He inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh air, and opened his tear-filled eyes. It was as if he had been forced through a very narrow pipe. As his comprehension returned, Ezra realized he was indeed alive, his body intact. 

It took him a few moments to realize he was no longer on the street, but rather in a straight, narrow passage. The walls were made of hard stone, and the ceiling was dotted with luminous stones placed at regular intervals. But overall the light was too dim, so he could only see things two meters away. Beyond it was all darkness.

Ezra had no idea where he was. His brain was subconsciously trying to come up with a rational reason for this, but there just wasn't one. While his body was still heavy from the shock, and his legs were shaking as waves of fatigue swept through his body. Ezra rested his hand on the wall to rest most of his weight on it, and began to walk slowly along the path of light. Eyes glued to the floor, unable to hold his head up, Ezra was intrigued by the disks of light on either side of the long hallway. Curiously, despite there being a light every 5 steps, he could not distinguish anything more than 5 meters away, yet the lights did not seem to come on as he passed, it was indeed continuously lit. Then his luminous disks didn't light up constantly as he was used to, but rather like a small fire agitated by the wind which caused a play of shadows which danced all around him.  

Suddenly, the faint echoes of a voice rang out in those ears. Ezra glanced ahead realizing it was more of a cry of distress than anything. His eyes swept over his surroundings, finding nothing; he hastened as fast as his body would allow, moving towards the source of the sound. The echo intensified and became more and more serious as he approached until he finally saw in a corner, where the lights barely reached, a young man, surrounded by vaguely humanoid misty forms. . In front of the young man lay another person's lifeless body, soaked in a reddish liquid. 

In front of the scene, Ezra was taken with a start and slammed his body violently against the wall. His legs kept shaking, his hand squeezed his mouth tightly to contain his uncontrolled cry of fear. His body shook as if to tell him that he had to flee the danger but Ezra remained motionless, paralyzed in front of the scene. He was unable to flee from the frightened gaze of the young man that pierced Ezra's eyes. When at last their two gazes met, the man hardened his gaze. Ezra didn't understand why, he was more terrified to see someone arrive than to be relieved that he could help him out of this situation. However, he had no idea how to help him. The hostile shapes were 4 and approached in a circle around the young man. The other bloodied body on the ground had been the last bulwark between him and them. In a fit of panic, Ezra grabbed something from his schoolbag and hurled it towards the group. He realized too late the recklessness of his gesture. All eyes suddenly turned towards him, and before he could react, a hand shot out in a blur, grabbing Ezra by the neck and lifting him off the ground. A small gasp escaped his lips as he tried to free himself.

The imposing figure of the humanoid now faced him, its white eyes piercing through. Ezra thrashed around as his lungs desperately demanded oxygen. There was nothing to do, the strength gap was far too great.

While struggling, all the objects in his still-open bag had fallen out. The metallic bottle from his bag rolled across the floor, its clanking echoing. The humanoid was immediately startled by the noise and let go of his embrace towards Ezra. With a powerful kick, he dismissed the noise he perceived as a danger, but this had the opposite effect. The bottle was thrown against the wall and bounced even harder on the floor, the metallic sounds intensified by the resonance of the room and this sharp and intense sound then resounded in the hallway. The air in the room trembled with the successive echoes of noise against the walls.

The humanoid in front of him, particularly sensitive to the frequencies of the shrill noise, frenziedly delivered a violent blow to Ezra.  Ezra's head banged hard against the wall behind him. Tiny lights danced before his eyes and for a moment he was too dazed and disoriented to react.

On the other side, the other humanoids seemed to be just as disoriented by the ambient noise. The young man immediately turned around. 

- Run! he yelled. But Ezra was too confused to move. Behind him, the young man jumped over the shadows and ran towards him. He grabbed Ezra's collar and dragged him like dead weight as far away from those things as possible.

Ezra's vision was blurry, he could only make out the alternation of darkness and lights passing before his eyes.

Ezra slowly opened his eyes, it took him a few seconds to get used to the ambient light. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young man next to him. His condition was most deplorable, fatigue marked every corner of his face. His torn and blood-soaked clothes revealed numerous bruises and wounds on his body.

– bastard, bastard, fucking bastard, he mumbled, he said, banging his fist against the wall in rage. 

– What were those things? Were they even human? Hey! Can you answer me?! 

The young man stayed livid, with a blank expression in his eyes. 

– He died by their fault, I'm going to kill these bastards, I want him to suffer again and again. Then the man started mumbling again, bastard, bastard,  fucking bastard... Suddenly a voice called out to him behind his back, 

– You'd better give up, he's a dropout, he's out of his mind.

Ezra looked behind him and saw a man with blond hair sprawled on the ground, his legs were amputated. 

– What do you mean? Ezra retorted. 

– He's called a 'dropout' here 

– Someone who has lost companions and loved ones right before their eyes and succumbed to the fear of death. They can't even think of moving forward after going through the grim first parts. Unlike your friend, you don't seem to have fallen into madness yet, am I wrong?

– No, no, I'm fine, but I really don't know where I am, Ezra admitted, his voice reflecting his growing unease.

The man, his face etched with the lines of fatigue and hardened by struggle, looked at Ezra with an incredulous expression.

– You're in the rest area of the Empire's Academy selection process. Here's where we gather after the first test. You should feel some pride, I guess. When the examiners dragged you in here, out cold, I honestly thought you were another casualty, he said, his sneer softening into a half-smile that didn't quite reach his weary eyes.

Ezra's brow furrowed in confusion.

–Empire's Academy? I don't remember any test...

Inspecting Ezra more closely, the man's astonishment grew. He started to question Ezra's mental state. 

– You must have taken a serious hit to the head. No one ends up here by chance, he said, a hint of suspicion in his tone.

Seeing Ezra's genuine confusion, the man sighed,

– This place, it's for the selection into the Empire's Academy. They've upped the ante this year with a rare prize for the victor – a powerful Rune. I wonder what unique power that must give, the man thought aloud… That's why the tests are tougher, and the competitors are stronger, he explained, a note of bitterness in his voice. 

– I wasn't prepared for this, and look at the state I'm in now…

Ezra looked the man up and down, it was indeed miraculous that the man could still talk to him in this state.

–  The tests, the man continued, are designed to push us to our limits, physically, mentally, and emotionally. They gauge our strength, our resilience, and our ability to adapt. Those who succeed are deemed worthy. 

Ezra listened, trying to process the overwhelming information. 

– Rune? Unique powers? I just want to return home.

The man pointed to the lit door at the back of the room. 

– The only way out is to keep moving forward. If you stay here in the abandonment room, you're effectively giving up. And trust me, giving up in this place has consequences you don’t want.

Ezra rose slowly, the gravity of his situation settling in. He lingered for a moment, absorbing the weight of the man's words. 

– Thank you, he finally said, his voice low and sincere. I hope you get another shot at... whatever you're seeking.

Approaching the illuminated door, Ezra realized it wasn't just a transition to the next challenge; it was a step into the unknown, a leap into a world that was both bewildering and threatening. He paused, taking a deep, steadying breath, feeling the air of the room fill his lungs one last time.

Turning back, Ezra caught the gaze of the blond-haired man, whose smile offered a silent message of solidarity. His eyes then shifted to the other participant, a figure consumed by his inner turmoil, rocking rhythmically in a private struggle.

As Ezra stepped through the door, a loud alarm rang out, signaling the final call for those remaining in the abandonment room. With a deep breath, he crossed the threshold. The door closed behind him with a definitive thud, sealing his commitment to this unforeseen.

Beyond the door, Ezra had landed in a domed room that seemed large enough to hold thousands of people. There were quite a few people inside the room, and everyone was doing something different. Some were sharpening their swords with whetstones, and others were doing warm-up exercises. In one corner, some individuals were asleep, while others nursed serious injuries.  Ezra stared at them in amazement. 

People here... Ezra took a moment to fully comprehend the scene before him… they are not all human.