The hallway of the Spirit Martial Academy was a microcosm of a world in transition. As the bell’s chime faded into a hum of white noise, the floodgates opened. Students poured out of their respective classrooms—Class 2-Spirit being the most scrutinized of them all—filling the corridors with the scent of ozone, expensive fabric, and the underlying tension of the upcoming Awakening Ceremony. In this environment, social status wasn't just measured by who your parents were, though the Shaw family’s billions certainly provided a formidable foundation. It was measured by potential.
Leo Shaw moved through this sea of humanity like a shark through a reef. He felt the weight of every gaze—the envious stares of the boys who lacked his resources, and the lingering, speculative looks from the girls w
