The morning sun spilled across the ruined rooftops of Suncoast Village, glinting off the sea beyond the cliffs.Behind the orphanage a weathered stone house barely holding itself together a lone boy trained beneath the whispering trees.His fists struck the air in rhythmic bursts. Thud. Thud. Thud. Each hit sharper than the last.Sweat ran down his bare back, tracing the faint shimmer of mana beneath his skin. Blond hair clung to his face, glowing faintly in the light. His eyes ocean-blue and steady reflected a kind of calm fire that didn't belong to someone his age.And though his ears tapered ever so slightly, betraying his half-elf blood, it was barely noticeable… unless you were looking for a reason to hate him.Which most people did.A group of teenagers stood at the forest's edge, their laughter cutting through the sound of his training."Look at him," one sneered. "Still pretending he's one of us.""Halfbreed trash," another spat. "You'll never pass the academy trials, freak."