"I'm glad they took him away. I knew there was something off about that guy," Lisa muttered, watching the assessors escort Jonathan out of the testing grounds.
Her words echoed among the murmuring applicants. Suspicion spread like wildfire. Whispers followed Jonathan as he disappeared from view.
Jonathan walked in silence, flanked by two assessors through the pristine, echoing halls of Nexlark Regional Academy. Each step felt heavier than the last.
Rankless?
The word rang in his head like a cracked bell. What does that even mean?
It had to be a glitch. A system error. Nothing in the seminar had prepared him for this.
Eventually, they stopped before a large wooden door, polished to a mirror-like shine.
"We'll wait here," one of the assessors said. "Knock three times before entering."
Jonathan swallowed the lump in his throat. "Y-Yes, sir."
He raised his hand, took a breath, and knocked—three firm raps.
"Come in," called a voice from inside—measured, commanding.
Jonathan entered, eyes downcast, shoulders tense. His heart beat like a war drum in his chest.
Behind a wide desk stood a man in his fifties, gray-haired, immaculately dressed in a suit and tie. His shoes glinted beneath the sunlight streaming through the tall windows behind him.
He studied Jonathan for a long moment—sharp eyes dissecting every detail.
"You should raise your head," the man said, stepping around the desk. "Be proud, young man. What you've done is… remarkable."
Jonathan blinked. "Remarkable? I… I don't understand."
The man turned to the window, hands clasped behind his back.
"Your peers are beginning their preliminary trials," he said. "But for you, things are different. There's a separate path prepared."
The words hung in the air like storm clouds.
"I… I don't even know what being Rankless means," Jonathan said. "Can you please just tell me what's happening? What I'm supposed to do?"
The man turned, offering a tired but sincere smile.
"I'm Mark Banes," he said. "Director of Assessments. And yes, I oversee Rankless cases—though they're incredibly rare."
He paused for emphasis.
"You are the twentieth Rankless candidate in this country. Unlike your peers, your potential has no ceiling."
Jonathan's eyes widened. "No ceiling?"
Director Banes nodded. "You have a unique trait—unquantifiable by our systems. That trait grants you limitless potential. But without proper guidance, that potential can spiral into chaos."
Jonathan's thoughts raced. The assessment. The stares. The silence. Everything he knew about the hero system was unraveling.
"And that's… dangerous?" he asked.
Banes returned to his desk and opened a drawer, placing a sealed folder on the surface.
"Because power without understanding becomes a weapon," he said. "And people fear what they can't measure."
He slid the folder toward Jonathan.
"Inside, you'll find your probationary contract, orientation materials, and a confidentiality form. You're not obligated to sign it now. You have three months to decide whether to officially join the program."
Jonathan stared at the folder. Three months. A trial run into the unknown.
What happens if I say no? What happens if I say yes?
His fingers brushed the cover. He didn't have all the answers—hell, he barely understood the questions. But deep down, something had stirred in him the moment the arch had glowed.
It wasn't fear.
It was something else.
"I'll do it," Jonathan said quietly, his voice steadier. "Whatever this is… I want to know what I'm capable of."
Mark Banes smiled.
"Then welcome, Mr. Jonathan Kirk. Your path begins now."
Later that day, 1300 hours—
Jonathan returned to the academy gym where other candidates were still undergoing assessments. An assessor accompanied him but left the moment he arrived. The room fell quiet for a beat, then filled with murmurs.
Jonathan ignored them.
He had chosen to enter the three-month probationary program before officially joining the Rankless initiative. These three months would be his proving ground—a time to explore his abilities, to prepare.
Lisa Emris spotted him from across the gym. Her eyes narrowed.
"What's the matter, cheater?" she snapped. "Whatever that stunt was earlier, I'm going to prove I'm better than you."
Jonathan frowned. "Cheating? How?"
"Don't play coy with me. I know what you did," she said, folding her arms. "I swear I'll expose you and beat you."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jonathan replied calmly. "But I won't let myself be defeated—or slandered—without proof."
Before Lisa could respond, an assessor's voice boomed across the gym:
"For your next assessment, you will be tested for your Physical and Mental Capabilities. Please fall into your respective lanes in an orderly fashion."
The candidates lined up. Five rows of twenty.
Lisa stood tall, pride burning in her chest—determined to outshine everyone.
Jonathan, quiet but composed, braced himself.
The path ahead was uncertain.
But he was ready to take the first step.
The results of the assessment will be the stepping stone of his journey to become a hero.