Awakening The Shadow; The Apex Era

The Second Chance

Kieran returned to Dean Aldrich's office the following morning, desperation clawing at his throat. He'd spent the entire night calculating, recalculating, trying to find a way forward. The conclusion was always the same: he was ruined and had nothing left.

His eyes were swollen due to the sleepless night he had. No sleep, no food.

He dare not walk out of his dormitory, else the students might roast him alive with insults.

He was fortunate to be the only one inside his dorm, preventing others from disturbance.

The Dean didn't bother looking up from his paperwork when Kieran entered. "I thought I made myself clear yesterday, Mr. Cross. You're no longer a student here."

"Sir, please, just listen—" Kieran stepped forward, his voice cracking. "My power level has nothing to do with the academy. You can't hold the school responsible for my magical capacity. It's not fair to demand I repay the scholarship—"

"Fair?" Dean Aldrich finally met his eyes, his expression glacial.

"You defrauded this institution. We invested months of resources into you based on fraudulent pretenses. I can't imagine that I was duped by you. You lied and made yourself chosen as our scholarship student"

"I didn't lie about anything! I passed every entrance exam honestly—"

"You concealed your magical incompetence." The secretary appeared from a side door, holding a thick folder.

"The scholarship agreement clearly states that recipients must maintain acceptable magical standards. Level Zero-Point-Five is not acceptable. It's not even measurable by normal standards."

“I wasn't informed about that. I was picked due to my intelligence level during question and answer and I was asked to write an exam which I did. The scholarship was given after I topped up. I am not from this world, how would I know anything about magic since I wasn't born with it”

“Shut up there. This is a nuisance. You weren't from this world and you wanna keep being inside the Celestial Academy? Your time is up. Whatever spell you casted on the management is expired. We need a useful person in this academy, "the secretary fired back at him.

She dropped the folder onto the desk with a heavy thud. "This itemizes every expense the academy incurred on your behalf. Tuition, room, board, textbooks, training materials, uniform allowances. The total comes to forty-seven thousand gold pieces."

Kieran's vision blurred. "Forty-seven thousand? That's impossible—"

"Impossible for someone like you, certainly." Dean Aldrich leaned back in his chair. "But that's not my problem. You have three days to arrange payment, or we'll seize any assets you possess and file criminal fraud charges."

"I don't have any assets! I'm a scholarship student—I have nothing!"

"Then I suggest you find employment quickly." The Dean's smile was cruel. "Perhaps as a street sweeper. Or a sewer rat-catcher. Something befitting your... capabilities."

"Sir, please, there must be another way—"

"There isn't." The secretary crossed her arms. "Although, given your magical power is equivalent to a dead fish, I suppose you could sell yourself to a research lab. They might pay a few copper coins to study such an anomaly. At least, you would somehow be useful to them"

Kieran's hands shook. "You can't do this—"

"We already have. Three days, Mr. Cross. Now get out before I have security remove you like the garbage you are."

Kieran stumbled into the hallway, his mind reeling. Forty-seven thousand gold pieces. Three days. It was a death sentence.

He was walking like a walking -ghost, with no plan and hope. Sweat dripped down his face.

He was halfway across the courtyard when it happened.

It happened like a dream but no, it wasn't a dream but a reality.

A brilliant blue light exploded behind his eyes, and suddenly text appeared in his vision—floating, translucent, impossible.

[SYSTEM ACTIVATION DETECTED]

[HOST: KIERAN CROSS - COMPATIBILITY: 100%]

[WELCOME TO THE ASCENSION SYSTEM]

Kieran froze, his heart hammering. "What the—"

[ANALYSIS COMPLETE: HOST SITUATION CRITICAL]

[TWO PATHWAYS AVAILABLE - CHOOSE WISELY]

“Two pathways?” He stuttered, still amazed.

Two options materialized before him, glowing with ethereal light:

[OPTION 1: RESTORE PREVIOUS LIFE]

Regain Level 5 magical capacity

Relationship with Selene restored

Reinstatement at academy guaranteed

Return to comfortable mediocrity

[OPTION 2: ASCEND BEYOND MORTAL LIMITS]

Unlock God-Level Power (unprecedented in human history)

Surpass all known magical boundaries

Achieve absolute supremacy

Warning: Requires Celestial Liquid Gem for activation

Cost: 300 Gold Pieces

Kieran's breath caught. God-level power. Something that had never existed before. The chance to surpass everyone who'd ever mocked him, humiliated him, called him worthless.

The chance to make him mighty, above all. He would be able to prove himself worthy to them all and fight the beasts they all mocked him with.

Selene's face flashed through his mind—her disgust, her cruelty.

Marcus Thorne's arrogant grin. The Dean's contempt.

"Option two," Kieran whispered. "I choose option two."