News that Rhys had awakened as an Ascender spread through the school faster than anyone could have imagined.He had already been one of the more recognizable students at Memoville High. Besides being good-looking, he was also Violet Reynolds’ younger brother. Violet’s rapid rise had put the Reynolds name in the spotlight long before her disappearance, and that naturally drew attention to Rhys as well.Still, most people knew him as the quiet, distant guy who kept everyone at arm’s length.He had only two close friends, rarely spoke to anyone outside that circle, and showed almost no interest in the girls who constantly tried to get his attention. Despite his looks, he had somehow made it to eighteen without ever dating anyone.Everything changed the moment people learned he had become an Ascender.Almost overnight, his popularity exploded.The biggest surprise came during lunch.Lita, the school’s most admired beauty, marched straight up to Rhys in front of half the cafeteria. Even tho

Rhys was furious.The system had forced him to appear on a national television show, which would take up almost half his day, yet it still expected him to complete every single one of his daily missions. It wasn’t willing to make even the smallest exception.To avoid suffering another ridiculous punishment, Rhys had stayed up all night finishing his workout. He even skipped school so he could make it to the television recording on time.Emma wasn’t happy about that decision.She especially disliked the idea of him taking the chauffeur all the way to the film village where Dinnertime with Sunny was filmed. The area wasn’t exactly known for being the safest place to visit.Still, she couldn’t ignore how hard Rhys had been pushing himself over the past month.He had stayed disciplined, avoided trouble, and worked harder than most adults she knew. Since his end-of-semester exams were still a little while away, she reluctantly agreed to let him miss school for just this one day.By the time

Since the interview wasn’t broadcast live, nothing happened immediately.The episode wouldn’t air for another week, so the public had no idea what Rhys had said on national television.That should have been reassuring.Instead, it only gave him seven days to dread what was coming.The system had rewarded him with five Body Strengthening Potions, a prize valuable enough to improve his physique dramatically.Under normal circumstances, Rhys would have been thrilled.Right now, he could barely bring himself to care.All he could think about was Emma.After everything she and Guildmaster Ren had done for him over the past month, he had gone on one of the biggest television shows in the country and openly questioned the Tigers Guild.The thought alone made his stomach twist.The ride home felt endless.Rhys couldn’t sit still in the back seat of the car. He kept shifting in his seat, tapping his fingers against his leg while trying to come up with some way to explain himself.Every explanat

Rhys’s life changed completely after the interview aired.Overnight, he became one of the most controversial people in the country.Some praised him for speaking his mind, but far more people branded him a rebel who had dared to insult humanity’s greatest heroes.The backlash followed him everywhere.School became the worst place to be.Most of his classmates had spent their entire lives dreaming of becoming Ascenders. They had grown up hearing stories of brave warriors who sacrificed everything to protect humanity. Teachers praised them. Parents admired them. Children wanted to grow up to be like them.To those students, Rhys hadn’t simply criticized a guild.He had committed blasphemy.The bullying started almost immediately.Someone stuffed dog droppings inside his desk.Another person replaced the water in his bottle with urine.Some of the more aggressive boys spat at him whenever he walked through the corridors.The insults never stopped.“Ungrateful bastard.”“Attention-seeking

Good news finally arrived for Rhys.Both Miles and Cade awakened during the week of their eighteenth birthdays, just like he had.Out of their entire graduating class, only four students had awakened so far. Besides the three of them, there was only a quiet, bookish girl named Mary.Everyone else was still waiting.Technically, people could awaken anytime between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one.But everyone knew the harsh reality.The longer it took, the lower their potential was likely to be.Those who awakened late rarely attracted the attention of major guilds, and most never reached the heights achieved by those who awakened early.For many students, this was the moment life stopped feeling fair.Until now, they had all lived as equals.They wore the same school uniform, attended the same classes, played the same sports, and dreamed about the future together.No one had been treated differently.That illusion was beginning to crumble.The students who awakened would soon enter