AT THE SAME TIME
ZAVIER
I stared at the registration desk, then I turned around. I decided that I got another plan.
"No." I said.
"No?" Aiden paused.
"No way I am walking into the Royal Order looking like I just crawled out of emotional damage."I explained.
"That is… accurate."Aiden sighed.
"I am fixing it."I said.
The market was worse than the guild. Louder, brighter, full of people who absolutely would judge me. I stopped in front of a clothing stall. The merchant looked me up and down, once barefoot, messy, carrying a bag, as I ran away from my life.
"Rough night?" He asked.
"Rough existence." I corrected.
He nodded like that made sense.
"What do you need?"He asked.
"Something that says I belong somewhere important." I said.
"And?"He asked.
"But also something that says I can fight."I explained.
"And?"He asked.
"But also affordable."I added.
"That's three different outfits." He stared at me.
"Then be creative."I sighed.
Five minutes later, I was holding dark, fitted clothes, simple, clean, and practical. Not noble, not poor. Just enough not to be dismissed instantly.
"Try it." He said.
I changed quickly behind a cloth divider. When I stepped out, he nodded.
"Better." He said.
"I look like I have decisions." I said.
"You look like you cause problems." He corrected.
"I like that more."I said.
I paid less than he asked, but more than I wanted. Aiden approved.
"You now look like someone they will underestimate instead of ignore."He said.
"Perfect."I sighed.
I didn't go back to the guild. I went straight uphill to the Royal Order location. The building looked even more annoying up close, tall, polished, important. Full of people who had never been ignored a day in their lives. I walked up the steps, and the guards noticed immediately.
"State your purpose." One said.
"Application." I replied.
He looked me over again, this time, slower it seems that cleaner clothes helped.
"You read the order?" He asked.
"Yes."I said.
"And?"He asked.
"I disagreed."I said.
The second guard snorted. The first one stared at me for a second longer, then stepped aside.
"Go." He said. "I want to see how this ends."
"Me too." I said.
Inside, as soon as I stepped in, I heard silence then whispers and laughter.
"Is that an Omega?"One man asked.
"He walked in like he belongs here."Another laughed.
"That's bold."Third one added.
"That's stupid."Someone added.
I walked straight to the desk.
"Application." I said.
The officer didn't look up at first.
"Name."He said.
"Zavier."I said.
"Designation."He asked.
"Omega."I said.
The pen stopped. Slowly he looked up. We stared at each other. Behind me someone laughed.
"Oh this is good."One added.
"He said it out loud."Second male smirked.
"He actually said Omega."Third one added.
"You understand this is for Betas and Alphas only."The officer leaned back.
"Yes."I said.
"And yet you are here."He said.
"Yes."I said.
"Why?"He asked.
"Because you didn't say I couldn't try."I tilted my head slightly.
"Fine." He said. "You want to try? You get tested." He stood. "Training hall."
This location was worse than the guild, cleaner, stricter, more judgment. The moment I stepped in everything stopped. Not gradually, immediately.
"Oh you have got to be kidding."A beta laughed.
"They let him in?"Alpha asked.
"Is this a joke test?"A Beta smirked.
I ignored them.
"Candidate." The instructor called. "Step forward."
"Omega." He said.
"Yes."I said.
"Alright. Let's get this over with."He sighed. "First test is strength."
A weighted bar was dropped in front of me.
"Beta standard." He said. "Lift and hold."
Behind me I heard whispers again.
"Five seconds."One person said.
"Three."Another added.
"I give him one."An alpha laughed
"Optimistic."Another teased.
I crouched and I heard Aiden's voice who was calm.
"Do not overcompensate."He suggested
"I know."I said.
"Show control."Aiden added.
"I know."He said.
"Do not break the floor."Aiden added.
"I- what?"I asked.
"Focus."Aiden said blankly.
I lifted clean and steady. The bar came up, and I held it one second, three, five then ten.
Nobody spoke. At fifteen seconds, I glanced slightly to the side.
"Am I done or are we bonding?" I asked.
A choke of laughter broke out, and the instructor blinked.
"Hold."He said.
I held it, and at twenty, he raised a hand.
"Enough."He said.
I lowered it and the room didn't laugh this time.
"Again." He said.
I lifted again faster, but held ten seconds longer.
"Speed."Instruction added. "It's second test."
A long track stretched across polished stone, marked with lines and barriers like someone had tried to turn suffering into a system.
"Run end to end. Beta standard time."He explained.
Behind me, the whispers came back, softer now, less mocking and more curious.
"Let's see how long he lasts now."One Beta said.
"Strength was a fluke."Another added.
"No way he keeps up in speed."Third one smirked.
I rolled my shoulders once.
"Speed is not about power."Aiden stirred.
"I know." I said quietly.
"Then?"He asked.
"Watch."I smirked faintly.
"Begin!"Instructor whisteled.
I didn't jump forward like the others expected. That was the first mistake they made, I moved smoothly, controlled, feet barely making sound against the stone. No wasted motion, no panic, just steady acceleration.
"Left side. Shorter stride. Save energy."Aiden guided quietly.
Halfway through, one of the Betas who had been smirking earlier sprinted ahead of me from another lane, clearly trying to show me up. By the time we hit the last stretch, his breathing was uneven, steps sloppy. I passed him and at the end line, I slowed naturally instead of collapsing like half the others. The instructor stared at the timekeeper, the timekeeper stared at the board. Then both of them looked at me, confused.
"Beta standard." The timekeeper said slowly. "Met."
"You are kidding."Then someone in the back muttered.
"Again." The instructor said.
I didn't argue. Second run, faster start. Same control and same clean finish, by the third run, the room wasn't laughing anymore.
"Hm."The instructor crossed his arms.
I was starting to like that sound.
"Final test." He said. "Agility."
He pointed to a setup that looked like someone had taken every bad idea and turned it into an obstacle course: low bars, hanging ropes, shifting platforms.
"Complete the course, no mistakes."He said.
"No pressure." I muttered.
"You like pressure."Aiden hummed.
"I like proving people wrong."I said.
"Same thing."Aiden grinned.
"Begin."He said.
This time, I moved faster. A rope swung, I grabbed, flipped, and landed clean. A platform shifted, and I adjusted mid step. Just instinct and control. I finished the test without tripping or falling even once.
"He moves like a Beta."Halfway through, someone actually said it out loud.
"No, that's not Beta."Another voice corrected quietly.
When I stepped back into place, the room was quiet again, not the mocking silence from before. The instructor looked at me for a long moment, then he turned slightly, addressing the room.
"Royal Order ranking system." He said flatly. "D rank. Lowest, an entry level. You survive, you learn, or you get out." "C rank. Competent soldiers, reliable. "B rank elite units, skilled and proven. A rank. Command level, leaders and S rank. The strongest those are the rare ones."
"Zavier."Then his gaze snapped back to me.
"Yes?"I asked.
"You do not qualify for Beta or Alpha designation."He said.
"Obviously." I said.
"But." He continued."You pass."
"What?"A Beta asked.
"No way."Alpha stared in shock.
"You will be placed in D rank." The instructor said. "Conditional acceptance."
"Conditions?"I tilted my head slightly.
"You fall behind, you are out. You cause problems, you are out. You fail missions, you are out."He said.
"Sounds fair."I nodded.
"It's not meant to be."He said.
"I like it anyway."I said and smiled.
He handed me a card. D rank lowest and starting point.
"An Omega in Royal Order…"Behind me, someone muttered.
Yeah, but did you see that?"Another added.
I turned the card slightly in my hand.
"You did it."Aiden's voice was quiet, steady.
"Yeah."I exhaled slowly. "And this is just the beginning."
Behind the observation window above the hall, someone leaned casually against the frame, arms crossed, watching everything with sharp interest.
"An Omega in D rank." He murmured under his breath. "This is going to be entertaining."
I slipped the card into my pocket. D rank, lowest, but for now. It's just the starting point.