The silence in the break room wasn’t exactly comfortable.

  It wasn’t tense, either not anymore. It was that heavy, exhausted kind of quiet that settles between people who’ve survived something together. The kind that says, We’re alive. Somehow.

  The room itself was low-lit, with black-and-chrome walls and an automatic vending bar humming softly near the back. A single long couch lined one side, two chairs flanked a low table, and a wall-mounted screen played muted footage of another squad’s trial on loop.

  Riku was sprawled across half the couch, arms behind his head, legs up on the table like it was his personal throne. Ren sat backward on a chair, arms crossed over the top rail, sipping what smelled like his third cup of some unholy brew. Rei had taken the farthest chair, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded, staring at the wall like it had offended her.

  I stood at first—unsure if I should sit, speak, or just go collapse somewhere less fluorescent. Then Riku waved me over.

  “Come on, Captain Shadows. Take a load off. You’ve earned some rest and mild hero worship.”

  I sat beside him, trying not to groan too audibly.

  Ren glanced up at me, then at his brother.

  “We reintroducing ourselves now? I mean, since we didn’t explode.”

  “That’s what people do when they survive eldritch horror trials,” Riku said. “They bond. Laugh. Cry. Build lifelong trauma friendships.”

  Rei didn’t look over, but she did say:

  “Could start with names.”

  “Lynn Kurosaki,” I said. “Born in Oklahoma, moved to Seoul this year. No tragic origin story I’m willing to share yet. Currently just trying to not fail out of KISA.”

  Riku sat up, grinning. “We’ll work on the tragic backstory later. I’m Riku Saito air manipulator, part-time genius, full-time pain in my twin’s ass.”

  Ren raised a lazy hand. “Ren Saito. Crystal-type essentia. I prefer silence, caffeine, and not dying.”

  “You say that like you’re dead inside,” I said.

  “It’s the espresso. You’ll understand once your soul breaks.”

  We all looked at Rei.

  She exhaled slowly and—shockingly—offered a reply.

  “Rei Minahara. weapon specialist. I use impact and earth essentia. I don’t do small talk.”

  “But you do fight like a walking wrecking ball,” Riku said. “Which we love.”

  Rei didn’t smile, but something in her shoulders loosened a little.

  “You handled that corrupted core like it wasn’t your first time,” she said to me, eyes sharp.

  “It wasn’t supposed to happen,” I admitted. “It felt like something called to me. Like the core recognized something in me.”

  “It wasn’t part of the simulation,” Ren said. “Too chaotic. Too… alive.”

  “You mean the shadow thingy,” Riku said. “You summoned a beast, man. It growled.”

  I nodded slowly, replaying it all in my head.

  The energy. The surge. The eyes behind the rift.

  “Whatever it was,” I said, “I didn’t do it consciously. But it felt like… it belonged. Like it was mine.”

  Rei finally looked me in the eye.

  “And you didn’t lose control.”

  It wasn’t a compliment. Not exactly.

  But it wasn’t a jab, either.

  Just observation.

  I met her gaze. “I don’t want to hurt any of you.”

  She didn’t look away this time.

  “Good,” she said simply.

  Riku clapped once, breaking the moment.

  “Okay! That was deep and ominous. Now let’s play a fun game called ‘What Do You Actually Want Out of KISA?’”

  “To not die,” Ren said again. “Consistently.”

  “To get a squad of my own,” Rei said. “Eventually.”

  They all looked at me.

  “I want to be the best,” I said, without thinking.

  That got a couple raised eyebrows.

  “No pressure,” Riku said, laughing.

  “We’ll see if you survive long enough,” Rei muttered—but this time, with something almost like amusement.

  Maybe.

  The next morning, I was having the greatest dream until.

  BANG. BANG. BANG.

  The world was ending again. Probably.

  Or at least that’s what I thought until my brain caught up and realized the thundering wasn’t an explosion—it was someone aggressively attempting to murder my dorm door.

  “Lynn!” a voice barked. “Get up. We’re late.”

  I groaned, face-first in a pillow, and barely opened one eye. Dim gray light filtered in through the slats in my blinds. Definitely morning. Probably too morning.

  “Lynn, I swear, if I have to drag your corpse out of bed—”

  “I’m up!” I shouted, sitting up so fast I nearly flung myself off the bed. “I’m awake! Don’t kill me!”

  The door slid open on its own. KISA dorm doors are polite like that, anddd I really just forgot to lock my door last night

  Rei Minahara walked in, perfectly dressed in the dark uniform of the elite freshman division—black sleeveless coat over her reinforced training gear, utility belt clipped sharp at the waist, schedule folder in hand.

  She did not look like she wanted to be here.

  “Your schedule,” she said, tossing the folder onto my bed. “We’re in the Apex Class. Advanced freshman division.”

  “Apex…?” I blinked. “Wait. That’s real?”

  “Apparently,” she said. “And we’re expected to show up on time.”

  “Which we’re not,” I muttered, flinging myself out of bed and pulling a clean top over my head. “I thought classes didn’t start until next week.”

  “You slept through orientation. Riku and Ren are already on their way.”

  “How’d you get stuck waking me up?” I asked, half-laughing, half-buttoning my jacket as I hopped toward my boots.

  Rei crossed her arms.

  “Because I knew if they did it, you’d probably be late again. And I don’t want to carry your dead weight during drills.”

  “Aw, you care,” I teased.

  She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not special. I’d wake up a broken vending machine if it meant not failing group evaluation.”

  “So romantic.”

  She turned toward the door.

  “You’ve got five minutes. Move it.”

  She walked out.

  And despite the early hour, despite my sore limbs and aching everything I was grinning like an idiot.

  By the time I caught up with Rei, she was already halfway down the dormitory stairs. Her pace was fast, clipped, purposeful—like if she stopped walking, her bones would rebel against her.

  “You didn’t tell me they were making us do classes after the Gauntlet,” I said, brushing my fingers through my still-damp hair.

  “You didn’t ask,” she shot back.

  We stepped out into the early morning light. The KISA campus was unusually quiet—only a few students moving through the tree-lined walkways and wide stone courtyards. Everyone else was probably either still recovering or scrambling to make it to their first assigned lectures.

  “So… Apex Class,” I said, falling in step beside her. “What exactly did I miss during orientation? Tell me everything. Assume I know nothing.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Rei sighed through her nose.

  “It’s a special cohort. Top 8 percent of freshman recruits based on simulation scores, individual ability, potential threat level, and something they call ‘instinct viability.’ Whatever that means.”

  “Sounds made up.”

  “Baek said it’s about how well you adapt under pressure. Think less memorization, more survival instinct.”

  “Okay. That actually sounds kind of cool.”

  “They split us into two sections—Apex Red and Apex Black. We’re in Apex Black. Smaller group, more combat-focused.”

  “Let me guess,” I said. “Red is for the desk ninjas.”

  Rei didn’t smile, but her lip twitched. A little.

  “Wrong. Red’s precision and range oriented. Blacks mainly meant for close range and powerhouses which in your case your both.”

  We turned down a hallway leading toward the high tower wing of the main academy building—black glass walls, white floors, long lightbars humming overhead. The door to Apex Class’s briefing room loomed ahead like a gateway into something serious.

  Rei handed me a folded sheet of paper. “Our schedule.”

  I unfolded it.

  Monday:

  08:30 — Advanced Rift Theory (Instructor: Prof. Seojin Baek)

  10:15 — Combat Conditioning: Squad Drills (Instructor: Raam Dae)

  12:00 — Lunch

  13:00 — Weapon Integration & Essentia Syncing (Instructor: Chief Haro)

  15:00 — Tactical Field Simulations (Instructor: TBA)

  Tuesday:

  08:30 — Rift Anomaly Studies

  10:15 — Strategy & Leadership

  13:00 — Elective Period (Choose: Medical, Engineering, or Recon)

  15:00 — Physical Evaluation & Reflex Tracking

  “Looks like you’re stuck with me for most of these,” Rei said, watching me scan it.

  “Lucky me.”

  “Don’t get comfortable. Just because we’re classmates doesn’t mean I’m going easy on you during sparring.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. “Any idea who our Tactics instructor is?”

  “They said ‘TBA.’ So either we don’t have one yet… or someone’s trying to be dramatic.”

  “That bodes well.”

  We reached the door to the Apex Black classroom. Inside, I could already hear voices—some familiar, some not. Riku’s laugh was unmistakable.

  Rei hesitated.

  “You sure you’re ready for this?”

  I paused.

  Then grinned.

  “I’ve fought nightmares from between rifts, accidentally summoned a shadow-wolf, and survived a lecture from Baek.

  Yeah. I’m ready.”

  The moment Rei and I stepped through the doors of the Apex Black classroom, three things hit me at once:

  One the room was far too nice. Leather-trimmed seating arranged in a semi-circle. A holoprojector the size of a truck embedded in the floor. Ambient lighting that adjusted to your presence like it was judging your mood. KISA didn’t spare expense for the golden kids.

  Two Riku and Ren were already in a heated argument with a silver-haired boy in the front row. Something about “who actually won the Gauntlet round.”

  Three everyone turned to stare when Rei and I walked in.

  “Aaaand the Shadow King arrives,” Riku said, sweeping an arm toward me like he was announcing royalty.

  “Don’t call me that,” I groaned.

  “You literally summoned a beast made of nothing but shadows and screamed at an eldritch orb. Own it.”

  Ren nodded. “Lean into the brand.”

  “We were starting to wonder if you ghosted the apex class on day one,” Riku added.

  “I overslept,” I muttered, taking a seat beside them. “Blame her.”

  I thumbed toward Rei, who didn’t even acknowledge the insult. She took the next seat silently, pulling out a tablet and instantly scanning through class files.

  “So what’s the vibe?” I asked under my breath.

  “Competitive,” Ren murmured. “Everyone’s sizing each other up. We’re not the only ones with high Gauntlet scores.”

  I looked around.

  There were maybe twenty students total in Apex Black. A few were familiar from the combat trials. Others were completely new. Every single one of them had the same quiet intensity in their eyes.

  Like they already knew what it meant to survive.

  Before I could think much more, the room dimmed—and the floor lit up.

  A massive circular projection bloomed across the center: student photos, names, stats, and a vertical column labeled RANKING.

  The classroom went still.

  At the top of the board:

  #1 — Rei Minahara

  #2 — Aki Jang

  #3 — Lynn Kurosaki

  #4 — Ren Saito

  #5 — Riku Saito

  I blinked. “Wait… I’m third?”

  Rei said nothing. Her eyes were on the board—but I saw the smallest flicker of a brow twitch.

  “I’m fifth?!” Riku exclaimed. “Ren beat me?!”

  “Order has been restored,” Ren said flatly, sipping from yet another thermos.

  A few students started whispering.

  I caught words like "shadow beast", "rift sync compatibility", and "off-the-charts surge control."

  My stomach twisted.

  “What is this?” I asked.

  The screen answered for me.

  [The Apex Program’s Competitive System is now active.]

  [Live rankings adjust based on performance, combat scores, teamwork, instructor ratings, and rift affinity.]

  “So… it’s a leaderboard,” I said slowly.

  “It’s a weapon,” Rei muttered.

  I looked at her. “You’re not happy about being first?”

  “It puts a target on your back.”

  She wasn’t wrong.

  Already, I could feel eyes on the two of us. Not just curious. Calculating.

  “So what’s the prize?” Riku asked, leaning back. “Do we get crowns? Bonus ramen cards? Assassination attempts?”

  The screen shifted again.

  [Top three at end of semester receive early combat licenses.]

  [Top five earn priority placement in Rift Missions.]

  [Bottom three face reassignment to Standard Division.]

  “Ah,” Ren said. “So it’s murder disguised as meritocracy.”

  “KISA’s classic approach,” Rei muttered.

  The door opened.

  A tall figure stepped in—dark coat, half-mask, unreadable expression. They said nothing.

  The room hushed instantly.

  They stepped to the front, typed a single command, and the screen behind them switched to a new message:

  TACTICS INSTRUCTOR — CODE NAME: SPECTER

  “Welcome to the Apex Black Division,” the masked figure said. “Your education begins now.”

  Instructor Specter stood at the center of the room, unmoving.

  The mask covered everything but his mouth—steel gray with thin black lines that curled around the cheekbones. His voice was calm but carried the kind of weight that didn’t allow for side conversations.

  “The Apex Black Division exists for one purpose,” he said. “To produce field leaders. Operatives who survive when plans fail, orders change, and enemies adapt.”

  The lights dimmed again.

  A tactical map shimmered into view in the center of the classroom—three-dimensional, slowly rotating. It showed a forest terrain riddled with cliffs, a river slicing through the center, and three glowing markers labeled SQUAD 1, TARGET, and ENEMY MOVEMENT.

  “This is your first engagement scenario,” Specter continued. “You will be split into four-man tactical units. Each unit will receive one lead strategist.”

  Several students shifted in their seats.

  “Strategies will be drafted in real time. You’ll have five minutes to formulate, fifteen to execute. Failure conditions: total squad wipe, target loss, or breaking formation.”

  The screen shifted again—this time randomly assigning names.

  And, of course, mine lit up first.

  STRATEGIC LEAD: KUROSAKI, L.

  TEAM: MINAHARA, R. — SAITO, R. — SAITO, R.

  A long pause.

  Riku let out a low whistle. “Welp. Guess that settles that.”

  I stared at the glowing letters.

  “Is he serious?” I muttered.

  “Apparently,” Rei said coolly. “Good luck.”

  “You’re on my team.”

  “Exactly.”

  "Also, these squads are not permanent" specter said

  He gestured to the map.

  “Now Begin.”

  Ten minutes later, we were standing in a sealed chamber with a holographic forest projected around us—high cliffs, rustling trees, shifting wind. Everything looked and felt real, right down to the dirt beneath our boots and the scent of pine in the air.

  The simulation HUD hovered in our vision like augmented reality:

  Objective: Protect the diplomat target en route to the extraction site.

  Threat: Enemy riftborn units moving in from three directions.

  Squad Status: All essentia unlocked, but limited to two active techniques per member.

  “Alright,” I said, calling everyone in tight. “They’re not just testing combat—they want to see how we think.”

  “Then let’s give them something fun to think about,” Riku grinned.

  “Here's the setup,” I continued, drawing in the dirt with a twig. “Ren, you anchor our left side—crystal barriers to control the ridge choke. Riku, I want you to move in a wide arc through the trees and set traps using wind displacement. Slow them down.”

  “Easy,” he said, twirling a kunai in one hand.

  “Rei, you're on central defense. Hold the line, take the brunt if they charge directly. I’ll stay mobile—work behind shadows and reinforce wherever breaks start forming.”

  Rei raised an eyebrow. “So you’re playing wild card?”

  “Exactly. If I stay flexible, I can help whoever gets overwhelmed.”

  She studied me for a beat.

  “That’s actually… smart.”

  “Try not to sound too surprised.”

  “Just don’t screw it up.”

  The first wave came in fast—beast-class riftborn, tall as two men, with glowing lines of essentia running down their backs and claws like cleavers.

  Ren dropped a wall of crystal across the ridge with a gesture, halting their charge. Riku’s gust traps slammed two enemies into trees with bone-cracking force.

  And then came the center line.

  Three came at once, right at Rei.

  She didn’t flinch.

  She launched.

  Her hammer sang through the air, smashing the first in half, then sweeping into the second with a roar. The third dodged—

  Until my shadow lashed around its legs and yanked it into the dirt.

  Rei looked back just once, eyes narrowed.

  Not annoyed.

  Just focused.

  “You’re watching,” she muttered. “Good.”

  I flicked a knife of shadow into the riftborn’s skull. “Always.”

  We held the line.

  Target extracted.

  Minimal damage.

  Simulation ended with a clean win—and more importantly, clean teamwork.

  As we returned to the classroom, I noticed a few things:

  Rei didn’t immediately walk away.

  Riku patted my shoulder without even being sarcastic.

  Ren, sipping yet another mystery brew, said:

  “Solid plan, Shadowboss. Would not die under your command again.”

  Even Specter expressionless behind his mask tilted his head ever so slightly.

  “Well executed, Kurosaki.”

  I didn’t smile.

  But inside?

  I was starting to believe I really belonged here.