Chapter 2 - Treated Like Nothing
1162 Words
The streets outside the academy were still filled with noise.
Students walked in groups, their voices carrying easily as they talked about their results. Some laughed loudly, others compared ranks, and a few already spoke about their future like it had been decided in that single moment.
Kai walked past them without slowing down.
No one walked beside him.
No one called his name.
That wasn’t new.
What was new was the way people looked at him now.
It wasn’t curiosity.
It wasn’t even pity.
It was dismissal.
“…that’s him.”
Kai heard it as he passed a group near the gate.
“The Level Zero guy?”
“Yeah.”
A short laugh followed.
“I didn’t even know that was possible.”
Kai kept walking.
He didn’t react, didn’t turn, didn’t acknowledge them. The words followed him for a few steps before fading into the background noise of the street.
The further he moved away from the academy, the quieter it became. The crowd thinned out, replaced by smaller groups and individuals heading in different directions.
Kai turned into a narrower road that led toward his neighborhood.
He preferred it this way.
Less noise.
Less people.
For a while, the only sound was his own footsteps.
Then voices reached him again.
Louder this time.
“C-Rank already puts me ahead of most people here.”
“Yeah, but A-Rank is where it really starts to matter.”
Kai glanced ahead.
A group of students stood near the intersection, blocking part of the road. Their uniforms were the same as his, but the way they carried themselves was different. There was confidence in their posture, a sense of belonging.
They noticed him before he could pass.
“That’s him.”
The words were enough.
The group fell quiet for a moment, their attention shifting fully toward Kai.
One of them stepped forward.
Rex Danton.
Kai recognized him immediately.
Rex was taller, broader, and carried a presence that made others step aside without being told. He had already awakened earlier that day, and judging by the way people reacted around him, his rank had been good.
Rex looked Kai over, his gaze slow and deliberate.
“So it’s true,” he said. “Level Zero.”
Kai didn’t stop until Rex moved directly into his path.
Then he did.
They stood facing each other, the distance between them small enough to feel the tension.
Kai’s expression didn’t change.
Rex’s lips curled slightly.
“I thought people were exaggerating,” he continued. “Didn’t expect it to be real.”
A few of the others behind him laughed quietly.
Kai shifted his weight, trying to move past.
Rex didn’t move.
“What, you’re just going to ignore me?” he asked.
“There’s nothing to say.”
Kai’s voice was calm, steady.
That seemed to bother Rex more than anything else.
His smile faded.
“You really don’t get it, do you?”
Kai met his gaze but said nothing.
Rex stepped closer, his presence pressing in.
“People like you don’t get to act like this,” he said. “You don’t have that right.”
Before Kai could react, Rex shoved him.
The force caught him off guard, pushing him back a step.
Kai steadied himself, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The others moved in, not touching him, but forming a loose circle that made it clear he wasn’t leaving easily.
Rex watched him carefully.
“Do you even understand what your rank means?” he asked. “You’re not just weak. You’re below weak.”
Kai’s jaw tightened.
“I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”
The words came out before he could stop them.
For a moment, everything went quiet.
Then Rex’s expression changed.
The amusement disappeared completely.
“You should learn when to stay quiet,” he said.
He grabbed Kai by the collar and pulled him forward.
The first punch came without warning.
A sharp удар to the stomach that forced the air out of Kai’s lungs.
He bent forward instinctively, coughing, but Rex didn’t let go.
Another hit landed against his side.
Pain spread quickly, heavy and immediate.
Kai tried to pull back, but his body didn’t respond fast enough.
A third strike followed.
This time, he lost his balance.
He dropped to one knee, his hand hitting the ground to steady himself.
The world tilted slightly, his vision blurring at the edges.
No one stepped in.
No one said anything.
They just watched.
Rex released him and stepped back, adjusting his sleeve like nothing had happened.
“That’s your place,” he said. “Don’t forget it.”
Kai stayed where he was, his breathing uneven.
The pain settled deep in his chest, each breath dragging it out further.
Rex looked down at him for a second longer before turning away.
“Let’s go,” he said.
The group followed, their voices picking up again as they walked off.
“…Level Zero, seriously.”
“Waste of space.”
Their laughter faded into the distance.
Silence returned.
Kai didn’t move immediately.
His fingers pressed into the ground, his grip tightening as he forced his breathing to steady.
Slowly, he pushed himself up.
His legs felt unsteady, but they held.
He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced down.
Blood.
Not much, but enough.
Kai straightened, ignoring the dull ache spreading through his side.
The street was empty again.
Like nothing had happened.
He adjusted his jacket and started walking.
Each step sent a faint pulse of pain through his body, but he didn’t stop.
By the time he reached his house, the sky had already begun to dim.
The door creaked softly as he pushed it open.
No one greeted him.
The house was silent.
It always was.
Kai stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
The air felt still, almost heavy.
He walked down the narrow hallway and entered his room, shutting the door quietly.
The space was small, barely enough for a bed and a desk pushed against the wall.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees.
For a while, he didn’t move.
Didn’t think.
Just sat there.
Then his hands slowly clenched.
Level Zero.
The words came back again.
Clear.
Unavoidable.
Kai let out a quiet breath.
So that was it.
That was where he stood.
At the very bottom.
Lower than everyone else.
His fingers tightened further.
Something shifted in his expression, subtle but real.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Something colder.
More controlled.
“If that’s how it is…”
His voice was quiet, almost lost in the stillness of the room.
“…then I’ll change it.”
No one heard him.
But the way he said it made it feel less like a thought and more like a decision.
The room fell silent again.
This time, it didn’t feel empty.
- Writer
