Black Aura

The stadium was frozen in silence.

On the Magic Stone, one word flickered in eerie, shifting letters—

"UNKNOWN."

Then, without warning, a black aura erupted from the stone. It spread across the stage like a shadow, thick with undead energy. A suffocating presence filled the air, making the students tremble.

Some felt their knees weaken. Others clutched their chests, gasping for breath. It wasn't just fear—it was the primal terror of death itself.

And then—Ken removed his hand.

The aura vanished instantly, as if it had never been there. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, but the damage had been done.

The students were too stunned to speak. Even some of the professors looked uneasy.

Only a few remained unaffected—the Witch of Curse, Hel, and a handful of senior staff.

Then, the Witch of Curse finally broke the silence.

"Well done, Ken. You'll be placed in Class A. Go back to your seat."

Ken gave a small nod and walked back, ignoring the lingering stares.

Seeing the confusion in the students' eyes, the Witch of Curse continued,

"As some of you may not know, the word Unknown appearing on the Magic Stone means that one's dark energy potential is so high that the stone is unable to measure it."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"But that black aura…" she added, her gaze lingering on Ken. "It signifies something far rarer. It means his soul is special—or rather, that he was born with a destiny. What that destiny is… only time will tell."

She turned to the minion beside her.

"Call the next student."

The minion fumbled with the parchment in his hands. "Uh—y-yes! Special Admission Case One, please step up!"

A hush fell over the crowd.

It was Hel's turn.

He walked onto the stage without hesitation, placed his hand on the Magic Stone, and released his energy.

The numbers surged at an overwhelming speed.

1… 50… 80… 99…

Then, just like before—

"UNKNOWN."

The silence deepened.

"Another one!?"

"Well… he is the son of the Witch of Curse…"

But this time, something different happened.

A deep crimson aura flared to life around the stone. Unlike Ken's, this one distorted the space around it, making the air shimmer as if reality itself were bending.

It felt… wrong.

No—it felt like another dimension had momentarily overlapped with this one.

The stadium held its breath.

The minion gulped before speaking.

"S-Special Admission Case One will go to Class A!"

Hel stepped down, returning to his seat as if nothing had happened.

But the shock wasn't over yet.

"Special Admission Case Three, please come forward."

Lillith stood up, a smirk on her lips.

She strode to the stage, placed her hand on the stone, and—

"UNKNOWN."

The students barely had time to react before a blue aura burst from the stone.

The temperature dropped instantly. Frost formed on the ground. Some students shivered as an unnatural chill crept into their bones, freezing them from the inside out.

For a moment, it felt like their very souls were turning to ice.

Then, she removed her hand.

The aura disappeared, and the temperature returned to normal.

"Special Admission Case Three will go to Class A."

Lillith returned to her seat, smirking at Hel and Ken.

"Looks like you two aren't the only special ones here."

Hel remained silent, but Ken smiled.

"I'm happy about it," he said. "I hope the three of us can be great friends."

Lillith blinked. Then she scoffed.

"What? You're happy that I'm strong? Are you an idiot or just naive?"

Ken shrugged. "I just want to be friends, that's all."

She stared at him for a moment before smirking.

"You're funny… Fine. We can be friends—for now."

The minion cleared his throat.

"Special Admission Case Five, please come up to the stage."

A muscular student with brown hair and sharp eyes walked forward. He placed his hand on the Magic Stone.

99.

No aura appeared.

His jaw clenched. His fists tightened. He turned and walked back to his seat, seething with frustration.

"Hector, Special Admission Case Five, will go to Class A."

He sat down, gritting his teeth.

One by one, the rest of the students completed their evaluations.

When it was finally over, minions handed out uniforms.

For boys: skin-colored pants, an off-white shirt, and a red tie.

For girls: a skin-colored skirt, off white shirt, and a red tie.

"Now that you've received your uniforms," the Witch of Curse announced, "you'll be sent to your dormitories. Rest for today—your classes start tomorrow.

You won't need to choose a major in your first year. That will be decided in your second year. For now, you must study six or more subjects of your choice.

The schedule will be posted on the dormitory's base floor.

That is all. Good luck on your journey."

With that, she and the professors disappeared, leaving the minions to guide students to their dorms.

Dormitory – Room 301

As it turned out, Ken and Hel were roommates.

And they weren't alone.

"Hi!" a cheerful voice called out. "My name is Neebi! I'm from the Nok merchant family, and I barely made it into Class A!"

Neebi had brown hair, brown eyes, and a lean but energetic build. His dark energy score had been 90.

Ken smiled. "Nice to meet you! I'm Ken. This is Hel."

Hel said nothing.

Neebi scratched his head. "Uh… He doesn't talk much, huh?"

Ken chuckled. "He's like that. But it's okay—I'm happy to be your friend!"

"Great! Let's be best friends, Ken!"

"Sure!"

"Can I be friends with you too, Hel?"

Hel ignored him and climbed onto the top bunk, lying down.

Neebi sighed. "Well… at least I have one friendly roommate."

Ken laughed. "So, have you thought about which classes you'll take?"

"Yeah! I'm thinking of Curse, Combat, and Magic… But I'll decide based on what I'm good at. What about you?"

"I'm interested in Curses, Summoning, Magic, Combat… And I guess I'll take History and Knowledge, too."

"Nice! Sounds like we'll have a few classes together!"

They unpacked their belongings, settling into their small dorm room—three beds, three closets, a mirror, and a single window overlooking the academy grounds.

By the time they finished, night had fallen.

One by one, they drifted off to sleep.

Until—

A shadow moved.

A figure slipped into their room without a sound.

They stepped closer to Ken's bed, their face hidden in the darkness.

A low chuckle echoed in the silent room.

"So… you also have a black aura, huh?"