The Extra's Rise

After the first gathering of Class 1-A, I retreated to my room, shutting the door behind me with a quiet click.

Strength. That was the only thing that mattered.

Everything I had seen today—the sheer presence of Lucifer, the overwhelming confidence of Ian, the cold scrutiny of Ren—had made one thing abundantly clear. I wasn't in a league of geniuses. I was in a league of monsters. And if I didn't want to be the weak link that inevitably snapped, I had to grow stronger. Much, much stronger.

Dwelling on it wouldn't change anything tonight, though. I needed sleep. Tomorrow would be the real beginning.

Morning came with an annoying chime from the smartwatch on my wrist—one of many fancy pieces of technology I still wasn't entirely sure how to operate. It had more functions than a spaceship's control panel and no user manual.

I sighed, rubbing my temples, and dressed myself in the uniform of Mythos Academy.

White shirt. Snazzy black tie. Suit and pants combo. It was sharp, professional, and gave off an air of refinement that almost made me look like I belonged here. Almost. The Roman numeral I was etched on the pocket, proudly declaring my first-year status.

But the real game-changer was the trimmings.

Gold for Class A. Silver for Class B. Bronze for Class C. Grey for Class D.

Simple, elegant, and immediately let everyone know exactly where you stood in the grand hierarchy of the academy. My uniform practically screamed, Yes, I am in Class A. No, I don't know how either.

I adjusted my tie and took a deep breath.

The Ophelia dorms were a marvel in themselves. Each student had their own premium studio apartment, complete with cutting-edge tech that was decades ahead of anything I had ever used. The magnetic doors, the holographic interfaces, the smartwatch that probably had more processing power than a government server—it was a learning curve, to say the least.

Once I was ready, I exited my room and found the dorm eerily empty.

Figures. The rest of them are probably already at the station.

I made my way outside, towards the hyperloop station.

If Ophelia Dorm had been impressive, Mythos Academy itself was an exercise in excessive grandeur. It sprawled across an entire island, a landmass caught between the Western and Northern continents, and far too big for just six hundred students.

At its heart stood seven colossal buildings, towering over the landscape with the sheer arrogance of an institution that knew it was the best. A singular, monstrous central tower reigned supreme, with six smaller towers orbiting it like loyal retainers.

And these weren't just ordinary school buildings. They housed training centers, classrooms, restaurants, combat arenas, gaming hubs—if you could name it, Mythos Academy probably had three different versions of it.

Which, of course, meant walking anywhere would be a nightmare.

Enter the Hyperloop.

A technological marvel. A system so efficient it made public transportation back on Earth look like a medieval ox cart. With its windowless, bullet-speed carriages, getting around was as simple as flashing an ID and watching the world blur past at a speed that would make physics weep.

I arrived at the academy's personal Hyperloop station, pulled out my trusty ID card, and swiped it over the scanner. The doors hissed open, revealing a sleek, futuristic interior lined with pristine white seats trimmed in gold.

I stepped in and immediately felt eyes on me.

My uniform. The gold trim.

Among the first-years packed into the Hyperloop, there were only seven others who would be wearing the same color. Everyone else was either in silver, bronze, or grey.

It was subtle, but the effect was instant. Whispers. Quick glances. The unspoken acknowledgment that I was in Class A. That I was one of them.

I sighed internally. I had wanted to socialize a little, maybe blend in, but that was proving to be easier said than done.

That's when someone plopped down next to me.

A girl with auburn hair and matching eyes, warm and lively, like a fox in human form.

"Hello!" she said with a bright smile. "I'm Rose Springshaper."

I blinked at her, momentarily thrown by how not intimidating she was. Then I shook her hand. "Arthur Nightingale."

Her eyes flicked to my uniform. "You're Class A, right? Incredible. I thought only those seven would be in Class A alone, but you made it through!"

There was no malice in her voice, just genuine curiosity and a little bit of awe.

'She's cheerful,' I thought. A rare breed in this school, apparently.

"I am Count Springshaper's daughter," she continued, before waving a hand dismissively. "But please, don't bother with the pleasantries."

"If you say so, Rose," I said, leaning back in my seat.

The Hyperloop hummed around us, carrying us towards the next step in our new reality.

Rose leaned forward slightly, her auburn eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, Arthur, how does it feel? Being in Class A, I mean."

I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Like walking into a lion's den with a steak tied around my neck."

She laughed, a light, musical sound that somehow felt at odds with the underlying tension I had been carrying since yesterday. "Well, that's honest. I imagine it must be overwhelming. I mean, those seven… they're basically legends already."

"Legends?" I raised an eyebrow. "They're fifteen."

Rose grinned. "Yes, but they're fifteen in the way a hurricane is just 'a bit of wind.'"

I couldn't exactly argue with that.

The Hyperloop began to slow, the interior lights shifting subtly as we neared our destination. Outside, though the windows were absent, I could feel the subtle change in the air pressure as the transport seamlessly adjusted to the station's docking sequence.

"So, what about you?" I asked, turning the conversation around. "You seem awfully cheerful for someone heading into an event that will decide how the entire student body ranks you for the next year."

Rose sighed dramatically, flopping against the back of her seat. "Ah, yes. Public judgment. My favorite thing. It's not that bad, though. I'm in Class B, so I don't have to worry about getting crushed under the expectations of nobility and being in Class A. I get to coast in relative peace."

"That sounds suspiciously like a humble brag."

She smirked. "Oh, it absolutely is. I'm talented enough to be noticed, but not so much that I have to deal with, well…" She gestured vaguely. "People like Ren Kagu analyzing my entire existence and deciding I'm unworthy."

I grimaced. "Yeah, I got a taste of that last night."

"I figured." Rose tapped her temple. "Ren's reputation precedes him. But hey, if you survived the first round of social execution, you'll be fine."

The Hyperloop came to a smooth halt, and a soft chime indicated that we had arrived. The doors slid open, revealing a massive marble platform with gilded pillars lining the walkway. Beyond it, the grand auditorium loomed, an architectural masterpiece of glass and steel, its towering archways stretching skyward as if the entire building was trying to intimidate us into submission.

Students were already streaming toward the entrance, their uniforms a sea of white punctuated by different trim colors, each one signifying their standing in this brutal hierarchy. The gold-trimmed uniforms were few and far between, standing out like royalty amidst the rest.

Rose let out a low whistle. "And here we are. Welcome to the start of either the best or worst years of our lives."

"Bit dramatic," I said as I stepped onto the platform.

She nudged me with her elbow. "You're in Class A, Arthur. Everything that happens to you will be dramatic."

She wasn't wrong.

Together, we joined the flow of students heading toward the auditorium, the weight of Mythos Academy's legacy pressing down on us with every step.