"A loser is a loser. You can't even kneel properly."
A foot in a black leather boot pressed down on the back of his hand, slowly grinding against it.
His knuckles gave a faint creak.
Su Yang tried to pull his hand away, but his fingers wouldn't obey.
His vision slowly cleared.
A stone-paved plaza. Towering metal towers. In the distance, an enormous pale-blue holographic screen floated in the air. He couldn't recognize a single character scrolling across it.
Memories churned inside his skull like two streams crashing into each other.
Three hundred years.
The day before yesterday, he'd still been staying up late in his rented apartment, staring at his computer screen.
Yesterday, he'd worked overtime until the early hours.
Today...
Today, his name was Su Yang.
A third-year student in Class C at the Awakened Academy. He had failed to awaken an ability three times and ranked dead last in the whole grade on his physical fitness test.
His father had gone missing on patrol outside the city five years ago. His mother had died young. He had no one to back him up.
So anyone could take a shot at him.
"You deaf?" The foot lifted from the back of his hand, its toe aimed at his chin, ready to force his face up.
Su Yang turned his head to dodge. The foot missed, and the man got angry.
"You dare dodge? Brother Zhao, look at this loser, "
"That's enough."
A nonchalant voice came from a few steps away.
Su Yang pushed himself up and raised his head, a dull ache throbbing at the back of his neck.
He saw a young face, with arrogant eyes and an amused smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
