The first sunlight of June 2nd, 2030, poured over **Mbabane**, spilling into the valleys, washing over distant villages like **Lobamba**, **Ezulwini**, and the outskirts of **Manzini**. Hajun Black leaned against the balcony of his small apartment, hidden behind a chipped railing. From this vantage, he could see the quiet, winding streets, the smoke curling from early market fires, and the first movements of a city that had barely woken up.
Swaziland had become a haven for international migrants. Since 2028, families from Korea, Nigeria, India, and Europe had relocated here for economic stability and safety. Towns once quiet were now a patchwork of languages, flags, and cultural intersections. Hajun had grown up watching the world change through TV screens and whispered news bulletins. While others cheered for Heroes on their glowing screens, Hajun had always cheered for monsters. *They fought for survival. They had a reason to live.*
"Hajun! Don't just stand there staring!" a voice called. His roommate, Taye, a tall Nigerian boy with a booming voice and endless energy, leaned against the balcony door. "The Class Attainment Ceremony is about to start. You can't sleep through it!"
"I'll be there," Hajun replied softly, not moving.
"You'll *be* there?" Taye groaned. "Man, this is serious. You know what happens if you get Villain-class. They don't wait — they just hunt you."
Hajun smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly. "Some things are better left unnoticed."
---
By mid-morning, the **Mbabane Mega-Auditorium** shimmered like a crystalline fortress. Students from across the world packed the halls: Korean teenagers whispered with Nigerian peers, Indian students sketched symbols on their holo-pads, and European teens glanced nervously at the grand holographic display floating above the stage. Hajun drifted silently through the crowd, unnoticed, as he always preferred.
The massive screen flickered to life, bathing the audience in soft blue light.
> **[CLASS ATTAINMENT CEREMONY – MBABANE CENTRAL CAMPUS]**
> System Online: 100%
> Available Classes: Hero / Specialist / Support / Villain
> Classification Based On: Belief, Psyche, Soul Resonance
> Awakening Sequence: Mandatory – June 2, 2030
The principal appeared on stage, a figure clad in radiant white armor that gleamed like molten silver. "Students of Mbabane Central! Today, humanity chooses its protectors… and those who challenge it. Heroes save lives! Villains disrupt the world! Remember your place!"
A murmur ran through the audience. Hajun's eyes flicked toward **Jinwoo**, a tall, serious Korean boy seated a few rows ahead. Hajun looked away immediately; he had no desire for attention.
Suddenly, sirens pierced the auditorium. Three red circles spun on the holographic display.
> **[ALERT: GATES DETECTED – MANZINI OUTSKIRTS / DISTRICT 3]**
> Monster Breach Confirmed
The auditorium fell silent. The live feed showed a **Gate** ripping open above the busy streets of Manzini. A monstrous creature emerged, skin cracked like obsidian, amber eyes glowing, and a jaw that stretched impossibly wide. Civilians screamed as it slithered across the streets. Blood spattered walls and roads.
A girl whispered behind Hajun, trembling, "Someone… someone stop it…"
Teachers barked orders, but chaos spread too quickly. Heroes descended from hovering vehicles, firing glowing projectiles. The creature cried — not in rage, but in agony. Civilians screamed, some trampled under the chaos. Hajun's stomach twisted. He pressed his fingers lightly against his temple. A faint black shimmer flickered along his palm and vanished. No one noticed. *Not yet.*
---
Students were called to the **Awakening Platform** one by one. Their stats projected in holographic windows above them.
> **[CLASS: STAR ARCHER – HERO]**
> Cheers and applause
> **[CLASS: IRON FIST – HERO]**
> Backslaps, smiles
> **[CLASS: CURSED DOLLMASTER – VILLAIN]**
> Silence. Fear. Security approached the trembling student, ready to restrain him.
Finally, Hajun's name flashed:
> **[STATUS WINDOW – HAJUN BLACK]**
> Class: ???
> Classification: Unknown / Threat-Level Pending
> Primary Ability: [DATA CORRUPTED]
> Secondary Ability: [UNDEFINED]
> Combat Level: 1
> Synchronization: Instable
He walked forward, unnoticed, as whispers rippled through the auditorium: "Unknown class?" "Could he be a Villain?"
The light beam enveloped him. A cold, silent voice echoed in his mind:
> **You deny the world's judgment. You deny their light. The abyss answers. Become the void.**
Black cracks flickered faintly across his skin, invisible to all others. Hajun pressed his palms to hide them.
> "I… feel the same," he whispered softly. *Not now. Not yet.*
---
Outside the auditorium, chaos had spread to nearby towns. **Manzini's marketplace**, **Lobamba**, and **villages near Ezulwini Valley** were in flames. Monsters rampaged. Blood ran along streets, drenching tiles and dirt paths. Heroes fought valiantly, but even top-tier individuals fell.
In the corner of Hajun's mind, he scanned the system status from live feeds:
> **[GATE RANK – E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS]**
> Current Breach: District 3 (Manzini) – Rank B
> Monster Casualties: 34
> Hero Casualties: 5
> Civilian Casualties: 21
Hajun's eyes flicked toward a group of Villain-class students huddled at the back. They trembled. Hajun glanced at them and gave a faint nod — a silent promise.
*I'll survive first… then change this world.*
---
Amid the chaos, **guilds** began to reveal themselves. On holographic news feeds, logos of organizations flickered:
* **Mbabane Guardian Guild (Hero Guild)**: Deployed to contain Gates, often praised by civilians.
* **Shadow Whisperers (Villain Guild)**: Operated secretly, recruiting outcasts and Villain-class individuals to fight monsters on their own terms.
Hajun didn't move toward any guild. He stayed quiet, observing, hiding. His hands twitched slightly, itching to act, but he restrained himself. Every flicker of his hidden power could draw attention he didn't want.
A girl's voice whispered nearby: "Your eyes… you're not afraid?"
He shook his head faintly. "I'm just… curious." The word deflected any deeper question.
---
By evening, reports came from **Ezulwini Valley**: villages burned, monsters at large, civilians massacred. Blood ran down narrow paths. Even Heroes had casualties.
Hajun pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the adrenaline and fear. His body ached to act, but he waited. *If fear decides who lives, who protects the ones no one dares to see?*
The sun dipped behind the hills, casting long shadows over Mbabane, Manzini, and surrounding towns. The dark awakening had begun.
Hajun Black blended into the crowd, unseen, unnoticed, and unremarkable. A boy who watched. Calculated. Waited.
And somewhere, in the deepest corner of his mind, the void whispered:
> "This world will learn… in time."
@SukunaBlack