---
Sam could feel that his punch had connected—but the moment it did, everything inside him gave out. His limbs felt heavy, his vision blurred.
"No more," he thought, collapsing onto the cold ground beside the fallen Titan. It lay still, unmoving, its hulking frame finally silenced.
Then… cracks formed.
The Titan began to crumble. Not bleed, not rot—shatter, like glass. The entire landscape followed, pixelating into glowing shards that drifted upward into nothingness. Sam blinked—
—and found himself lying on the academy grounds.
All around him, students were stirring. Some were sobbing, some sat trembling with vacant stares, while others lay unconscious. Yet, curiously, none bore any physical wounds. What they'd faced… was all in their minds.
A voice echoed inside his head.
"Well done, Candidate. You have passed the academy trial and are now officially admitted to Nova Sanctum. This was a test of will—not power. It was never about defeating your enemy, but facing your deepest fear and refusing to run."
Sam sat up slowly, his heart still catching up to the reality he now saw. The fear, the pain—it all lingered. But he had made it through.
Just then, Zeke walked past him.
Sam opened his mouth to speak—but paused. Zeke's eyes were narrowed, expression blank. Their eyes met, just briefly. No nod. No smile. Zeke simply moved on.
Then, a powerful gust of wind swept across the grounds as Headmaster Eldren lifted into the air, his voice booming through the space.
"Roughly 200 students have passed today's trial. That's a better turnout than last year—some of you even broke past records."
The students stirred, whispers spreading. Sam looked up at the headmaster, wondering if Zeke had been one of those record-breakers.
"Your ranks were determined based on how quickly you overcame your fear. While this doesn't always reflect raw strength, it shows mental resilience. With that, the entrance trial concludes. I look forward to what each of you will bring to Nova Sanctum."
And just like that, he vanished in a blink.
As murmurs spread across the field, a large blue ranking board materialized in front of the students.
"Hey, that's the results!"
"Whoa… check the top ten!"
Sam didn't care about his own ranking—at least not yet. His eyes scanned the board for one name only:
Zeke Greythorne.
Rank: 6
Estimated Combat Power: 3360
Sam's eyes widened. As he looked over to Zeke, he caught something—Zeke's expression, frozen in brief, raw anger as he stared at the board. But within seconds, his face returned to its usual calm as their gazes crossed again. No words passed between them.
Zeke walked away.
Sixth? Sam thought. Zeke was the strongest student I've ever seen… and yet five people scored higher?
It hit him. The world he'd just entered was far bigger—and far more terrifying—than he'd imagined.
He finally let his eyes drift down to his own name on the list. He wasn't curious of his rankings but it was necessary for the form assignments.
Sam's eyes lingered on his name—
Rank 194.
Sam Shneider
Estimated combat power: 564.
He clenched his fist instinctively. "So this is where I stand," he muttered. Compared to Zeke's, his rank felt like a joke. But he remembered the Headmaster's words: "This ranking is only based on the time taken to overcome your fear... not raw strength." Even so, this was the number that would define his starting point.
Just then, a student nearby whispered to his friend, "I'm in Nullis…" his tone dissapointed.
Nullis?
Sam's thoughts were interrupted as a magical projection appeared in the sky, displaying five colored crests—each representing a Dormitory Tier at Nova Sanctum Academy. A female teacher, voice clear and measured, stepped forward from the faculty lineup.
"As per academy protocol, your initial dorm assignments will be based on your performance in the trial. While combat strength was considered, your resilience, control, and inner will mattered equally. Let me introduce the five dorms of Nova Sanctum Academy."
---
🟣 Dorm Aetherion – "Heaven's Gate"
Color: Violet & Gold
"Only the top 1% earn a place here," the teacher said. "Private rooms. The best instructors. First access to relics and missions. But beware, the expectations are divine."
Sam gulped. He couldn't even imagine who made it here. Maybe the top five? Zeke?
---
🔵 Dorm Valiant – "Knights' Nest"
Color: Blue & Silver
"Strong, reliable, and tactical students—leaders in the making. These students are not just powerful, but disciplined. You'll often find your student council and squad captains here."
---
🟠 Dorm Ignis – "The Forge"
Color: Orange & Charcoal
"Hot-headed. Explosive. Unpredictable. But some of the strongest late-bloomers come from here. Dorm Ignis cultivates raw firepower... through chaos."
---
🟢 Dorm Verdant – "The Roots"
Color: Green & White
"Support-based. Analysts, medics, enchanters, and crafters. They're the minds behind missions and the hearts that keep teams alive. Never underestimate the Roots."
---
⚫ Dorm Nullis – "The Abyss"
Color: Black & Grey
There was a long pause.
"Lowest-ranked students. Often forgotten, and left to sink… or rise. Their only advantage? Total freedom. Train how you want, fight if you can. There are still some crawled out of Nullis to become legends."
Sam's gut tightened.
"So… I'm in the Abyss."
He noticed the dorm advisor was a grizzled man in a battered cloak, standing apart from the other instructors, arms crossed. There was something about his eyes… like he'd seen too many students fall.
Sam's expression hardened. He wouldn't fall.
And as he looked back at the rankings and saw the mysterious five above Zeke, a thought stirred in his chest:
"If I'm starting from the bottom… then I'll climb. One rank at a time."
"It doesn't end here," Sam muttered. "I'm just getting started."
He remembered what the headmaster had said—the rankings weren't everything. Growth was possible. Midterms and finals could shift everything.
And then, voices around him caught his ear.
"Classes start next week."
"We've got a week to explore the city and train up."
He clenched his fists. A week to prepare. I'm not wasting it.
But behind the faculty lineup, a man stood hidden among the 6 main instructors. His eyes didn't follow the board. They were locked on Sam.
"Sam Shneider… So he's the kid you gave your life for, huh sis?"
He looked down at the ring on his hand—one glowing faintly with patterns eerily similar to the one on Sam's finger.
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