As the countdown to the entrance exam ticked away, an air of tension and anticipation swirled through the massive auditorium.
Cadets from every nation, kingdom, and realm of Etheron stood in the waiting hall, their eyes flickering with nervousness, arrogance, or focused calm.
Amid the sea of candidates, one boy's glare burned hotter than the sun—Elias, the Saint Candidate of the Holy Church.
Elias's face twisted ever so slightly as his dark eyes focused on a peculiar sight in the distance.
There they were.
Two of the most prominent figures of this generation—Ethan Williams, the prophesied Chosen of the Goddess of Light and heir to the Williams Duchy, and Alden von Crestvale, pride of House Crestvale, his arrogance matched only by his skill.
And yet… neither of them even spared Elias a glance.
Instead, they were laughing and joking with someone else. A silver-haired, annoyingly calm boy who stood between them like he belonged there.
Alex Dragonheart.
That name had begun to circulate in whispers, carried through the wind like pollen during the spring of change.
"How dare they…" Elias murmured under his breath, fingers curling into a white-knuckled fist.
To be overlooked was a sin. To be ignored… unforgivable.
He was chosen. He was blessed. He was one of the few handpicked by the Holy Church to ascend as a Saint.
And they were ignoring him. Treating him like background furniture while a commoner basked in their spotlight.
A seed of resentment took root, watering itself with bitter indignation. Elias stared at Alex like he was a parasite sucking attention from a divine vine.
"Alex Dragonheart… I'll see to it you fade back into irrelevance."
---
On another side of the hall, separated only a few distance away from where Elias stood, Seraphina Starlight stood with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Her beauty alone could steal breath from lungs—long icy-blue hair cascading over her shoulders, her refined features noble and poised. But now, those features were contorted by confusion.
"Alex Dragonheart…" she whispered. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"
She searched her memory like flipping through dusty archives—until it clicked.
A memory from nearly two months ago.
---
Flashback
Her 10-year-old little sister, Sophia, had burst into their estate, squealing with excitement.
"Big Sis Sera! Big Sis Sera! I met a prince!"
Seraphina, sipping tea, raised a brow. "A prince? Did Mother introduce you to someone new?"
Sophia shook her head wildly, her golden twin tails bouncing like energized springs.
"No! I met him when we were attacked by those scary bandits! He saved us and had silver hair and ocean-blue eyes! And he was sooo handsome!"
Seraphina was shocked. "Wait, someone attacked you and Mother?"
Her voice was filled with killing intent.
The pressure in the room began to rise slowly.
Then suddenly, Sonia Starlight came bursting into her room.
"Sera, calm down. You're scaring Sophia."
Seraphina suddenly realized what she was doing, and the pressure in the room disappeared.
"I'm sorry, Sophie. You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
Sophia blinked. "No, Sera, but you were acting scary."
Seraphina apologized again. "I'm sorry."
Sophia began giggling. "It's okay!"
Then Sonia came near Sophia and started patting her head. "Sera, you don't have to worry. The matter is already dealt with by the police, and I've already informed your father.
You know what's going to happen to those bandits, right?"
Seraphina, after hearing that, realized that if her father was dealing with the matter, those guys were as good as dead—because her father, more than anything, cherished his family.
Seraphina remembered what Sophia had been saying earlier and asked, "Wait, Sophie, you were saying someone saved you and Mother, right?"
Sophia puffed out her chest proudly. "Yep! He said he was a commoner, but he was definitely a prince in disguise! I even remember his name!"
She placed a finger on her chin and closed one eye dramatically too.
"…Balax Wagonheart!"
A moment of silence passed. Then Sonia their mother and seraphina broke into uncontrollable laughter.
"Sophia! His name was Alex Dragonheart, not Balax Wagonheart!"
Sophia's cheeks turned red as a tomato. "T-That's what I said!"
More laughter. Sophia pouted.
---
End Flashback
Returning to the present, Seraphina placed a hand on her lips.
"Mother definitely said that the guy who saved them was my age, and he also talked about taking the entrance exam of Zenith Academy."
"So, this is the guy who saved Mother and Sophia?"
Her gaze zeroed in on Alex's face. The silver hair, the noble posture, the confident aura…
"He's weirdly handsome for a 'commoner'..." she muttered.
"Dragonheart. Sounds like a made-up name," she scoffed, but the corners of her lips twitched in amusement.
Still, she mentally noted to properly thank him after the exam. If he passed, that is.
Though if Ethan and that smug peacock Alden were interacting with him…
"He must be strong. I'll be watching you, Dragonheart. Don't lose… or I'll have to go find you myself."
---
A short distance away, yet another figure observed the unfolding scene.
Princess Charlotte of the Imperial House sat cross-legged, surrounded by other nobles, but she wasn't paying attention to them.
Her keen eyes focused on the trio—Ethan, Alden, and the intriguing Alex Dragonheart.
She tapped her chin, amused.
She wore a calm, calculating smile as her violet eyes glimmered with interest.
She watched Ethan and Alden converse freely with Alex, as if they were old companions.
"How peculiar," she murmured. "That one must be quite the enigma to draw both of them to his side."
It wasn't often Ethan and Alden acknowledged others, let alone joked around like that. For them to show interest in someone was more than notable—it was strange.
Charlotte smiled slightly. If he passes… he might make a good pawn. A useful one.
Just as she considered approaching him after the exam, her senses prickled.
Something shifted.
Charlotte's senses, sharp and honed since birth, picked up a ripple in the atmosphere. A faint killing intent—so subtle, even seasoned knights might miss it.
But not her.
Her eyes followed the ripple until they landed on the source.
Elias.
He was glaring at Alex with venomous intensity.
"Well, well…" Charlotte said with a smirk. "This just got so much more interesting."
To her, Alex was no longer just a candidate. He was a potential asset. A wildcard.
And wildcards… were her favorite kind of piece.
---
Suddenly, a booming announcement shook the auditorium.
"All candidates, prepare yourselves. The entrance examination will begin in 10 minutes."
A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. Some people began to stretch. Others prayed. A few—like Alex—just cracked their necks casually.
But beneath the flurry of movement, amidst the unspoken expectations of an entire continent, something deeper had begun to unfold.
Rivalries were born.
Fates were intertwining.
And the pieces of a grander game were beginning to move.
As Alex slowly walked forward, he could still feel the heavy stares piercing into his back—from Elias's wrathful gaze, Seraphina's curious eyes, to Charlotte's amused scrutiny.
He let out a slow breath.
"Man, I'm popular today," he muttered, hands behind his head.
Then, with a cocky grin that made nearby candidates twitch, he added:
"Let's see if they're still watching when I win this thing."
The path to Zenith Academy had truly begun.