The Triple-D Failure Rises To Power

CHAPTER 2– The New Girl and the Lesson

“Hey, did you hear? We’re getting a new student today,” a boy at the front whispered, leaning close to his friend.

“Probably another prodigy to make the rest of us look bad,” the friend snorted, shooting a glance at Eren in the back. “Or maybe just another excuse to roast Varrow.”

Eren pretended not to hear. He was used to it. He was the kid with nothing to his name but bad rankings.

The door opened with a sharp clack.

Instant silence.

A girl stepped inside. She wasn’t just pretty—she was stunning. Long crimson hair that shimmered like fire, sharp golden eyes that looked like they could burn right through you, and an aura that screamed don’t mess with me. Her uniform looked freshly tailored, her crest shining brighter than everyone else’s.

“Class,” Mr. Melzack announced. “This is Lyra Medella. She’s ranked S in the Magic class—specializing in fire—and the daughter of the House of Medella, one of the Four Great Houses of Lumeris.”

The room erupted.

“Medella?! Are you serious?”

“That’s insane, they’re like the strongest in magic!”

“Bro, she’s basically magic royalty!”

“S-class in fire magic at her age? No way…”

Eren kept his head down. Of course. Someone untouchable. Someone born to shine while he sat in the dark.

“You may sit next to…” Melzack scanned the rows, then pointed. “Eren Varrow.”

The class froze. For one heartbeat, everyone held it in—then laughter exploded.

“Wait, WHAT?!”

“Put a Medella next to Varrow? That’s cruel!”

“She’s gonna burn up just being near him!”

Silver, Darius’s loudmouthed best friend, leaned across the row. “Hey, Lyra, sit anywhere else. Trust me, failure’s contagious. You don’t wanna catch what HE’s got.”

The room cackled. A few kids slapped their desks. Someone even muttered, “Triple D and S-Class—what a comedy show.”

Eren’s face burned. He wanted to disappear. 

But Lyra didn’t flinch. She walked right past Silver, pulled out the chair next to Eren, and sat down without hesitation.

“Guess I’ll take the risk,” she said calmly, her voice sharp enough to cut the laughter short.

The room went dead quiet for a moment. Even Silver’s grin faltered. Eren blinked at her in disbelief, but she didn’t look at him. She just crossed her legs and faced forward like nothing happened.

A tiny spark lit inside Eren’s chest. For once, someone wasn’t ashamed to sit near him.

“Enough noise,” Mr. Melzack’s voice boomed. “Today, we begin with the most important lesson. The foundation of everything we are—the Study of Flow.”

The room hushed instantly. Even the troublemakers sat straighter.

“Before humans had power,” Melzack began, pacing slowly, “there was Nexis. Nexis is the ultimate life force. It exists everywhere—in the air, in the earth, in living beings. It links body, mind, and spirit. The Infinites, the gods, wield it to shape the world. When body, mind, and spirit are in harmony, it creates the Spirit Path. A path of absolute balance. A path that controls all others. Even among the Infinites—only one has ever wielded the Soul Path. The Infinite King.”

Gasps rippled through the room.

“However,” Melzack’s tone dropped, “humans were never meant to wield Nexis. The only one who tried lost control… and drowned in darkness. It nearly destroyed the world. To touch Nexis directly is to invite destruction.”

Eren leaned forward, listening harder than he ever had. Nexis? Infinites? This wasn’t just boring school talk. This was… different.

“Then came Mason Fardel, the founder of Lumeris. He journeyed to the throne of the Infinite Queen and begged for mercy for humankind. She pitied him. She gave humans  Flow.”

He raised a hand, and a faint glow of energy pulsed in his palm.

“Flow is a lesser version of Nexis. It connects only the body and mind, severing the spirit. It is stable, safe… but limited. Not every human can activate Flow. Many are born with dormant Flow. Humans that can activate and freely use Flow are called Bearers. With Flow, humans gained access to three main paths:

Martial Path– the strength of body, discipline of movement and weaponry. Colors: Violet and Gold. Common.

Medicines Path– healing, alchemy, remedies. Color: Emerald Green. Uncommon.

Magic Path – the manipulation of elements and spellcasting, split into colors: Colors: Red for fire, Blue for water, Brown for earth, White for wind. Balanced, neither too rare nor too common. 

He paused, his eyes sharp.

“And then… there is a fourth.”

The classroom tensed.

“The Void Path. Black.”

The room broke into murmurs.

“Void? That’s real?”

“I thought it was just a scary story.”

“Anti-magic or something, right?”

“Quiet!” Melzack snapped. “Yes, it is real. Void is destruction. The absence of energy. It cancels spells, erases martial arts, poisons medicine. It is an anti-force. A predator of all three paths. Dangerous, forbidden, unstable. In all recorded history, only three people have ever awakened it… and  all three of them were lost.”

The whispers rose louder, but Melzack silenced them with a glare.

“Sir, why is it forbidden if it’s so powerful?” one boy asked.

“Because,” Melzack said coldly, “power without balance consumes its user. To hold Void is to be eaten alive from the inside out. Imagine having a mouth that swallows endlessly, but never digests. That is the Void.”

A nervous boy raised his hand. “Sir… if it’s that dangerous, why teach us about it at all?”

“Because ignorance kills,” Melzack replied. “You must know your enemies. And make no mistake. Void is everyone’s enemy.”

Another hand shot up. “Sir, is it possible to master all the paths if you work hard enough?”

Melzack shook his head. “No. Every student has affinities. You may excel in one path, have decent control over a second, but you will be weak or useless in the third.”

“Some rare prodigies have affinity for two paths, yes,” Melzack said. “A martial-mage, or a healer-mage. But never more than two. No human has ever mastered all three. Balance comes with sacrifice. If you try, one path will always falter.”

Another student leaned forward. “So how do we know what we’re good at?”

“Through testing,” Melzack replied. “The Affinity Test is done during entrance exams, and in every stage of your training. It reveals the strength of your Flow. High affinity in one path often means weakness in another. That is the law of Flow.”

“Sir…” Lyra suddenly spoke, her clear voice drawing every eye. “What about the Spirit Path? Is it really impossible for humans?”

Melzack went still. The room held its breath.

“…The Spirit Path belongs to the Infinites,” he said at last. “For humans, it is a dream that turns into madness. Nexis is not for humans. Remember this. Seek only Flow, and your Paths will serve you well. Seek beyond, and you invite your own destruction.”

Silence pressed over the classroom.

Then Silver leaned back with a laugh. “Well, I guess that means Varrow doesn’t have to worry. He’s already a master at being useless.”

The class snickered again. Eren stared down at his desk, jaw tight, fists shaking.

“That's enough!” Mr. Melzack shouted. “Now—open your manuals. Today, we begin studying the foundation of Flow itself.”

The classroom rustled with movement.

Only Eren’s pendant gave a faint, tiny pulse of light that no one noticed.