This world felt strange—like I didn't really belong here. I often wondered if I was meant for something else, some place far from all this.
Everyone around me seemed to have their paths mapped out. Their purpose was clear. Me? I just wanted to lie in bed and forget the world.
No motivation. No passion. Just boredom—bored of this life, this endless routine.
I don't have any friends. No girlfriend. No one I talk to regularly.
My parents? Barely present. Work keeps them away, and when they are home, it's like we're strangers. Just two people living in the same house.
Yet somehow, here I am—walking through the streets of Oregon, heading toward the most prestigious Executioner academy in the world.
Henokai Academy.
Massive digital billboards lit up the skyline, flickering across towering buildings like neon gods.
"Awaken Your Potential!"
"Class 1 Admissions Open – Will You Be the Next Hero?"
"Executioners: The First Line of Defense."
I shoved my hands in my pockets, trying not to make eye contact with the crowds swarming around me. Everyone looked so... excited. Determined.
I didn't feel like either of those things.
I boarded the bullet train bound for the academy. Clean. Efficient. Too quiet.
I found a seat by the window, slid in, and leaned back. The scenery blurred as we sped forward, but my mind lagged behind.
I pulled out my phone and opened Chirp, the world's biggest social feed app. If there was anything worth knowing, it was already trending.
[WELCOME, Shiebe Zackaria]
#ExecutionerLife
#S-RankSighted
#HenokaiEntranceExam
My feed exploded with footage: training clips, transformation montages, and carefully cut highlights of students showing off their Executions.
@DaggerQueenXx
"My C-Rank Execution lets me bend sound into blades. Just wait till I get into Henokai."
12.3k Comments 44k Reposts 302k Likes
@OfficialGovWatch
"BREAKING: Another E-Rank civilian arrested after black market injection attempt. Remember, awakening without a certified executioner license is illegal."
Viewer Discretion Advised.
Executions… the power that defines this world.
No two were the same. Some could control fire or slow time. Others twisted space, warped minds, or broke the laws of physics entirely.
But they all had one thing in common—they came with a cost.
Some people bled from the eyes when using theirs. Others lost memories. A few… lost themselves completely.
And those who couldn't awaken naturally?
They either lived invisible, ordinary lives…
Or risked death with black market injections.
I kept scrolling until I saw something that made me pause:
@HenokaiOfficial
"Welcome to all incoming students. Tomorrow begins your first step toward becoming an Executioner. Remember: It's not the power that defines you—it's how far you're willing to go."
The hum of the train blurred into the background as I kept scrolling.
#ExecutionClass2025 was trending now.
@Kenzaki.D (Verified)
"I was the top of my region—two kills during the National Execution Trials. Hope you're all ready to be left behind."
Comments flooded the post:
"He's definitely going for Class A."
"Another psycho Executioner in the making."
"Henokai's full of freaks and monsters now."
I locked the screen.
Freaks and monsters… they weren't wrong.
That's what Henokai Academy produced. People too dangerous for the average world, too valuable to be ignored. They said it was the best Executioner school on Earth—but what they really meant was: it's where the next gods are born.
I glanced at the other passengers. A few students. Quiet. Eyes forward. Some looked nervous. Others had the same look I did—cold indifference with a hint of something darker buried beneath.
There was one guy sitting across from me, built like a tank with a sword case slung over his shoulder. His uniform was already custom-tailored, black with red lining, expensive-looking. He was grinning to himself as he flipped through profiles on RankWatch, the student database.
Then there was a girl in the row ahead—headphones in, head against the window, faint blue glow from her execution node visible beneath her ear. She was shaking, just slightly. Whether from fear or excitement, I couldn't tell.
I leaned back again and stared at the reflection of my face in the window. A blank expression stared back. The eyepatch over my left eye itched slightly—phantom pain. I'd gotten used to ignoring it.
That day two months ago… it changed me.
Even now, I wasn't sure how exactly. Only that something inside me had shifted.
I was still trying to figure out what kind of person I was.
I wasn't a hero. I wasn't a monster either.
The train hissed as it pulled into the final stop.
Henokai Terminal.
I stepped off, duffel bag slung over my shoulder. The air hit different here—crisper, charged, like something electric lingered in the wind. The platform was wide and clean, lined with guards in sleek black armor. Not for decoration. Just a reminder.
Executioners-in-training weren't regular students.
We were assets. Weapons.
My boots clicked against the polished stone as I joined the slow wave of new arrivals pouring out of the station and into the plaza.
And there it was.
Henokai Academy.
The campus rose like a city-state unto itself—tall spires and obsidian towers framed against the green Oregon forests beyond. The Academy grounds stretched wider than any school had the right to. Glass structures shimmered in the sun, execution energy humming faintly through the air like invisible circuits. Drones buzzed overhead. Security turrets lined the rooftops, unmoving but definitely active.
A massive digital screen on the central tower's face played a welcome reel.
"Welcome to Henokai Academy. Where the next generation of protectors, killers, and kings are born."
Cheerful voice. Empty smile. But the message wasn't subtle
"Use your gifts. Rise in rank. Those who fail… will be forgotten."
I stood there for a while, just watching.
Students streamed around me—some in excited groups, others like me, quiet, observing, calculating. Future allies. Future enemies.
This place was bigger than I imagined. It didn't feel like a school. It felt like a battlefield with a fresh coat of polish.
My phone buzzed.
[Assigned Dorm: E-Class | Block 13-C | Room 102]
Of course. E-Class.
I started walking, my reflection warping in the glass buildings as I passed. This was the place where dreams lived and died. Where power dictated truth, and weakness was just a temporary condition—until someone decided it should be permanent.
I tightened my grip on my bag and adjusted my eyepatch.
Alright then… Henokai. Let's see what you really are.
As I made my way toward the dome, a loud crash echoed from behind me—metal on concrete.
I stopped, turning back toward the train platform we'd just left.
A small crowd had gathered near the edge of the plaza.
Two students.
One of them was unmistakable.
That mountain of a guy from the station earlier. Built like a tank, with boulder-like shoulders and a smirk that looked too comfortable on his face. His sleeveless uniform showed off arms like steel cables.
The other? A shorter, wiry kid with sharp, twitching eyes and messy black hair. His whole vibe screamed "problem." Hoodie half-zipped, one pant leg rolled up, a chain around his wrist—not dress code compliant, not even trying.
The vulgar one spat on the ground.
"Tch. You think being born with muscles makes you better than me? You think you're untouchable just 'cause you're built like a fucking wall?"
The tank guy tilted his head, bored.
"Nah. I know I'm better than you. But it's cute you need to talk so much to feel tall."
A wave of tension spread through the crowd.
People were filming. Laughing. Whispering.
And me?
I just stood there, quiet, watching.
This wasn't about dominance.
Not really.
This was an audition.
"Execution or fists?" the tank asked, cracking his knuckles.
The vulgar one grinned, wide and wild.
"Execution. I want you to remember this."
A flicker of light pulsed around his fingers. Something purple and erratic. His energy sparked like broken neon. Unstable. Dangerous.
But the tank didn't flinch. He just sighed.
The air warped—both of them activated their Executions. It was like the world tensed, unsure which one of them would make the first move.
A spark lit the air.
The vulgar boy dashed forward, Execution flaring—purple tendrils weaving around his arms like snakes, snapping at the ground as he moved.
The tank stood firm, his own energy condensing into his fists like molten iron.
They were just about to collide when—
BZZZZZK!
A sharp pulse rang out, like electricity cutting through air.
Suddenly, a shockwave burst between them, forcing both boys back with enough force to kick up the dust on the platform.
"That's enough."
The voice came cold and mechanical through a speaker drone hovering overhead.
Then, boots hit the concrete.
Two tall guards in deep navy Henokai uniforms approached, weapons holstered but glowing with restraint energy. Their expressions were unreadable behind reflective visors.
"Unauthorized combat within school grounds is a breach of code 14. Both of you—stand down."
The tank raised his hands casually, the smirk still painted on his face like graffiti.
"He started it."
"I'll finish it if you don't shut up," the vulgar one snapped, his execution still sparking.
BZZZZZK!
Another drone flared a warning light.
"One more hostile output and you'll be forcibly restrained."
That did it.
The vulgar boy clicked his tongue and pulled his execution back, fists clenched tight at his sides. The energy coiled back into his skin like an angry pet leashed.
"Tch…"
The crowd dispersed slowly, murmuring in hushed tones.
A few students exchanged glances, whispered names. Some even looked excited.
I stayed silent, slipping away before the guards noticed me too closely.
But the impression lingered.
This was the first day, and already someone tried to start a war.
And even with guards watching… it felt like this school was one wrong spark away from burning.
Henokai Academy…
It wasn't just elite.
It was dangerous.
I stepped away from the crowd, blending in like I always did. Just another face in the stream of students.
But something about that clash…
It unsettled me.
No, not because it was violent. I'd seen that before. It was something else.
The way they looked at each other—like two predators sizing up territory. The raw power behind it. That was the difference.
I shoved my hands in my pockets, walking with my head down as I crossed the marble path toward the academy's central dome.
The inside of the dome was absurdly massive—vaulted ceilings, massive crystal screens floating midair showing live stats, Execution patterns, even video of past missions.
Hundreds of students were filing in, each wearing the same navy blue uniform with silver trim. Some carried themselves like royalty. Others looked like they were ready to fight again.
I chose a seat near the back. Quiet. Unnoticeable.
While I waited, I scrolled my phone again. News feeds. Executioner rankings. Gossip boards.
One headline flashed:
"New Elite Candidates Ranked: Henokai's Incoming Class Strongest in a Decade?"
I kept reading.
"The mysterious 'Kaela Saelus' and 'Rylan Voss' dominate projections, with rumored Execution potential surpassing Rank A. Eyes are also on 'Nero Kain'
I clicked the screen off.
Then the lights dimmed.
The orientation had begun.
A tall figure stepped onto the stage, his presence commanding the room without a word. Dressed in the academy's formal uniform, his sharp eyes swept over the crowd of new students.
He raised his voice, clear and steady:
"Welcome to Henokai Academy — the pinnacle of Executioner training and the birthplace of the world's future protectors."
He paused, letting the weight of the moment sink in.
"The world outside these walls is unforgiving. It's a place where only the strong survive, where power shapes destiny. Executioners aren't just fighters—they are society's last line, its sharpened edge."
The screens behind him lit up with images: intense training sessions, legendary Executioners standing tall, and fleeting glimpses of conflict from across the globe.
"You've been chosen because you have potential—potential that must be refined, tested, and hardened."
He took a step closer.
"But potential alone is useless without discipline. Without will. Without sacrifice. You will be pushed beyond your limits. You will learn to control your fears, your weaknesses, your doubts."
The room grew quieter, the students hanging on every word.
"Some of you will rise. Some will fall. But no matter the outcome, you will walk away changed. Because here, you don't just become Executioners. You become legends."
His eyes locked with the crowd, firm and unwavering.
"Remember this: Henokai Academy isn't a place for comfort. It's a battlefield. Your future begins now. Embrace the challenge, or be forgotten."
The lights flickered off, leaving the hall in darkness for a moment before the applause thundered.
The applause swelled, filling every corner of the grand auditorium. Faces blurred around me, but the words of the speaker lingered—words about strength, potential, and the future they were building here.
I sat back in my seat, letting the weight of the moment settle in. For the first time in a long time, boredom and emptiness didn't crawl into my chest.
Maybe… just maybe, this place could be different.
Maybe here, I could find something worth fighting for. Something that could break the monotony of my life. Something that would make me want to wake up every day.
The world outside was harsh and unforgiving, but inside Henokai Academy, there was a spark—something alive, something dangerous, something promising.
Maybe this is where my story really begins.