Chapter 1: Apex academy
The only sound in the small room was the steady beep of the heart monitor. Slow. Too slow for my taste. The screen’s greenish light illuminated my mother’s pale face. She was sleeping, but her sleep was anything but restful. Her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she were struggling even in her dreams.
With a simple blink, a light-blue window appeared in my field of vision. The interface everyone had since the Explosion. I didn’t look at my own status. I knew it by heart. Useless. I chose to focus on the small icon next to my mother’s name.
[Name: Kang Seo-Yeon]
[Condition: Chronic Cellular Disintegration (CCD)]
[Stability: Weak]
I clenched my fist. Those three lines were my obsession, my prison. The numbers from the medical bills ran through my head. I worked after school, taking any odd job I could find, but it was never enough. Just enough to keep that "Weak" from turning into "Critical."
My eyes fell on the envelope resting on the nightstand. White, with the blue and gold logo of Apex Academy. My acceptance letter. My only chance. My worst nightmare.
They had accepted me. Not for my grades, which were merely average. They had accepted me because of it.
My right hand opened by reflex. A slight distortion in the air, and a black dagger appeared in my palm. It was cold, smooth, and reflected no light. An F-rank ability. Summoning a simple object. It looked more like an antique than a life-changing weapon.
Yet, I looked at my mother’s face, then at the envelope, and finally at the useless dagger in my hand.
There was no other choice. This had to work.
fre/ew.ebnovel.c om
I made the dagger disappear. A barely audible whisper escaped my lips.