Survive

The laughter still echoed long after the nobles had walked away, their voices like distant whispers in the back of his mind. The nameless boy stood frozen in place, staring at the mud beneath his bare feet.

A name.

They had asked for one, and he had nothing to give. It should have been simple, instinctual—but when he reached into his mind, there was nothing. Just an empty void where his identity should have been.

And yet… there was something there.

Not a name, but a feeling.

Like a whisper beneath the noise of the world, like an ember buried beneath cold ash, waiting for air to reignite.

He took a deep breath, pushing down the shame curling in his chest. Standing here in the mud wouldn't bring him answers.

He forced himself to move forward.

Ahead, beyond the stone path and through the towering iron gates, loomed the grand structure he knew only by name: Aetheris Academy.

The sight of it made something inside him twist. Recognition. Faint, but undeniable.

The academy was a monolithic fortress of marble and obsidian, its towers rising into the storm-lit sky, crowned with glowing runes that pulsed like living veins of power. Statues of legendary figures stood in solemn vigil at the entrance, their gazes carved in cold judgment.

Even from a distance, he could tell that this place was different from the world beyond its walls. The very air here was heavier, charged with an energy that pressed against his skin.

The students reflected that weight.

The courtyard beyond the gates was filled with them—figures clad in robes embroidered with their family sigils, some draped in cloaks woven with arcane threads. Their presence alone was enough to set him apart. He had no crest. No fine clothes. No proof of worth.

He was nothing.

And yet, somehow, he was here.

His fingers twitched at his side.

This academy was a place where the powerful gathered, where the heirs of the great families honed their abilities to one day take control of the world. He could feel the weight of their stares—most ignored him, dismissing him as insignificant, while a few sneered, amused by his tattered cloak and bare feet.

"Look at him. Did a servant get lost on his way to the kitchens?"

"I heard they let in anyone with 'potential,' but this is pathetic."

Their voices cut at him, sharp but expected. He wasn't blind—he knew how he looked. A stray standing among wolves.

His heart beat faster.

No.

The nobles from earlier had already decided what he was. Weak. Worthless. But something deep inside of him rebelled against that thought. He couldn't accept it. Wouldn't.

A voice rang out, cutting through the murmurs like a blade.

"Newcomers, welcome to Aetheris Academy."

Silence fell.

At the top of the grand staircase stood a figure cloaked in black and silver robes, his presence alone demanding attention. The very air seemed to bend around him, as if the world itself recognized his authority. His gaze swept across the courtyard, piercing through noble arrogance and commoner desperation alike.

Even without knowing his name, the nameless boy understood one thing—this was not a man to be taken lightly.

The Headmaster.

"You stand before the greatest institution in the world," he continued, his voice carrying through the courtyard like a storm. "A place where the strong rise and the unworthy fall. Here, lineage means little. Power is the only currency."

Some students scoffed, their noble pride refusing to accept such words. Others, those born without legendary bloodlines, straightened with newfound hope.

The Headmaster's gaze was unwavering.

"There are only three rules at Aetheris."

His voice sharpened, as if daring them to listen.

"One—Power is earned, not given. If you cannot prove yourself, you will not last here."

The nameless boy clenched his hands.

"Two—Betray the Academy, and you will be erased. No name, no legacy, no memory of your existence will remain."

A shiver ran through the crowd.

"And three—" The Headmaster's lips curled into something that was not quite a smile. "Survive."

The moment the word left his lips, a pulse of energy surged through the courtyard.

Aetheris Academy awakened.

The ground trembled, shifting like something alive. The stone beneath their feet glowed, and a series of massive rings materialized around them, each one carved with intricate sigils that pulsed in rhythm with the storm above.

A low hum filled the air.

Then, the sigils flared to life.

The nameless boy barely had time to react before the ground beneath him vanished.

A flash of light swallowed the courtyard.

And then, he was falling.

The wind howled past his ears, cold and sharp as he plummeted through an abyss of swirling energy. He twisted, his instincts screaming at him to move, to catch himself, to do something—but there was nothing to grab, nothing to stop his descent.

The light shifted.

He braced himself just as his body hit the ground.

Not stone. Not dirt.

Water.

He plunged beneath the surface, the shock of cold stealing his breath. For a moment, there was only silence—the stillness of being submerged, of weightlessness.

Then, his lungs burned.

Kicking upward, he broke the surface, gasping as he dragged himself onto the stone platform jutting from the water.

Around him, dozens of other students surfaced, some coughing, others already climbing onto the surrounding land. The glowing rings from the courtyard were gone. In their place was a vast underground arena, carved into a massive cavern with waterfalls cascading from jagged cliffs.

Torches lined the stone walls, casting flickering light over the chamber. Statues of faceless figures loomed above, their hollow eyes watching.

A voice echoed from above.

"The First Trial has begun."

The Headmaster's voice rang out, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Your task is simple—survive."

A deep rumble filled the cavern.

From the shadows, shapes began to emerge.

A predator's growl.

A glint of claws.

Something ancient stirred in the dark.

And the nameless boy realized—he wasn't alone.