Water dripped from Kael’s hair, tracing cold lines down his chest and back. He stood near the window of his dormitory, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, watching the evening light paint Planet Orion’s skyline in shades of amber and violet.

Aria sat cross-legged on his bed, scrolling through her wristband. She’d barely looked up when he’d walked out of the bathroom, though Kael had caught the slight pause in her scrolling rhythm.

"What’s the current ranking situation?" Kael grabbed a shirt from his closet, pulling it over his head without bothering to dry his hair first. "I assume I dropped while I was unconscious."

"You’re still in the top ten." Aria’s voice carried that particular flatness she used when delivering information she considered obvious. "The Hevaria mission gave you an enormous amount of points. Enough to keep you afloat even with three weeks of inactivity."

"Where exactly?"

"Your ranking dropped from third to ninth."

Kael paused mid-motion, one arm still halfway through his sleeve. "I was third?" He blinked. "Man, I didn’t know."

"How will you know when you haven’t bothered to check the board even once?" Aria didn’t look up from her wristband, but the pointed edge in her voice could have cut glass.

"Alright, Aria. Stop nagging me." He finished pulling on the shirt and moved toward her, dripping water onto the floor with each step. "What’s the current rankings? Give me the full breakdown."

Aria flicked her wrist, and a holographic display materialized between them—blue light casting sharp shadows across her features. The leaderboard expanded into detailed profiles, each entry accompanied by cultivation data, ability notes, and intelligence assessments that went far beyond public information.

Kael raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get all this?"

"Does it matter?"

He decided it didn’t.

#1. Karacus Drakemore

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 3 Mid

Affiliation: Dragon-Kin (Frost Dragon descendant), Sector 3

Notable: Consistently dominant since consolidation. Unbeaten in direct combat. The dragon bloodline makes him physically superior to nearly everyone. His cultivation base is the highest in the academy’s recorded history for a Second-year student.

Kael whistled softly. "He broke through to Rank 3 Mid? That frost lizard’s been busy."

#2. Yenna Frostveil

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 3 Peak

Affiliation: Sterling Family (distant relation), Sector 1

Notable: Her Frost Intent has matured significantly over eight months of obsessive training. The motivation from losing her rank to Karacus has driven her to push past normal limits. Ranked second not because her cultivation is higher than those below her, but because her Intent makes fighting her a nightmare regardless of rank.

"Her Intent must have improved a lot." Kael shook his head. "She’s going to be a problem for anyone who can’t counter it directly."

#3. Cassian Vale

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 2 Early

Affiliation: Vale Family, Sector 3

Notable: His time manipulation makes him the most dangerous person to fight regardless of rank. Currently under observation by multiple parties interested in his bloodline. His pocket watch is considered a Tier 1 temporal artifact.

Kael leaned closer, studying the profile. "The cost is physical—each time he overuses his ability, he risks permanent damage. Calm, calculated, utterly ruthless in combat." He tapped the hologram. "Also, he possesses a Tier 2 three-section staff. Don’t forget that."

Aria’s hand connected with the back of his head.

"Ow—"

"Stop interrupting me."

#4. Mason Croft

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 2 Peak

Affiliation: Croft Family, War God Bloodline, Sector 3

Notable: The War God bloodline doesn’t just make him strong. His body doesn’t just enhance muscle—it reconstructs cellular structure with each fight. The more he fights, the stronger his body becomes. Physically the most dangerous person in close combat within his rank range. His ability allows him to manipulate Solar energy enhanced by his bloodline.

Kael smiled. "His girlfriend, Mira Chen, is notably ranked below him despite being equally skilled. Their relationship status: exes. Broken up."

Aria’s hand rose again.

Kael ducked. "It’s relevant intelligence!"

"Sure it is."

#5. Rue Moonveil

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 2

Affiliation: Royal Fox-Kin (Nine-Tails), Moonveil Family, Sector 3

Notable: Her Word Magic is the single most terrifying ability in the lower ranks. Has forced Mana Heart Rank 9 cultivators to freeze for several seconds. The backlash is severe—using it against someone significantly stronger causes her to cough blood and temporarily lose effectiveness. Everyone who fights her knows she’s more dangerous than her rank suggests.

Kael nodded slowly. "She’s been training hard. The clan retreat did her good."

#6. Caelan Asten

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 2

Affiliation: Unknown family, Sector 1

Notable: Silver-haired, violet-eyed rival who jumped from Rank 45 to top 10. Has maintained his position through consistent combat victories and continued advancement. He is a sword genius who possesses sword intent. Combat style is aggressive and straightforward. Little is known about his background, which concerns multiple intelligence organizations. His rapid climb has made him a person of interest.

"Unknown family, sword intent, and intelligence organizations are worried." Kael filed the name away. "I’ll keep an eye on him."

#7. Sage Moonveil

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 2

Affiliation: Royal Fox-Kin (Nine-Tails), Moonveil Family, Sector 3

Notable: Left the academy to train with her clan for eight months. Returned significantly stronger, her shadow and illusion abilities sharpened to near-Realm-Grade level. Her absence from the leaderboard during her clan training period caused her to drop from her previous position. The fox clan’s training methods are notoriously brutal. Her nine tails are fully manifested at all times, a sign of deep bloodline connection.

Kael’s expression flickered. "Still angry about me choosing Rue over her for the mission."

"You think?"

"Probably plotting my death as we speak."

"I don’t mind joining her to plot."

#8. Isabella Vorn

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 2 Early

Affiliation: Vorn Family, Sector 3

Notable: Kael’s half-sister. Her rank reflects her cultivation combined with her influence over the information economy of the academy. One of the few people who understood Kael well enough to be worried about him rather than impressed.

Kael’s smirk softened into something genuine. "Of course she’s still ahead of me."

#9. Kael Vorn

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 1 (Updated)

Affiliation: Vorn Family, Sector 3

Notable: The lowest cultivation in the top 10 by a significant margin. Ranked ninth purely through combat record, technique versatility, insane mana reserve and control and threat assessment.

Kael studied his own profile with detached amusement. "My Transcendent Core—480% capacity—allows me to fight well above my rank, but the gap between me and the top is still significant." He scrolled down. "Sector 3 is really the strongest." Seven of the top eight spots belonged to their sector. If you counted Aria’s Sector 4 assignment as a technicality, five of the top ten had operated together during the first year.

#10. Aria Nightshade

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 1 Peak

Affiliation: Nightshade Family (Shadow Guild), Sector 4

Notable: Her presence is a statement about combat ability transcending cultivation. Shadow and Light dual elements, combined with Shadow Guild training, make her more dangerous than her rank suggests. However, she’s on thin ice. One bad fight against a higher-ranked opponent could push her out of the top 20 entirely. Her presence is controversial, with many believing she’s ranked purely through Kael’s influence rather than her own merit.

Aria’s expression didn’t change, but Kael caught the slight tightening around her eyes. Controversial. Of course she was. His shadow, his weapon, his partner—and half the academy assumed she’d fucked her way into the rankings.

Some insults weren’t worth acknowledging.

#11. Rooley Slanders

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 2 Early

Affiliation: Slanders Family, Sector 3

Notable: Summoner with a starlight fox and other summoned beasts. Best talent of the Slanders Family. Younger brother of Silas Slanders.

Kael’s head snapped toward Aria. "Well, that’s new. To think he’s Silas’s brother. That comes as quite the shock, doesn’t it?"

Aria shrugged. "The family resemblance is obvious if you look. Different colored hair, same smile."

"Same manic energy."

"That too."

#12. Zara Moror

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 1

Affiliation: Moror Family, Sector 2

Notable: Very little is known about her beyond her combat record. From one of the most powerful snake families. Has quietly climbed through the ranks without drawing the attention that more flashy combatants attract. The silence around her name is deliberate.

"Snake clan." Kael’s eyes narrowed.

#13. Mira Chen

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 1 Peak

Affiliation: Chen Family, Dual Element (Fire/Ice), Sector 3

Notable: Dual elements make her incredibly versatile but harder to advance than single-element cultivators because her mana is split between opposing forces. Her ranking reflects raw combat ability rather than political maneuvering.

"Speaking of exes." Kael smirked. "She’s been climbing since the breakup. Nothing like heartbreak to fuel cultivation."

Aria gave him a look that promised violence if he continued.

#14. Orion Blake

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 1

Affiliation: Lion Clan, Body Cultivator, Sector 5

Notable: Lost to Kael in a sanctioned match. Spent the eight months since then doing nothing but body cultivation, pushing his physical limits, and preparing for the day he can challenge again. The Lion Clan’s passive aura weakens the fighting spirit of non-beast races, making him appear weaker in group settings than he actually is. One-on-one, he’s far more dangerous than his rank suggests.

#15. Ryker Vanguard

Realm: Mana Heart Rank 1

Affiliation: Unknown family, Sector 2

Notable: Body cultivator aligned with a war-focused family or mercenary background. Ranking reflects consistent combat victories against opponents at or above his rank. Fighting style is brutal, direct, without flourish. The kind of fighter who wins through sheer persistence and damage accumulation rather than technique.

The hologram continued—rankings sixteen through fifty scrolling past with less detail. Kael waved it away, his mind already processing the information that mattered.

"I better get into the top seven soon." He ran a hand through his damp hair. "The inter-academy competition is three months out. If I don’t secure a spot before then—"

"Then you’ll have to fight for it during the selection rounds." Aria dismissed her wristband display. "Which you’d probably enjoy anyway."

"Probably." He sat on the edge of the bed beside her, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. "What about you? You’re ranked tenth, but I’ve never heard you express any interest in climbing higher."

Aria was quiet for a moment. When she spoke, her voice carried that particular flatness that meant she’d already decided the answer long before he’d asked.

"I’m not interested in moving up the ranks. Apart from the treatment that comes with the top ten—better quarters, higher credit stipend, access to restricted areas—Sage and I don’t really have much interest in this competition."

Kael tilted his head. "Why not?"

Aria looked at him. Her eyes—dark, steady, revealing nothing—held his gaze for a long moment.

"Because rankings don’t matter to me." She stood, smoothing her uniform. "You matter. Keeping you alive matters. Everything else is just noise."

She walked toward the door without waiting for a response.

Kael watched her go, something warm and uncomfortable settling in his chest.