Morning came too early for Arin.
It did not arrive with light or hope it came with weight.
He opened his eyes before the sun had fully risen, staring blankly at the ceiling. For a few seconds, he did not move. The quiet of the room felt heavier than usual, as if the night had left something behind.
Then his eyes shifted.
The book lay beside him.
Old. Silent. Waiting.
Arin slowly reached for it.
His fingers brushed the torn page again
"The Dark Matter Master."
No description.
No explanation.
Just a name.
And yet… it felt louder than anything he had read.
"Who are you…?" Arin whispered.
He turned the pages again, searching, hoping something had changed overnight as if the book might reveal more if he simply tried harder.
Nothing.
The same damaged pages.
The same silence.
But the name stayed in his mind.
Dark matter.
Something unseen… yet present.
Something powerful… yet hidden.
Arin closed the book slowly.
If such power exists…
Then why does no one talk about it?
A strange thought followed.
Or… why are they hiding it?
He sat there for a long moment.
Then sighed.
He didn't feel like going to the academy today.
Not after yesterday.
Not after the looks.
Not after the laughter.
But today was different.
Today
Senjonng would be there.
Arin stood up slowly.
"I'll just… watch," he murmured.
"Nothing more."
The academy, on the other hand, was already alive.
Students had arrived early, their voices louder than usual, their movements sharper. Some practiced in corners, sparks of power flashing in quick bursts—fire flickering, wind swirling, water forming delicate arcs in the air.
Everyone wanted to be perfect.
Everyone wanted to be seen.
At the center of the field stood Rex, his presence loud and commanding. He practiced with intense focus, his movements precise, his energy controlled but powerful.
Beside him were his friends, encouraging, competing, laughing.
Not far from them stood a group of senior students.
Among them
Kael Zaaku.
Calm.
Composed.
Effortless.
He didn't waste movement. Every action he made seemed deliberate, as if even practice obeyed him. A slight flick of his hand bent the air around him, and for a brief second, the ground beneath his feet seemed heavier.
Gravity.
Air.
Perfectly controlled.
Teachers moved around the field, observing, guiding, adjusting.
Even they had come early.
Because today
The king would watch.
And Arin?
He was still on his way.
Late.
As always.
He ran down the street, his bag swinging slightly against his back, his breath uneven but steady. The morning light stretched across the road, and for a moment, everything looked peaceful.
But inside him
There was noise.
Thoughts. Questions. Doubts.
Why am I even going?
He didn't answer himself.
He just kept running.
By the time he reached the academy gate, the event had already begun.
Students were gathered in perfect lines across the main field. Teachers stood near the stage. The air itself felt differenttense, expectant.
Arin slowed down.
Then stepped in.
And immediately—
Eyes turned.
Whispers followed.
"He's late."
"Of course he is."
"That powerless guy
"Does he even care?"
Arin walked forward quietly, ignoring them.
But the voices didn't stop.
Look at him, one boy laughed. "Walking in like he owns the place.
Another added with a smirk, "Maybe he thinks the king came to see him.
Laughter spread.
Arin clenched his fists slightly.
Still, he walked.
Then
A voice, sharper than the rest.
Maybe if his parents were alive, someone said mockingly, "they'd at least teach him how to act properly."
That stopped him.
Completely.
For a second
Everything went silent.
Inside him, something snapped.
Arin turned.
His eyes were no longer quiet.
They burned.
Shut the fuck up.
The words came out louder than he expected.
The entire field froze.
"I will his voice shook not with fear, but with something deeper, darker, "…extract every particle of life inside you."
Silence.
Pure silence.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Students stared.
Teachers turned.
Somewhere in the distance
Two men watched.
The same two from yesterday.
Their eyes sharpened.
"There it is," one of them whispered.
Arin stood there, breathing heavily.
Then
Reality returned.
The weight of every gaze.
The realization of what he had just said.
And without another word
He turned and walked away.
Behind him
Laughter broke out.
Loud.
Mocking.
"Did you hear that?
Extract life? From who?
He can't even lift a stone!
"He's dangerou in his dreams!"
The laughter followed him.
Like always.
But this time
He didn't stop.
He walked past the buildings, past the noise, until he reached the old tree at the edge of the grounds.
His place.
He sat down.
Back against the trunk.
Eyes closed.
Breathing slowly.
Why does it always come back to this???
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then quietly
"I didn't mean that…"
But something inside him disagreed.
Back at the field
Everything had changed.
The sound of arrival.
The presence.
The weight.
Senjonng had arrived.
The crowd straightened instantly.
Students bowed.
Teachers lowered their heads.
Director Yonsai stepped forward.
"Welcome, Sovereign Champion."
Senjonng walked calmly to his seat.
Graceful.
Powerful.
Unshaken.
The kind of presence that didn't demand respect
It simply existed.
And respect followed.
But as he sat—
His eyes moved.
Searching.
Not the strongest.
Not the loudest.
Someone else.
The demonstrations began.
Rex stepped forward first.
His power erupted with intensity. controlled flames spiraling around him, shaping into forms, striking targets with precision.
Applause followed.
Then others.
Wind.
Water.
Earth.
Each student pushing their limits.
Each one trying to be seen.
Kael Zaaku stepped forward.
Silence fell.
He raised his hand slightly.
The air shifted.
Then
The ground beneath the target bent.
Gravity twisted.
The object collapsed inward before being thrown aside by a sharp burst of wind.
Perfect control.
Perfect execution.
Even the teachers were impressed.
Yuto stepped forward.
Quiet.
Still.
No movement.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then
The air around his opponent changed.
Not visibly.
But undeniably.
The opponent staggered slightly.
Confused.
Afraid.
And then stepped back.
Without understanding why.
Senjonng leaned forward slightly.
"Interesting…" he murmured.
Time passed.
Demonstrations continued.
But Senjonng's eyes…
Still searche
And then
He saw him.
At the far edge of the field.
Under the tree.
Sitting alone.
Arin.
Something changed in Senjonng's expression.
Not recognition.
Not exactly.
Something deeper.
Older.
His breath slowed.
A faint smile appeared.
And then
Something unexpected.
Tears.
Small.
Barely visible.
But real.
No one noticed.
No one saw.
Except him.
Senjonng whispered softly
"So… it's you."
And for the first time that day
The king was not watching power.
He was watching a boy…
Who didn't know who he was yet.