A young man walked along the halls of the Academy. His steps were slow, and his gaze was dull. He halted within his tracks once the room with a sign saying: 'Entering the Hex Zone' appeared before him.
He enters the class, taking a seat at the back of the class right beside the window. There, he saw his reflection, a young man whose hair flowed like a river. The eyes that see the reflection dyed grey. His skin, soft like snow. He wore a black uniform, a white linen shirt, a blue tie, black pants, and black shoes.
He sighed, seeing the door through which the Professor entered. She had long green hair, snow-like skin, and emerald green eyes. She wore silver colored glasses. She wore a white uniform and a black skirt.
She immediately begins the discussion, paying no heed to the discussions of her students. She spoke, her voice soft yet filled with authority, "I will be your Ability Professor for an entire year. My name is Lina, Lina of Innovation. I don't say anything further."
She then began walking towards the center of the stage. Her steps were slow and steady, brimming with confidence. With a snap of her fingers, a humanoid figure appeared. What was noteworthy was the fact that there were two separate colored vein-looking substances inside it.
Lina then began explaining, "The Hex Zone is the state where ability users or Holders can access and use their abilities. To enter this state, the mind must be split into two. One part will enter the White Palace that will allow the use of ability, while another will control the body."
An eager girl raised her hand, wanting to answer. Zixin turned to look at her, thinking, Long blond hair and golden eyes… she must be that one genius from the Impulse Bloodline. Why is she eager? Well, whatever.
Lina, the Professor, smiled, pointing towards the blonde girl, "Elena of Impulse, right? What do you have to say?"
Elena rose from her seat and confidently answered, "The mind does not need splitting since it has already been split into two. The conscious and the subconscious."
The smile on the Professor's face widened; she seemed happy to see such an eager student. She then pointed at the humanoid figure, explaining, "Since the mind has already been split, why do we need to do it again? The answer is simple, it is a fail-safé." She continued, "Why would someone decide to leave their body to nothing more than their own subconscious?"
The students nodded, and Zixin simply continued to take down notes.
She continued, "That is why a new method was made. A method that everyone can use. The Hand Method."
Elena raised her hand once more, but Lina didn't call her, instead, she cast her gaze to the whole class, looking for another student who was willing to answer.
A young man, his hair dyed black and his eyes dyed grey, raised his hand confidently.
Lina kindly called him, "Cael, right?"
Cael eagerly stood up, and he sighed, his gaze eager to answer. He spoke, his voice calming, "The Hand Method refers to trying to grasp one's own subconscious. With this method, the subconscious could be controlled to an extent, making it the best method for training."
Lina smiled, her gaze going back to the humanoid figure, "Yes, that is the case."
She then snapped her finger, and the blue and red vein-looking substances inside the humanoid figure began to flow like water while floating in front of her.
She pointed to the blue substance, "This is the conscious mind, while this red one is the subconscious mind. If even a little of the conscious mind infiltrates the subconscious mind, it will go a long way."
A small portion of the blue substance begins to flow into the red substance. Lina spoke, "This is merely a visualization of entering the Hex Zone through the Hand Method. Now, come and try it."
Zixin begins to close his eyes, trying to grasp his subconscious mind. The feeling of nothingness enveloped him, and he tried to grab forward, only to be snapped back to reality. He laughed dryly, Another failure, huh? It hasn't changed.
He then turned to look around his class, it seemed like most of the class managed to enter the Hex Zone. Lina clapped, congratulating everyone who succeeded, "That's good work, everyone. As for those that have yet to enter, it is only a matter of time."
Zixin felt like he was the one who was meant to hear Lina's words the most, which annoyed him, but he soon shook his head, becoming unbothered by it.
The class soon ended, and Zixin began to leave.
…
Zixin was walking through the halls of the Academy. The pillars were tall as though they had stood there for centuries. The walls were wide, making one feel safe.
On his way, Zixin met Professor Lina. She waved at him, smiling like she had met an old friend. She spoke, inviting Zixin, "Do you want to watch the upcoming entrance exams?"
Zixin didn't expect to meet her here, but he knew what he wanted, so he answered her, "No, I would rather self-study."
"Huh? Ok." She sighed, looking a little down.
Zixin thought to himself, as if replying to her, It's boring to do something I don't like. I'd fall asleep while watching other people.
She then asked, her gaze filled with curiosity, "Do you think you'll be able to enter the Hex Zone this year?"
Zixin pondered over the question for a few seconds before answering, his voice lacking confidence, "It doesn't seem like this year will be any different, but… miracles do occur."
Professor Lina smiled bitterly, concerned for her student's prospects. She sighed, encouraging him, "Miracles only occur to those who wish for it. If you don't strive to overcome this, you will never do."
Zixin stood there, smiling bitterly as he watched Professor Lina take her leave.
…
After all of his classes have been completed, Zixin begins to leave the Academy. While doing so, he was met with the gate of the Academy. The gate was tall, dyed golden with hints of silver.
He exited through it and started his stroll on the lively streets. Carriages went past one another, passerbys walked past him. The buildings were tall, but not towering.
He soon entered a bakery. The scent of the newly baked bread lures him in. He went to the counter, taking out his wallet, "May I have five vanilla cupcakes?"
The cashier answered politely, "That will be eight Pier Coins."
Zixin handed him the coins, and in return, Zixin was given a paper bag containing his order. He thanked the cashier and soon left the shop.
While walking down the street, he takes out one of his cupcakes and eats it. While eating, he thought about his first class. My inability to enter the Hex Zone hasn't changed a bit. It's been three years for goodness' sake. Am I really destined to die accomplishing nothing?
While Zixin was deep in his thoughts, a young girl bumped into him, causing the bag to fly into the air. Thankfully, Zixin managed to catch the bag before it fell. The girl had long brown hair and wore a brown jacket and some leather shoes.
A young woman hurried over, having nearly the same appearance as the girl, with her long brown hair. She apologized profusely, bowing like her life is on the line.
She explained while apologizing, "I'm so sorry. I took my daughter out for her first stroll, so she knew very little. Please forgive me!"
Zixin didn't bother with her apology and soon crossed the road. The young woman is scared of what Zixin may do to them, considering his status. She then noticed that no one seemed to look at them badly, and her heart was slowly calming down. She then turned to look at her daughter, who was now holding a paper bag containing cupcakes.
She wanted to thank Zixin, but he had already entered a carriage, disappearing from sight.
…
Inside the public carriage, Zixin was eating his last cupcake. He thought about the mother duo that he had just encountered. Giving food felt nice. If I see them again, I'll probably do the same. I wonder what impression I left on them.
While he was thinking, it suddenly began to rain. The sound was calming, making Zixin feel annoyed as he thought, I… I didn't bring an umbrella… Why did it have to rain…
When the carriage stopped at his destination, he exited and was immediately soaked. He immediately started heading towards the Palace in front of him. The night was cold, his breath slow. He quickly ran towards the gate of the Palace, which miraculously opened, and a carriage stood in front of him.
He went past the carriage, but the driver realized that Zixin was here. He had short gray hair and was in his late 40s. He wore a brown jacket and pants. He immediately hopped off and gave Zixin an umbrella.
He asked Zixin with growing concern, his voice a little unsteady, "Lord, why did you recklessly let yourself get soaked? What if you catch a cold? Your sister, the Queen, would be feeling sorrowful."
Zixin paid him no heed and took the umbrella, walking past the driver. He began feeling a shiver run down his spine so subconsciously, his speed quickened. It didn't take him long to enter the Palace. The halls were high and mighty, the walls and pillars were strong like steel. The warmth of the Palace calmed him.
The driver quickly called for other staff members. It didn't take long for them to appear. Zixin ordered them to prepare a hot bath. Half of them did as he ordered, while the rest began helping him dry up.
…
When Zixin finally entered the bath, he relaxed, falling asleep. Thankfully, he woke up after a few minutes and began cleaning himself.
After he finished, he dried himself up with a towel and changed into his usual clothes. He wore a white linen shirt, black pants, and black shoes.
He then walked towards his drawer, opening it to take his diary and pen. The diary's cover was soft, it had letters written in it saying: 'Omniscient's Days.' He sat down and began writing what had occurred today.
Day 16, Month Blossom, Year Revital
Today was no different from the rest. I went and attended my classes, ultimately failing to enter the Hex Zone. The encounter on the street was surprisingly fun but of no significance. The act of getting soaked still felt satisfying after all these years…
In conclusion, today was normal. Just another day.
Once he finished, a knock was heard.
Knock
Zixin turned to look at the door, speaking calmly, "You may enter."
A maid with long black hair entered the room, saying politely, "The dinner is ready, and Lady Xiu wants to discuss your recent actions."