Chapter 0: The Beginning of Everything

The day of the Summoning Exam always felt unnervingly quieter than usual.

Despite the Grand Hall of Ardentia Academy being flooded with noise—boisterous cheers, arrogant shouts, and envious whispers—the world felt distant to Olivia Stuart. She stood amidst hundreds of students, her holy staff gripped so tightly that her knuckles turned white, though her expression remained a mask of practiced composure.

At Ardentia, a familiar was more than a mere companion. It was the ultimate manifestation of one’s worth.

One by one, the students stepped forward.

A crimson light flared as a Fire Wyvern emerged, its massive wings unfurling with majestic grace. The hall erupted in applause. Next, a bolt of lightning descended from the crystalline ceiling, and a dragon clad in golden scales touched down, its sheer presence heavy enough to press the air from the lungs of those nearby.

On the leaderboard above, names surged upward. Students embraced their spirits with pride; others laughed in sheer relief. Everything was proceeding exactly as dictated by tradition.

"Next: Olivia Stuart."

The whispers shifted instantly, like a tide turning.

"There she is." "Rank One." "The High Priestess’s younger sister."

Olivia stepped forward.

Her long silver hair cascaded down past her waist, thin strands swaying gently with every step. Her crimson eyes betrayed no hesitation, though deep within them, a subtle tremor flickered. She wore the white and blue robes of a high-ranking priestess, accented with gold. In her right hand, her holy staff—adorned with golden rings and a glowing core—captured the soft light of the hall.

She halted at the center of the magic circle and took a breath. This wasn't about her rank. It was about proving she was more than just a "shadow" of her sister.

The magic circle ignited.

A pale white radiance rose slowly from the floor, forming a thin veil of energy around her. She closed her eyes.

"Answer my call..."

The light pulsed. The audience held its collective breath.

But as the seconds bled away, no form took shape. No silhouette emerged from the ether. The radiance began to wither, flickering out until only a small, solitary stone remained in the center of the circle.

Not a beast. Not a spirit. Just a stone.

A beat of stunned silence followed—then, the laughter exploded.

"Seriously? A rock?" "I told you, Olivia isn't cut out for summoning!" "What a disgrace to the Stuart name. Her sister is the High Priestess, and she gets a pebble?" "Just give up already, 'Lady Arrogant'!"

The mockery stung sharper than any scream. Olivia stared at the stone, her eyes wide, unblinking. Her hands trembled. It was impossible. The ritual had been flawless. The incantation, perfect. Her concentration, absolute.

An instructor approached, his expression unreadable. "Olivia Stuart. The system has recorded a failure. You may step down."

Failure. The word carried a crushing weight.

Olivia lifted her gaze. "I am not finished."

Jeers erupted from the back of the hall. "Still going? Just accept reality!"

The instructor sighed softly. "The ritual is not responding. Forcing it will only result in further humiliation."

Olivia’s grip tightened on her staff. "I can do it," she said, her voice quiet but unwavering. "I will prove it."

She closed her eyes once more.

The magic circle flared to life again, but this time, the light was different. The pristine white was stained with a deep, haunting blue. It wasn't a blinding flash, but something profound—like the color of the sky just before a storm breaks.

The atmosphere in the hall shifted. It wasn't heavier; it was simply... different.

The laughter died down. The evaluation crystals began to vibrate with a faint, high-pitched hum. The light at the center of the circle condensed into a solid mass.

And from that density—a figure stood.

It was a man.

He wore a white jacket with simple black lining—garments that resembled no academy uniform known to this world. His hair was a silvery gray, styled in a way that was slightly disheveled yet refined. His eyes were a pale golden-yellow, clear and sharp, but devoid of any outward hostility.

He had no wings. He emitted no holy glow. He carried no divine aura. He simply stood there.

A few seconds of silence passed before the laughter returned, louder than before.

"A human?!" "She summoned a commoner?!" "I told you she failed!"

Olivia stared at him. He wasn't a spirit. Yet, he didn't look like any ordinary student, either. The man looked around the room, his brow furrowing slightly. He looked at the crystals hanging above, then at the hundreds of faces staring back at him.

Finally, he turned to Olivia. Gold met crimson.

He opened his mouth and spoke with a calm voice.

"Where am I?"

The question was simple. There was no panic, no overconfidence. He sounded like someone who truly, genuinely did not know.

The evaluation crystals flickered, attempting to process the data.

Status: — Element: — Class: — [Error]

Several instructors stood up in alarm. "Why can't the artifact read him?"

The leaderboard above the hall flickered erratically. Numbers shifted without logic before snapping back to their original positions, only to scramble again. There was no explosion, no grand destruction. Only a slow, creeping realization.

The system did not recognize him.

And for the first time, Olivia didn't know if she had failed... or if she had done something far greater than anyone could have imagined.