"Good morning, students."
The loudspeaker crackled to life, the principal's voice booming through every hallway and classroom.
"As you know, today is the day you'll be partaking in the Rank Designation as third years."
The fluorescent lights of the auditorium buzzed and flickered overhead, casting a sterile glow over the sea of students crammed into metal folding chairs. Whispers filled the air—some excited, others nervous.
Wondering what Rank Designation is? It's a tradition, a trial, and a humiliation rolled into one. All third years are tested and sorted into six ranks: S, A, B, C, D... and, if you're like me, Null. The one rank that means you're not even worth measuring.
Your rank determines everything—your guild prospects, your future assignments, even where you're allowed to live.
I shifted in my seat, trying not to look as anxious as I felt. Everyone else buzzed with anticipation. I just wanted to get through the day without being reminded I didn't belong.
"Hey, Ty!" Mike's voice cut through the noise, nearly making me jump. He plopped down beside me, wide-eyed and grinning. "You ready for the test, man? I can't wait to find out my rank. You know it's been rough keeping up with the seniors, especially the Big Three."
I gave him a dry look. "Let's just get this over with."
He blinked. "Right, sorry. Just... trying to stay positive."
He hesitated, then added, "Oh, by the way—I read your text. Why was the President at your house?"
I didn't answer. I just closed my eyes—and remembered.
FLASHBACK
I sat on the living room couch, stiff as a board. My parents flanked me, their eyes locked on the man standing in front of us.
The President.
Tall. Sharp-eyed. Too calm for someone who'd just walked into our home unannounced.
"Hi, Tyrone," he said, wearing that diplomatic smile politicians always wear. "How have you been?"
I stared at him. "Mom? Dad? Why is the President in our house?"
The room felt colder.
I'd heard the rumors—how normal humans were nearing extinction. Superhumans dominated Earth's systems now. Colonies on Mars and Europa had already replaced their human militaries with enhanced ones. Earth was falling behind.
"We've been monitoring your development," the President said, his tone shifting to something clinical. "Your DNA is... unusual. It contains both human and superhuman properties. You're the first of your kind."
My heart dropped.
"We believe you could be the key," he continued. "A bridge between what humanity was—and what it must become."
I didn't know what to say. My mind swirled with questions I couldn't voice. What did this mean for my future? Was I an experiment? A weapon? A mistake?
Then he mentioned a place.
Io—Jupiter's moon. A research colony buried beneath its frozen crust. A place filled with secrets, experiments, and things not meant to exist.
And somehow, I was connected to it.
Back to the Present
Mike jogged up beside me as we left the auditorium, sunlight slamming into us like a spotlight. It was too bright, too cheerful for the way my thoughts felt.
"Sounds like you had a crazy night," he said, nudging me with his elbow.
"Yeah. We'll talk about it later," I muttered. "Right now, we've got a test to survive."
But as we crossed the campus lawn, only one thing echoed in my mind:
Io.
A frozen moon. A buried secret. And maybe—just maybe—the key to unlocking what was buried inside me.