Prologue - Jinwoo Kim

Prologue

[Eclipsed Hearts: The Love of Two Stars

The End.]

The words on the last page of the book I was reading. Not even a twitch in my expression. My poker face remained. That's it? What a boring story. I put the book down and stood up.

I opened the window of my room, letting the fresh air in. The wind filled the space, rustling the pages of books scattered across my desk. Outside, nature stretched endlessly, a sight I rarely paid attention to.

I live an average life. Not rich, not poor. My only real hobby is reading books. Basically, I just stay inside and read all day. Too lazy to go outside. I glanced at the clock. 7 AM.

"Jinwoo! Come downstairs and eat! The food is ready!"

That was my mom calling.

"I'm coming."

I opened the door and made my way downstairs. The dining table was filled with food.

"What's up with all this? And why is it all my favorites?"

Mom looked at me with sparkling eyes. A little too excited for breakfast.

"Well, what do you think? My. Little. Jinwoo."

"Don't look at me like that. It's weird."

She chuckled. "You'll love this one."

"Just say it already."

"I'm sending you to an academy."

No reaction. "Obviously. Not like I had a choice."

"Well yeah, but this academy isn't what you think."

"What do you mean?"

She paused. "Aetherian Academy."

I stopped eating. "Huh?"

"Aetherian Academy."

Even I couldn't ignore the weight of those words. That academy. "The one that only accepts the best of the best? The place where elites, geniuses, and future rulers go?"

She chuckled. "So, you do know about it."

Of course, I did. Everyone did.

Aetherian Academy isn't just a school. It's basically a cheat code for success. Get in, and you're set for life. Fail, and, well… you don't fail. People there don't fail. You either rise to the top or disappear entirely.

It's an academy filled with monsters. Not literal ones, well, actually, who knows? With how ridiculous the students are, I wouldn't be surprised if there were actual dragons enrolled. The school is packed with the strongest fighters, the smartest minds, and people who could probably buy entire countries just for fun. It's the type of place where one wrong move could have you socially destroyed before lunch break.

And now, apparently, I'm going there.

"Great. So I'll be surrounded by rich brats and freakishly talented people who've been training for this their whole lives."

She rolled her eyes. "You're acting like you're not talented."

"You'll fit right in."

Sigh. "I don't think 'sitting around reading all day' counts as a talent."

"Wait, how did you even afford this?"

Tuition at Aetherian Academy is no joke. Even if we saved every cent our family earned for years, it wouldn't be enough.

"I didn't."

"What do you mean you didn't?"

She sighed, resting her chin on her palm. "Let's just say… someone covered the costs."

She smiled. Not her usual smile. This one felt… nostalgic. "Someone who made a promise a long time ago."

"Whoever did this… they didn't leave a name, just a message saying you were expected."

Expected?

I leaned back in my chair. "So you don't even know who paid?"

"Oh, I have a good guess." She chuckled. "But that's not my story to tell."

Right. Mysterious benefactor. Of course.

"Jinwoo." Her tone suddenly shifted into a serious tone.

Her deep red eyes changed, a faint black ring forming around them. At the center, a glowing blue mark shimmered, it looked like a lowercase 'n,' but flipped downward. Her black hair glowed, fading into a faint white.

The room felt warmer. Or maybe my brain was overheating from trying to process what I was seeing. Mom's eyes… Yeah, they were definitely not normal. I definitely missed a family memo about secret eye powers.

"I will teach you how to get these eyes. It's something our family specializes in."

"What…?"

"But for now, let's eat." Her tone shifted back in an instant.

Looking back, I was completely unprepared for what Aetherian Academy had in store for me.

———————————————————

[Aetherian Academy]

[The Intewisp: Rise of Jinwoo Kim]