Tyler sat quietly at the edge of the Auditorium, watching the faint trails of mana drift from his fingertips. The mana was soft and grey, like mist curling through the air. It felt cold, weightless, and oddly familiar—like it had always been there, just waiting.
He'd awakened a grey mana core, attribute: Ghost type.
Around him, the buzz of other students filled the auditorium. Some were laughing, others practicing small tricks with their mana. Just thirty of them in this year's intake, but each one carried a different glow now—freshly awakened, newly ranked, and wide-eyed.
"You always gotta look so serious?" said a voice behind him.
Tyler turned and found Max walking over. His mana glowed a rich, vivid red—like embers caught in the wind.
"Red mana core," Max said, grinning. "Fire attribute. Pretty on the nose, right?"
Tyler gave a small smile. "Yeah, suits you."
Max sat beside him and stretched his arms behind his head. "So… grey, huh? Ghost?"
Tyler nodded, watching the fading mist from his hand. "Yeah. The instructor said it's common enough. A lot of scouts and support users get it."
"You get any tricks yet?"
"I can blur things," Tyler said, holding up two fingers. "And silence my footsteps a little."
"Spooky," Max said, then added with a grin, "but not bad. You'll be sneaking around while I roast everything from the front."
"I'll remember to stay out of your blast zone," Tyler muttered.
The two sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching students test their control. Some were shaky, their mana flickering uncontrollably. Others already showed strong stability. It wasn't about how bright your mana glowed—just how well you could control it.
Each student had been placed into one of the nine known Tiers, ranked from Tier 1 at the lowest to Tier 9, the peak. Almost everyone started at Tier 1 or 2. Higher tiers were stronger, but they had to be earned. Controlled. Refined.
"What Tier did you land on?" Max asked, finally.
"Tier 1," Tyler said. "Same as you, right?"
Max nodded. "Yup. Guess we're on the same rung for now."
"For now," Tyler said, raising an eyebrow.
Max smirked. "Not that it's a race... but it kinda is."
Just a few steps away, Instructor Logan leaned against the railing overlooking the yard. His arms were crossed, and his sharp eyes moved from student to student with quiet precision. Every movement was recorded in his head—mana color, posture, discipline.
Beside him stood Miss Iris, holding a digital clipboard. Her dark violet hair was pinned neatly, and her uniform was spotless. She watched the class with a calmer expression than Logan, but no less intensity.
"You were right," Logan said, his voice low. "Five attribute cores this year."
Iris nodded. "That's a good spread. We've got Red, Blue, Green, Grey, and Yellow so far. Most people awaken attributeless mana core"
"Five out of thirty. That's higher than last year."
Iris tapped a few times on her screen. "And most of them seem to be Tier 1. A couple near tier 2."
Logan exhaled through his nose. "That's fine. I'd rather train steady students than flashy ones who burn out in a year."
He pointed toward Tyler and Max.
"The ghost boy—Tyler. Decent attribute. And the fire kid—Max—loud, but controlled."
Iris smiled faintly. "You already picking favorites?"
Logan snorted. "Just keeping track."
Back in the yard, Max nudged Tyler. "Think we'll be assigned the same squad?"
"Probably not," Tyler said. "They'll want to mix attributes."
"Still," Max said, standing up and stretching, "I wouldn't mind watching your back. You're quieter than most. That could come in handy if monsters show up."
Tyler looked up at him. "You think we'll be fighting real ones soon?"
Max shrugged. "They said the lowlands are active this season. Small nests near the border towns. If we're lucky, maybe they'll send us on a subjugation drill."
"Lucky?"
"Better than sitting around learning mana control from diagrams."
Tyler stood as well, brushing the dust from his hands. "I'd rather know what I'm doing before going anywhere near a monster."
Max grinned. "Then you better learn fast."
A short whistle cut through the air. Instructor Logan stepped forward, arms still crossed, his voice deep and direct.
"First training session begins tomorrow morning at six. You'll be separated by attribute. No mana flaring after hours. If I catch you burning holes in school property, you'll be scrubbing walls."
A few students laughed. Max leaned over and whispered, "He means me."
Miss Iris followed up, softer in tone but just as firm. "There will be a test next week. Until then, focus on control. Not power."
The group slowly dispersed, heading back to the dorms. Tyler and Max walked side by side.
"You sure about this?" Tyler asked.
Max glanced at him. "About what?"
"Us. This whole academy thing. Monster hunting. Fighting."
Max shrugged. "Not really. But it beats sitting around pretending we're normal."
Tyler looked at his hand again—at the grey mist still curling softly from his fingers.
"Yeah," he said. "I guess it does."