X01: MY PERFECTLY ABNORMAL LIFE

SELECTION

X01: My Perfectly Abnormal Life

The compiled test buzz was still hanging in the air when the main alarm cut through it.

Not the curfew alarm. The visitor alarm.

Three long tones. Blue lights. And a programmed hologram announcement.

Problemstien was already gone, coat gone with him, so Level 7. Sen stood up and yelled, "FORMATION. Lobby. NOW. That's Chancellor protocol."

Everyone scrambled. Xyan shoved his broken glasses up, his slate still hot from 12 problems, and ran with Dyan.

The lobby of Harrington College was never this full.

The staff line was out. Chancellor Harrington himself was there — tall, silver hair tied back, wearing his ceremonial deep navy coat with the Harrington crest stitched in actual Flex-thread that glowed faintly. He never wore that unless cameras or other important individuals were coming.

Next to him, Vice Chancellor Lira. Short, sharp, clipboard in hand, eagle eyes scanning like she was already grading the other school. Her uniform was the same navy but with the gold sash. She whispered to the Chancellor, "They're early. I told them 14:00."

Xyan got to his floor's spot just as the main doors hissed open.

Jade College.

Even their uniforms were loud. Harrington was navy and disciplined, white shirts tucked, black boots polished. Jade was forest green and gold, long coats, high collars, gold buttons, green berets tilted like they were in a parade. Their Flex seals were all visible — wrist, neck, even forehead. Show-offs.

Their Chancellor walked in first. Chancellor Jade, Mr. Tjourde — younger, shaved head, gold earring, smile that was all teeth. His Vice Chancellor was a woman in heels that clicked like bullets, carrying a floating holo-stand.

And behind them — twenty students.

Muffled chats instantly exploded around Xyan.

In addition to the convoy outside that caused a great deal of attention for the whole school. Girls were peeping and taking photos, some were already sharing on their groups.

The convoy was equivalent to a president's own.

"That's Jade? They look like a private army."

"That's their star? The one with light brown hair?"

" The guy on headphones next to the girl?

"Bro I heard Harrington and Jade used to be one school before the split—"

"No way, Harrington is better."

"Is that a cape? Who wears a cape to another college?"

Theo elbowed Xyan. "Dude. Level 4."

Leading Jade's line was a guy in a green cape. Not even joking. Green cape, gold trim, black and blue dyed hair at its tips tied up. He didn't look around. He stared straight at Harrington's crest on the wall like he was already calculating how to take it down.

Next to him, a girl with short black hair, arms crossed, gold seal glowing on her forearm. Their Level 7 star, probably. She was chewing gum and using her phone in a Chancellor meeting. Insane.

Kitarah whispered from behind Xyan, "That's Syre. Their ace. Level 9. He beat a Harrington Level 8 last year in friendlies."

Xyan overheard their conversation and swallowed. Oh.

Chancellor Harrington raised his hand and the lobby went silent.

"Jade College," he said, voice calm but carrying. "Welcome. We honor your visit."

Chancellor Jade grinned. "Harrington. Still making your students polish boots instead of seals, I see."

Vice Chancellor Lira's smile could cut glass. "And still making yours polish seals instead of manners, I see. Heels inside a training lobby?"

The tension snapped like a wire.

Jade's Vice Chancellor tapped her holo-stand and it projected big, gold letters in the middle of the lobby:

JADE COLLEGE vs HARRINGTON COLLEGE — INTER-COLLEGE FLEX GAMES — 7 DAYS

The whole lobby exploded.

"WHAT?!"

"NO WAY!"

"INTER-COLLEGE?!"

Dylan grabbed one of his guys sleeve. "BRO. BRO. IT'S HAPPENING. THE GAMES!"

Chancellor Jade spread his arms. "Seven days. Five events. Combat, Control, Craft, Endurance, and — my favorite — Team Compile. Bring your best. Level 1 to Level 10. Loser hosts winner's crest in their lobby for a semester."

Kitarah muttered, "We are NOT losing. I am not seeing green every morning."

Then it happened.

One of Jade's Level 5s — bulky, gold tooth — bumped into Onix from Harrington's Level 3 on purpose while passing. Hard shoulder check.

Onix didn't move. Onix never moves.

Jade guy: "Oops. My bad, boot-polish."

Onix, dead quiet: "Say it again without your Chancellor behind you."

"Boot—"

Onix invoked. No seal twist, just fist. Pure Flex punch. Jade guy flew back three feet into their formation, crashed into cape-guy Syre's leg.

For one second — silence.

Followed by chaos.

Jade's short-haired girl invoked a shield around their guy. Sen invoked a counter. Theo yelled "DON'T —" Xyan's glasses fogged, his necklace seal burned hot against his chest from the ambient Flex spike.

Vice Chancellor Lira slammed her clipboard down and her own seal flared — a massive transparent dome over BOTH groups.

"ENOUGH!"

Her voice echoed. Dome humming.

Chancellor Harrington didn't even blink. He looked at Chancellor Jade. "Control your students, Jade."

Chancellor Jade laughed, helping his guy up. "They have spirit. I like yours. She punches first. Impressive power house for a girl of such stature."

He looked right at Onix, then his eyes flicked — and landed on Xyan. Xyan in his taped glasses, ink-stained fingers, 71% compiled test survivor.

Syre, the light brown-haired cape ace, was also looking at Xyan after briefly glancing past Kitarah. Not Onix. Xyan.

Syre tilted his head and mouthed one word: "You?"

His eyes had this pull. It was like looking into something so breathtaking, it seems unreal.

Xyan felt his stomach drop.

Chancellor Jade turned to leave, cape swishing — wait that was Syre, but Chancellor Jade also had a swishy coat — and said over his shoulder:

"Seven days, Harrington. Prepare your stars. Especially your... interesting ones."

The Jade formation turned in perfect sync and marched out, green and gold flashing.

The dome dropped.

The lobby was pure noise after — everyone shouting, Problemstien reappearing in the doorway like he'd smelled drama, Sen already arguing with Vice Chancellor Lira about selection criteria.

And Xyan stood there, rain from yesterday finally dry, heart hammering, 71% on his slate, and a Level 9 ace who somehow singled him out.

A guy grabbed him. Someone he was just noticing for the first time today: "Xyan, did Syre just — did he just call you out?"

Xyan adjusted his glasses.

He didn't know. But he knew he wasn't invisible anymore.

Not on this floor. Not in this college.

Not with Jade coming.

X01: My Perfectly Abnormal Life

Vice Chancellor Lira didn't even wait for Jade's ships to leave the atmosphere.

"All Levels, Training Hall A. Ten minutes. Selection starts now."

Groans. Then sprinting.

Training Hall A was the big one — three floors high, walls lined with absorptive panels that had seen too many Flex burns. The Chancellor's crest glowed huge on the back wall, watching.

Everybody was there. All 3 levels of Harringtonand a few higher levels .

Xyan was still trying to breathe normally. The guy who grabbed him earlier, Vee, was vibrating next to him.

"Bro, Team Compile is five-man. Five-man! Me and you and Sen and Kitarah and — Onix will kill someone but it's okay —"

"I'm Level 5, Dyan. They won't pick Level 2 for Inter-College."

"They picked you for Problemstien's solo torture, didn't they?"

Problemstien was back. Coat. Sleeves rolled. He didn't look surprised. He looked annoyed that Jade interrupted his marking.

Chancellor Harrington stepped onto the raised platform with Lira. No microphone needed.

He let the silence envelope the room first.

"Harrington does not lose to Jade," he said. Simple. "Not while I am Chancellor."

"Star students, step forward."

That's how Harrington did it. No hiding.

From Level 8: Iris Vale. Long black hair, scar on left eyebrow, seal embedded in her collarbone. She walked forward like the hall belonged to her. 1st ranked Level 8. 3rd place in the Celestoids. The person Jade's Syre was actually supposed to fight.

From Level 9: Sen and Kitarah. Sen with his perfect posture, Kitarah cracking her knuckles, gold seal on her wrist already warm.

From Level 8.5 : Onix — and then Lira pointed.

"Xyan. Dylan."

The hall turned.

Xyan felt more than a hundred stares again. But not the lobby stares. These were evaluating stares.

"What?" Onix muttered. "He got 71%."

Kitarah just smirked. "He got 71% in Problemstien's compiled hell. That's like 90% anywhere else."

On the other side, Jade was still in the building — watching from the upper observation soundproof glass. Xyan could see them. Green coats. Syre leaning on the rail, cape off now, arms crossed backing them. The short-haired girl — Jessa — next to him, pointing down, probably laughing.

Jessa saw Xyan look up. She tapped Syre, said something, and made a little glasses gesture on her face.

Mimicking him.

Xyan's hands balled into fists. His removable seal clicked against his chest.

Vice Chancellor Lira: "Jade thinks they have the better system. Showy seals, visible power. We have discipline. Precision. Dodging when you can't overpower."

She looked right at Xyan when she said dodging.

"First selection drill — Endurance Hold. Ten minutes. All stars, center circle. Last two standing from each Level gets considered."

Sen whispered as they walked to the circle, "Don't try to be strong. Be smart. Like Problemstien said."

The circle lit up. Floor holo turned red.

A low hum — then Flex weight pressed down. Like gravity turned up.

Iris didn't flinch. Sen set his stance. Kitarah gritted her teeth.

Dlyan dropped at 3 minutes.

Onix at 6, but only because he tried to punch the gravity.

Xyan was at 7 minutes and his legs were shaking. His glasses slipped. He couldn't use his seal — this was raw endurance. He remembered the collapsed corridor problem. Crawl, not run. Conserve.

He dropped to one knee. Deliberately. Lowered his center. Let the weight spread.

Lira raised an eyebrow.

Up in the observation, Jessa frowned. Kade leaned forward.

At 9 minutes, Kitarah dropped. At 9:30, only three left: Iris, Sen, and Xyan on one knee, sweat dripping off his nose.

The hum stopped.

Iris looked down at him, actually surprised. "Level ?"

Sen helped him up, panting. "Told you. Smart."

From above, a slow clap.

Chancellor Jade's voice over speaker: "Interesting method, Harrington. Kneeling to survive. Very... Harrington."

Chancellor Harrington didn't look up. He said, "Xyan Cross, Level 3. Provisional pick for Team Compile."

Xyan's heart stopped.

Provisional.

Pick.

For Inter-College.

Against Jade.

Against Syre who was still staring at him like a puzzle.

And behind him, Mira had just entered the hall — late, hair still wet from rain, holding two bottles of water. She saw Xyan in the circle with Iris and Sen and her eyes went wide.

She mouthed: "What did you DO now?"

Xyan had no answer. He just stood there, knee aching, glasses crooked, with the whole college looking at him again.

But this time, it wasn't whispers of who's that girl?

It was what chance does a 2% stand against the prestigious Jade College?