Chapter Text
The sky was on fire. Smoke filled the air, thick and suffocating, as children screamed. He stared, paralyzed, unable to do anything except stand in shock and horror. Suddenly, he felt himself being picked up, shaking him out of his stupor.
He doesn’t know what’s going on as he’s moved into what feels like a crate. He can make out two blurred faces in front of him, mouths open, but their voices are faint. Their arms are moving frantically, motioning him to hide, but he can’t seem to move.
“You’re going to be safe here, okay? Don’t leave until we come back. We’ll return in no time.”
The faces moved away as the crate closed, shielding him from the horror outside. He could feel himself curling up into a ball, trying to block out the anguished cries as his world crumbled around him.
“Where’s the boy? The King will have our heads if we don’t find him this time!”
“General, this is the strongest lead we’ve ever had. If the legends have any semblance of truth to them, he’ll be here.”
“He better be. I’ve been on this witch hunt for years…”
The clicking of hoofs approached closer, and he could hear a blade unsheathing. Trembling, he wound his arms tighter around himself and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to slip out.
Suddenly, he heard a bloodcurdling scream from the voice he recognized as the one that told him to hide.
“Tell me where the boy is, or I’ll kill you too.”
“You’ll never find him. His power is meant to be used for good… your wicked King will never have him!”
Another scream, then the thump of a body as it hit the dirt. He could feel the tears escaping his eyes as he bit his lip to keep himself from crying out loud.
The clanking of metal armour approached him, and he could feel his heart beating faster as his hands trembled and began to glow with a white light.
Light re-entered the crate as it was opened, and he could make out a scarred, sneering face, peering down at him.
“So, this is the little piece of work our King has been obsessed with for so long. Well, you’ll be coming with me now…”
A hand moved closer to him, and suddenly, he felt a raw, burning sensation within him that could only be described as power. He reached up and grabbed the arm, standing as the sneering face began screaming in pain as the light traveled over his entire body.
“What the – what magic is this?”
The general let out one final scream as his body crumbled into ash. The soldiers gasped, backing away nervously, as he emerged from the crate.
Standing in the wreckage, with the bodies of everyone he had ever known around him, he felt a new wave of anger, pain, and power well up within him. He looked into the eyes of the soldiers as he let out a scream and the world around him became engulfed by light.
Jungwon sits up with a start as sunshine streamed into his small room. Dazed, he scratched his head, wincing at the soreness in his arm from a long week of training.
“That felt so real… was it really a dream?”
He decided not to dwell on it for too long as he stood up and got ready for his last weekend as a trainee at the military academy of Begnion. On Monday, they’ll announce division placements at graduation. After that, he’ll say goodbye to all his classmates, and presumably head off to a long, illustrious career, joining his friends who had graduated two years prior.
It’s safe to say that Jungwon won’t be missing his classmates too much. Yoonwon and Taeyong, as much as he enjoyed their good-natured bantering over the last piece of saghert and cream in the dining hall, lacked the ambition and drive he instilled into himself the moment he entered the academy. When his friends – Lee Heeseung, Park Sunghoon and Park Jongseong – graduated from the academy two years ago, Jungwon had promised to them that he’ll work hard, and join them in the First Division when he graduated.
Jongseong had ruffled his hair and smiled when he heard this on one particularly beautiful afternoon, with the two of them sitting by the lake.
I know you’ll make it, Wonie. You’re the best I’ve ever known.
Jungwon had blushed at those words, as he always did at the way Jongseong wore his heart on his sleeve. Jongseong, or Jay as most of his friends called him, was brash, loud, and brilliant. He had mastered every single style of weaponry upon his first year of entering the academy, as well as excelled in all his ballistics and strategy classes. His skill with a broadsword was unmatched, even out-dueling some of the instructors. Despite all the bravado, he was also incredibly kind. He took care of everyone around him, attuning himself to their needs, thoughts, and worries. He was a good listener and always brightened up the mood whenever he was in the room.
(Not to mention he was incredibly handsome… one smirk from Jongseong and his perfect side profile had sent Jungwon’s heart doing backflips in his chest. But he wasn’t going to acknowledge that right now.)
Lee Heeseung was, to put it simply, a legend. He currently held the academy records for fastest time in every training exercise. He had spent a year in Talys training the sword prior to entering the academy, which made him easily the best swordsmen in the nation. He had an impeccable mind for military strategy, even coming up with an entirely new set of formations as a part of his graduation project. When he spoke, people listened, and he radiated the aura of a leader. To his friends, he was gentle, wise, and dependable. Jungwon admired him deeply, and the two shared many conversations in the library late into the night about anything and everything.
Park Sunghoon, known as the “Ice Prince”, was intimidating to most. It wasn’t just because he was breathtakingly handsome and always wore a steely gaze in his eyes, but also because he was incredibly talented at one of the hardest skills – archery. On the first archery lesson, he scored perfect tens on all the training boards. When they moved the boards fifty meters away, he scored perfect tens on those too. He was also good with a spear and always placed first in mock ballistics simulations. Jungwon had been intimidated by him at first, but after being introduced to him by Jongseong and Heeseung, found out that Sunghoon was just awkward at interacting with people. Sunghoon and him had a lot of fun together, whether it be on the archery pitch with their fingers calloused from practice or ice skating on the frozen lake (more like Jungwon trying not to fall while Sunghoon did perfect spins.)
Heeseung, Sunghoon, and Jongseong made up the Three, as they were colloquially known in the academy. It was joked that the three of them would probably end up running the entire military of the Begnion empire one day, with their masterful skill and endless ambition. They took care of Jungwon when he first entered the academy as an orphan all those years ago, and Jungwon grew to cherish them deeply. When they graduated, they left with promises to visit him often and to take trips together. However, those promises seem to have vanished into thin air. Jungwon hasn’t heard a single word from them since graduation and they never returned to the campus. When he asked the professors how they were doing, he was met with shrugs and vague guesses. He tried to catch a glimpse of them during the military’s National Day parades, but to no avail.
Jungwon doesn’t know how to feel. He still missed the companionship, laughter, and tears they shared, and he knows that will never change. He missed Heeseung’s endless wisdom and passion for everything he set out to do. He missed Sunghoon’s awkward chuckles and gentle guidance on the archery pitch. And as for Jongseong…
It had been safe to say Jungwon was enamoured with Jongseong, and for a time, he thought Jongseong felt the same. Jungwon held a deep respect for Jongseong’s perseverance and intensity, but didn’t let that stop him from constantly teasing Jongseong. Jongseong always took it in stride, shaking his head, laughing at Jungwon’s cute antics. Their friendship was safe and warm, yet always stood at the edge of something more.
It had hurt to realize that maybe he was interpreting things all wrong in the end.
For the first year, it was anger, then frustration. Now, he just wanted an explanation as to why they left him with not so much as a sound.
He doesn’t even know what Division of the army they ended up in. Even though he wasn’t allowed to attend their graduation ceremony, word usually spread around fast about where the top trainees were going. The army had twelve divisions, with the higher ranked divisions composed of the most elite soldiers, those who had been top students at the academy. Jungwon had assumed the Three, with their unparalleled skill, would all end up in the First Division. They would enjoy a career at the capital filled with glory and fame, always being seen alongside the royal family.
Jungwon breathed out slowly, thinking about the graduation ceremony in two days. He had trained tirelessly in his six years at the academy, growing to excel in both physical and academic aspects. He was top ranked in all the aspects that factored into Division placement. He knew he would probably end up somewhere in the top three Divisions at least, but he wanted to be in the First. Heeseung had always told him to aim high, then take the steps to achieve the aim. Now, standing at the near-finish line, he could only pray that his efforts had paid off, and he was going to see his friends again.
He decided not to think about it anymore. After all, he was too close to the finish line for it to matter now. Grabbing his precious training sword, he headed out to spend his last weekend of freedom by doing his favourite pastime: dueling.
“Yo, Jungwon!”
Jungwon waved to Taeyong and Yoonwon as he entered the courtyard, shielding his eyes from the sun. There were already around twenty trainees there, and the clash of metal against metal rang loudly.
“You’re here unusually late.” Yoonwon smirked, moving to elbow him in the ribs. Jungwon rolled his eyes and dodged, unsheathing his sword.
“Why are there so many people here?” Jungwon asked, looking around. The courtyard was already becoming cramped as people tried to establish their own space.
“The headmaster is here today. I think everyone’s here in a last-ditch attempt to impress him, thinking they can change their division placements or something.” Taeyong responded, unsheathing his sword as well.
Jungwon hummed in response, knowing deep down it was too late to do anything now. He eyed the courtyard for some free space as Yoonwon spoke up again.
“Soooooo, any idea where you’ll be placed?”
Jungwon shrugged, taking out a handkerchief to polish his already shining sword.
“C’mon, you can’t possibly have no preference, Jungwon. You’re at the top of the top! That shining spot in the First Division is so obviously reserved for you. Me, I’ll be happy with Fourth or Fifth. I heard the Fourth has some really pretty clerics, Jungwon, you interested in any of ’em?”
Jungwon shook his head. He never really interacted with clerics before, them having their own separate sector in the academy. He knew their staves and healing skills were consequential during battle and studied how to place them in strategy classes, but never spoke to them outside of the occasional school balls.
“Ha, I knew it. You’ve never looked at anyone that way after Jongseong-sunbaenim left two years ago. You’re still in love with him, aren’t you? You trained so hard and barely talked to the rest of us just so you could see him again–”
“Okay, thank you Yoonwon!” Jungwon interrupted, blushing. “Look, those girls are leaving, we can duel over there.”
The three trainees hurried over before someone could take their spot and assumed their stances.
“How should we do this? Three-way duel?” Taeyong asked.
“No.” Jungwon said, the gears turning in his head. He could see the headmaster standing in the window above out of the corner of his eye, and even though it was too late, he still wanted to impress the man.
“Both of you against me.”
Taeyong smirked. “Alright, Jungwon, we all know you’re good, but Yoonwon and I aren’t bad either. You sure?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Yoonwon and Taeyong moved to stand on one side as Jungwon relaxed into a more open stance.
“Begin!”
Jungwon darted forward to the right, aiming to disarm Taeyong, but he moved away at the last second with an alarmed expression on his face.
“Holy shit, Jungwon!”
Jungwon smiled to himself. This is what he lived for. The dizzying speed at which he moved, the flick of his fingers controlling the sword, the acute awareness of everything around him as he swung his blade and dodged blows with ease.
If I could get them to hinder each other’s movements, I could disarm both at once…
Jungwon backed up, then moved to the left sharply to carry out his plan. However, he didn’t see the underclass girl who had accidently stepped into their dueling pitch, and crashed hard into her, losing his grip on his sword.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, sunbaenim!”
Jungwon shoved her out of the way as he turned around to see Yoonwon coming right at him, sword raised to deliver the finishing blow.
Oh shit.
He crossed his arms up in front of himself as Yoonwon moved closer. He closed his eyes, expecting to feel a sharp pain against his forearms. However, the pain never came. What came instead was a surge of raw, incredible power.
A flash of light filled the courtyard as Yoonwon swung his sword down, sending him sprawling backwards. The light knocked all the trainees away, all of them confused, sitting at the edge of the courtyard. The windows to the viewing chamber were shattered as the headmaster stood there, mouth open in shock.
Jungwon knelt at the center of the courtyard, unscathed. He lowered his arms and looked up, seeing the shock on the headmaster’s face. He looked down at his hands, which still emitted a faint glow.
“Students, clean up this mess. This courtyard is off limits for the rest of the week.” The headmaster barked as he hurried away with a panicked expression.
Yoonwon groaned, standing up slowly, and Jungwon hurried over, making sure he was unhurt as he struggled to understand what just happened.
The students all scrambled away from the courtyard, no doubt to tell the entire school what had just occurred. Jungwon sighed, beginning to sweep up the glass all over the courtyard.
“Holy crap, Jungwon, what was that? Did you learn some secret new skill that guaranteed you invincibility in duels or something?” Taeyong asked.
“I have no idea. You guys were going to win the duel anyways.”
“Nah, it was rigged. I saw the girl wander into our space. Now, pass me a broom. If we all work together, maybe we can make it back to the dining hall in time for lunch. I heard they’re serving roast pheasant today!”
Jungwon let out a slow breath, thankful for his friends as he moved to sweep up the glass. “Thanks guys. It was probably nothing.”
However, he suddenly remembered the dream he had last night. The flash of light. The power. It was all so similar.
“Woah, you’ve got some blood coming out of your nose. Let’s go get that checked out.”
Jungwon swiped a hand underneath his nose, pulling it away to find it slick with bright red. This didn’t happen in the dream. “Yeah… Let’s go.”
What is happening to me?
By afternoon, the news had spread around the school. People kept coming up to him, asking him what kind of insanely powerful new technique he used. He repeated the same answer, telling people that it was overexaggerated, he just blocked a blow from Yoonwon.
The rest of the day past by uneventfully, as Jungwon decided to hide out in his room to avoid any more questions. He headed to bed early, but tossed and turned for hours, thinking about the dream he had last night. Or was it a memory? Who was the general and the people who told him to hide? And most importantly, what was the power?
Finally, he could feel exhaustion getting the better of him as the first streaks of dawn began to show in the sky. He fell into a fitful, dreamless sleep, feeling like something in gravity itself had shifted forever.
Jungwon awoke to a series of sharp raps against his door. He rolled over and groaned, estimating that he had only slept around three hours. Standing up, he opened the door to be met with Taeyong’s familiar face.
“Oh good, you’re awake! I know it’s the last day before graduation, but knowing you, you probably never sleep in, and I knew you’d want to know the news as soon as I heard–”
“What happened? There’s news?” Jungwon asked, suddenly miles more awake.
“Heeseung-sunbaenim, Sunghoon-sunbaenim, and Jongseong-sunbaenim are here. They’re in the library right now with the headmaster.”
Jungwon gasped, his mind going into tunnel vision at the names. He pulled on his beige uniform in record speed and sprinted to the library with Taeyong following close behind, yelling at him to slow down because it was too early in the morning for exercise.
News spread fast around the academy, and as it turns out, he was not the only one excited for the Three’s abrupt return. The librarian, a petite woman with graying hair, looked very upset at the crowd of students gathered around the entrance, all murmuring to each other.
“One at a time, please! And no talking in the library!”
“What could they possibly be here for?” Taeyong whispered, trying to avoid the earshot of the librarian.
“I don’t know. They haven’t been back for any of the alumni events. They were never at any of the army parades we went to. Why now?” Jungwon responded, but he was more trying to reason with himself. There had to be some serious explanation as to why they left him for two years just to come back now.
The two of them moved through the crowd, emerging at the front to catch a clear view of the meeting happening in the library, and Jungwon let out a gasp.
Jongseong looked even more handsome then Jungwon last remembered. His jaw was sharper, the gaze in his eyes almost smoldering as he conversed with the headmaster. His blue and gold military uniform, no doubt in the style of someone very high-ranking, gleamed in the early morning sunlight and made him look like royalty. And his hair was no longer the black that Jungwon spent so many afternoons running his fingers through, but now a light blonde, cropped short at the sides and longer at the top.
All three of them turned to the side, acknowledging the crowd at the window. Jongseong caught Jungwon’s eyes through the glass, and a flicker of recognition passed before he gave Jungwon a small smile and turned back around. The group stood up, presumably to move to somewhere more private.
Jungwon stood here, stunned. How can someone change so much, yet not at all, in two years? He had so many questions. Where have you been? What are you doing? Why did you never come back?
He caught a glimpse of Heeseung and Sunghoon as well, looking extremely regal in their white and black uniforms. Sunghoon’s hair was now an inky black instead of the soft brown it had been before. There were no dramatic changes to Heeseung’s appearance, but Jungwon could tell by the way he carried himself that he was more cautious, eyes noticing every danger. Jungwon was curious. What happened to cause these changes? All their uniforms indicated they were of high rank despite their young age, which was a good thing. Right? Jungwon asked himself, the cesspool of questions only growing bigger by the minute.
The crowd began to dissipate as the four of them left the library through the back entrance, students going back to bed, or going out to enjoy their last day as trainees. Jungwon stood frozen as he watched his friends walk away. What business did they have back at the academy? This couldn’t possibly have anything to do with what happened yesterday, right?
Lunchtime was filled with gossip from every direction.
“I asked my sister who’s in the First Division if she knows who they are. She says she’s never heard of them! And my sister’s a Colonel, she should know all the new recruits…”
“But those uniforms they were wearing looked higher ranking than Colonel… could they already be above your sister?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they are, honestly. They’re so cool…”
Jungwon tried to ignore the rumours swirling around him as he began drafting a plan in his mind to talk to Jongseong, Heeseung and Sunghoon before they left again. He had to get some answers out of them, not only for his peace of mind, but also for these strange bursts of light and power. From the way they were looking at him, he had a sickening feeling that this was all connected.
For the first time in a long time, he felt uncertain of the future.
It’ll be okay, he told himself. Maybe it was all made up in his mind. After all, it wasn’t the first time that he had misread the signs.
Shaking his head, he abandoned his plan and decided to focus on packing up the rest of his room.
Graduation day. The day that Jungwon had waited for nearly all his life. He was leaving behind the only home he had ever known, yes, but he was going to move on to a future that he was well-trained for. And after getting a good night’s sleep, he decided that the events of the last two days would not affect his future. What could 2 days do to 6 years of hard work? He was sure the headmaster would understand and give him the position he deserved. And if he was never going to see Jongseong, Heeseung, or Sunghoon again? Oh well, he decided. If one meeting caused this much trouble, then maybe it was for the best that they went their separate ways forever.
He put on the nicest set of uniforms he owned and ran a comb through his hair. He considered putting kohl around his eyes, but he suddenly remembered something Jongseong had said prior to the academy’s Christmas ball two years ago.
You don’t need it, Wonie. Your eyes… they’re like the starlight. They’re beautiful.
He put the kohl back down and swore internally. Now is not the time to be thinking about him, he chastised himself.
He looked around his small, drab room one last time before closing the door, turning around the corner to face the future that awaited him.
He could feel his heart beat faster as the names moved closer to his. The ceremony was almost at an end, with the names being called one by one alongside their assigned Division. He tried to keep himself still by gripping the arm of his seat, but his hands were too slippery, and he gave up.
Yang Chanmi, Sixth Division.
Yang Daeho, Tenth Division.
Closer…
Yang Jaehyung, Second Division.
Closer…
Yang Junghee, Eighth Division.
Now!
Yoo Minji, Third Division…
What?
They didn’t call his name.
For six years, Jungwon had been between Junghee and Minji. It was as certain as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. He began to panic, meeting the eyes of Taeyong and Yoonwon a couple rows ahead. They looked worried for him, gesturing him to go up and ask if there had been a mistake.
His ears rung as the rest of the ceremony passed by in a blur. He could see in his peripheral vision the happy faces of his classmates standing up and celebrating, but he was frozen. However, a million thoughts were running through his head.
I’ve never heard of someone who graduated without being placed in a Division. Am I staying as a trainee? I thought I placed high in all the criterion. Did none of my hard work matter? What’s going to happen to me?
“Yang Jungwon.”
The booming voice of the headmaster shook him out of his stupor.
“You need to come with me.”
He was escorted out of the hall by two guards wearing thick, black uniforms. They rushed him in the direction of the headmaster’s office, which only added to Jungwon’s confusion.
He was placed in a chair in front of the headmaster’s massive desk, where he noticed all his belongings on the ground – the trunk he packed last night, his training sword, even the little tube of kohl sitting on top – plus a set of what looked to be uniforms made from the same material as the guards’.
“From now on, you are not an official member of the Begnion army. You do not exist in the records. No one must know of your abilities, do you understand?” The headmaster said, face coming closer to his.
“What’s going on?” Jungwon said, squirming in the chair. “I don’t understand. Please. I–they never called my name at the ceremony. What’s going to happen to me? What Division am I in?”
The headmaster let out a long, slow breath as he met Jungwon’s eyes.
“You are in Division Zero.”