May 21, 3021.
Three days had passed since that unforgettable encounter. Lumiel lay in bed, unmoving, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.
> "Every century, a new Hero is born, gifted with the same divine blessing. But now, the gods are silent. There is no new Hero. There is only you."
Those words—spoken by Alvado—looped endlessly in his mind.
"Am I really the last hero?"
Sleep, once stolen by fulfilled souls, had never returned. His eyes, heavy but restless, drifted toward his phone.
Today was the day.
The Gifted Academy would release the results. Lumiel had taken the entrance exam unsure of himself, but with hope flickering like a candle. Now he waited, his screen lighting up again and again without a message.
One hour. Two. Four.
Finally—
Ping!
A new mail.
His hands trembled as he opened it. His breath stopped.
> [Subject: Congratulations! Your Application to the Gifted Academy Has Been Accepted]
{Dear Mr. Lumiel,
We are pleased to inform you that you have successfully passed the entrance examinations and have been officially accepted into the Gifted Academy. Your performance has demonstrated potential worthy of cultivation, and we look forward to supporting your future growth.
Your student identification number will be issued during orientation. Please bring the following on your first day:
Your admission letter (this email serves as proof)
Proof of identity
Standard black formal uniform (provided on campus)
Any registered Gifted tools, if applicable
Classes begin on May 25, starting with the Grand Entrance Ceremony at 8:00 AM in the Central Courtyard. All accepted students are expected to attend in formal attire.
We welcome you to a new chapter of your journey.
With pride,
The Office of Admissions
The Gifted Academy}
"…I got in."
"I GOT IN!"
Lumiel sprang up from bed like he'd just won the lottery. He laughed, yelled, hugged his pillow, and rolled across his sheets like a child. For the first time in what felt like forever, he smiled without fear.
But then—he remembered.
The sword.
The power.
The transformation.
Still buzzing with excitement, Lumiel ran out of the apartment and into the nearby park. The air smelled of wet grass and sun. He stood beneath the open sky, raised his hand, and summoned the weapon.
What appeared was no longer the same sword.
Gone was the pure blue blade. In its place stood a new form:
A radiant weapon with a white blade as soft and bright as clouds, etched with ancient runes that shimmered like stars. The hilt was black as void, the stark contrast forming a perfect yin-yang—Heaven and Earth in harmony.
Lumiel stood in awe.
He positioned the sword above his head, its weight lighter than before. The runes began to glow with white and golden light, humming with divine presence.
He swung.
A silent flash.
Far in the distance, clouds split in two—neatly parted, as though a divine hand had carved a path through the sky. The earth below remained untouched.
"...What?"
"That used to destroy everything around me. Now it only cuts the clouds?"
His curiosity burned.
He repeated the stance.
This time, the runes glowed differently—an ominous black haze shrouded the sword. The blade turned black, sharp like obsidian, leaking danger.
He inhaled, readying the next strike.
But then—he sneezed.
"ACHOO—!"
CRASH!
A sudden boom echoed through the park. Birds scattered in all directions.
Lumiel lowered the blade, stunned.
Behind him, the forest had a fresh crater like something massive had crashed down. And far, far away, a mountain stood cleaved in half, as if sliced by the gods themselves.
"...Oh no."
"...Oh no no no no—"
Panic.
He bolted back to his apartment, slammed the door, dove onto his bed, and buried his face in a pillow.
> "What did I do?! I destroyed the forest—A MOUNTAIN! What if someone saw me? What if there's security footage? Am I going to jail?! Jail for accidental mountain destruction?!"
He clawed at his scalp, overwhelmed, before letting out a muffled scream.
Later that night—six days without sleep finally took its toll.
Lumiel collapsed.
---
A New Dream Begins.
He opened his eyes to darkness. Cold stone. The flicker of torches against metal.
A vast underground cave, hollowed out and shaped into what seemed like a base.
"Where... am I?"
He was tied to a log.
Surrounding him, a crowd jeered and laughed. At the center sat a man on a golden throne—five figures stood before him. Two flanked him closely, like guardians or advisors. Their faces were hazy, but something about them...
Familiar.
A strange window blinked into view—mid-air.
> [System: Dangerous environment detected. Leave immediately.]
"What... what is this?" Lumiel whispered, eyes wide.
His chest tightened. He didn't know these people—but his body did. Memories that weren't his flooded in—anger, fear, betrayal.
The people laughing... they were his party.
The one on the throne—the enemy they'd all sworn to defeat.
They'd sold him out.
He had trusted them. Fought for them. Loved them.
And they tied him up.
Then—
The crowd stepped forward. One by one.
Knives drawn.
A hand plunged a blade into his side.
> [System: Fatal blood loss detected.]
Another.
> [System: Fatal wound detected.]
Another.
> [System: Fatal poison detected.]
More.
Again.
And again.
System windows kept flashing, louder and faster, until they filled his entire vision—layer over layer of blinking red text.
> [System: Fatal blood loss detected.]
[System: Fatal wound detected.]
[System: Fatal poison detected.]
[System: Fatal blood loss detected.]
[System: Fatal wound detected.]
[System: Fatal poison detected.]
[System: Fatal—]
It wouldn't stop.
His thoughts faded under a rain of stabbing pain and endless system alerts. His last moment was not silence or peace, but blinding light—his vision drowned in a flood of glowing rectangles.
---
Lumiel woke up with a gasp.
Soaked in sweat.
Heart racing.
Another soul.
Another life.
Not a genius. Not an appraiser.
This one... had seen the world like a game—with systems, stats, rules.
And still, he had died.
Alone. Used. Forgotten.
Lumiel sat in silence.
"Just what kind of power... am I being given?"