chapter 14: entrance test

Instructor Rivan led the students through a long corridor lined with glowing crystal sconces, the walls humming with latent energy. The group entered a vast chamber — circular, metallic, and completely empty, save for strange glyphs etched into the floor. The air here felt heavier.

Rivan stopped at the center and raised one hand. The room's ceiling glowed faintly, and then — boom — the pressure changed.

A crushing weight dropped over the students like an invisible storm. The ground trembled slightly. Every breath became a struggle.

"Welcome to your first trial," Rivan announced coldly. "The gravity in this chamber has been increased to four times the normal. Those who cannot withstand this... are unworthy to walk these halls."

Panic broke out. Some students collapsed instantly, gasping for air. Others dropped to their knees, shaking under the weight. Cries of frustration, pain, and fear echoed.

Within minutes, nearly half of them were either unconscious or calling for assistance. Drones swept down silently from the ceiling, picking up those who had failed and carrying them out.

But amidst the chaos, a few stood firm.

But in the centre of the room Anay didn't move He stood tall, expression calm, posture perfect.His breathing was controlled, his mind was calm. He had trained in the silence of mountains — under harsher conditions than most could imagine.

Beside him, Naman stood without a flinch, his arms folded, expression unreadable. Anay glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"He's strong..." Anay thought. "Not just physically — his aura. It's dense... alive. Like it's been tempered by fire .Who is he, really?"

Rivan watched silently from the edge, nodding ever so slightly at the handful who remained.

"You few... are the ones worth shaping."

Rivan paced slowly before the remaining students — those who had endured the crushing gravity without faltering.

"You few... are the ones worth shaping," he said, his voice cold and resolute.

Then, with a sharp wave of his hand, the far wall of the chamber shifted, revealing two massive doors — one adorned with a glowing sigil of flowing energy, the other marked by jagged carvings of muscle and stone.

"One more decision," Rivan announced, his voice echoing with purpose. "If your strength lies in your spirit — in the power within, the flow of energy, and connection to forces beyond — step into Room One."

He turned toward the other door.

"If your strength comes not from gifts, but from grit — from harsh training, broken bones, and raw power earned through struggle — then Room Two is your path."

A murmur ran through the group.

"In this world, spiritual power reigns," Rivan continued, "but do not be fooled. There are those born without it who rise through pain, dedication, and willpower. Sometimes… that kind of strength dominates even the most gifted."

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.

"That is why Room Two exists."

He turned to face them all again.

"Room One houses a magic crystal. Those with spiritual power must touch it. The crystal will judge your soul and awaken your rank — purple being the rarest, the S-rank, followed by red, blue, green, and yellow."

"Room Two holds a combat system," he said. "You must strike it. The machine will read your output. Only those who exceed 100,000,000 units of force are granted entry."

The students tensed.

"But…" Rivan smirked faintly, "that's usually a choice for later rounds. For now, I already sense most of you possess spiritual energy."

He turned, his eyes scanning the survivors with quiet approval.

"You twenty... all of you, to Room One."

Anay glanced at Naman. Both nodded silently.

Some students looked excited, others nervous. But Anay felt something else — like the magic crystal ahead wasn't just a test… it was watching.

And as the doors of Room One creaked open and the faint violet glow spilled out, Anay stepped forward — a calm storm behind his eyes.:

The twenty students stepped into Room One, a chamber veined with glowing runes and lined with silent, floating drones. At the center stood the Soul Crystal — a massive, levitating shard, glowing faintly with swirling inner light.

Instructor Rivan's voice echoed through the chamber. "This crystal responds to your spiritual core. The stronger the light, the greater your potential."

He gestured toward a meter beside the crystal, where color indicators floated in the air: Purple (S-rank) Red (A-rank) Blue (B-rank) Yellow (C-rank) Green (D-rank) White (no spiritual affinity)

"To enter Astral Academy," Rivan said coldly, "you must achieve at least yellow. Green and below are disqualified."

The room tensed.

One by one, students stepped forward.

A boy pressed his palm to the crystal — it pulsed yellow. A sigh of relief.

"Acceptable," Rivan said.

Next, a girl approached — green. The light barely flickered.

"Disqualified." A drone emerged and guided her silently away.

A few more approached: blue, yellow, one red — each one earning nods, murmurs, or silence.

Then came Anay.

He placed his hand on the crystal.

The chamber dimmed. The crystal pulsed once… then erupted in a radiant blaze of deep purple, bathing the room in its violet hue. The walls trembled slightly from the force.

Gasps filled the air.

"S-rank…" a student whispered.

Even Rivan raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

Anay stepped back quietly, eyes calm — but his thoughts were not. Not too much, he reminded himself. Never reveal too much.

Then Naman stepped forward. Silent, serious.

The moment he touched the crystal — it burst into purple once again, as vivid and intense as Anay's.

Rivan straightened. "Two S-ranks?" he muttered to himself. "This year's class just changed everything."