Yan City Psionic Academy High.
A tinny, familiar tune echoed in the fuzzy recesses of Kyle's mind. "A little hero, totally invincible, mysterious superpowers. Hands working together, transformation activated, it's truly amazing…"
The melody snagged on a thought. Wait. Arithmetic progressions. Shouldn't Mr. Gordon be dissecting arithmetic progressions right now? The teacher's voice droned on, but it wasn't about numbers. It sounded like he was…reciting the blurb of a fantasy novel? Is this his idea of a stress-buster? Noble, I guess, but with the college entrance exams barely a hundred days off… Then another phrase from the teacher cut through his mental fog: "…four hundred days until the exams…"
Four hundred? Did I sleep through an entire academic year? Am I a junior again? A cold dread, mixed with an almost comical sense of disorientation, washed over Kyle. He genuinely hadn't a clue what was happening.
"Uh… um…" The sound escaped him, a pathetic croak.
A minute, thick with unspoken classroom tension, crawled by.
Huuu… haaa… huuu… haaa… Mr. Gordon's breathing, amplified in the sudden silence, was a bellows of pure frustration.
"Alright, Kyle," the teacher said, his voice deceptively calm, yet laced with steel. "Can't answer that one, is that it? Fine. No problem at all. We'll try something simpler, shall we? Something a child could grasp. Tell us, enlighten us all, about the history of the Aura Resurgence."
Another minute evaporated into the charged atmosphere. Kyle's brain felt like scrambled eggs, desperately trying to piece together a world that had seemingly tilted on its axis. Answering the question felt secondary to figuring out if he was still sane. He risked a glance at the massive interactive screen that served as a blackboard. One look, and his jaw nearly hit the floor.
What is the Dire Wolf's innate skill?
What in the actual…?! This was a high school senior-level question? No, hang on. Was this even a question that belonged in any educational curriculum he knew? His bewilderment was rapidly escalating to full-blown panic.
Just last night – or what he thought was last night – with the ominous 100-day countdown to the college entrance exams looming, he'd been chained to his desk. A frantic, caffeine-fueled blur of cramming, textbooks piled high like miniature fortresses. Exhaustion had finally claimed him, and he'd decided to unwind with a nostalgic snippet of his favorite childhood cartoon, Ben 10. He remembered the theme song, the comforting glow of the screen… and then…
Darkness. And then, a sharp crack as his head connected with something hard.
The impact jolted Kyle's eyes wide open. Adrenaline surged. He executed a flawless kip-up – a move he hadn't realized he knew – and landed in a defensive crouch, hands raised.
"Who?!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "Who dares to assassinate Us?"
A beat of stunned silence, then the classroom erupted.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Man, this guy's still dreaming!" someone hooted.
"And what an epic fantasy he's cooked up! 'Assassinate Us!' Hahaha!" another voice chimed in, thick with mockery.
Listening to the waves of ridicule wash over him, Kyle slowly lowered his hands, his gaze sweeping across the unfamiliar faces, the alien classroom. Complete, utter bewilderment. Laugh your asses off? he thought, a flicker of his old self sparking through the confusion. What in the blazes happened to me? This definitely isn't my bedroom.
Watching Kyle's bizarre performance, Mr. Gordon's face had gone from frustrated to a shade of thunderous black, like the bottom of a well-used pot. He took a deep, steadying breath that did little to calm the inferno in his eyes.
"Kyle," he began, his voice dangerously low, "there are, as I've mentioned, a mere four hundred days until the college entrance exams. Four. Hundred. And you have the audacity, the unmitigated gall, to not only sleep in my class but to… to enact this… pantomime!" He waved a dismissive hand at Kyle's recent display. "Forget it. You…"
Suddenly, Mr. Gordon's composure snapped. "Kyle! You brat!" he roared, his voice bouncing off the walls. "You don't even know the answer to such a rudimentary question? You're a junior! The college entrance exams are practically breathing down your neck! This topic has been drummed into your heads since middle school! Heck, even elementary school children hear teachers chattering about it. An elementary schooler, Kyle, could answer this!" He was visibly trembling with anger, panting heavily. This student, this… this slacker, was going to be the death of him.
Beneath the podium, the simmering pot of student whispers began to boil over.
"Didn't Kyle swear up and down he was turning over a new leaf? 'Gonna study hard, ace the exams,' he said. So much for that, huh?"
"What else did you expect? All talk, no action. Two years of coasting, and he thinks he can just flip a switch?"
"My thoughts exactly. I still don't get how a deadbeat like him ended up tight with Wayne Wang and Lynn Lin."
"Seriously! A penniless slacker, hanging out with a young master from that Wang family and the precious daughter of the Lins? Talk about punching above his weight. Some guys have all the luck!" The envy in that last comment was thick enough to spread on toast, and a murmur of agreement rippled through the room.
A clear, calm voice cut through the chatter. "Five hundred years ago," Lynn Lin began, her voice carrying easily despite its softness. Even without a trace of makeup, her features possessed a striking, almost ethereal perfection that Kyle, even in his dazed state, couldn't help but notice. She continued, her words painting a picture he struggled to comprehend, "numerous colossal rifts tore open across the surface of Earth. From these rifts, a vast, unimaginable tide of spiritual aura – psionic energy – surged forth, causing the very planet to expand, growing tens of times its original size."
Kyle felt a cold knot tighten in his stomach. Earth? Expanded? Spiritual aura?
Lynn continued, her gaze distant, as if reciting a sacred history. "This aura, while immensely beneficial to the existing life on our world, empowering us humans to cultivate and awaken extraordinary powers, also brought with it… complications." Her voice softened slightly. "Besides the pure energy, the spatial rifts vomited forth hordes of terrifying Vicious Beasts. Simultaneously, nourished by this potent new aura, Earth's native flora and fauna began to mutate. A small fraction, thankfully, retained a gentle nature, even after their transformation. But the vast majority… they only grew more savage, more predatory."
A somber note crept into her tone. "From that day onward, these Mutated Beasts and the otherworldly Vicious Beasts launched relentless, horrific assaults against humanity. As time bled into years, the rifts yawned wider, and the beasts evolved, growing stronger at an alarming rate. Human powers, while diverse and wondrous, developed at a crawl in comparison. Our enemies could achieve breakthroughs simply by accumulating enough raw energy. For a long, dark period, we humans were perpetually on the defensive, clinging to survival by the sheer grit of our most powerful ability users and the edge of our advanced weaponry."
Kyle listened, a part of his mind screaming denial while another, more terrified part, absorbed every word. This wasn't a dream. This was… something else.
"This desperate struggle continued until the emergence of Yu Zehuai, the Space Supreme," Lynn said, a flicker of awe in her voice. "He was a formidable Eighth-Order psionicist, a master of spatial manipulation. With abilities that defied comprehension, he single-handedly annihilated staggering numbers of Vicious and Mutated Beasts. Humanity was on the cusp of reclaiming its lands, of pushing back the tide." Her expression clouded. "But then, just as victory seemed within our grasp, a powerful Beast King unexpectedly arose from their ranks. Its strength was an equal match for the Space Supreme. The two became a stalemate, a terrible balance of power, and humanity's precarious hope seemed to flicker and die."
"Ultimately," she concluded, her voice heavy, "because neither could decisively overcome the other, an accord was struck. The Beast King pledged to lead all S-rank and above Vicious Beasts back into the depths of the spatial rifts, and to remain there, dormant. In return, until the Beast King violated this fragile pact, the Space Supreme was bound by honor not to act against them. And so, the Space Supreme, our greatest champion, has been constrained by this ancient agreement, unable to directly intervene ever since."
Her tone, which had grown somber, now firmed with an undeniable resolve. "But in that crucial interim, humanity had rallied. We had gathered sufficient resources, cultivated enough strength. Our ancestors, the heroes of that era, built the colossal city walls that now protect us, carving out bastions of safety within a hostile world. Today, although we humans occupy a mere thirty percent of Earth's landmass, because the planet itself has expanded so dramatically, our actual territorial area has, paradoxically, increased. But make no mistake," she declared, her eyes shining, "Earth ultimately belongs to us. What our generation must do is cultivate diligently, awaken powerful abilities, reclaim our lost lands, and drive out those monstrous invaders from our home!"
"Well said!!!" a male voice boomed from near Kyle.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The shout of approval was instantly followed by a wave of thunderous applause that startled Kyle.
Yan City, he was slowly, terrifyingly beginning to understand, was one of these fortified safe zones. To shield humanity from the horrors outside, predecessors from a forgotten age had erected these monumental walls, allowing civilization to persist in this new era of Aura Resurgence, an age teeming with rampant, monstrous beasts. As time marched on, humanity had cautiously, then boldly, begun to launch counter-offensives. Connections between the scattered safe zones were painstakingly re-established, and the fractured authority of nations was slowly pieced back together. Yan City now stood as one of the bastions of the Huaxia Nation.
Life here, Kyle mused, his head still reeling, aside from being saturated with this 'spiritual aura,' the ability to cultivate strange powers, and the constant, looming threat of monstrous beasts lurking beyond the walls, wasn't, on the surface, drastically different from the world he thought he knew. Or at least, the basic structures of society seemed to remain.
The Wang and Lin families, he would soon learn, were considered solid second-tier powerhouses within Yan City's complex hierarchy. Above them sat a first-tier family, a true titan. In such a world, weaker families often found strength in alliances, banding together for mutual support and survival. The Wangs and Lins were a prime example of such a pragmatic union. They already shared numerous business dealings, and to cement their relationship for generations, they had proposed a marital alliance. As if ordained by fate itself, in the same year, on the very same day, the wives of the heads of both families gave birth – one to a son, the other to a daughter. They'd hailed it as a sign, a blessing, and thus, a marriage contract was drawn up for the two infants.
This wasn't, Kyle vaguely registered through his mental fog, some cliché-ridden novel plot where one party would dramatically fume, 'You dare arrange my marriage without my consent? I'll never agree, not even if I die!' leading to mutual animosity, followed by tired tropes of the talentless fiancé, the scorned genius, and inevitable, dramatic marriage annulments. No, this seemed… accepted.
Seeing Kyle's utterly bewildered, almost vacant expression, Mr. Gordon felt a fresh surge of exasperation. The boy wasn't just slacking; he seemed to have completely checked out of reality. Frustration warred with a sliver of concern. Just as he was about to unleash another tirade, the shrill, blessedly familiar sound of the dismissal bell cut through the air.
Mr. Gordon let out a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the entire education system. "Forget it, forget it," he mumbled, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "You weren't exactly a model student before, Kyle, but I've never seen you quite this… dazed. Perhaps you're not feeling well. Go home, get some rest. I expect better tomorrow, understand? And listen up, everyone!" he raised his voice to address the restless class. "No one, and I mean no one, be late tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is the annual Awakening Day. You'll all have your latent powers awakened. Whether you awaken a high-quality ability or something… less desirable, well, that will largely depend on your innate potential and a good dose of luck. No homework tonight. Alright, class dismissed!"
"Freedom!"
"Finally! I'm outta here!"
A stampede of students, eager to escape, thundered towards the exit.
Once the initial rush had subsided and the classroom was nearly empty, Wayne Wang and Lynn Lin made their way over to Kyle, who still looked like he'd seen a ghost – or perhaps, become one.
Wayne, a sturdy youth with an open, friendly face, clapped Kyle on the shoulder, a little too hard. "Hey, old pal Kyle," he said, his voice booming with cheerful concern. "I don't remember you being this out of it before. What gives? Suddenly decide to audition for the role of village idiot today?"
Lynn gently nudged Wayne with her elbow. "Wayne! How can you talk like that!" she chided, though a small smile played on her lips.
Wayne possessed an irrepressibly cheerful personality. When something pleased him, he didn't just feel it; he broadcasted it, his hearty laughter a clear indicator of his joyous state. Just moments ago, witnessing his girlfriend – for Lynn was indeed his betrothed and girlfriend – so eloquently command the classroom's attention had filled him with an immense, almost bursting pride, which he'd expressed with enthusiastic applause.
Lynn shot him a mock-reproachful glance but didn't press the issue. Instead, she turned to Kyle, her perfectly sculpted brow furrowed with genuine worry as she studied his thoroughly confused expression. Wayne, seeing her concern, mirrored it, his teasing demeanor vanishing, replaced by a shared, anxious gaze fixed on their friend.
…
Truth be told, it wasn't just the two of them, Wayne and Lynn, who had grown up playing together. It had always been the three of them, an inseparable trio.
Their bond had been forged in an unexpected crucible of danger. Around the second grade of elementary school, a reckless, and frankly idiotic, kidnapper, desperate for a quick score, had targeted young Lynn. The man was clearly an amateur, not even bothering with a rudimentary background check. While the Lin family was 'only' a second-tier power, in the eyes of an ordinary, non-psionic civilian, they were a colossal, untouchable entity.
He wasn't entirely stupid, however; he'd known enough to make his move when she was away from the immediate protection of her elders. At the time, Lynn had been on an outing with her parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lin were powerful ability users in their own right, and perhaps feeling overly secure in their own capabilities, they hadn't brought their usual retinue of bodyguards. As a result, the couple had gotten a little… carried away with enjoying their day off, momentarily losing track of their young daughter in the bustling crowd.
When the kidnapper, startled by an observant passerby who'd noticed his suspicious actions, tried to make a quick getaway, he'd stumbled in his haste, tripping over his own feet. Lynn, small and terrified, was thrown from his clumsy grasp. Kyle, who happened to be nearby, had reacted with an instinct he didn't know he possessed. Spotting a loose, heavy brick from a crumbling low wall, he'd snatched it up and, with all the desperate strength his small frame could muster, smashed it over the kidnapper's head. The man, being just an ordinary person with no enhanced durability, was knocked out cold instantly.
And just like that, young Kyle became the Lin family young miss's lifesaver. The Lins, being honorable people who always repaid their debts of gratitude, and then some, had immediately arranged well-paying, remarkably low-effort jobs for Kyle's parents.
But that wasn't all. When young Wayne heard about the incident, he'd rushed to Kyle's side, practically tackling him in a hug, his face a mess of tears and snot.
"Bro!" he'd blubbered, clutching Kyle so tightly he could barely breathe. "Thank you! Oh, thank you so much! If anything… anything had happened to Lynn… how could I possibly go on living! From now on, we're brothers! Got it? Real brothers! If anyone, anyone, ever bullies you, they're bullying me! Whatever you need, anything at all, you just tell me, okay? I've got your back!"
At that time, little Kyle's head had been filled with an immense, bewildered thought: Why is this buddy of mine, who's the exact same age, so ridiculously strong? I can barely breathe! Is this what having a rich friend is like?
In this rather dramatic fashion, Kyle had successfully befriended Wayne Wang and Lynn Lin, and they had become the closest of friends through their subsequent years of shared adventures and quiet companionship. Of course, during their time together, he often had to stoically endure their increasingly frequent, and sometimes sickeningly sweet, public displays of affection. It was, he supposed, the price of admission to their inner circle.
"Uh…" Kyle finally managed, trying to clear his throat and his head simultaneously. "I just… well, I fell out of bed this morning when I woke up. Landed right on my noggin. Scrambled my brain a bit, I think." He offered a weak, unconvincing smile. "It's nothing serious. I'll be fine after I get some rest tonight."
Wayne raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You sure you just fell out of bed and not, say, off the top floor of a skyscraper? Because, honestly, Kyle, you wouldn't be this dazed otherwise, would you?"
Kyle waved a dismissive hand, eager to change the subject. "Anyway, let's get going. Everyone else has already cleared out."
Since he put it that way, clearly unwilling to elaborate, the two didn't press further. Their homes weren't in the same direction, so they had to part ways once they passed through the imposing school gates.
"See you tomorrow, Kyle. Try not to fall out of any more beds, okay?" Wayne called back, a grin returning to his face.
Lynn offered a softer, "See you tomorrow. Rest well."
After separating from his two bewildered friends, Kyle practically sprinted home, his mind a maelstrom of impossible facts and terrifying questions. He desperately, urgently, needed to figure out what on Earth – or whatever this expanded, magic-infused version of it was – had happened to his world. And, more importantly, what had happened to him.