In a void beyond all dimensions, an ancient throne floated in silence. Dark runes shimmered faintly across its surface, alive with forgotten power. Upon it sat an unknown Entity, his form cloaked in the very fabric of the Cosmos, as though Existence itself bowed to his presence.
Tap.
Tap.
His finger drummed against the armrest of the throne with slow, deliberate force. Each tap carried weight enough to annihilate universes — and perhaps it had. To him, a universe was little more than a dust mote drifting within the vast expanse of his cosmic body.
Then, the tapping stopped.
Whether it was a heartbeat or an eternity later, his voice — ancient and commanding — rang out.
"You've crossed the line this time, Genesis. You were not permitted to tamper with the Karma WE granted to that kid."
He paused, his casual silence plunged the Void into unnatural stillness as if it held its breath under his will.
Then, he erupted into a deep, chaotic laughter.
"Haha ha haha!"
"Fine! Fine! Have it your way! We respected you enough to not directly interfere in your little Dimension. But your act of interfering in the Kid WE are training is blatant slap to our face! You've given US a reason to act now. So, don't blame as WE shall usher the Nine Eternities into Nightmares as a warning to the remaining 8 Sovereigns behind you."
With a simple wave of his shadowed hand, crimson threads burst forth, unraveling into the emptiness ahead. They twisted through the void, splitting across every Dimensional Plane, vanishing into countless unseen worlds.
"Ha ha haha! That kid... shall become the anchor upon which every story turns. The center of every prophecy. He shall walk the line between horror and divinity. He shall be the weapon that every so called Dimensional Monarchs fear, this Karma shall not be changed, even by you Genesis!"
Genesis: "....."
"WE shall create a Monster, Genesis! WE shall create a monster!!"
"Haha ha haha!"
His laughter spiraled once again, trembling the Void as he slammed the throne in excitement.
~~~~~~
In the Classroom Arena, students sat in the elevated stands that surrounded the sand platform below, chattering in small groups as they waited. Most of them wore tracksuits, already eager for the Combat Training session to begin and end quickly, so they could rush off and raid a Portal the moment class was dismissed.
Among the students sat Claire and Rowan who was once Lucian's closest friend. With blonde hair, light green eyes, and the noble visage of a knight, Rowan stood out effortlessly among the crowd.
They sat side by side, holding hands as they exchanged quiet glances. If Lucian were here, he would have cursed them a bit. Luckily he wasn't, as he hadn't shown up for any of his classes that day, and no one had seen him anywhere on campus..
"Rowan," Claire leaned in as she 'gently' squeezing his hand, "why isn't that petty guy attending classes today? Is he on leave or something?"
Rowan pulled his hand away with a pained expression as that squeeze had been anything but gentle.
"How the hell should I know? He's been ignoring me for months. I even swallowed my pride and begged him to talk things out, but all I got was that fake smile, like I was already a stranger to him." His voice cracked slightly. "He practically erased us from his life!"
Claire listened without retort, knowing better than anyone how close Lucian and Rowan used to be. Lucian had always put his friendship with Rowan first, often before her, which had annoyed her deeply... now she was directly responsible for breaking that bond. She lowered her head in silence as shame crept through her, and tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes.
"He must hate us… We betrayed him at the worst possible time. I feel horrible."
Rowan sighed as he placed his arm gently around her and pulled her into a light embrace. "It's not your fault. None of us wanted this to happen. We hurt him without realizing it, and it all happened just before his mom passed. That probably made him feel like he lost everything at once. He's just venting his grief on us. Give him time. The Lucian we knew would never be cold to someone close to him. He's just being stubborn, like always."
While Rowan tried to comfort her, he was also trying to soothe himself, because deep down, he knew Lucian wasn't going to forgive them anytime soon. Lucian was the willful, stubborn type—and that wasn't going to change easily.
The students fell silent instantly as Morganna entered the classroom in her own form-fitting tracksuit, her figure curving sharply in all the right places.
The moment she stepped in, every whisper died as no one wanted to be noticed by this demon. She was notorious for calling out students the instant they slipped.
Her sharp eyes swept over the 34 students seated before her as it only took a moment to notice who was missing!
"Where is Lucian Vale? Why isn't he in class?" She addressed the class, her tone almost flinched few students.
"Ma'am," a male student spoke hesitantly, "I think he's on leave? He hasn't shown up since morning."
Morganna gave a single nod while pulling out her phone, quickly tapping across the screen. "Hmm… he didn't formally take a leave or inform any of his instructors about an absence," she muttered. "Alright then. Since that's the case, we'll proceed according to the rules. Lucian Vale is to be suspended from Portal access until he submits a formal explanation and receives clearance."
Though she had a soft spot for Lucian, as he was a promising student and the only one who had ever managed to tag her, she wouldn't extend him any special privileges. Morganna had always been harsher on the talented, as their survival in this world was necessary—and she saw it as her responsibility to prepare them for it.
She submitted the request to the Portal Management wing through her phone, ensuring Lucian's access would be blocked immediately should he attempt to enter a dungeon.
Students glanced at one another, but no one dared speak up. These were the rules, and everyone knew them. Only those who were diligent and consistent in attending their classes were granted open access to Portals. However, any student who skipped classes—especially Combat Training—without informing the Academy or without a legitimate reason would be barred from Portal use within the campus.
The Academy's purpose was to educate and cultivate knowledge, not to serve as an endless gateway to Portals that students could abuse at will.
Knowledge first. Power second.
While most students found the rules harsh, annoying even.
It was only the higher-ranked Awakeners who truly understood their value. Evolution wasn't as simple as absorbing a few [Cores] and watching your stats skyrocket. Without the knowledge of Genetic Structure and Mana Channeling, Core energy would disperse chaotically inside the body—or worse, damage it irreversibly.
There were countless Awakeners who had crippled themselves by blindly absorbing [Cores] once they reached the Higher Ranks.
That was exactly why the Academy placed such heavy emphasis on Genetic Evolution—why it drilled Mana Application into every student without exception.
And beyond that, there were spells, potions, toxins, monsters, and technologies that all needed to be studied and understood.
Simply raiding Portals didn't impart that kind of knowledge.
Of course, the students were aware of this... however, they were still too young and hot-blooded to care now. Most students were like this until....
Morganna put away her phone as she began her session. "You've probably heard the rumors that Theme-type Portals are starting to appear even at E-Rank, right?"
As she watched them nod with mixed doubt and curiosity, she continued, "Well, the rumors are indeed true. Since you're not familiar with how these Portals operate, I will—"
Her voice abruptly trailed off as her head jerked toward the classroom door.
Prepare for battle!!! she shouted, her deafening voice nearly bursting the students' ears while they stared at her in stunned confusion.
"Fools!! Activate your defense skills! Something is coming!" Her voice was urgent.
But before they could comply, a cold wave seeped into the room, making them feel like they were freezing.
....!
Students immediately activated every defense skill at their disposal while locking their eyes on the door
Unease and fear gripped their hearts, but neither compared to the dread Morganna felt in that moment!
Purple lightning sparked across her irises as she summoned her sword! She didn't know what know what was approaching them, but it shouldn't be human.
The cold was bone chilling... but it had no physical presence.
She felt like it was walking right toward them!!
She gripped her sword hilt tightly, "What kind of monster emits this kind of cold? How could anything slip into the Academy without triggering the barriers? I have to strike before this turns into a battle that drags the students in."
The sword in her hand buzzed purple as she channelled all her energy into it to deliver her most powerful strike!
Creakkkk...
The door before her began slowly
Morganna dashed toward it like an arrow....