Mainland, the capital of the Middle Land.
There are five lands: Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, and Middle Land. These five lands are all that remain of Earth after the world war that happened 126 years ago. The Mainland is where the King's residence is located, as well as the Royal Academy. The Middle Land is completely ruled by the Government Society.
It was 31st January, 2400—just one day left for the first trial. Snow was falling and settling on the ground, turning everything white as if welcoming the sun. Soon the sun peeked out and cast its first ray, then the second, and soon it engulfed the world in its warmth. Today, the Royal Academy seemed quieter than usual, as if it was preparing for a new change.
A very beautiful girl was standing inside the gate, waiting for someone. She had black hair, slightly large eyes, and pink lips. She had a lean build and wore black pants and a black T-shirt. She was Rivernia Rutherson. Many students glanced at her from time to time, mesmerized by her beauty, and murmured among themselves.
Soon, a boy entered through the gate, and Rivernia's lips curled slightly into a smile. She waved at him and greeted him, "Good morning, Leo Brody."
Leo was 18 years old. He was tall and lean, and had the same height as Rivernia. He had dark brown hair and black eyes. He wore pants and a T-shirt. He felt a little shy at Rivernia's greeting. A few days ago, he would have never expected a princess to become his friend—but now, a princess was his friend.
Rivernia's greeting grabbed the attention of many students who were passing through the gates. They all turned to look at the boy she had greeted. Some were jealous, some envious, some angry, and some whispered that it was all just luck.
Leo heard every comment as he approached Rivernia and thought, 'It's not just luck, you dumbnuts. You need a little courage and some communication skills. That day, I simply noticed that she was wearing her T-shirt the wrong way, so I pointed it out and complimented her—told her she looked beautiful even like that. Then we started talking… and became friends.'
Leo smiled and greeted her back, "Good morning, River."
Rivernia squinted her eyes and said, "Are you really going to call me by that name?"
Leo turned toward her and replied, "Of course. You know, I feel a little disrespectful calling you by your full name… or maybe it just feels awkward, even though you all asked us to treat you like any other student."
Rivernia sighed lightly and said, "You know what? You're very good at making excuses. Now let's head to the Training Campus."
Both headed toward the campus. On the way, many students kept glancing at them. Despite Rivernia walking beside him, most gazes were fixed on Leo. Even though Leo wasn't extremely handsome, he was above average — yet the attention he received wasn't admiration.
This was the effect of our inner enemies: jealousy, envy, and then anger. People often can't appreciate someone else's success or try to reach the same height by hardwork and courage. Instead, they start hating, wishing to snatch away whatever the other person has.
Soon, both reached the two-floor training building and entered. Sunlight was pouring in through the glass panels on the roof. The sound of the gate opening drew the attention of many students, followed by murmurs as they saw the two entering.
Rivernia and Leo walked inside, placed their backpacks against the wall, and then approached the students who were already sitting after finishing their warm-ups.
In the group, there was a boy with red hair and brown eyes. He was 21 years old—tall, with an average build—and wore pants and a T-shirt. He waved his hand at Leo and Rivernia. Leo walked over, sat beside him, and said, "Good morning, Rogan."
Rivernia sat beside a very beautiful girl with curly black hair. She had a lean build and medium height—neither too tall nor too short. She was Voilentina Rutherson. Voilentina and Rogan were sitting close to each other.
Rivernia took Voilentina's water bottle and said, "Why am I tired even though training hasn't even started yet?" She then began drinking.
At the same time, Leo was also drinking water.
Rogan's lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"This is the first time I've seen a girl getting tired before training. Usually, boys are the ones who should get tired. Was the night that long?" Then he turned to Voilentina and asked, "Tell me honestly, Voilentina… was River home last night or not?"
Everyone looked equally confused—but a few seconds later, Rivernia and Leo both understood the meaning, choked on their water, and spat it out.
Rivernia's water splashed onto Voilentina's face, and the water from Leo's mouth was about to spray on Rogan, but Rogan ducked—
and Leo's water sprayed on Voilentina again.
Everyone's mouths were agape after witnessing this shocking scene. Voilentina was furious, but Rivernia was the first to react—she threw the water bottle straight at Rogan. Rogan dodged, and the bottle smacked Leo right in the face instead. Rivernia's face turned bright red, a mix of embarrassment and anger.
Leo didn't even get a chance to react to the misunderstanding—he was too busy holding his mouth in pain from the bottle hit. Everyone who saw the whole event unfold burst into loud laughter at the same time.
Rivernia was about to throw another bottle when the teacher arrived. He walked in and noticed that many students were laughing. His face had been gloomy—clearly stressed about tomorrow—but after seeing this chaos, he relaxed a little. In fact, every student in the hall seemed to feel the same relief.
Gardy Tiwon stepped into the middle of the hall, clapped his hands twice, and shouted, "Everyone, come here!"
All the students gathered around him and greeted him. Gardy heaved a sigh. He was thirty-six years old, with a medium build and well-defined muscles. His hair was scarlet-colored, and his eyes were slightly red. He wore pants and a thin coat.
Gardy gazed at every student and said, "Some of you may be tense, some excited, and some not thinking much about it, just going with the flow. As you know, tomorrow is the day that could change our lives forever. No one knows how dangerous the trial will be, or what it will contain. That's why we have to take care of each other."
He glanced around at the students again and continued, "Protect one another. If you share a trial, gather at one place. If not, then just do your best to survive."
Gardy observed the students' reactions and then chuckled. "I know I'm not very good at motivating you or making you feel better, but the one thing I can say is—be careful. As we've discussed many times, you know what your duties are and what they aren't. In the end, nobody knows the contents of the trial, so we can't prepare for everything. All we can do is believe in ourselves and move forward. Let's train hard one last time, but don't worry—we'll only train for half a day. After that, you can relax and enjoy some time with your friends."
Soon, everyone began training. Some ran around the hall, some practiced with punching bags, and others sparred with each other. Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the day had ended—and night had fallen.
It was 1st February, 2400—the most awaited and feared day for everyone on this planet. Today, the trial would begin, unlocking the first-stage power out of three stages.
Today, the sun appeared different to the eyes of the wishers—those who had wished for powers. Some hoped it would never rise, while others wished it would rise quickly. Many students had gathered at the Royal Academy with their parents.
Leo's eyes searched for someone, but that person was nowhere to be seen. Rogan noticed and said, "Rivernia won't be here today. In fact, none of those royal kids will be here. You already know you can join the trials from anywhere in the world. We're here only because something unexpected might happen, and the Royal Academy is the safest place for us. So stop thinking nonsense and focus on what's about to come. Only a few minutes are left."
Leo nodded, and soon a voice echoed in everyone's mind:
"The trial will now begin. As you know, this is the first trial, and you have two more to go to unlock the peak of your power. Your mission will be revealed after you enter the trial. And now… you are entering the trial."
At that moment, everyone's vision changed, and another voice announced, "You have entered Trial One."