1-8

Chapter 1 - Leonel Morales

Leonel barreled down a set of spiraling stairs. With a leap, he cleared the railing, foregoing the last of the steps to land in a living room. Jumping over a couch, he rounded a corner into the kitchen to snatch a bottle of foul green liquid.

"Thanks for the daily dose of cow shit, dad. Really appreciate it."

A middle-aged man looked up from his tablet, pushing his glasses up with a couple fingers. He was lounging behind the large glass doors that opened from the living room into the backyard when his son's usual defamatory statements entered his ears.

"In another rush toward failure?"

"I'll succeed this time!"

Instead of launching himself out the front door, Leonel actually made his way back up the set of spiraled stairs.

"That's what you said the last over hundred times."

Leonel didn't wait for his father's next sarcastic statement. He pushed opened the attic doors and swung himself out of the three-story high triangular windows. His actions looked no different from an attempt at suicide, but his hand just barely caught the ledge, swinging himself upward to latch onto a weakening water drainage pipe.

Like a spry monkey, the plastic lid connector of his bottle hanging from his teeth, he climbed to the roof, landing on the angled tiles with a practiced ease.

[Subject: Leonel Morales]

[Infraction Code 118.67.2 - Unauthorized scaling of a residential building. Under the Parkour and Freerunning Act of 2034, this is classified as a Type 1 Misdemeanor]

[It is advised that subject Leonel Morales immediately cease illegal activity to avoid charges]

Leonel ignored the beeping female voice emitting from his wrist, his eyes having locked onto his next target.

The suburb Leonel and his father lived in was decently well off and could be considered a part of the upper middle class. However, the location of their home could only be described as odd. Or, rather, the entire suburb community was out of expectations.

The community existed on a large flying platform that orbited a main city below like the Moon did the Earth. These so-called Floating Paradises acted as a solution to the housing crisis of 2066, effectively fixing the problem by creating more surface area for housing.

Nowadays, only the obscenely wealthy could live on the surface. Leonel's destination happened to be this lofty surface world. Though, while most who lived on these Floating Paradises could only catch a glimpse from time to time, Leonel traveled down almost everyday.

'… 17 seconds.'

Leonel crouched on his home's roof. His and his father's home happened to be at the very edge of the Floating Paradise. Of course, there were several safety measures taken. But, that wouldn't stop Leonel.

Despite his vantage point, he couldn't see the backyard his father had been sitting in. In fact, his home looked completely empty from the outside due to a privacy setting.

He swung his head back, taking a big swing of his dad's green concoction. In that moment, not only did his tongue seemingly light on fire, but even his lungs burned. One would think he was breathing in a raging fire's smoke instead of drinking a smoothie.

"Agh… Really outdid yourself this time, old man."

Leonel suddenly took a leap. At first, it seemed that he wouldn't make it very far. He'd fall three stories and come out with a broken leg if he was lucky.

However, that was when a sudden gust of wind crashed into his body. If it wasn't for its sturdy straps, the backpack to his back would have been flung off entirely.

A fierce WHOOSH filled Leonel's ears as he was taken into the skies.

His arms and legs spread out, a refreshing smile playing his features as though he didn't realize that he looked no different from a madman to any sane observer.

He was a lone man above the clouds, free falling without a care in the world. His clothes whipped against his own body, revealing a hidden toned torso.

When it seemed that Leonel would be falling hundreds of meters to the surface below, his body tucked and rolled, bursting through a layer of white clouds that spritzed a refreshing dew across his face. His last bit of fatigue vanished without a thought.

With a dull thump, he rolled across the hard ground. It only took a moment to realize that this wasn't in fact the ground at all, but rather the very top of a sky scraper that seemed to hold up the clouds.

"Perfect score." Leonel grinned, praising himself.

[Infraction Code 213.13.1 - Unauthorized entry to the surface. Under the Sky Island Act of 2071, this is classified as a Type 7 Felony]

[Subject Leonel Morales, 17, has been targeted for capture. It is advised that subject remain where they are to avoid added charges]

[Subject classified as a minor. Guardian Velasco Morales has been contacted]

[Error. Communication failure. Attempting reboot]

Leonel's grin widened. Having a retired Tier 5 government official as a father had its perks. For example, any crimes linked to a retiree of such prestige was directly handled by the Bureau of Intelligence and Protection, or BIP for short.

Since Leonel was a minor, all of his crimes were forwarded to his father to be vetted by BIP. With his father's name at his back, small crimes like this were directly ignored. Unfortunately, though, his eighteenth birthday was coming up soon.

Leonel popped up, grabbing a silver framed bicycle hidden in a corner. He leapt from the building's side, swinging his bike's seat between his legs just as he firmly landed on a cylindrical glass structure attached to the side of the skyscraper.

Due to the suffocating lack of space and the obscene price per square footage, almost every building on the surface was interconnected in some way. The skies were filled with glass tunnels, towering structures were sometimes no more than a meter or two apart, and personal vehicles were incredibly rare even for the rich who could afford to live here.

"Get to school the normal way, boy!"

Leonel's laughter rang out as though there wasn't a several hundred meter drop beneath him.

"Screw off, Lenny. I'll start taking the tube the moment you agree to pay those ridiculous fees for me."

"My name isn't Lenny!"

Leonel pedaled away to duck away from the old man's next round of nagging. He still didn't know how the old man always managed to know when he arrived and also had no idea where his voice was being projected from either, but he could only assume that he was sulking behind one of those one-way viewing windows.

Streaking across the high rises of the surface city, Leonel sped through the dense metal forest far faster than many thought possible. Eventually, the tall skyscrapers began to shorten and Leonel had no choice but to change his tactics lest he get caught by some busybodies.

Finding his usual back alley, he dropped three or so meters as a time, hopping his bike from glass tunnel to balcony to light post before eventually landing on the ground.

He took his backpack from his back, pulling out a pair of grey slacks, a recently pressed white shirt, and a navy blue blazer.

He quickly stripped himself of his sports wear. After leaning a mirror the size of a piece of paper again a large garbage disposal bin, he slicked his hair back with his accumulated sweat.

"Refresh."

A UV light swept over Leonel's body. In a flash, his accumulating body odor was killed off, replaced by a neutral, refreshing scent.

In a moment, he had put on his grey pleated pants, buttoned up his shirt, and slid on his blue blazer. After putting on his bag, he stood up to his full height of 6'3".

He smiled toward his propped up mirror. It wasn't because he was overly satisfied with his own appearance, though he could be considered to be quite handsome. Rather, he was testing to see which smile came off the most charming.

His skin was a tanned bronze, his short hair swept freely in the wind with its dirty blond almost amber color, and his eyes were a pale green.

Leonel was not only tall and toned, but his frame was both lean and well-built. Despite this, he had a kind and inviting disposition. His presence made others feel comfortable.

In truth, if others knew he was practicing his smile, they'd think he was crazy. He was more than charming enough, was there a need to practice anymore?

Surprisingly, almost an hour ticked by before Leonel's watch beeped once more. Realizing he would be running late if he wasted anymore time, he hopped on his bike. But, his pace was much slower this time, not wanting to ruin his effort by sweating once more.

He didn't have long to go. The streets leading to his school were nothing like the congested communities he had passed through before. It was like entering a whole new world.

There was greenery all around, ancient trees vibrantly recovering from the winter months, and winding paths that led to beautiful architectural feats.

This place was the third ranked academy on Earth, a prestigious place only for the elites of the younger generation — Royal Blue Academy.

"Leo!"

"Good luck!"

"We have bets on you succeeding this time!"

Leonel grinned as he passed by a few groups of students preparing to head to their classes, waving in acknowledgment.

Soon, Leonel's gaze landed on a massive dome-like building. It stretched hundreds of meters in every direction and had several entrances just from the front.

Even among Royal Blue Academy students, there were different separations. To be able to step into this building, only the highest ranked seniors could do so.

However, even with such a masterpiece before him, Leonel's view was completely filled with the sight of just one young lady standing near the top of a wide set of white marble stairs.

She looked like a dainty fairy descended from the skies. Her long, flowing black hair gently waved in the wind, only resting at the small of her back every so often. Her eyes were a warm amber that bordered on gold, making her seem like a goddess separated from the world.

A small group of friends stood around her. Their banter caused her to smile a shy smile that gripped Leonel's heart and refused to let go.

When she looked up and met Leonel's gaze, he felt that the entire world aside from her had turned various shades of white.

Her delicate tanned yet fair skin, the small slope of her nose, the way the wind gently caressed her thigh-length dress, revealing the curves she so modestly hid.

Though not an inch over 5'7", she had a presence that captivated the world, one larger than even Leonel himself believed he had.

The young fairy blushed profusely when she saw that it was Leonel, a crimson tide waded from her slender collarbone and up her neck, coating her soft cheeks.

"Aina…" Leonel's voice was powerful and filled with emotion as though this was the very first time he was doing this.

"Ah, he's here again." One of Aina's friends teased.

"Stop enabling him." A fiercer friend rebutted. "Poor Aina has been getting harassed to death by him for the last four years. Get lost!"

Leonel seemed used to this good-cop, bad-cop routine. But the truth was he couldn't even see or hear them. His senses were incomparably focused.

"I won't stop until I have a real answer from you." Leonel's gaze burned. In that moment, his pale green eyes seemed to gain a new light, becoming a green more vibrant than even the trees around him. "I must be your man. Will you have me?"

The surrounding students all simultaneously stopped as though collectively holding their breaths.

Aina's cheeks grew several shades of red darker, almost becoming as ripe as a tomato. Her small lips trembled before she turned and ran up the steps, disappearing into the Academy halls.

Leonel gained another glare from Aina's fierce friend before she and the much kinder young lady rushed after the embarrassed Aina.

In the end, Leonel could only sigh. Seemed that today was yet another failure.

Chapter 2 - Expendable Profession

Leonel's depressed mood didn't last for long. Soon we was smiling as though nothing had happened.

At that moment, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Considering how easily the culprit had done so, it was obvious that he was even taller than Leonel.

"Another failure, how many is that already? 520?"

"521." Leonel muttered.

"Almost every school day since first-year, huh?"

The culprit laughed, leading Leonel up the stairs.

"There are too many young noble women looking to get into the good books of the 3021st bachelor of the Eligible Minor list. Yet you've been solely focused on one girl for four years, think of all the hearts breaking across the world."

Leonel laughed. "James, when you have to say such a large number, it makes the accomplish ring hollow, don't you think?"

It was quite funny. It was nice to be ranked, but being told that there were 3020 men better than him didn't exactly have a nice ring to it. Plus, this was just the Eligible Minor list, once he turned 18, he might not rank on the true Eligible Bachelor list at all.

More depressing than that was the fact there were several snotty-nosed brats no more than 13 or 14 years old ranked ahead of him.

"Bah, forget that damned list." James spat. "Who knows what perverted grandma ranked a bunch of minors on their eligibility? Load of nonsense."

"Must be nice looking down from on high like that, Mr. 1034th."

James laughed pervertedly, shaking Leonel side to side with his arm.

[Scanning… Security procedures underway]

[Student Leonel Morales recognized]

[Welcome future Five-Star Quarterback]

Leonel heard the usual mechanical voice ringing in his ears. Though he knew no one else could hear it, he still felt a deep disgust whenever he heard this introduction.

"Think about it this way," James continued as they entered the grand hallways of Royal Blue Academy, "There are over three billion people on Earth who are under 18. Half of those are men like us. Yet were in the top percent of a percent of a percent of them.

"You gotta stop chasing after this one girl. There are too many who want you."

"As long as she rejects me, I will leave her alone. But in four years, she's never said a word after one of my confessions. She always just runs off." Leonel swiped his finger under his nose a few times. "It's obvious she likes me."

James was stunned for a moment before bursting into another fit of laughter. It seemed the students were used to his boisterousness because no one batted an eye to his ridiculous laugh.

"I don't know why I waste my words, I know you don't care about these surface things. I should have known nothing would affect your state of mind for the big game."

James pulled his arm from Leonel's shoulder, pounding a fist to the latter's chest.

"Those preppy boys can just wait patiently for their fourth National Championship loss in a row." Leonel grinned, pounding James' chest in return.

Leonel caught a bit of a complex light in his best friend's gaze. James was easily three inches taller than him and had been his partner in crime ever since they entered Royal Blue Junior Academy together. Leonel would never miss something like this, he knew him too well.

"I do have something to talk to you about —."

James' voice was cut off by the ring.

"— Dammit, there's a test today!"

Leonel shook his head as James ran away like a madman, likely trying to find someone he could cheat off of. Without thinking much, he pulled out a binder from his backpack to cram for his own test while he walked to class.

Unfortunately, he and James weren't in the same class. While Leonel ranked third academically across all subjects, James was near the bottom of the barrel. If it wasn't for the fact his Gene Analysis decided that his fateful career was that of a 'Five-Star Tight End', he wouldn't be allowed to enter this building at all.

Royal Blue Academy took these separations very seriously. Due to this, it was already a miracle that Leonel could make it into Senior Class A to begin with.

When Leonel was young, like every other child at the age of three, he took a mandatory Genetic Analysis Examination. Among other things, this test was meant to decide your optimal career path while weighing your benefit to society. This career path would be graded from one to five stars depending on several factors.

Ultimately, a One Star Professional was average. This person wouldn't cause any waves in their career path, but they would be able to stabilize its foundation, allowing the innovators at higher star evaluations to drive progress.

Five Star Professionals were on another level. These were people that would revolutionize their fields. In a single generation, there wouldn't be more than a hundred children with this level of evaluation, and not every profession was guaranteed to birth one either.

It should have been great that Leonel had such an evaluation. He too was a Five Star Professional. The trouble was that he had no interest in joining the National American Football League and becoming a Hall of Fame Quarterback.

People like him were categorized as 'entertainers'. He would be rich and live a great life, but he would never be taken seriously outside of his sport. This was part of the reason he was ranked so lowly on the Eligible Minor list. Many ranked above him were only worth three stars to their professions, but they were still more valued.

Of course, this wasn't the full reason or else James wouldn't be ranked so much higher than he was since he too was an 'entertainer'.

Leonel walked into class just on time. He smiled lightly to greet a few people before burying his head back into his binder of notes.

Though many liked to socialize with Leonel, they could only shake their heads when they noticed their school's star quarterback cramming as he usually did. His personality was really too odd. He had just been confessing his undying love to Aina, yet now he sat right behind her in class as though he didn't know who she was.

At the same time, the shy Aina who blushed whenever she saw Leonel on the steps hardly reacted to his entry into the class either. Could this fated couple be bipolar?

Since those in Senior Class A didn't even total 20, they could be considered quite close knit. They had become quite invested in the Leonel-Aina romance. Unfortunately, the two gave them no food for the soul in class.

"Alright, all books away. The test will start now."

The seemingly normal desks surfaces flickered and became screens. They were designed to block light projection in every direction but the test-taker's own perspective. So, cheating was effectively impossible.

Leonel's amiable gaze completely vanished. It was like he entered a battlefield as the class was filled with his suffocating presence.

By now, the others of Senior Class A had become used to it. After all, they had journeyed up with Leonel from Freshman Class A. But it would be a lie to say they didn't still break out into a cold sweat every time.

It was just a test, was there a need to take it so seriously? They really couldn't understand how Leonel was evaluated as a Five-Star Quarterback instead of a Five-Star General. Even if he was evaluated as a Four-Star General like his father, it would have been a much better use of his talents.

As usual, Leonel finished with blazing speed, only taking half an hour to complete a two-hour test. Without a choice, he pushed up from his desk, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

The rest of the class breathed a sigh of relief. Now they could start taking the test on their own.

"Sorry, teach. I gotta go."

"Don't worry about it, Leo." Ms. Deen, an amiable lady getting on in years, smiled lightly. She was quite fond of this young one. "I know you athletes have a lot on your plate. Go on now."

Leonel was about to jog out of the classroom door when he suddenly thought of something and paused. He looked up to the ceiling and muttered something as though he was gathering strength. With a grit of his teeth, he turned back.

With purposeful steps, he made his way back to Aina who was still focusing on her exam. His finger tapped the metallic watch on her small wrist before she could react. There was a light glow that signaled from his watch to hers.

She sat in a daze for a moment before she looked up and realized it was Leonel. For a moment, she didn't know how to react.

"I know you probably won't go, but I thought I would try anyway." Leonel smiled lightly. His disarming smile seemed to warm the air. "We can celebrate our win tonight together."

Without another word to Aina, Leonel turned and jogged away. Pressing his hands in apology to Ms. Deen for his disruption, he left with an embarrassed smile.

Leonel sprinted out of the building, hopping onto his bike to cut across campus with blazing speed.

Unfortunately, this was the true reason he could only rank third. He never had the time to listen to lectures. With the Information Restriction Act of 2072, knowledge was restricted the further away from the surface world you were.

The government's reasoning was that policing Floating Paradises was difficult, especially the poorest regions that existed the highest in the sky. So, it was impossible to monitor how this 'sensitive' knowledge was being used. Therefore, the government concluded that it should be restricted.

However, when had the reasons governments gave for doing things ever not been bullshit? Even the official reason they gave was so terrible.

In the end, the only time Leonel had to study was the time he spent on the surface world. Otherwise, this oh-so 'useful' watch on his wrist watch would censor his textbooks.

Still, this wasn't the worst of what Leonel had to deal with. In order to enter one of the top three Academies' main campuses, there were extremely strict requirements. One had to be a Three-Star Professional in what were known as the 'Essential Professions', things like engineers or surgeons, or a Four-Star Professional in an 'Auxiliary Profession', careers such as lawyers or business men.

If one wanted to enter the main campus with an 'Expendable Profession' like Leonel's, Five-Star was the minimum.

What did all of this mean? It meant that Leonel was only allowed to enter the same building as Aina based on his credentials as a star quarterback. He had no choice but to follow the athlete recruit's curriculum which was obviously not academically centered.

James' so-called 'test' this morning was only for the basic knowledge every adult should have. Over 80% of his workload was actually evaluated at Royal Blue Academy's state-of-the-art athletic facilities.

The logic was sound. Since his career path had already been decided as a muscle-brained jock, what did he need physics, maths and literature for?

Leonel sped into a massive glass-panned oval-shaped arena. After entering the locker room, he was greeted by the moans of dozens of grown men.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed like a disappointed parent.

""Captain!""

"You're all too embarrassing, I don't want to be your captain anymore."

"Don't be like that, cap. These Four-Star Masseuses have the hands of angels!"

"Come on cap, you gotta try this. They only hire these goddesses for the National Championship game. If you don't take advantage now, you'll have to wait until you get drafted by the NAFL!"

"Well, since you're all so sincerely begging me…"

Soon, Leonel's own moans filled the locker room.

An eruption of boisterous laughter shook the arena's walls. It didn't seem that the biggest game of the year was just a few hours away at all. And why would it? Leonel had led them to victory three times before already, this year would be no different.

Chapter 3 - The Game

[Don't worry for those who don't understand most of what happens in this chapter. I know American Football isn't exactly an international sport. Rest easy, this is the only chapter the sport will have relevance in :) ]

"Good evening gentleman, I hope we can have a good game today. Everyone knows the stakes, so play free and play safe. Stay within the rules as we don't have to have a problem."

The crowd was deafening. The thumping of feet, the boisterous chants, the heated anticipation boiled in the air, shaking the very stadium they stood within.

The Royal Blue Academy's Royal Stadium sat within a massive glass structure formed of curved triangular panels. It danced with the setting sun beautifully, capturing dark reds and oranges that played across its reflective surfaces.

The green, white-striped football fields were completely empty with the exception of 11 men who stood on the 50-yard line facing one another. Clicking and flashing cameras sounded, trying to capture every moment.

Leonel stood proudly, two of his teammates to either of his sides. He calmly smiled at the arrogant sneers of his long time opponents from Angel Wing Academy, his helmet tucked under his arm.

His football pads and jersey fit on like a knight's armor, glistening a beautiful deep blue. The only exception was the number on his chest which stood out as a bright white. The number 3.

"Here is the coin we will be flipping today." The Head Referee continued to speak, stretching out a beautifully designed coin that was about half the width of his palm. "On one side we have a football decorated with the flag of the fallen American Empire. This will be tails.

"On this side we have the Paradise Palace. It will be heads.

"This coin was designed by a Four-Star Metal Worker. It was given the name 'Uniting'. It represents our Ascension Empire's ability to ingratiate all of its past conquests, leaving a place for all."

The Head Referee allowed the ten players to see both sides.

"Are you prepared to lose?"

A gaze filled with confidence bore down on Leonel. The culprit was a young man with long flowing blond hair. His white jersey was almost blinding under the lights, making one have to squint just to maintain eye contact.

This young man was a Four-Star Quarterback prospect, Conrad Siegfried.

"The result will be just the same as it's always been." Leonel replied faintly.

"You know the drill. Royal Blue, you're the home team. Call it in the air."

The Head Referee tossed the coin into the air.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The piercing gazes of two young men met across space, a spinning coin falling slowly between them.

"Tails."

The coin landed with a soft thud on the grass below.

"The result is Tails. Royal Blue, would you like to receive or kick?"

Leonel grinned as though the answer was obvious.

"We receive."

"Angel Wing, pick the direction you'd like to kickoff from."

Conrad casually pointed. He hadn't let Leonel's comments bother him. If it wasn't for Leonel's birth, it would be him who would be the best of this generation. Others would let this fact crush them, but it filled Conrad with a burning desire to win by any means.

Leonel turned, heading back to the sidelines. He grabbed his helmet's face mask, sliding it onto his head like a knight's helm.

In that moment, his aura completely changed. A violent pressure suffocated the Royal Blue sidelines as almost a hundred pairs of gazes landed on Leonel's dark, tinted visor.

Soon, the entire stadium fell into an eerie quiet as Leonel met each one of their gazes head on.

"Respect the game. Persist to the end." Was all Leonel said.

"Respect the game. Persist to the end."

Royal Blue repeated these words as one. The crowd joined in, a torrent of momentum climbing to infinity.

A rush of emotion filled the air, a wild cheering shaking the very ground once more.

"Let's go."

[And here we go again. The fourth year and the fourth National Championship appearance for Five-Star Quarterback Leonel Morales and his Royal Blues. Will it be another victory? Or with the star quarterback end his tenure with the only blemish on his resume?]

[I think we all know the answer to that, Phil. In case you've all forgotten, let me remind you. This is THE greatest quarterback prospect to ever be birthed. This young man was throwing darts in his diapers. He could sleepwalk through this game and still win by 30]

[Don't think we don't know what you're doing, Rick. You're just hoping your Los Angeles Sewer Rats trade up to pick him in the 2198 draft. Well let me break it to you. We have the number one overall pick this year!]

The entertaining commentary of the Phil-Rick duo was in full swing, the liveliness was intoxicating.

[And here it is! The kickoff of the 119th National Championship Game!]

Angel Wing's kicker did a light jog up before unleashing a booming kick that soared through the air, landing out of the back of the end zone for a touch back.

With that, the game had truly begun.

[Here we go, the first play]

[It seems that Coach Owen is really letting Morales have full reign now. Immediately entering a five wide set, not even using a running back]

[Ha! Morales is all the running back they need]

Leonel shifted his gaze from left to right, checking the defense. He could see the vicious gazes of the Angel Wing defensive line. Their middle linebackers gaze locked onto Leonel's. He was a Four-Star Professional in his Junior year. Unfortunately, much like his quarterback, he had been played to death by Leonel for the last two years.

His eyes swiftly met James' as though in tacit agreement.

"Blue 80. BLUE 80. Set. Hut!"

Leonel clapped his hands, his leg slowly raising and setting into position as he accepted the snapped ball.

He glided backward effortlessly. His back leg had hardly planted before he cocked his arm back and released a laser.

[A corner blitz!]

[Morales didn't check the play, he actually threw it directly over the corner's head!]

[James dropped the ball?! That could have been a 20-yard gain! How unlike him]

[Hey…!]

The loud blowing of a whistle sounded.

"Unnecessary roughness. Roughing the passer. Number 21. 15-yard penalty, first down."

Leonel felt that the wind had been knocked out of him. Having opened up his chest to throw the ball, he had been completely blindsided by the blitzing corner. Of course, he had known it was coming, but he couldn't throw and dodge at the same time.

"Gonna be a long night, pretty boy." Number 21 grinned down at Leonel just as another whistle blew.

"Unsportsmanlike conduct. Number 21. 15-yard penalty, first down."

The corner raised his hands in mock defeat, swaggering back to his side of the field.

"You good, cap?"

One of Leonel's offensive lineman helped him up.

"No problem." Leonel said with a cold smile.

The team huddled in.

"Sorry Leo, you took a hit for no reason." James' gaze was filled with shame.

"Don't worry about it, it happens." Leo hit his shoulder pads. "Head up. Didn't we just gain a free 30-yards anyway?

"Since they wanna play games, let's play games. The play goes — Trips right, red under seam, wide out bang. On two, on two. Break!"

The huddle broke, leaving Leonel to jog to the line.

He paused in shotgun, waiting for his team to get set. Usually, he would scan the defense. But this time, his head turned to the right, his gaze piercing toward just one side of the field.

He raised a finger pointing at number 21. He had never seen this player before, so he must have been a freshman. Considering his cockiness, he was most definitely at least a Four-Star recruit. It seemed Leonel would have to teach him to be more obedient.

[Ooooo! He's done it now]

"Blue 21. BLUE 21. Down set. Hut. HUT!"

The whistle blew.

"Offside. Number 21. Five-yard penalty, first down."

[He's toying with the rookie now. You think the little guy thought Leonel would just try to force the ball toward his side of the field? He's too naive. Football is a game of the mind]

[Excellent use of the hard count to deal with an overaggressive rusher. What is Angel Wing thinking sending a corner blitz twice in a row?]

[From now on, Morales is in control!]

And in control he was. The first drive was no less than a masterclass in timing, accuracy and precision. In just 12 plays and 7:36 minutes, the Royal Blues found the end zone.

[Even with his star tight end having two dropped passes, Morales finds pay dirt, stacking one touchdown to the stat sheet]

The game became a back and forth affair. Though Royal Blue had Leonel and James, not only did James seem to be having a bad game, but Angel Wing had far more Four-Star recruits than they did. Aside from the dynamic duo, Royal Blue was mostly constructed of Three-Star prospects. After all, they were only ranked third of the Academies while Angel Wing was ranked second.

However, Leonel pulled the team from the depths of despair time and time again.

[What a bullet over the middle!]

[Morales is really carrying the load of the offense, but he's taken a lot of hits this game. You have to wonder if it's worth it, he has nothing left to prove at this level of football]

[That's just part of his charm. Would he really be Leonel Morales if he pulled himself out of this game?]

Time ticked and the fourth quarter came around, a score of 35-31 in favor of the Angel Wings hanging on the scoreboard.

"What the hell are you doing out there, Bennett?!" Coach Owen grabbed James' chest pads, fury billowing through his thick mustache. "You choose the biggest game of the year to shit the bed?!"

James' head hung low.

"I get it." Coach Owen took a step back. "You've already won three times, this game is probably meaningless to you already. But think of your juniors. This may very well be their only opportunity in their lifetimes."

"Coach, that's…" James wanted to defend himself, his gaze flickering with a complex light.

He simply couldn't find the courage to do so. He already had five dropped passes this game alone. That may be as many as his whole academy career from the start to now. He really was playing out of character.

Leonel came over with a smile. In truth, if one ignored the happy expression on his face, it would be easy to see the kind of sorry state he was in. He had already been forced to tape up his ribs at half time after yet another late hit.

"Come on coach, you know he'll step up when it really counts. If we didn't keep this game a bit close, wouldn't the crowd be too bored?"

The sound of a whistle came from the field. The Angel Wings kicked off, leaving the ball in their possession for a final drive, 1:15 sitting on the clock.

"Isn't this what we live for?" Leonel's grin sent a wave of calm through the sidelines. "Let's go win this."

Leonel slid on his helmet. Like a general leading his army, he stepped out onto the field, his mind incomparably focused.

[And here we go. Scoot up to the edge of your seats everyone, this is the final drive to decide it all!]

[A nice and easy run on first down. It's clear the Royal Blues are taking their time, settling the pace, looking to end it on their own terms]

[Excellent timing on that out route. 87's been a key piece with Bennett's down game. He may only be a Three Star prospect, but he's stepped up big today]

[0:47 on the clock and the Royal Blues are already at midfield. Morales has them running like a finely tuned engine]

[Oh no! 56 whiffs on a block, letting a rusher free!]

[Morales spins out of the tackle, rushing to his right]

[A work of art, nothing less! A slight flick of the wrist to send the flying 40-yards right between the numbers]

[87 tip toes out of bounds at the opponent's 6!]

[0:03 on the clock, my blood is boiling! Can they do it, can they seal their dynasty with a victory?!]

"This is it boys, leave it all out there. Respect the game. Persist to the end." Leonel's gaze blazed. "Alright. Z personnel, Y boot swing over, motion zig fade. On one, on one. Break!"

Leonel walked to the line, his heart as calm as a lake. The blaring cheers of the rocking stadium, the countless flashing cameras, the sea of white uniformed enemies glaring at him like a piece of meat… It all rolled off his shoulders as though they weren't there at all.

With a light smile, Leonel turned his head to the right of the field, his arm slowly raising to point at a familiar freshman.

[It can't be! Morales is doing it again!]

[Ahaha! This is the spirit of the game! To call out your opponent on the final play, what guts, what imposing grandeur!]

"Blue 21. BLUE 21. Down set. HUT!"

The ball spiraled through the Royal Blues' center's legs, hitting Leonel's palms perfectly.

[It's a designed boot to the right! The Royal Blues really are targeting the rookie this time!]

[The rookie slipped up! He thought Morales was going to hit him with the hard count again and got caught flat footed! There goes Bennett, sliding past him for the corner fade!]

[Morales sees him! This is it, Bennett is wide open!]

Leonel rolled to the side, the football between both his hands. The Royal Blues hadn't run a single designed boot all game, the defense was caught completely off guard. By the time they realized what was happening, Leonel was practically alone on the right side of the field. The only others with him were the rookie, 21, and James who had faded to the corner of the endzone.

The rookie was caught in no man's land. He had no idea whether he should rush after James, or if he should try to get a hit in on Leonel, ending the game.

In the end, he rushed forward. He knew it was already too late to catch up to James, but maybe he had a chance at Leonel who was rushing toward him. Unfortunately… Leonel smirked. With a flick of his wrist, the ball soared over 21's head, landing right in James' hands.

[Morales does it again! Royal Blues W—]

The deafening crowd fell into an eerie silence as the ball slipped through James' hands and the clock hit triple zeros.

Chapter 4 - Confrontation

James grabbed his helmet with both hands, dropping to his knees in despair. At a time like this, Leonel could only sigh.

However, under the silence of the arena, a resounding boom of two clashing bodies sounded.

Leonel grimaced, feeling his already fractured ribs break cleanly as his vision was filled with sights of the moon above.

It was then a loud whistle blew through the silence.

"Unnecessary roughness, roughing the passer, number 21. Half the distance to the goal, still first down."

Leonel landed heavily on the ground, grasping at his chest with his eyes squinting in pain.

The rookie stood over him in shock. At first, he had let his frustration get the best of him. He had never for a moment thought that James would drop such an easy layup of a pass, so he unleashed everything he had on Leonel, knowing they would lose the game. Never did he think that his actions would give the Royal Blues another chance with zero seconds on the clock.

The medics rushed onto the field. Despite the Royal Blues gaining new life, the stadium still remained silent. The sight of Leonel writhing in pain made many send furious gazes toward the rookie and James.

"Bennett, get the hell off the field! Rook, you're in."

Coach Owen coldly benched his Five-Star prospect. He didn't know what was wrong with James today, but he was clearly in his own head too much. It was impossible to use him for this final play.

The medics quickly lifted Leonel's jersey, undoing the bandage wraps from the first half to reveal ghastly purple and green bruises. It was simply impossible for a bruise to spread so quickly. The only explanation was that Leonel had suffered this injury very early on in the game.

"Don't." Leonel grabbed the hand of the middle-aged male medic who tried to take his pads off. "There's just one play left, I got it."

Coach Owen who had rushed onto the field frowned deeply, his arms crossed over his well-built chest and his mustache billowing.

The team stood around Leonel's slowly rising figure, solemn expressions on their faces. They knew that everyone made mistakes, but at the moment, they were having a really hard time forgiving James.

"What are you all pouting for? An injury timeout doesn't last forever, let's do this. Line up!"

Seeing Leonel's resolute attitude, the medics and Coach Owen had no choice but to jog off the field under the silence of the crowd. In those moments, the heavy breathing of the players who stood on their last legs was all that remained hanging in the air.

Leonel's fiery gaze lit a fire under them all, filling them with a strength they didn't know they had.

On the sidelines, Conrad looked on with a gloomy expression. Victory had been in his grasp, yet it slipped away, just like that.

Leonel slapped his hands together, standing behind his offensive line as though he wasn't injured at all.

"Blue 80. BLUE 80. Down set, HUT!"

**

Leonel sat in the locker room breathing heavily. The sounds of celebration surrounded him, causing a light smile to play his handsome features. Who knew how they did it, but the guys managed to get their hands on a few dozen champaign bottles. Their wrist watches were probably beeping away with talks of the Underage Drinking Code.

Unfortunately, he couldn't take part too actively. Though he could forcibly ignore his pain if need be as he did on the final game winning play, it was probably best he didn't move too actively, lest his ribs puncture his lungs.

"Stop moaning and groaning, cap. You're not getting out of partying tonight!"

One of Leonel's O-lineman, Three-Star Center Milan Inga, slapped his shoulder without regard for his grimace. He swung back a flask of vodka, his massive fat covered body somehow appearing ripped of muscle at the same time.

"Oof, I already promised I'd come. No need to kill me first."

The guys laughed, hopping in the showers one after another.

Leonel gingerly took off his sweaty pads and undergarments, taking his time. He planned on hopping into the showers last. Although he was pretty certain that Aina wouldn't come, he still had to put his best foot forward just in case. Luckily, he had already prepared a decent outfit. It wasn't as flashy as what those rich boys could bring out, but he was still happy with it.

'I'll probably have to have one of the medics re-bandage this for me.' Leonel thought to himself.

Hearing a sudden plop by his side, Leonel turned from his locker to see his coach half dozing off, a strong scent of alcohol leaking from his mouth.

Leonel laughed. "Coach, you're gonna get yourself fired going around like this."

"Bah, fuck those preppy pricks." Coach Owen tipped his flask up as though mockingly toasting the very people he insulted. Leonel almost didn't understand his slurring words.

"Look at you, how embarrassing. You get like this every year."

"What's it to you? You're gone after this time anyway, off to the bright lights of the NAFL. This old man will just stay in his little town."

"Pft." Leonel couldn't hold back his laugh. "You're the coach of the best Academy football program on Union Continent. Your salary is enough to retire now and live a life of luxury until you finish putting that other foot in the grave."

Usually, Coach Owen's mustache would blow and he'd have another witty comeback waiting for Leonel. But this time, his response was completely unexpected.

"… Thanks for choosing Royal Blue, kid."

Leonel was stunned silent for a moment. He very well could have chosen Angel Wing, allowing him to attend the second ranked Academy. But, he chose Royal Blue because he liked Coach Owen's straight forward personality. As for the first ranked Academy, they didn't have a football program, seeing the entertainment path as something beneath them.

In the end, Leonel smiled lightly. "Don't thank me, thank that dead rat on your lip. If not for how fun it is to poke fun at it, I would have never come here."

Coach Owen laughed uproariously, slapping Leonel's back even harder than Milan had.

"Finish drinking that green vomit your old man gave you, kid."

Ignoring Leonel's grimace of pain, Coach Owen walked away.

"… Enjoy it while you can…"

Leonel was too busy trying to calm his pain with ice to hear Coach Owen's last words. But, they were never intended for him to hear to begin with.

After his pain pangs slowly faded, Leonel dug through his locker to find his black bag. Pulling a familiar bottle of green sludge out.

As far as Leonel knew, his father worked in a government division that focused on nutrition and enhanced nutritional supplements. The Ascension Empire believed that while their technology advanced rapidly, the human condition lagged behind. So this unnamed division worked toward maximizing human potential with food.

This gross concoction was one of his father's creations. According to his Gene Assessment, he was slotted in to grow to six feet tall. But, after drinking this poison everyday, he superseded that by three inches and might very well gain another inch or two by the time he reached his twenties.

Of course, Leonel's father was actually a Four-Star General. He only went on to work in this unnamed division after he retired from military service. Then he proceeded to retire once more from said division.

After chugging what remained of the bottle, a familiar scorching pain seared Leonel's chest. But, at the very least, his aching ribs dulled down a bit. It would probably take a normal person about two months to heal, but Leonel would only need about three weeks.

Time ticked by and Leonel was finally the only one remaining. Though he could have used the 'Refresh' ability of his watch, he preferred taking a shower as did most people. There was just something about it that felt cleaner.

Taking his time, he scrubbed every inch of his body before walking out with a towel around his waist and one hanging loosely over his head. Slightly obscured with a pattern of green, purple and brown bruises, his torso rippled beneath the heated steam.

Leonel rubbed the towel through his hair, wincing as he struggled to keep his arms above his head.

Reaching into his locker, he put on a pair of deep blue jeans, a skin-tight white turtle-neck sweater, and draped over a long black trench coat.

'It's only 8 pm right now, dad won't kill me too much if I'm home by midnight…'

Leonel slung his backpack over his shoulder. But the moment he turned, his footsteps stopped.

"What are you moping around for?" Leonel smiled toward James.

"I…"

"If it's a struggle for you to tell me, then just don't tell me. There's no need for you to be sorry, that rookie would have hit me like that whether you caught the ball or not."

"…"

For a while James didn't know what to say. But, he didn't move out of the way of the door either.

"… You knew you would get the unnecessary roughness call, right?"

Leonel's smile dimmed a bit, but he didn't respond.

"I know you too well. You don't like to lose, but you're too soft-hearted to call me out on my bullshit too. So, you'd find a way to protect our friendship and ignore it, all while winning the big game anyway. Am I right?"

Leonel sighed. "Is there really a need to know the answer?"

"Of course there is!" James' voice rose. "If you knew I needed your help, why couldn't you just lose this one time?! This is just a game, isn't it? You've already won three times, did you really need to win for a fourth? You don't even want to be a quarterback!"

Leonel's gaze narrowed. "Whether I want to or not is irrelevant. In everything that you do —."

"I already know! I've heard it a million times. Respect and persistence. Respecting this garbage hand you were dealt, you're definitely the first. Congratulations!"

Leonel's eyes flickered with a hint of sadness.

"James, why are you being like this? You didn't even try to talk to me beforehand, we could have come up with a solution together. Did you think using being late to class as an excuse was enough?"

James' expression rapidly changed, flaring with anger, then shame, then finally, capitulation.

"… I'm sorry. I lost my cool. There are just some things that… Never mind. It doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done."

James shook his head, recollecting himself.

Turning away, James reached for the door. After a pause, he turned back with a bright smile as though nothing had happened.

"Come on, all your adoring fans are waiting outside to crucify me. The party's going down in Blue North Dormitory. We gotta get there before all the booze's gone."

Before Leonel could respond, James ripped open the door, unleashing a sound wave of flashing cameras and the shrieks of groupies.

In the NAFL, reporters were allowed into the locker rooms. But, since they were minors and the bigwigs were worried about optics, they were forced to wait outside at the Academy level.

At the same time, Royal Blue Academy's campus was usually locked down from outsiders, but there were rare occasions like today where those who paid obscene amounts of money or had appropriate connections could come.

Like this, Leonel was forced to wade through a sea of reporters and fan girls with a bitter smile on his face, James' sinister laugh sounding off in the distance as he ran away.

Chapter 5 - The Incident

It wasn't until at least half an hour later that Leonel managed to slip away from all the onslaught of questions. Since he was pretty much locked in to the first overall pick in the coming months, it was no wonder he was being hounded like this. That said, just because he understood, didn't mean he liked it.

'Dammit, I'm late. I don't want Aina to misunderstand…'

Leonel pedaled madly across campus, his silver bike streaking like a comet across the skies.

About five minutes later, he finally made it to the Northern Dormitories. Since there were too many outsiders on campus today, he clicked a hidden button on his bike's frame, causing it to fold in on itself and becoming a silver rod about two meters long. In the end, it further collapsed, splitting into four pieces that neatly fit into his bag.

The blaring of music could be heard even from Leonel's distance away. He hadn't even entered the apartment-style building yet, but the sounds of clattering glass, laughter and club music was impossible to miss already.

Blue North Dormitory was the male boarding house of the Northern Dormitories. It had the greatest luxury and accommodation of them as well.

Usually, women wouldn't be allowed anywhere near this place, as their dorms were located in the south. But, nearing the end of Senior year, there was an unspoken rule among supervisors to let some of these things slide. At the very least, Leonel could see many of these blooming beauties through the windows and even strewn around outside, sneaking away with their lovers.

Seeing these sights, Leonel sighed. Would Aina really come to such a place? Maybe he was asking for too much. Thinking to this point, his footsteps couldn't help pause.

These were some of his last chances to capture Aina's heart. If he failed now, who knew when he would see her again?

Aina was a Five-Star Professional. Leonel didn't know of what profession due to certain protections. In order to protect students from being poached and harassed by conglomerates and distracting them from their schooling, this information was usually sealed. Leonel was a special case in that he was an Entertainment Professional. As such, his protections weren't as great.

Considering how high Aina's protections were, she was definitely destined for a very important industry. The only reason Leonel even knew she was Five-Star at all was due to simple coincidence and a slip of the tongue.

Leonel clenched his fists.

How well did he know Aina? What were her hobbies? Her favorite foods? Favorite color?

Leonel didn't know the answers to any of these questions, however he was enamored. There were other women just as beautiful as Aina, some of whom had even tried to deliver themselves into his arms. But there was something about this woman in his heart that overshadowed them all.

'If my profession isn't enough to be by her side, then I'll toss it aside.' Leonel's aura blazed almost like a beacon under the night skies.

Just as Leonel was about to take another step forward, the sound of a crashing window shook him out of his thoughts. The screams of the female students shot across the night sky. However, the blaring music hadn't come to a stop.

Leonel's gaze shot upward to a body half hanging out through a fourth floor window. A young man's lower back scraped along the now jagged windowsill, his body barely being suspended by the hand grasping his collar. However, it was clear that his hand wasn't trying to save him, but was rather likely the reason he was in such a position to begin with.

"James…?"

Leonel didn't wait even a moment. Breaking into a sprint, he tore into the dormitory.

Those who likely didn't know what was happening upstairs due to the loud blaring music tried to greet him, only for him to blow right past, shooting up the stairs.

Leonel reached the fourth floor in a flash. He had completely ignored the screaming pain that ran across his chest and torso. A fall from the fourth floor was no joke.

"Conrad!"

Leonel burst into the fourth floor's lounge room, his voice carrying a biting cold that overshadowed even the music that shook the walls.

The room was quite luxuriously decorated. Soft carpets, a Four Star Chef who stood behind a curved bar nonchalantly as though nothing was happening, and several table games from pool to foosball.

However, Leonel's gaze landed on the very young man he had faced on the field just an hour ago. Four-Star Quarterback Conrad Siegfried.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Leonel's voice simmered, but it was somehow still possible to hear him clearly.

He scanned the room quickly, trying to get a read of the situation. He immediately noticed that there were several members of the Angel Wings here. This in and of itself wasn't a problem, but he had never heard of a losing team joining the winning side's after party like this. What could they be here to do if not cause trouble?

It was then Leonel froze. 'Aina?'

He was stunned. He had really been fully prepared for her not to come, yet she really was here. Not only that, but it seemed like her and her two friends were somehow involved in this scuffle.

Seeing Leonel's genuine happiness the moment his eyes met Aina's, many inadvertently smiled despite the situation. Aina herself blushed and looked away, trying not to meet Leonel's gaze.

"Oh, so she's yours? It's no wonder why this guard dog reacted so furiously to my casual words."

Hearing Conrad's words, Leonel's expression once more became cold. He was smart enough to understand what must have happened.

James was likely here accompanying Aina and her friends knowing that Leonel would be a bit late due to his actions. At some point, Conrad came and tried to make a move on Aina, causing James to lash out.

It seemed that James was a bit too drunk, or else with his size and strength, there was no way Conrad could put him into such a situation.

"Let him go, are you trying to commit a murder with so many people here?"

It was unknown who exactly, but the surround sound system of the fourth floor was turned down to the point only the music from the other floors reverberated through the walls.

The members of the Royal Blues gathered around Leonel without him saying a word. With their leader here, there was nothing that needed to be said.

No matter what, the Angel Wings were outnumbered here. Leonel didn't know what was going on on the other floors, but there were twelve members of his team here and only seven of them.

"So what if I do? Do you think I would be punished for it?" He asked his question teasingly, as though he really wanted Leonel's genuine opinion.

Conrad's response caught Leonel completely off guard. He considered himself to be an intelligent person, but he was completely blindsided.

After considering for a moment, he finally understood. Hadn't he committed a Felony just this morning? And that was just with his father's retired status. What of the Siegfried Family that was powerful enough to make the mere Four-Star Conrad rank higher than Leonel on the Eligible Minor List?

It wasn't that Leonel had never thought of this, it was rather that he never realized that someone could use this loophole to get away with murder. Weren't there limits?

Leonel's crimes were completely innocent and put no one but his own self in danger. But Conrad actually wanted to cause the death of another person for nothing more than an exchange of words?

Leonel fell silent under Conrad's sneer. He didn't notice that from the side, Aina observed him with a slightly curious gaze.

"Alright, drop him then."

Conrad's eyes narrowed. "Do you think I won't?"

"No, I'm certain you would. However, you'll have to face the consequences."

"Consequences?"

Conrad's tension dissipated, a laughter shaking his body. James' body tipped further out the window, nearly disrupting the balance that kept him alive.

"And here I thought the mighty Leonel Morales was intelligent. It seems that you're just a fool."

Leonel expressionlessly watched on as Conrad laughed. Several seconds ticked by before an uncomfortable feeling started to well in the latter's heart. Soon, even the remaining six Angel Wing players felt too stifled to laugh.

"Yes, consequences." Leonel replied plainly. "If you drop my partner from that window, you seven will follow him right after."

Conrad choked on his own breath. Leonel's biting cold gaze pierced through his heart.

"… Do you really think you can say such a thing? Do you know who I am? For just this threat alone, the consequences you speak of are far beyond your wildest imaginations."

As though on cue, a voice once more sounded in Leonel's ear.

[Infraction Code 22.31.4 — Murderous intent detected. Under the Speech Moderation Act of 2034, all manners of Hate Speech and Threats are classified as a Type 9 Misdemeanor]

[It is advised that subject, Leonel Morales, rethink his coming actions. Any murders committed by subject in the next hour will not be considered in self-defense and can only be tried as second and first degree murder]

"I don't particularly care. Drop him." Leonel replied without taking a pause.

Everyone could see the flashing lights of his wrist through the black coat that slightly covered it. The warning red lights only appeared as a warning to bystanders who may get caught up in the coming actions.

He really meant it!

Conrad finally froze.

"I may go to prison for the rest of my life. I may be placed on death row even as a minor. But you seven will be dead, so what chance are you going to get to gloat?"

Those who weren't involved in this sudden clash suddenly felt that their whole worlds were taken over by the sight of Leonel's silhouette.

Leonel was maybe the person with the lowest standing of their Royal Blue Academy. There were others who entered only by their own merits, but none shined as brightly as he did. Yet, in such an elitist society, he had made friends with them all. There hadn't been an occurrence of Leonel being bullied for his background in a very long time.

He was a peer they respected, one who made them forget about how powerful their mothers, fathers, and families were, simply to enjoy his company… Seeing him stick out his neck in this way for a friend regardless of the consequences, it made their eyes redden.

Incredibly moved, several more individuals stepped forward. There were no words spoken, but Conrad went from facing just twelve, to feeling the emotional tidal wave brought forth by almost thirty.

At this moment, Conrad was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he took a step back, he would look weak. But, if he continued along this path… He might really lose his life.

It was then that it happened. Centuries from now, historians would come to know this event as the Dimensional Descent. It was the day that Earth evolved and their plane of existence morphed. It was the day they ceased to be the top of the food chain.

A loud blaring noise cut through their silence and the wall-shaking music of the other floors.

The expressions of everyone present changed, their wrist watches vibrating with several, continuous warnings.

[Warning. Warning. We have entered a Code Red: Class 9 state]

[Warning. Warning. We have entered a Code Red: Class 9 state]

Everyone present knew exactly what this meant.

Code Black. It was the lowest and most normal state. Class 1 was a normal day while Class 9 was used in situations like the spread of a minor virus. At most, the worst death totals would be in the few thousands to tens of thousands.

Code Blue. It was a medium state of alertness. It was usually used during rebellion by one of the Paradise Islands or the Satellite Moon societies. The worst death totals would number in the hundreds of thousands, potentially millions.

Code Red. This was a cataclysmic event. It was a situation where the Ascension Empire's efforts had to be focused on solving the problem as opposed to protecting its citizens. As a result, there would be very few individuals in position to help them…

The death totals would be within the billions. And Class 9 was the highest of them all.

A sudden blinding light streaked across the skies. For a moment, it seemed it was day rather than night.

Everything trembled. The ground, the air, even their bodies as though an inexplicable pressure was bearing down on them.

Gravity seemed to increase by at least 10%. The air grew heavier, a lack of oxygen making those around feel stifled. At the same time, their gazes grew foggy as a dizziness overwhelmed them. It felt as though they had entered an elevator that decelerated far too quickly.

Then, everything shut down. The music, the lights… their wrist watches…

The world fell to darkness.

At that moment, hundreds of Paradise Islands across the planet plummeted from the skies.

Chapter 6 - Changes

While everyone was distracted, Leonel had already moved, making it to Conrad and James in a few steps and grabbing a side of the latter's collar himself. Another person might have chosen to fight off Conrad first, but Leonel was well aware how foolish such a choice was.

No matter what just happened, securing James' safety came first. No matter what happened between them, James was still his best friend. And, luckily, he had the now darkened lights on his side.

As expected, Conrad wasn't able to react. Seeing that Leonel now had a firm grip on James himself, he could only let go, allowing Leonel to pull James up.

"Leo…?" James' words slurred.

It was only now that Leonel realized James had actually been unconscious. It was likely his head that had smashed the window apart, it wouldn't be surprising if he was diagnosed with a concussion. Coupling that with the fact he was drunk and it was a recipe for disaster.

"Heeey, maaan. You're late, my sister-in-law was waiting on yoouu…"

Leonel sucked in a cold breath through his teeth when James heavily leaned on him. He was really in no shape to be taking on such a burden, but he still carried him out, letting him sit on the couch.

"Chef, do you have any gas burners back there? We need some light." Leonel called out.

The Four-Star Chef who had not said a word even when James' life was on the line finally looked a bit shaken. He didn't seem to know what was going on.

"… Yes… We use a blow torch for the finishing touches of certain dishes…"

He absentmindedly fumbled through the dark, pulling out the draw of a hidden compartment to take the torch he was speaking of. But, before he could think to hand it to Leonel, it happened.

In that few minutes, it felt that the planet would collapse. A cacophony of booms so loud Leonel had no choice but to cover his ears sounded. The earth beneath their feet trembled fiercer, the building swaying wildly from left to right.

It was then that Leonel froze. He didn't need to think to know what was causing this…

The Paradise Islands!

'Dad…'

A bout of worry seized Leonel's chest. No Paradise Islands were allowed to have routes that crossed over important landmarks. The top ten Academies, government buildings, and historical landmarks all fit this description. So, they were safe, for better or worse.

However, Leonel didn't care about his own safety. He was worried about his father.

Higher class Paradise Islands like the ones him and his father lived on had several safety features in case an event just like this one happened, however they weren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. This was especially so considering the scope of this power outage.

The only slight hope was that Leonel and his father lived on a Paradise Island very close to the surface — the closest they could get, in fact. If their island crashed into some of the high rise skyscrapers first, it could slow its descent enough to save his father's life. These skyscrapers were exactly the very last line of defense for these disasters. They were built with this potential cataclysm in mind.

In the end, Leonel could only force his worry down.

If it was a normal power outage caused by some sort of system-wide failure, he would immediately run out of here, even leaving Aina behind. However, before everything happened, their wrist watches had warned of a Class 9 Code Red. It was very obvious that there was nothing normal about this event.

Setting his jaw, Leonel weathered the shaking earth with his hands firmly clasped over his ears. It was lucky that their buildings were built with the highest earthquake technology, or there was no way it would have lasted this long.

The atmosphere became gloomy. Students who could go here didn't think often of the Paradise Islands above their heads. They would occasionally obscure the sun, but no more invasively than the clouds do.

However, this time, with each crashing boom, they became more and more aware that each represented the deaths of countless innocent people.

Completely unprovoked, several began to heave and vomit. A putrid smell filled the fourth floor lobby along with mute sobs almost completely obscured by the vicious torrent of sounds.

Whatever catastrophe the Ascension Empire warned of had yet to even begin, yet billions had already died. What kind of sick joke was this?

A few who managed to keep their bearings looked toward Leonel with unconcealed pity. Even though he had closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, keeping his visage expressionless as he covered his ears, they knew well what he must be feeling.

Some of them were in the same boat. Even if their families were affluent enough to have a home on the surface, not all of them were able to have a home in those protected zones. Their families might very well die by being crushed by those falling Paradise Islands.

Over ten minutes later, the booms finally stopped, the earth still swaying beneath their feet. Maybe it was only now that they had become aware of just how many of those islands hovered above their heads… of just how many lives they hadn't even cared for to now.

When they did, Leonel began to work as though nothing had happened. He carefully took James' shirt off, being mindful to support his head.

As expected, not only did James have a concussion, but the remnant shards of glass on the bottom ledge of the windowsill had left deep gashes to his lower back.

Accepting the blow torch from the Four-Star Chef, Leonel borrowed a few scented candles from a resident of the dorm and lit them, finally giving them a semblance of light.

Leonel wasn't a medic, but he had taken a few first-aid classes. He was unsure if the medics they had on standby for the game were still here, or if they had left to their homes. After all, it had been over an hour, approaching two, since the game ended. He didn't have the luxury of looking for them.

Cleaning out James' wounds to his lower back as best he could, he slowly removed pieces of glass stuck in his flesh. Finally, he wrapped them after disinfecting with some cooking wine he got from the chef.

"Love you, man…"

James' drunk voice faded, only to be replaced by his light snoring soon after. Those here couldn't help but think he was the luckiest one of them all. Even if they tried to sleep now, they had no doubt that they'd fail.

Leonel smiled and shook his head, his gaze turning empty for a moment. What should he do now?

In truth, he knew that the best answer was to stay put. Everyone else knew as well. As one of the protected zones, they could obviously be among the first to receive government assistance.

But, what was this Code Red? Was it just a worldwide power outage? Leonel had a feeling that it was more, but he had to admit to himself that he had no real evidence for this being the case. It was just that… how could the mighty Ascension Empire which unified Earth not be ready for such a thing?

It made Leonel think that there was something that caused this outage actively. It wasn't a mistake, but rather an event even their Empire had no means of stopping.

'The good news is that we have room and board. The academy also stockpiles several years worth of food in an abundance of caution thanks to previous rebellion and hostage situations.

'The bad is that the campus is current above its usual carrying capacity due to the game and the after party. Also, without power, the large freezers will slowly lose their heat. It'll be even faster if people are constantly opening and closing their doors.

'It would be possible to take preemptive action and cure what we can. But, not many will listen to my words, they'll believe I'm being overly paranoid. The food here is enough to last a month easily before they start to go bad, no one would think that the Empire would be unable to recover in that time, so they wouldn't be willing to make sacrifices.'

Leonel's thoughts spun quickly. A part of him wanted to act frugally out of caution, but another part understood that unless people had evidence toward how dangerous this situation was, they wouldn't listen. This was simply the way human beings were.

In truth, Leonel didn't want to deal with any of this. He only wanted to go and see if his father was alright, he didn't care about anything else.

"Damn, I can't stand this smell."

Conrad's high-bridged nose wrinkled. As soon as the swaying of the building normalized, he didn't want to stand there a second longer. Usually such a mess of vomit would be cleaned easily with their high-tech. But, this was obviously impossible now. It wasn't even a guarantee that they still had running water.

Leonel didn't stop Conrad from walking away, and why would he?

Unfortunately, it seemed that Conrad wasn't destined to get very far.

The building quaked once more. For a moment, Leonel thought that the foundation was too shaken by the previous earthquakes and that the dormitory was collapsing. But in the next instant, he saw something he would never forget in his life.

It was a spatial tear. Leonel was absolutely certain. He had never seen one, nor had he ever read the description of one, but he had a vivid enough imagination to know that if there ever was a spatial tear, it would look exactly like this. Maybe the only thing that deviated from his fanciful image was the fact it lit up the night sky as though it was day.

Other than that, everything else was the same. The abrupt cognitive dissonance, its black, starry innards, the way it seemed to have no, and simultaneously endless, depth…

Leonel's expression changed as it watched it through the shattered window.

'It's expanding! We can't stay here!'

"Milan!" Leonel reacted quickly.

Understanding what he meant, Leonel's big offensive lineman strung James over his shoulder. Leonel would have done it himself, but his ribs were in no state to be taking on such a load. However, just as they were about to run out of the building, Conrad's voice cause Leonel to pause his steps.

"What the hell are you doing?! Do you know who I am, get the hell off of me!"

Leonel was taken aback. The very same young girl who had vomited during the fall of the Paradise Islands stood in the way of the closest exit, her gaze vacant. No, that wasn't accurate enough. Her irises had completely turned white, even her pupils followed suit.

Her expression was cold. Leonel instinctually felt that it was impossible for the same girl who vomited just at the thought of dead bodies to display such a visage. Just what was happening?

Her small frame suddenly took a step forward, her palm slamming into Conrad's chest.

By all rights, nothing should have happened. Conrad stood an inch taller than even Leonel and spent everyday of his life training as all their athletes did. In addition, he hadn't been injured in the game like Leonel had. At the same time, the small girl was just a Junior dragged to this party by one of her seniors and was barely 5'4".

Yet, it seemed the illogical was the theme of this day.

With a dull grunt, Conrad was pushed back hard enough for him to fall to his back, a stunned expression on his face.

"You…"

A mixture of embarrassment and anger reddened Conrad's face. To make matters worse, he had slipped and fallen right beside the pool of vomit, causing him to inwardly retch.

"Hey…!"

Leonel's head spun in another direction, only to see yet another student with a gaze as vacant as the small girl's.

In a moment, one became two. Then two became three. In a flash, ten pairs of white irises shimmered under the blue light of the spatial rift, dully gazing toward them all. Among them, there was even one of his own teammates.

Leonel's expression turned serious.

"Aina, Yuri, Savahn. Come here."

This time, the abrasive Savahn had not a single word to say. The nervousness in her expression was clear as she slowly entered Leonel's circle of protection along with Aina and Yuri.

A spatial tear grew to their backs, their white pupil'd peers blocked their fronts, and an inexplicable feeling of uncertainty and fear pervaded their hearts.

Chapter 7 - Spatial Tear

Though Leonel's heart was assaulted with a whirlwind of confusion, it didn't show to his face.

'Ten of them… Not overly dangerous but definitely uncontrollable variables… The Chef is most definitely the greatest hazard…'

Unfortunately, the Four-Star Chef was among these white pupil'd individuals. Though he had yet to move from behind his curved bar, Leonel didn't need much of an imagination to think of just how many sharp kitchen knives must be back there.

A few of the Angel Wings helped Conrad up, the tense atmosphere steadily growing.

The white pupil'd individuals didn't move, and neither did they. Leonel would have thought that they were observing them had it not been for the fact their eyes were too vacant. It didn't seem like any thoughts were going through their heads.

But if that was the case, then they should be acting on instinct. So, just what was this instinct?

'They don't want us to leave this room?'

The steadily growing spatial rift to their back waned and growled.

Leonel's eyes widened. He realized in an instant that this sound wasn't from the tear, but rather the groaning of the building as it was being slowly sucked inward.

'Dammit…'

However, even as everyone began to panic, Leonel grew calmer. His rational mind told him that there was a logical progression to all of this, there was a design to it.

First their electricity goes out, second came the spatial tear, then there came these odd mutations to their peers and acquaintances, and now they were being pushed toward this spatial tear.

If the goal was to kill them, why wouldn't these white pupil'd individuals directly attack them? They even had the backing of the Four-Star Chef. However, they chose not to do this.

Just when Leonel was going to resolve him to hop into the spatial tear, a shard of glass flew from the windowsill James had just hung from. It collided with the spatial tear, ripping into pieces with a chilling noise.

No matter how steely Leonel considered himself, he couldn't help but shudder. Is that what would happen to his body if he entered?

'Dammit…' He thought to himself a second time in just as many seconds. '… We have to make it past.'

Leonel knew that James was right about him, he was too soft hearted. He had actually almost made such a reckless decision because he would rather risk himself on a gamble than fight his classmates. But he realized now he couldn't do this, he had to steel his heart.

'Focus on the known commodity.'

Leonel's jaw set. "Let's go."

Without another ounce of hesitation, Leonel took a strong step forward, heading toward the petite girl.

Crossing by Conrad and his teammates, he appeared before the girl more than a head shorter than him. Gritting his teeth and ignoring the pain, he quickly pulled his long black coat off.

Holding onto its shoulders, he whipped its buckled ends toward the girl's head. He didn't know how intelligent these white pupil'd people were, but he emphasized his speed and cunning. At the very least, his first gamble paid off. The others weren't quick enough to react to his sudden movement.

Savahn covered her lips in a gasp, wanting to call out to Leonel and stop him. But, it was already too late.

The little girl's dull eyes didn't seem surprised at Leonel's action. Or, maybe it was just that she wouldn't be surprised about anything in her current state. Without much thought, she reached forward in a lightning quick motion to grab the ends of Leonel's coat before he could react.

But it seemed Leonel had been expecting this. Following the curved path he flung his coat forward with, he wrapped around to the girls back. He used her own grip against her, pulling the coat across her back and around.

In a flash, the frail girl had her arms tied down by Leonel's coat and his arms.

"Let's go!"

As Leonel spoke, the other white pupil'd individuals began to move. However, Leonel had already thought this would happen.

Pulling the knot he tied with his coat around the girl tight, he pushed her forward into her own pool of vomit.

As expected, she regained her balance quickly with inhuman reflexes, only to slip when her soles touched the pool. Without being able to recover again, she fumbled and fell amidst Conrad's group, slowing their forward momentum.

Conrad's group had been the closest to the exit. It was no doubt that they would take advantage of Leonel's actions first. For men who had almost been complicit in his best friend's death, he wouldn't be soft on them.

As for the white pupil'd mutants, Leonel could only push his guilt down. He subconsciously felt that it wasn't their fault, but if he made concessions for them, he would be putting the life of him and his friends in danger.

By the time these things happened, the members of the Royal Blue, the party goers, and Aina plus her friends had made it to Leonel's side, pushing through to the exit.

Leonel signaled Milan who still had James over his shoulder with his eyes. The big guy reacted immediately, kicking the couch James had been laying on over and creating another barrier.

"Leonel!" Conrad's enraged roar tore through the commotion, his gaze reddening with rage.

Unfortunately for him, Leonel had already turned away, causing Conrad's heart to go cold. He suddenly regretted his previous actions. However, what he regretted wasn't the fact he threatened James' life, but rather that he hadn't taken control of the white pupil'd girl before Leonel got to her. He had been the closest initially, why was he always lagging one step behind him?!

Leonel didn't have time to worry about Conrad's thoughts. The white pupil'd individuals were just an afterthought. What really shook him to his core was the spatial tear. He hadn't felt that death was this close since the first time he sky-dived from his Paradise Island.

But… Leonel had made a mistake. In all his calculations, he had forgotten one important fact: they were on the fourth floor.

"Dammit, they're everywhere!"

Zavier, a Three-Star Safety of the Royal Blues, shouted from the staircase. His words were like the whisper of the grim reaper to Leonel's ears.

Leonel hadn't taken into account that if such odd occurrences were happening on his floor, how could they not be occurring on others?

Rushing into the stairway and slamming the door shut behind him, Leonel looked forward with a grim expression. The problem was worse than he had first believed. On the stairway, three pairs of white pupils were waiting.

The lights were far dimmer here due to a lack of windows and the fact the power was still out, so they almost looked like floating orbs in the night, sending a shiver down Leonel's spine.

Milan stood to Leonel's right, his back against the door just like him. Before them the three girls were already half way down the flight of stairs while Zavier and a few others were ahead of them and steadily backing away from the the three mutants.

Leonel bit his lip, almost drawing blood. It was one thing to put some bruises and broken bones on the line on the football field, but it was another thing entirely to have death looming over his head like this.

He still didn't know if his father was alive. He still hadn't shed the stigma of his profession. He still hadn't heard Aina's answer…

Leonel's gaze shifted to her back. Even in the dim light, she had an alluring charm. Her figure held a steady maturity to it.

Aina had always been like this. She was shy in the face of his naked adoration, but she was the only one who seemed capable of continuing to write her exams under his presence.

The leaning of the building grew fiercer. By now, Leonel knew it was already too late.

A banging on the door came from behind him. With each passing moment, it grew fiercer before it suddenly stopped entirely.

Leonel sighed. Conrad and his group had probably been sucked in first due to the open window. There were no large windows in the stairway, nor were any of them broken open, but it was still only a matter of time.

He faintly hoped that in their last moments, even if he couldn't see his father, that Aina might say the words that could put a smile on his face even now. But, her small frame seemed to have no intention of turning.

'Maybe I was wrong. I guess she doesn't like me…'

These were Leonel's last thoughts before the building gave way, snapping off from its foundation and flying into the spatial tear.

There was yet another thing Leonel was wrong about, though. The spatial rift didn't take everything. The moment those with white pupils touched its surface, they were safely rebounded away.

The grotesque sounded of sheering metal, brick and foundation sounded through the air, in an odd way, it almost sounded like chewing… As though the spatial tear was having a good meal as it smacked its lips.

All around Earth, similar events occurred. Many shared the same thoughts of agony and despair Leonel had. Many more had suffered terrible acts of revenge, guilt and sometimes even both in just those spare few minutes.

The world was changing in a completely unprecedented way. There were some who managed to escape the tears, but it was impossible to tell if their situations were any better. In a world filled with white eyed mutants, normal humans had suddenly become the minority.

The odd mutations continued, even transcending the human race and affecting the other animal kingdoms.

However, even as their population grew, they did nothing. They stood silently, their pale eyes gazing vacantly toward empty space. Even those who stood just a few steps from another of their kind didn't speak, as though they were all collectively waiting for something.

The so-called government response never came. Ascension Empire's Paradise palace stood majestically, spanning hundreds of meters to the left and right, but it too was silent. Only the slight whipping of its high masted flag moving with the wind could be heard for several kilometers.

If one wanted to speak of the death of a world, it seemed that such a description could be any better. However, the world hadn't ended. Not just yet, anyway.

Leonel and his group lay unconscious on a bed of eroded limestone. Around them, half broken pillars stood, etched with ancient runes impossible to decipher.

An odd energy swirled around them. At first glance, it seemed to be much more like fog than anything else. However, it behaved completely unlike fog. Instead, it moved and almost breathed like a living entity.

Over half of this 'fog' surged toward a delicate sleeping beauty. Compared to the disheveled appearances of the others, she looked as though she was doing nothing more than taking a sweet nap. Her visage made many want to scramble to protect her, the light smile on her pink lips causing a twitch in the hearts of those lucky enough to see it.

A fifth surged toward a young man with long blond hair and a high bridged nose. Even in his sleep, he scowled fiercely as though facing an enemy. The disdain was almost painted onto his lofty cheekbones.

Another fifth descended toward a tall young man with bandages wrapped around his torso. He snored loudly, rubbing his stomach without a care in the world as he turned over.

The remaining portions spread out evenly, seeping into the bodies of the remaining unconscious youths completely unbeknownst to them.

The hours continued to tick by. And eventually, it became days. However, they all kept a comfortable smile on their faces as though it was a soft cloud and not hard rock they slept upon.

Finally, on the fourth day, the first of them began to stir.

Chapter 8 - Awaken

Leonel stirred awake. His eyes blinked for a moment before he sat up far quicker than he should have, something that he instantly regretted.

However, the sharp pain he expected from his ribs never came, causing him to look down at himself in confusion.

'My injuries are healed…? Wait, where am I?'

Leonel was bombarded with a sudden wave of sensory information. The limestone beneath his butt and hands, the odd wind that gently blew against his exposed skin, even the ancient smell in that hung in the air, almost reminiscent of a copy room with a slight mustiness to it.

The feeling made Leonel keel over, vomiting out the contents of his stomach. It was just that his belly happened to be quite empty at the moment, so he could only dry heave.

By the time his body finally stopped convulsing, Leonel was left with a bitter feeling of confusion. Everything seemed too loud, too bright, too textured, all at the same time.

No matter how much Leonel willed it away, it didn't seem intent on disappearing. He sat there for hours, feeling sicker than he had in all his life.

The world had suddenly become too detailed for him take in. It was as though he was staring at an optical illusion puzzle, one that if you gazed at long enough, it would appear to be moving. Yet, this wasn't an optical illusion, it had become his reality.

Half a day later, Leonel felt his throat burning. He felt a thirst he had never felt before in his life, but there was simply no water here, there was nothing but ancient ruins and the unconscious bodies of his friends. He would go look for water if he could, but every time he tried to stand, his head would spin.

Not only did the world give him more detail than he could handle, but his body did as well. He could almost feel thoughts forming in his mind, he could feel the electrical pulses going from his brain to his limbs, he could feel the powering of every cell as they contracted. Just simple movements felt worse than even observing the world around him.

Out of desperation, Leonel slowly slung his backpack off of his shoulder. Luckily, when he had been forced to use his coat to bind that girl, he had taken his backpack off and hung it from one arm. If not for this, he didn't think he could manage to do even this simple task.

Taking out a familiar bottle of green sludge, he brought it to his lips, drinking shakily. Unfortunately, he could only feel a wave of despair, remembering that he had finished the rest of it after Coach Owen reminded him to.

Never in his life did he think he'd miss his dad's vomit brew.

Parched, he still tilted the bottle as far back as he could, licking up the faint drops that touched his tongue. He didn't know if it was because of this sickness that had taken hold of him, or the stress of the past day, or maybe it was just pure frustration, but Leonel's chest welled up with rage, his eyes watering.

'Dad… I miss you.'

Why was any of this happening? Why did the world suddenly collapse? Why was it that his friends wouldn't wake up no matter how hard he shook them?

Leonel laughed self-deprecatingly. How pathetic of him. He didn't know how long he had been out for, but as for how long he had been awake, it was not even a full day, yet he was already breaking down like a fragile baby.

At that moment, something fell from Leonel's tipped bottle and left a paper-cut on his nose, causing him to wince. That was nice to know, apparently his pain was amplified several times over too. A little micro cut and he felt worse than when his ribs had cracked.

With slow movements, Leonel once again lowered his arm, delicately picking up what had fallen. It seemed like a rolled up piece of flexible fabric.

'Wait… Is this paper?'

Leonel was stunned. Paper had been made obsolete a long time ago. In fact, it was all but illegal. Though paper itself wasn't banned, the use of trees and other plant life to manufacture products had been heavily restricted in the Nature Protection Act of 2046. How had his dad gotten his hands on something like this?

In truth, Leonel wouldn't even recognize it had it not been for his robust education. If others knew he had this, both him and his dad would be in a lot of trouble.

However, thinking about the state the world was likely in right now, Leonel couldn't be bothered to care. His wrist watch also no longer had any ability to monitor him.

Using delicate movements, he unfurled the roll of paper, wiping the bits of green sludge that stuck to it away.

'By the time you read this, I'll already be gone.'

Leonel's heart stopped beating.

"Dad…"

'Haha! You probably thought I meant I died right? Be honest, you started crying, right?'

Leonel's mouth hung open for a moment before he started gritting his teeth.

"Damned old man! Don't let me catch you…"

For a moment, Leonel forgot about his odd sickness. He scolded his father relentlessly, but the smile of relief that hung from his lips was clear.

'Don't worry, there's no one on Earth who can threaten me. Those folks haven't dared to bother me for a long time already.'

Leonel raised an eyebrow, but he could only keep reading.

'There's not much I can tell you here. I was tempted to make like a father in anime and disappear without a word, but I thought you were too much of a crybaby to survive through that.'

Leonel opened his mouth to refute, but remembering the mental breakdown he almost just had, he swallowed his words. In the end, he just laughed, his poor mood dissipating completely.

His dad had always been a big anime fan, they often watched all the oldies together. Still, only he would make such a joke during a time as serious as this.

'So, I will be quick.

'First, don't bother trying to wake up your friends. You've likely woken up long before them, and they won't wake up for at least several months. Focus on yourself for now and use your nepotism to your advantage.'

Leonel's expression flickered.

'Don't wonder too much about what I mean by that. Just know that your mother isn't dead, nor has she abandoned you. I also haven't abandoned you. We both love you very much.

'Your body is different from others in this dimension, and the scar across your right hip isn't there by accident either.'

A frown set in on Leonel's brow. He had a faint scar near where his liver would be. But, he hadn't thought about it in a long time. In fact, most people would miss it even if he had his shirt off. He didn't know why his father would mention it now.

But the idea that his mother was alive took over his thoughts. He felt an agitation he hadn't felt in a very long time.

He had faint memories of his mother. His father had never explicitly told him that she had died, so he always assumed that it was to spare his feelings about her death. Or, maybe to spare his own feelings because she had left them.

Hearing the truth, Leonel felt a weight he hadn't even known he was holding onto fall from his shoulders.

'Second, your awakened ability is related to your senses and mind. I don't know the details since I had to suppress it in your youth, but it should be fully bloomed now. It can be overwhelming, but simply meditate until your body reaches equilibrium.'

Leonel blinked. Meditating wasn't complicated, it was just about emptying your mind. The military taught a version that allowed you to sleep and rest your mind while remaining alert.

Leonel's father had learned it while he was a Four-Star General and taught it to him because he was curious. He hadn't used it in years, though.

Without waiting, Leonel tried it, emptying his mind. Slowly, the overwhelming feeling dissipated, replaced by a sharpness that stunned Leonel. Feeling much better, he turned his attention back toward his father's note.

He was shocked by the fact it felt he was reading the words through a magnifying glass. Just what was this 'awakened' ability?

'Third, I've left you two things in the basement. One is the truth behind what is happening here and the second is an heirloom of our Morales Clan. Unfortunately, until the Metamorphosis begins, taking these things out to hand to you directly is too dangerous. So just take it as this old man giving you a little quest.

'Stay safe, son. The trial you'll face now isn't like anything you've faced before. I've taught you some things, but I definitely haven't taught you everything. You'll have an advantage being the first to take it, however with advantages will always come disadvantages.

'Love, dad.'

Leonel sat silently for a long while. He lost count of how many times he re-read his father's words. Unbeknownst to him, he had actually completely memorized it the first time, a fact he didn't realize until maybe the sixth or seventh read through.

His memory had always been good… but it definitely wasn't this good.

Finally, Leonel felt he had wasted enough time. His father said it was an advantage for him to wake up first and that it had somehow happened because his constitution was different from others. At least that's what he gathered from his words. Since that was the case, sitting here for any longer would be throwing away his good fortune.

Leonel took in his surroundings.

Like everyone else, he was on a crumbled limestone platform that seemed a cross between pale yellow and brown. The pillars that surrounded the platform were severely eroded, most of them not even standing to their formerly full height.

In the four cardinal directions, there were four flights of stairs downward. It seemed that they were atop a temple of some sort. But, what was truly shocking was the fact that beyond this temple, there was nothing but formless space, an endless black without mass or substance.

As though sensing Leonel's intentions, four portals not much different from the spatial tear that brought him here appeared.

None of them seemed to separate themselves from the other. Leonel couldn't tell if this was because they all led to the same place regardless, or if this matter was purposely left to chance.

'The ancient runes are definitely Mayan script. But why would they appear here?'

Gritting his teeth, Leonel put his bag down, switching out his jeans and turtle neck for his gym equipment. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he felt that sweats and compression clothing would be far more helpful to him now.

His gray sweats scrunched at his ankles, his black long-sleeve compression shirt clinging tightly to his toned torso. He felt more free now, he just wished he had had the chance to wash them before he had to wear them again. This smell was terrible.

After hesitating for a moment, he also took out the three-piece silver rod his bicycle was formed out of, screwing them together back into their combined two meter length.

Leonel wasn't exactly a martial arts expert, but he felt for someone as inexperienced as him, having a longer ranged weapon would keep him relatively safer. Whether or not that was true, he didn't know. But, he did know that the frame of this bike was strong enough to withstand his jumping down several meters without giving way. Considering he weighed over 200 pounds, it was definitely a strong material with some heft to it.

Facing a randomly chosen portal, Leonel steeled his heart. However, after a moment, he hesitated again.

Turning to Aina's sleeping form, he gently placed his bag under her head and covered her frail arms with his turtleneck sweater. He couldn't help but smile when her nose scrunched up with disgust, likely catching a whiff of his sport's wear.

He had never been this close to her before. In fact, this was also the first time he had ever touched her. He tried his best not to take advantage of her despite the softness of her supple skin and long black hair.

Her faint lines of makeup showed signs of fading after so many days. But, Leonel realized that Aina had actually used some tricks to downplay her beauty. He couldn't see it all, but it was enough to grip his heart firmly. He even felt an impulse to wipe off the rest, but he held himself back.

'I hope that you'll show me your true self one day.' He thought to himself silently.

Without another moment of hesitation, he stood and walked to a portal.

'I may not come out from this alive, but at least you'll have something to remember me by.'

Leonel's thoughts sounded morbid, but his heart was more relaxed than it had been in a long time. Knowing that his father was alive, and that even his mother was too, he felt as light as a feather.

Until he saw them again, until he heard Aina's response, he had no intention of dying.

With that, he took a leap into the whirling pool of blue, vanishing.

The temple he had left behind fell completely silent, the portals shrinking and finally disappearing. This silence would reign for many more months.