It was the last day of school for the children on Arc Inferna, their last day as free children. It is the law set by the military a hundred years ago for every person who turns 18 to be enrolled in the military for training on Arc Aegis for 2 years. Arc Aegis is the largest human military base, floating only 10,000 kilometres from Arc Elysium. Every student is excited, for many, this will be the only time that they will travel outside Arc Inferna.Many students were at the school compound, taking pictures and celebrating the completion of their childhood.Somewhere in the Abandoned Quadrant of Arc Inferna. Adam lay sprawled in the dirt, his vision blurred from the swelling around his eyes. Blood dripped from his split lip onto the cracked metal floor beneath him. His body ached with every shallow breath he took, ribs screaming in protest from the relentless kicks he'd endured. The laughter of his tormentors echoed through the empty corridor of the lower district, the forgotten parts

Somewhere in the Control room of Arc Inferna, a man was seated in front of multiple screens, each with a different thing displayed. There are about a hundred different screens. A woman was seated at the back of the room, she was wearing a military uniform with a sword strapped to her hip and a barret on her head.The man in front of the multiple screens had his attention on a particular screen to his left, it had been flashing something in red over and over again.“Commander Thena, I think we have something,” he said, turning around to look at the woman at the back of the room.She sighed and paused for a while before adjusting the barret on her head.She was a tall woman in her thirties, and her physique was very muscular, indicating her toughness while still retaining her feminine appearance. On her uniform, three silver stars hung on her shoulders, indicating her rank as a silver-grade commander.“Put it on the big screen.” She said, walking forward in a strut that was calm and wel

When Adam arrived home, Eve had already made dinner, she had arranged the food on the small dining table they had by the side of the bed, but had not been able to eat without her brother.When she learned that Arc guards were patrolling the abandoned quadrant with drones and a transporter, she became worried. She saw him fleeing from the gang of bullies that had been tormenting him every day.When she looked at him, she noticed that, as usual, his uniform was dirty, but there were no bruises on his body, which relieved her of her worries. Although she was safe from harsh treatment and bullying in school, due to her immense potential even as an outcast, she didn’t know what she would do if her twin brother were to get seriously injured.Adam went straight into the shower. After he cleaned up, he dressed and sat by the small dining table.Eve could not take her eyes off him. Everything about him had changed. His gaze, the air around him, and even his body posture. Adam usually had a slu

About a day ago, during the combat evaluation, Marcus, one of the Ascendants from Adam’s class had lost a fight against Adam, an Outcast.Later that night during dinner, Bryan and his lackeys had gone out of their way to make Marcus the laughing stock of their class. Bryan had bragged of how he used to beat Adam to the brink of death, how any ascendant in their class could beat a miserable outcast like Adam.Marcus was greatly humiliated, and Bryan used this opportunity to convince him that the only way to regain his dignity as an Ascendant was to get rid of Adam during the simulation test.Once commander Darius asked the students to team up, he figured that if he joined the same team as Adam, he could attack him during the exercise and report it as an accident.Marcus’s cold gaze locked onto Adam as he approached their group, his lips curling into a smirk. Eve’s expression darkened when she saw him, but she held her tongue. The golden-haired boy with green eyes, Alec, shifted uncomfo

The results were in. The list of students who qualified to board the shuttle to Arc Aegis was posted on the massive digital display in the main hall of the preparation base. Those who do not qualify must undergo an additional one year of training on Arc Inferna’s military base before they will be sent to Arc Aegis. This extends their mandatory military enlistment to 3 years.Among the hundreds of names posted were two that defied all expectations: Adam Reed and Eve Reed, the Outcast twins.The announcement caused quite a stir. Adam had placed in the top 30, his name shining brightly alongside the top Ascendants.Eve followed closely in the top 50, a remarkable achievement that cemented her position as an anomaly among the Outcasts. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, ranging from disbelief to grudging admiration.“An Outcast in the top 30? That has to be a mistake.” One of the boys whispered.“No mistake,” another replied. “I saw him during the simulation. He’s...different.”“I get tha