My eyes adjusted to the harsh light, and his figure finally came into focus.
Tall — easily over six feet — with a slim, wiry frame that still somehow screamed don't test me. His confidence didn't just ooze, it radiated, filling the room like smoke.
He wore a white, almost knightly uniform, pristine and sharp. An insignia blazed on his chest with the words TU's Elite Army stitched above it in gold.
With a slow motion that somehow felt deliberate, he brushed his purple hair back, pearly eyes sweeping over us like we were insects under glass.
His expression was dead serious — like he hadn't smiled since the invention of pain itself. His gaze traced us from head to toe, and then, finally, he raised an eyebrow and turned toward Ruth.
"Who are they?" he asked, his voice firm and steady.
"New soldiers," Ruth answered flatly.
I snuck a glance at Horizon. She was staring at Kang-Min like he hung the moon and personally polished it just for her.
Oh great. She's already planning their wedding in her head. Tragic.
"Well?" Kang-Min prompted, stepping closer, his boots clicking like gunshots against the marble. "Not gonna introduce yourselves?"
Silence.
My throat locked up, my tongue felt like stone. Kyng shuffled beside me, shoulder knocking into mine as we all instinctively took a collective step back.
All of us, except Horizon — still standing there, totally geeked, probably imagining their first kiss already.
Kang-Min stopped just in front of us, his stare sharp enough to skin a man alive.
"Cut it out, Kang," Ruth groaned finally, breaking the tension. "You're scaring the kids."
Kang froze.
For a second, his head slowly tilted toward Ruth, and I swear I thought he was about to kill him.
Then — out of nowhere — he burst into laughter.
The sound cracked through the quiet hall, loud and sharp. He doubled over, clutching his stomach like he'd just heard the funniest joke on Earth.
Ruth, unbothered, just rolled his eyes and strolled deeper into the room without a word.
Horizon finally snapped out of her trance, flinching at the sudden laughter. Her face twisted, and she actually stepped back, muttering under her breath like he just killed her vibe.
"Oh man…" Kang wheezed, straightening up. His grin stretched wide as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "You guys… are priceless."
He cleared his throat, adjusted his uniform, and finally flashed his pearly whites like nothing happened. "Anyway — sorry 'bout that. I just love messing with newbies."
He extended a hand toward Kyng, who looked like he was about to faint.
"I'm Kang-Min. Part of The Unity's Elite Army. Nice to meet you."
Kyng hesitated, then awkwardly shook his hand without meeting his eyes. "Uh… I'm Kyng," he mumbled.
That unsettled me way more than it should've — Kyng was usually clowning around or running his mouth. Seeing him nervous just shaking a dude's hand? Yeah… not a good sign.
Kang turned to me next, flashing that same grin.
"Ooh, slightly on the darker side, huh? Don't worry, I don't discriminate," he said with a chuckle, holding his hand out expectantly.
I blinked, then took it, trying not to overthink his words. "Uh… thanks, I guess? I'm Felix."
His grip surprised me — light, controlled. I'd expected it to feel like grabbing a brick wall or a cactus. Instead, it felt like the hilt of a well-used sword. Firm but… precise.
Kang turned to Horizon and let out a low whistle. "I see the army's got some taste."
Horizon just shot his extended hand a look so sharp it could cut steel — then walked right past him without a word.
Kang stood frozen for a second, his hand still dangling in the air, before he dropped it and chuckled awkwardly. "Kids, amirite?"
We all stood there in silence. Painful silence.
"Uh… yeah. Kids…" I muttered, trying to save him from his own flop.
He cleared his throat, clapped his hands together, and stepped aside like nothing happened. "Alright, alright — c'mon in, Felix, Kyng! Let's get this party started now that everyone's here."
Kyng slipped past him like Kang might bite. I hesitated, giving him one last glance — then stepped forward.
As I passed through, Kang casually swung the giant door shut behind me with one hand. The thunk echoed through the hall.
I blinked.
That door had to weigh at least a ton.
Note to self: stay on his good side.
When I finally looked up, the sight of the room stole the breath right outta my chest.
The floor was laid in marble tiles, each one etched with unique patterns that almost… moved when you stared too long. The walls were painted a blinding white, and an enormous chandelier hung low over the center — dripping gold and emerald, its candles casting a warm, eerie glow.
The chandelier was the only light source; the tall windows were all sealed tight behind heavy, royal-colored blinds.
Paintings of Northania's past rulers stretched high under the domed ceiling, their eyes seeming to follow me as I walked.
This place almost looked like something you only found in dreams.
At the far end, A strange stall stood in one of the corners — holding a notepad resting under a single spotlight.
And in the center of it all, six chairs faced a massive billboard mounted a few feet away — a detailed map of the world sprawled across it.
Three of the chairs were already occupied.
Julius, Soph, and Kyra sat patiently, silent as statues. Their heads all turned toward us the moment the door shut, eyes sharp.
creepy.
We had a stare off with the group of three for a second before one of them — Kyra, I think — waved to us and pointed to the chairs beside them.
Me and Horizon shared a glance. She just shrugged. I looked over to Kyng, who seemed very fixated on the stall. With a sigh I decided to just walk over and sit down.
"Hey." I greeted, getting into a comfy position.
"Hey." Kyra called back.
I turned to the front after saying one word. If you hadn't caught on by now, I'm not a very sociable person.
Ruth, Kang and Rath were huddled close to each other, muttering something.
Horizon sat down beside me, then Kyng beside her.
"What took you so long?" I whispered.
She didn't bother answering, rolling her eyes instead.
"Quite the group you have." Another feminine voice noted. I turned my head and saw Soph watching us with intrigue.
"Thanks." I muttered back. "They're a real help, y'know."
"Who died and made you squad captain?" Horizon suddenly perked up. Even without turning around, I could feel her gaze burning holes through my skull.
With a gulp, I added, "I was just joking. No need for violence."
Her gaze lingered for a moment longer before she let out a huff and turned around.
I let out a sigh and turned straight as well. That group was really gonna get me killed if I kept it up. Or worse… embarrassed.
"What a guy." Soph muttered under her breath. "Getting scared by a girl looking at her." She shook her head in displeasement.
"Soph." Julius called out. "Do not mock our fellow soldiers."
"Hey, guys," Kyng started, leaning toward me and Horizon with a serious look, like he was about to reveal classified intel. "Is it just me… or does this place kinda look like…"
"...look like what?" Horizon pressed, one brow already loading up judgment.
"Like… a meeting room," he finished, nodding solemnly like he'd solved world hunger.
I blinked. Horizon's brow twitched so hard it was practically Morse code.
I slowly turned to him with the most deadpan stare I could muster.
"Y'know," I said, "I thought it looked more like a bathroom."
"Really?" Kyng tilted his head. "How?"
"Well," I continued, staring off at nothing like I was channeling a higher power, "if you stand where I am, squint, and tilt your head just right, you can kind of see it."
Kyng stood up, actually squinting and trying to find the magic angle, when Horizon's hand shot out like a viper and pinched his ribs hard.
"Ow! OW—okay, okay!" he yelped, hopping back to his chair. "I didn't know sarcasm was a crime!"
Horizon rolled her eyes. "Imbecile," she muttered, letting go and sitting back down with a huff.
From a few seats over, Julius finally spoke, his voice perfectly calm. "It would seem you have quite the… tempered one in your group."
I snorted, resting my chin in my hand. "Tell me about it."
Before I could even finish enjoying my own joke, I felt a sharp jab in my ribs. Horizon had poked me—hard—without even glancing my way.
Before I could retaliate any sort of way, a sudden CLAP caught our attention.
All of our heads snapped toward the sharp noise, which had come from straight ahead.
Sure enough, Kang stood in the front, flanked by Ruth and Rath. He had the same cocky smirk plastered on his face as he stepped forward. "Alright, that's enough messing around now." He let out a sharp exhale and continued, "Now I know what all of you are wondering" and in a high pitched voice:
"'Why did we walk for soooo long just to sit down… auuughhh. I'm soooo boreed.'" He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket. "Well, good news, crybabies. It's time for the moment you've all been waiting for."
With a flourish of his hands, he announced:
"Drumroll, please!"
He even mimed a dramatic air-drumroll before declaring:
"Welcome… to the second stage of graduation!"
He spread his arms wide like he'd just revealed the meaning of life itself — and was promptly met with dead silence.
"…Ahem," he muttered, totally unbothered, and started pacing across the room.
"Let me explain what's going on here. You probably noticed that stall on your way in — the one with the fancy notepad? Yeah. It's not just there to look mysterious and expensive."
He stopped dead-center, throwing a finger toward it.
"That thing will tell you your middle name. Which I'll explain in a sec. But — there's another thing you need to know about: extra senses."
He let that hang in the air, grinning like a cat that just spotted a fat mouse.
"Extra senses are… exactly what they sound like. Abilities beyond the five everyone's born with. Sometimes subtle — like knowing when to shut up." His grin sharpened. "Other times? They can make you a walking, talking army. Instant regeneration, reflexes so fast it's stupid, you name it."
The idea hung in the air like smoke.
"But," Kang added, pausing for dramatic effect, "you don't just… wave a crystal ball at your face and poof — 'Oh hey, here's my superpower!' Nah. You gotta figure those out on your own. The field has a way of bringing 'em out of you. Whether you're ready or not."
Uneasy glances zipped between us.
We'd never heard of any of this before — not during training, not whispered around the barracks, and definitely not in my school syllabus.
And now suddenly being told, Oh yeah, you might be able to wipe out an army or dodge your dad's five-hour lectures on life and explosions. We dunno though. Good luck figuring it out. Real helpful. Thanks for that.
Kang clapped his hands and moved on.
"And then," he said, motioning toward the stall with the notepad, "we've got middle names."
His tone shifted, a little heavier now.
"There are five possible names: Terran, Primekin, Tidecaller, Cloudborn, and Stellarch. Whatever shows up gives us a rough idea of your potential… at least, as far as we understand it."
He resumed pacing, boots clicking over the marble.
"Middle names also seem to influence other traits — no clue why — but it's wildly inconsistent. The only thing that is consistent? Growth potential. Terran's the baseline. Stellarch? That's the peak of the food chain."
He stopped walking and turned to face us fully, hands clasped behind his back.
"One more thing to keep in mind," he said, voice steady. "Your middle name only reflects potential after it's been revealed — but only if you're under twenty. Over twenty?" He shrugged. "Too late. Ceiling's already set."
He let that hang in the air for a second, smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"Any questions?" Kang finished, tilting his head like a cat that just knocked over a vase on purpose.
Julius raised a hand, looking slightly puzzled. "If I may," he began, "earlier you stated that one's middle name reflects their potential, correct?"
Kang nodded casually. "Yup."
Julius's brows furrowed. "Well… potential could apply to countless skills, if not millions. That troubles me, as it dilutes which type of 'potential' you mean. Is it combat? Archery? Or the skill in which one is already most versed?"
Kang's smirk widened, like he'd been waiting for this question.
"Good catch," he said. "And the answer is: yes."
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started pacing again.
"Your middle name dictates the level of further growth you can have in every skill. If you're already a master swordsman before your name is revealed? Great — you can keep growing past that. But after your middle name is set, all other skills — like puzzle-solving, investigation, you name it — are capped at the level your name represents. No exceptions."
He stopped pacing and glanced back. "That clear it up?"
Julius stared at him for a moment, then gave a crisp nod. "I am grateful for the insightful explanation."
"All good," Kang replied, waving him off.
A bubble of curiosity formed in my chest before I could stop it, and my hand shot up before my brain could say no.
Kang arched an eyebrow, then nodded at me. "Go on."
"Uh… this isn't really a clarification," I admitted, scratching the back of my neck, "but Ruth said you were the strongest hero of Li-Young, right? So… I was wondering… what's your middle name?"
For just a fraction of a second, Kang's grin froze — before being replaced with an even bigger, somehow more smug smile.
Behind him, Ruth facepalmed while Rath let out a quiet groan.
"Glad you asked, kid," Kang said with a satisfied nod, resting his chin on his hand. "I like curious minds. For reference — Ruth and Rath here?" He pointed to them with his thumb. "Both are Tidecallers. They're already close to maxing out their potential. Meanwhile…"
He straightened his jacket, pride practically radiating off him.
"I'm Cloudborn. And I'm only about halfway to where I could be."
The words took a second to sink in.
My eyes widened before I even realized it, and I leaned forward unconsciously, disbelief crawling up my spine.
Ruth and Rath were already terrifying — the kind of people you could feel power dripping off of just standing next to them. They'd even managed to shut down that massive guy… Supreme Commander Zeich or whatever his name was. And they were near their limits.
But Kang-Min?
Back at the door, when he'd just been acting, it already felt like his presence alone could freeze me alive.
And that was only halfway.
Halfway.
If he was only halfway to his full strength… then what the hell did 'Cloudborn' even look like at the top?
I was yanked out of my thoughts by Kyra speaking up beside me.
"Uh, excuse me," she said, hesitantly raising her hand.
Kang gave her a nod, signaling her to go on.
"So… if our potential gets capped after twenty," she began, "why not just… wait? Let us train and grow until we're, like, a month from turning twenty— and then reveal our middle names? Instead of doing it right after graduation, when some of us might only be in our late eighteen or early nineteens?"
Kang let out an exaggerated sigh, running a hand down his face.
"I've been talking too much already. Ruth, your turn," he muttered, stepping back.
"Finally," Ruth grumbled under his breath as he stepped forward, clearing his throat.
"To answer your question, Kyra — it's simple. We don't have the luxury of time or resources," Ruth explained bluntly. "Another grand war could break out any week now. We can't afford to sit on a group of half-trained soldiers until they're conveniently nineteen. Plus, it would be a nightmare to track the exact birthday of over five hundred trainees."
He glanced briefly at Kang before continuing.
"And on top of that, the training you've already endured is designed to push you to your limits early. If someone fails to graduate and ends up hitting twenty before their middle name is revealed? It'll already be set subconsciously by then anyway."
Kyra nodded slowly, processing his words.
"…Oh," she murmured, a small smile forming. "Okay. Thanks."
Ruth just gave a curt nod and stepped back into place.
Kang let out a yawn as he stepped forward again. "Any more questions?"
Silence. I glanced at Horizon and Kyng. Both seemed intrigued but not confused… except Kyng. Wait. Nah — that's just his resting face.
Kang sighed in relief. "Thank god. Now that our little game of twenty questions is over, let's get to the real meat and bones." He clapped his hands, grin widening. "Line up by the notepad in order of height, folks. And hey — don't cry if someone pulls a Terran, yeah?"
We stood. My legs were half-dead from those stiff wooden chairs, but I managed to shuffle into line without face-planting.
The order: Julius, me, Kyng, Soph, Kyra, and Horizon.
I couldn't help noticing Horizon was actually the shortest. Her cheeks reddened as she stood stiffly, and I gave her a cocky smirk before turning away — before she could bash my face in.
Behind the counter, Rath motioned Julius forward.
"Alright, big guy — you're up!"
"I wish for a favorable outcome…" Julius muttered, striding up.
Rath held the pen out. Julius hesitated, glancing between it and the notepad, then snatched it and pressed down.
For a second… nothing.
Then his hand jerked and scribbled furiously across the page, like it had a mind of its own. Finally, it stopped. Julius let out a breath and stepped back as Rath leaned over to inspect the notepad.
A perfect circle, with waves etched inside.
"Oooh," Rath grinned. "Tidecaller. Not bad."
Julius stared at the page, let out a quiet sigh of relief, and stepped aside.
"Next!" Rath barked.
I shuffled forward, each step feeling louder than it should. Rath gave me that same easy grin, twirling the pen lazily in his fingers. I wiped my sweaty palms on my uniform and, before I could chicken out, snatched the pen.
The moment I touched it, a sharp jolt shot up my arm. My fingers stiffened, and it felt like an invisible vice clamped around my hand, squeezing until my bones might crack. My palm went ice-cold, and just as I nearly gasped — the grip vanished.
I glanced down. The same neat circle with waves now marked the notepad.
"Tidecaller number two!" Rath announced with a satisfied nod, giving my shoulder a firm pat. "Nice."
I exhaled, my shoulders loosening as I stepped back — only to feel Kyng tug at my sleeve.
"Was it… painful?" he whispered, eyes wide.
I looked at him flatly for a moment, then muttered just loud enough for him to hear:
"Felt like my soul was on fire. Good luck."
I didn't wait to see his reaction, just strolled over to stand by Julius, fighting to keep the smirk off my face.
Kyng's face went completely pale as he stared at the pen like it was a guillotine.
"Next!" Rath called again.
Kyng froze like a deer in headlights. Soph groaned and gave him a solid shove, sending him shambling forward like a man on death row.
He grabbed the pen, same drill — his hand jerked to the page, scribbled something, then relaxed. I was too far to see what it said, but Rath announced:
"Primekin. Cool."
Kyng just stood there, blinking, probably realizing it hadn't actually felt like his soul caught fire. Then he whipped around and stomped back toward us, glaring daggers.
I immediately ducked behind Julius, smirking like an idiot.
"You're such a meanie, creepy Felix," Kyng huffed, crossing his arms. "Hmph!" and spun away dramatically.
I didn't even realize I was still hiding behind Julius until his dry voice cut through:
"I doubt your acquaintance will attempt retribution after that display. You may… expose yourself."
"Ah— right, my bad," I muttered, stepping back in line beside him, still grinning.
One by one, the rest went through — Soph, Kyra, then Horizon. Soon enough, everyone was back in line, waiting.
Rath sauntered out from behind the stall, flipping the notepad in his hand.
"Alright, quick review," he announced.
"Julius — Tidecaller. Felix — Tidecaller. Kyng — Primekin. Soph — Primekin. Kyra — Primekin. Horizon — Tidecaller."
Not even a moment after that, Kang and Ruth — who had seemingly disappeared after telling us to line up — strolled beside Rath.
Kang's eyes sparkled like a kid on Christmas morning as he clapped twice. "Wow," he said, grinning. "Not a single Terran. Color me impressed."
Ruth beside him looked just as impressed but didn't linger. He straightened up from the notepad, letting out a breath, and turned toward the world map.
"Alright. Now that everyone's finally ready…" His tone dropped a notch lower. "Let's get to the real reason we brought you here."
Horizon squinted, eyebrow cocked. "Wasn't it to finish the second stage of graduation or whatever, Chief Ruth?"
Ruth simply shrugged like she'd just asked if the sky was blue. "That was only part of it. Like I said earlier, we don't exactly have the luxury of time or resources. So as soon as you're ready, you're out there."
"…Uh," Kyra piped up, glancing around nervously. "W-what do you mean by 'out there'?"
Ruth tilted his head, almost offended. "Out there on your first mission, of course."
My stomach sank. The words clung to the air, sharp and heavy.
Nobody spoke.
Ruth's gaze locked on the world map as he continued. "Your first mission in the grand war," he said simply. "You'll be gathering intel on the real world."
His hand moved to a deep red mark on the map — way out east of Northanic, right along the border with Li-Young.
The country that, if the whispers were true, had the highest death toll in all of Northania.
Kang let out a long, low whistle.
"Man…" he muttered. "That's about as unlucky as it gets."
His finger hovered over the red mark, the name etched in black beneath it:
Saint Palisco.