The High Realms have blessed the people of the Seven Realms with a hand-sized object possessing power and virtue since the beginning of time, where every opportunity rises within these anomalies: Systems. They revolve around numbers only meant to grow, grow, and grow. The bigger the numbers get, the more capable they become.

Numbers are everything for Systems, for any subject of high quantities yields great value. However, the System often holds these numeric variables as mere digits that only count and rarely manifest as physical forms.

When a person claims their personal System, they now oblige to work with it and enhance numerical growth. Systems act as financial intermediaries, managing income on behalf of users. If an abundant amount of money is offered to the man, he will relay more options than if given no money. Provide for the System, and it shall provide strength, food, and a home—A Domain.

Domains are a region of space a person may control with the help of their device. The stronger the System, the bigger the territory. They can extend up to the sky or deep below the World. They can explore distant seas or uncharted lands of the Seven Realms.

The individuality of each System’s capabilities makes them stand out from the rest. Some may require training pets. Some may seek to find a distant place to build their shops. Some may grow together as a collective society. But in the Lei Realm, there is one particular Domain that uses, rather, a dubious convention. With a System different from normal Lei Systems, it is a Domain that requires more than just digital numbers to sustain it, a Domain called Scholomark.

Children lived in Scholomark owned by a man who went by Marker. Besides his name, Moko couldn’t find any other related information about this anonymous man. His parents knew nothing about his sudden appearance, for he showed up years before their birth. Even they had to live in Scholomark for 12 years to earn their Systems. Currently residing on Kartha island, they were expanding their Domains in a secluded area with trees and hilltops. Moko needed to find someone in the cities if he wanted to dig into the origins of Marker.

Yet as he approached the last moments remaining in Scholomark, his curiosity dwindled. The red marks casting from the enchanting Portal, the flaring glow painting the interior of the atrium, the magical shine attracting his eyes, everything about this moment of graduation overwhelmed his sight. Nothing seemed to cross his mind but the thought of walking before that enormous figure, stretching his arms out to it and claiming his presented System.

Serina moved in his arms, shaking and flailing her legs all around. She struck her heel against his shin. Moko hissed and bent low. He looked down to see Serina squealing from excitement around his arms.

“Look at that!” She shouted, pointing down at the massive Portal reaching two stories tall. “Am I really getting my Donut?! Is this really happening?!”

Lorace spoke next to them with an astonished look. “This is the 6th time witnessing the Portal glowing like this. It never gets old watching it burn like that.”

“Doesn’t Knoran Realm have stuff like this?” Moko asked while heaving Serina up to get a better hold around her waist. “You should’ve wanted a Wand if you like magic.”

He shook his head. “I want to get a Hammer. That’s the System I worked my way up for. If I wanted a Wand, I’d be in Knoran, not in Lei.”

Amidst their conversation, Serina bumped her head on Moko’s chest and murmured beneath her teeth, “And Moko wants an Envelope.”

“It’s to live a simple life,” Moko replied. “When getting an Envelope, I can merge my System with my parents’ and grow their Domain faster. Traveling and living alone sounds like a lot of work.”

Lorace chuckled. “You go do what you want. But once I get my Hammer, I’ll go back to Bamma to start my Domain there. But do come and visit sometime. I can give you free stuff if needed.”

“What, like a kitchen table?” Moko asked sarcastically.

“I could make you a house to live in! That’s what the Hammer does. If you want a table, you better ask someone who has a Mallet.”

“I still can’t tell the difference. One is rubber and one is metal, but they both look like hammers.”

“Well, that’s the beauty of Systems. There can be anything, but still have unique traits to them,” Lorace sighed, resting his head on the railing.

“And countless, at that,” Moko added.

Serina added as well. “Isn’t that why we can only get a System if we have an affinity for it?”

Moko nodded. “Yeah.”

There were endless options out there, but Moko knew they could only possess one System. With such ownership, there would be no trading of one’s System or destroying it. It was a common belief among the students that claiming one was completely random. Someone could imagine getting a food System, but in the end, they could get an industrial System. The only way to narrow the chances of obtaining a desired device, Moko had to live with a work-life mindset that had an affinity for an Envelope.

It was a strange phenomenon. Systems were like small blocks scattered across a sandbox, randomized and disorderly. A magnet was needed to attract the specific one from the thousands. Living a formal and scholarly life, folding papers, and sending paper messages, Moko would create that magnet to attract an Envelope.

That was the reason why students formed groups early in their lives. They aligned priorities with each other so their outcome narrowed to a specific region of the System they wished to get. If the group was larger, there would be higher chances of discovering matched pairs among their members.

The significance of forming groups to find matched pairs was due to the benefit of combining Systems. Dissimilar types were naturally less compatible than ones that were identical to each other. When you combine two Systems with high compatibility, the production value multiplies. In essence, it was very very good to find your pair and join up. It was almost impossible to get the same System without a collaborative effort, thus the encouragement of social life.

Contrary to such a strategy, Moko wanted an Envelope to match his parents, for they also obtained Envelopes during their graduation years ago. It would be quite pointless for him to form a group when none of their interests aligned with his.

“Well, let’s just hope that we get what we want,” Lorace said. After a little pause, he buried his face in his sleeve and scratched his head. He sighed deeply, which came out as a muffled grunt. “Now that I think about it… Moko, hopefully, you still get your Envelope after all of the times we went to the gym.”

Moko looked at Lorace, watching his troubled face holding a tinge of concern. “Didn’t I say that it was going to be fine? Lifting weights shouldn’t really affect the outcome too much. I mean, making an envelope does require physical work with the hands.”

“But many other Systems that require physical work fall in that range. You could get an Axe for all I know.” He raised his head, almost gasping as he said, “What if you get a Jackhammer? Oh no, I should’ve thought about that. If you get a Jackhammer, then that would mean it’s my–”

“Shut up!” Serina shouted. She pushed against Moko’s arms as she kicked her feet in Lorace’s direction to hit him. He flinched at her words and stepped back. Moko’s grip loosened around her waist, struggling to keep her up. He withdrew his head in hopes she wouldn’t bump into him. Serina tried to be free, but he kept strapping her, his mind steadily growing impatient. –Serina… please calm down.

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After her little outburst, she caught her breath and spoke sharply. “Stop worrying about everything! Moko’s going to get his Envelope, you’re going to get your Hammer, and I’m going to get my Donut. Period! If you doubt a lot, your chances will lessen. So quit it!”

Lorace nodded his head hastily. He leaned against the fencing but a little more distance between him and her. “S–sorry.”

“Well, if I do get something else, I’m sure it’s not going to be any different than an Envelope–”

“And you!” Serina called, jerking her head up to stare at his face. Moko went silent and gazed nervously. “You’re too calm about your System. If you want an Envelope, be confident in it!”

Moko refuted. “I know, but I could get something close to it and still merge with my parents’ Systems. Don’t worry about it. It’ll work out somehow.”

Serina huffed and stopped raising her voice. She tugged on the railing, bringing Moko closer so she could look back down at the Portal. Moko sighed and glared at Lorace. He gave him a little shrug before veering his attention back down at the mesmerizing Portal. Lorace let out half-finished laughter and joined with them at the crimson display.

As they observed the Portal, out of the corner of Moko’s eyes, something flashed in a ray of white in the far distance of the atrium. He raised his head and looked in the given direction. The light was gone, flickering once and disappearing right after. It seemed to have come from a spot over the railing, where a person should be standing just like the rest of the students. It was only a vacant spot, however. Some nearby people stared at the same place, startled and confused like he was. He was mute and unsure what to say. Whispers broke among them, and the words reached Moko saying that they noticed a student vanishing.

While that happened, students around the atrium shouted and cheered loud again. When looking around, one by one they began pointing their fingers down at the base floor. Not long after the collective pointing, Serina burst with excitement once more.

“Look down there! Moko! Down there!” She shouted. Her legs swayed back and forth, hitting his shin with her heels again. Moko grunted and hissed at her frequent movement. Her head bobbed all over the place. She kept insisting for him to see what was unfolding below them, but her constant shakes made it hard for him to do so. His shin got struck even harder.

Without a word, Moko stopped holding her up and placed her down behind him. On the floor, Serina looked at him dumbfoundedly. “Moko! Hey! Pick me back up!” She shouted, running up and tugging on his sweater. He brushed off her plead and turned his back against her, lowering his head to observe the scene everyone was thrilled with.

His eyes widened upon realization. A figure was seen on the floor below. They stood tall and face-fronted by the enormous Portal. The red glaring light rendered it difficult to see. However, words went around saying he was the senior boy who was on the 11th floor. Moko realized what happened and thought to himself, –Teleportation?

“I forgot Scholomark does this,” Lorace whispered beneath his frozen lips. Moko turned and saw an expression of certainty written on his face. “Marker would bring students down one by one. He did that last year, and the year before.”

When observing the boy again, he walked steadily, taking his time so much that it took him a minute to close the gap. He stopped a foot away from the surface of the alluring Portal. Everyone across the Scholomark Towers cheered as the mix of their voices and the howling emission of the red light prevailed all through the atrium. He began lifting his arms at the red surface. The light was too bright to discern his exact movements, but the sight of the graduation day unfolding made Moko’s heart race.

Serina hopped next to Moko hopelessly, doing her best to spectate. Moko and Lorace watched intensely as the boy had his head lowered, appearing to be observing something on his hand. His hands cupped as if carrying something. The boy departed soon after, stepping away from the Portal, disappearing beneath the atrium, and walking towards the suspending entrance light seeping from the outside world.

Everyone spoke their last farewells to the first senior graduating as he left. Serina kept jumping, watching her head bob up and down in the corner of his vision. Moko, watching her struggle, ended up helping her again. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her. As he did, Serina was oddly quiet. Lorace was quiet too. Everyone was. And before he knew it, he himself couldn’t speak a word. Suspense brimmed the atmosphere as Moko counted in his head the remainder of the seniors waiting to be next. –One down, 165 more to go. Who’s going to be next? It’s not soon after that the next person would be sent down–

In the middle of his thoughts, a bright flash of light invaded his sight. It was a split second. By the obscuring white that clad his view, the same white seam vanished. The crimson rays emerged but with more intensity. The ground beneath Moko was uneven and his legs lost balance. The railing he leaned against was gone, being only an empty air devoid of anything to grab on. His torso fell forward. He quickly caught his stance with stretched arms and parted legs. Disoriented, Moko froze to compose himself as the surrounding setting quickly overwhelmed his senses. But not long after his sudden relocation, his eyes fixed on the large sheet of red before him. The Portal was standing right there—a few meters away. Moko was next.

The students above began cheering. Their voices reached through the entire atrium and shook his ears. They clapped and shouted. Moko raised his head to see the miniature heads peeking down at him, each observant person extending from the 1st to the 12th floor (the floor Moko was on was the 0th floor—base floor). The silver light beaming through the frosty ceiling was only a speck. The light from the Portal pinched his eyes from such brightness. It was impossible to spot Lorace and Serina. They could be anyone on the eleventh floor, and Moko was too shaken to even bother finding them.

His attention drew to the massive overlay of the red surface staring back. Striations of magical light swirled and flowed through the vast expanse. It was like looking at burning lava that danced with spiraling strands and emitted echoing howls. The Portal emitted a roasted smell. The scent felt like the mixture of a work office and grilled beef, an odd combination that tingled his nostrils. He glared at the monster, his heartbeats quickening. His legs grew heavy and his eyes shuddered. There was only one thing he needed to do—that he had to do.

Moko walked forward with each step, carrying more weight than the last. Traversing over small rocks and pebbles stranded all across the floor left by the aging Portal, he stepped up to the elevated ground that was mounted by tons of dirt. The air felt cold, but his body was getting uncomfortably warm. Blood pumped throughout his limbs and face.

The majority of his mind didn’t know what he was doing. When he was only a step from crossing the Portal’s gaping surface, he went to extend his arm out. Inching closer and closer, there was a sudden shock coursing from his fingers down to his entire body. His muscles trembled and froze. Moko stepped back as a large box of words appeared in his view. The overlay was black, allowing him to read the phrase that emerged from the Portal and speak in the same language:

[Further advancing beyond this point is prohibited.]

After reading the clear-presented words, the box overlay folded itself and vanished out of sight. Moko analyzed the phrase in his head, gazing back at the Portal before him. He was unsure of how to respond, keeping his feet in place and holding his arms back from reaching too far. It felt like his body obeyed the words, not moving an inch more toward the red sheet of light.

Moko tried recalling the movement of the previous boy and how he responded in this situation. From what he remembered, he reached out his hands in a cupped position. So Moko did the same. His hands clamped together like a bowl and waited like a child asking their parents for some candy. His panicking mind believed there was a correct to do this, making his heart pound faster in hopes a wrong move wouldn’t make him lose the chance of getting a System. But if that student before him had gotten their System with this method, he was sure that this was the right move to go with.

After long and suspenseful five seconds passed, something small emerged from the other side of the Portal. The red surface wavered with the object coming into view as a small silhouette. Moko watched the tiny figure floating through the air and approaching in his direction. The red gleaming light made it difficult to judge its exact shape. He shut his lips tightly, being so focused that he held his breath. He knew that the object was his System, the very thing he wanted to obtain by living in Scholomark for 12 years. The thought of it straightened his hair.

The System finally dropped to his hands. It was heavy, heavier than what he’d expected from an envelope or any piece of paper. Moko analyzed the System. The edges had no corners. It wasn’t even a rectangle, but a circle. The surface didn’t feel smooth like that of soft fabric or carved wood. Feeling its texture running down his sweaty hands, there was no sort of bend like a paper would make when being unevenly clasped on. It was hard, and even crispy.

Pulling his arms closer and drawing the object towards his face, the red flaring light lessened in intensity. The view of the small item appeared. He saw colors of brown and spotted flakes. Gripping it harder, he realized that it was indeed a solid System without any malleability or elasticity. Moko’s mouth slowly gaped open, his heart slowing down. He blinked fast, bringing it even closer to make sure that what he was seeing wasn’t a trick or an illusion. But by doing so, the smell of the sugary coat of its delicacy emitted. The sweet scent was unleashed as if coming right out of the oven. It was warm and fragrant. The sweet scent drowned his thought of an Envelope, turning his potential work life into… dessert life.

In disbelief, a sudden intruder of boxed words invaded his sight again. However, this time was different. A light static tickled his ears as inscriptions appeared before him. Amidst the burning light that shined on his forefront and students exchanging shouts above, the appearance of words clouded his vision. It was a phrase that grimed darkly to contrast the bright Portal. They were simple to read, pulling his eyes from the object in his hand to the text portrayed in a huge font. Big and visible, Moko saw the words presented in a simple phrase or a line—just a word and its counterpart.

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