AT THE SAME TIME
AT THE OBSERVATION HALL
The feed didn't start with rain, it started with failure. Glorious, painful, completely avoidable failure, on one side of the split screen, multiple teams struggled like the concept of fire had personally betrayed them. Smoke everywhere. Sparks dying instantly, one Alpha aggressively blowing into a pile of wet leaves like sheer confidence would ignite them.
"WHY IS IT NOT WORKING-?"Beta asked.
"Because you're suffocating it." An instructor muttered flatly.
"Zoom in on that one." Another one said. "No, closer, yes, that's not a fire, that's a funeral."
Laughter broke across the room. Then the camera shifted to D-rank.
"Oh this will be good." Someone grinned.
Riko was kneeling over a pile of sticks like he was negotiating a peace treaty.
"Okay listen, I am trying my best-"He complained.
"You are actively making it worse." Ben snapped, already rebuilding his structure for the third time.
"I AM CONTRIBUTING-"Leo said.
"You are committing arson without fire."Ben said.
"I refuse to believe fire is necessary."Leo was lying on his side.
"You will die first." Ben said.
Adam crouched nearby, silent, watching and then Zavier.
Still, watching not the fire, not the others, but the materials and the ground.
"Wait."One instructor leaned forward.
On screen, Zavier moved. He crouched, selecting dry fibers no one else even noticed, pulling thin bark, snapping twigs to size with precise pressure, arranging everything into a clean, breathable structure. Not a pile a system.
"That's not beginner setup." Logan said quietly.
Spark once, twice and the third caught flame.
The room went silent.
"What." A B-rank Alpha said.
"He didn't even hesitate."Another added.
"That was first attempt."Beta started in surprise.
"He built airflow channels-"Someone else mentioned.
"He compensated for humidity." Another instructor added.
On screen Zavier leaned back slightly. Then looked at the others who were still failing.
Riko blew into his pile and it exploded into smoke. He coughed violently.
"I AM UNDER ATTACK-"He gasped.
The hall lost composure.
"Someone save him from himself."Alpha laughed.
"That one is fighting oxygen and losing."A mentor smirked.
"Tinder first, you're suffocating it. Leave space. Ben, stop stacking it like a tower, it needs air. Riko, stop hitting it like it insulted you. Leo move."Then Zavier spoke.
"He's instructing them?"The room paused. "Since when does D-rank teach?"
On screen something impossible happened. Riko stopped committing violence, Ben adjusted structure. and Leo actually sat up.
"I hate that this is working." Leo muttered.
Adam followed quietly and slowly fire appeared.
The observation hall leaned back.
"He didn't just succeed."One said.
"He dragged four failures into passing."Another added. "That's leadership under pressure."
"That's survival experience."Logan didn't look away.
Then the feed shifted. Rain began lightly at first. On other screens, a disaster was heard. Fires were dying, shelters were collapsing, and people were screaming.
"MY FIRE-"
"I JUST MADE THAT-"
"WHY IS WATER EVERYWHERE-"
"Because it's raining." Someone in the hall said dryly.
Then D-rank again appeared again as Zavier didn't look up.
"Faster."He said.
The hall leaned forward.
"Watch this."Logan said.
On screen Ben adjusted angles immediately.
"If we tilt runoff-"He added.
"Do it."Zavier nodded.
"I AM BEING USEFUL-"Riko stuffed leaves like his life depended on it.
"You are blocking airflow-"Ben sighed.
"I AM EVOLVING-"Leo sighed as he held a branch.
The room stared.
"He's holding something."An Alpha said. "Write that down."
Adam anchored the structure deep, Zavier moved through all of them fixing, adjusting and correcting. Other teams collapsed completely, but D-rank finished right on time.
"They actually did it."A mentor gasped.
"No." Logan said. "He did."
Then Isabella entered.
The room collectively held its breath.
"She paused again."Someone muttered.
"Who led this?"She asked.
"HIM."One of them said.
The hall snorted.
"You anticipated the rain."Isabella said.
"Yes."Zavier nodded.
As the conversation between contunied, the hall chuckled, but Isabella didn't because she studied Zavier.
"You were not trained."She said.
"No."Zavier nodded.
That made her pause again, and the room noticed.
"She doesn't like that answer."Alpha said.
"No." Logan said. "She doesn't believe it."
"She thinks he's lying."Alpha said.
"No." Logan said quietly. "She thinks that level of skill without training shouldn't exist."
On screen Riko looked between them, then at Zavier, then back at Isabella and, unfortunately for everyone involved Riko opened his mouth.
"Yeah no, he is not lying."He said.
The observation hall perked up instantly.
"Oh no."Alpha gasped.
"Oh YES."A Beta grinned.
"Let him talk."Someone smirked.
Ben pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Riko-"Ben whispered.
"No, no, this is important." Riko waved him off dramatically. "We JUST learned this, and I am still emotionally processing it."
"That is not a reason to speak." Ben said.
"It is EXACTLY a reason to speak."Riko whispered.
Isabella didn't interrupt which was a mistake because now Riko had permission.
"He wasn't trained." Riko continued, pointing at Zavier like he was presenting evidence in court. "Because his family is trash."
The hall froze.
"Straight to the point." Alpha gasped.
"I respect the efficiency." Kael grinned.
"That is a simplified version."Ben sighed.
"IT IS AN ACCURATE VERSION." Riko snapped.
"Explain."Isabella's gaze sharpened.
The observation hall leaned forward as one.
"Oh this is getting good."Someone in the distance muttered.
"His family prioritized his brother."Ben adjusted his glasses slowly.
"That's putting it nicely." Riko cut in. "They basically acted like he didn't exist."
On screen, Zavier didn't react at all. Like they weren't talking about him, and that made it worse.
"From what we understand… all training resources were directed toward the primary heir."Ben continued, quieter now.
"The golden child." Riko added.
"It seems the secret is out. My full name is Zavier Blackstone. I am the twin brother of 'the perfect' Michael Blackstone'."Zavier said calmly.
A few gasps appeared in the observation room. Everyone has heard about the Blackstone family and their perfect SON. Nobody else until now knew that Michael had a twin brother, and his name was no one else than Zavier.