tablet.
"Kael Stroud."
The blond boy pushed himself away from the desk and stepped forward easily.
"Seraphine Valehart."
The silver-haired girl rose silently and joined him.
"Isolde Cade."
The curly-haired girl blinked.
Then grinned as she stepped forward.
"Jun Park."
The sharp-eyed observer left the wall and walked to the front.
"Mira Caldwell."
"Elias Rowan."
"Hana Okoye."
The energetic girl popped up immediately.
"Called it!"
Her friend sighed and followed.
"Dante Reyes."
"Nolan Graves."
"Aria Knox."
"Llia Monroe."
"Ivy Serrano."
"Theo Mercer."
"Victor Hale."
"Naomi Vance."
"Caleb Ward."
The large boy stood and stretched once before joining the others.
Sixteen students now stood at the front of the hall.
Mrs. Phineas lowered the tablet.
"These students will form Freshman Class A."
A wave of whispers moved through the remaining freshmen.
She addressed them briefly.
"The rest of you will remain here. Your instructor will arrive shortly."
Then she turned.
"Class A."
She gestured toward the door.
"With me."
The sixteen followed her through the halls of Helios.
Up close, the academy felt even larger.
Massive corridors.
Glass walls revealing training rooms.
Students sparring with bursts of power in the distance.
Izzy walked near the middle of the group, occasionally glancing toward the blond boy ahead of her.
Kael Stroud.
Good looks.
Hero lineage.
Natural confidence.
She smiled slightly.
Jackpot.
Ahead of her, Hana nudged Elias.
"We made it."
"I noticed."
"You're not excited."
"I'm conserving energy."
"You're boring."
"Accurate."
Behind them, Caleb looked around in awe.
"This place is huge."
Jun walked nearby, quietly observing everything.
Eventually someone spoke up.
"Uh… excuse me?"
Mrs. Phineas didn't slow her stride.
"Yes?"
"Where are we going?"
"The arena."
A few students exchanged looks.
"…Why?"
She glanced back briefly.
"I need to see what I'm working with."
A pause.
Then she added calmly,
"You'll be fighting."
The entire group stopped.
Sixteen freshmen stared at her.
"…Huh?"