Astaria Kingdom – Veloria City – A small community neighborhood
"Riiingggg!"
An alarm clock rang loudly in a dimly lit bedroom. A hand reached out from under the blanket to silence it. A young man sat up on the bed—a boy of average looks and build, with short black hair and dull, sleepy black eyes.
"So... today's the day, huh. Sigh," he muttered.
A woman's voice called out from beyond the bedroom door, "Evan, wake up! It's an important day, dear!"
"Yes, Mom..." Evan replied lazily, dragging himself to shower and get dressed.
Once ready, he came downstairs to find his father sitting on the sofa, watching the news with a stern face.
"Nervous?" his father asked.
"Not at all. I don't really care about the results," Evan replied indifferently.
His father chuckled softly. "That's just like you," he said, eyes still glued to the screen.
"I'm heading out now, Dad, Mom." Evan slipped on his shoes and swiftly stepped out the front door.
"Wait! At least take a sandwich—!" his mother's voice echoed from the kitchen, but the door had already closed behind him.
She sighed. "That boy... Why didn't you stop him?"
His father shrugged. "Maybe he's just in a hurry to get to the academy. Let him be. He's probably more excited than he lets on."
"You're the one more excited than him. Look at you, your legs have been shaking since this morning," she teased, smiling at him.
His father offered a faint smile in return. "I just don't want him to be disappointed... since both of us awakened as F-Ranks," he said quietly, face darkening with regret.
The Brake family's home was modest, inherited from Evan's grandfather, who mysteriously vanished before Evan was born. His mother ran a small tailoring shop, and his father worked as a cook at a street-side diner—enough to make ends meet.
Evan had to take a public bus into central Veloria, where the academy stood—about thirty minutes away.
As he sat on the bus, gazing quietly out the window at the peaceful scenery of the outer districts, the towering figure of Veloria Academy gradually came into view, like a colossal pillar standing proudly in the heart of the city.
The cityscape shifted: busy crowds, street vendors, towering buildings. But Evan's face remained blank as his thoughts drifted.
"Can't believe I passed the entrance exam... barely."
"Didn't even want to go to this academy in the first place. It's so... dull. Everyone's obsessed with becoming some 'Great One.'"
Still, when he recalled the joy on his parents' faces upon seeing the acceptance letter, he made his decision.
"Oh well. At least they're happy."
"Hey, mind if I sit here?" a voice suddenly asked from beside him.
Evan turned to see a short, chubby boy with thick glasses, dressed in the same student uniform. Looking around, Evan realized all other seats were taken—or rather, none were quite big enough for the boy to fit comfortably.
"Sure, go ahead," Evan replied with a neutral expression.
"Thanks a bunch, buddy!" the boy said cheerfully, plopping down beside him.
"I'm Lenny Briggs. Just call me Lenny. You?" he asked.
"Evan Brake," Evan replied.
"Evan, huh? From your uniform, we must be in the same academy—and from the white-collar design, you're a first-year too! That makes us classmates!" Lenny grinned, clearly thrilled to have made a friend on the first day.
Evan, not great at handling overly energetic people, gave a simple, "Mm," while keeping his eyes on the window.
Lenny, however, didn't stop talking. He rambled on about all sorts of things since the moment he sat down. Though Evan wasn't listening, the chatter mildly disrupted his peaceful view.
Eventually, the bus arrived. Evan now stood before the grand gates of Veloria Academy, the most prestigious institution in the city.
His face remained gloomy, while Lenny continued to chatter excitedly by his side.
Today marked Evan's first step into a school of magical awakening—A place that would determine the course of his destiny.