Jiyoung looked confused.

Why wouldn’t she be? After seeing Jiwoo get beaten up by some random guy, she was in disbelief.

But Jiyoung knew best that everyone had their own secrets, and she also had her own. So she didn’t push Jiwoo to tell her his!

But after seeing the person, who fought toe to toe with a demon, and no less a ranked one and in the end killing that demon, she just couldn’t understand why Jiwoo just took his abuse.

‘Maybe he had some kind of dirt on Jiwoo?’ Jiyoung thought as she brushed her silky jet black hair.

Then putting the brush down on the table she stood up.

She was wearing the black uniform allocated to the first years. But the black silk of the uniform perfectly complimented her curves and style. She looked outstandingly beautiful.

She was inside her room, in the Ashura building. From ceiling to the floor, everything inside the room looked expensive.

There was a master-sized bed behind her. To her left was a big balcony.

The rooms allocated to the top ten in each respective years in Lock had the state of the art materials used to make the rooms based on the students choices and taste. They could change the interior of the room however they liked.

There was a separate training room in their rooms, which is given to the top ten. The Lock used every resource they had to nurture the top ten, in each respective year.

Because they were the faces of Lock. Who represented Lock in one way. The rank hierarchy in Lock was absolute. If you were low ranked in Lock you are looked down on by those of a higher rank.

Then walking up to the door she exited her room.

With a clank the door closed behind her and she turned left and started to walk through the wide corridor.

Walking up to the elevator, the doors opened, and Jiyoung stepped inside. Just as the doors were about to be closed, a rushed and loud voice echoed from the corridor.

“Please hold the door!”

Jiyoung held the elevator’s doors open, and soon a boy rushed into the elevator. The elevator doors closed and soon it started to descend.

“Huff... huff...” The boy held on to his knees as he took deep breaths. “Thanks for holding the door.” The boy thanked Jiyoung and straightened his posture.

His below shoulder length navy hair were tied into a low ponytail and his longs bangs covered his eyes. His stature was well-built and he wore the same black uniform like Jiyoung.

Giving him a single nonchalant glance, Jiyoung turned her head and silently waited for the elevator to descend.

Soon the elevator descended and the doors opened.

Both of them stepped outside of the elevator and walked out of the dormitory building.

Then Jiyoung stepped forward and reached for entrance of the Ashura building.

There stood a guard who guarded the entrance to the dormitory building. He had an intimidating aura around him and he was around the rank.

Without sparing him a single glance, she exited the dormitory.

The Lock did everything possible to make a comfortable and secure place for the top ten. In here, ranks determined your worth.

And if you were low ranked you were considered trash. A sad but true fact!

Humanity has always existed with a power hierarchy system. And it was the same here.

Every step Jiyoung took forward, made every single person to turn around and look in her direction. Be it men or women.

Her figure dazzled as she moved forward. Her jet black hair swayed beautifully and her hazel eyes looked charming.

The men around her had their eyes fixed on her figure, following her every movement. She looked unbelievable charming.

Her face was expressionless. There was a cold air around her.

Like she had build walls of ice around her to not make anyone approach her.

But underneath that expressionless face, Jiyoung was still contemplating over the event that had occurred four days ago. She just couldn’t get the image of Jiwoo getting beaten up out of her head.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Soon she reached the portal house where Jihoon was waiting for her.

“Jiyoung!” Jihoon said whilst walking up to Jiyoung.

“Did you wait long?” Jiyong asked. Her voice soft and her expressionless face was now replaced with a smile.

The two siblings attracted the attention of all the people around them. Everyone had their eyes fixed on the two.

Jihoon wore a check shirt over a white t-shirt, coupled with blue jeans. His jet black hair covered his forehead and his ocean blue eyes looked like they could suck anyone in them.

“Shall we?” Jiyoung asked.

“Yeah, let’s go.” With a quick reply both of them went to enjoy their time before the start of the tournament.

***

SEO JIWOO'S POV

“Wow, so you study here Jiwoo?” Jihye said. Her head turning from one place to another, and her eyes shined like glitter, which looked a bit comical to me.

“Jealous?” I teased. It was almost nine O’clock. So in a few more minutes the Headmaster of Lock was going to give his speech following which indicated the start of the tournament.

“Maybe a little.” She said.

We have been going from place to place and looking around the Lock with the free time before the tournament started.

“Jiwoo, let’s go over there.” Jihye grabbed my arm and dragged me around without my consent. I was more like her guide by now. ‘Well not that I hated it.’

“Jiwoo?” Jihye stopped in her tracks, turned around and spoke. Lowering her head slightly she again spoke. “Sorry if I got so excited and dragged you around so much,’ she apologetically said.

With a sigh I responded. “Did I say one word of dissatisfaction?”

Seriously, I was kind of mad at her at this point. She was too considerate, even to me, her own brother.

Most siblings would have just done this without even saying a word of gratitude.

I brought my hand close to her head and lightly smashed it. But not enough to really hurt her.

“Oh, my big sister is so considerate of me,” I tossed both of my arms in the air, like a jubilate prayer to the heavens. “Oh, Heavenly God, you have certainly blessed me with a goddess.” I teased.

I could evidently see Jihye's cheeks starting to turn red. Her ears perked, as her cheeks and ears reddened in embarrassment.

“Can you please stop that?” She said, her right hand still covering her face to hide her embarrassment, and the other grabbing on to my own.

People had started to take notice of us. And some were even looking in our direction.

“Why should I?” I again loudly preached. “My sister’s a goddess!”

“Stop—!” Jihye shouted.

Then with an ironic smile, I stopped and we both walked off.

‘Is this how brothers feel teasing their sisters. Not bad a bad feeling I have to say!' I inwardly thought as we both stepped forward.

But just as I took another step forward, I stopped and snapped my head backwards.

My face turned solemn.

'Mind’s Eye!’ I inwardly said.

I activated Mind’s Eye, but this time the world from my perspective didn’t slow down, nor did the veil of grey envelope the world, but rather I was able to see the Mana signature of all the people present.

Mind’s Eye had many features, and one of them was to allow the host to see someone’s Mana or demonic energy.

Thanks to my weak self, I still wasn't able to use it to it's full potential.

But with only twenty percent of the skill unlocked, it was still a big help for me.

I peered through each and every person. Looking and examining their Mana signature which burned brightly inside their bodies.

But I couldn’t find anything. Soon I deactivated Mind’s Eye and turned my head forward.

“Jiwoo is something wrong?” Jihye worriedly asked. She looked anxious with my sudden change in behaviour.

But putting a smile over my face, I reassured her. “It’s really nothing, I just thought I saw someone I knew, that’s all.”

With a relieved look, she spoke. “Okay!”

***

It was 9:07 am now, and now we both had arrived inside the arena.

I guided Jihye to her seat and went to the waiting room, where all the other students were waiting.

I was astonished to see the interior of the place just as I was when seeing the exterior..

The interior was well designed. Marble floors, expensive rugs placed over the floor, comfortable sofas, a variety of beverages placed for the students.

There was a wide glass window which allowed for us to clearly look at the arena below.

And a holographic screen which floated in the air and displayed the platform.

This arena could seat a total of seventy thousand people at once. There were large holograms on each side of the crowds sitting area. Which perfectly displayed the platform in the middle.

Then soon my eyes caught a man floating in the air above the arena and his figure was displayed over the holograms.

[I thank you all for attending the Lock’s International Tournament!]

His crisp voice echoed inside the arena.

He was the Headmaster of Lock, Samuel Thorne.

He looked charmingly handsome, despite his old age. Many people may not know, but Samuel was actually a hundred and seven years old. But despite that he looked to be only in his late sixties.

Because when Mana came to our world, over the years, it was proved that Mana reinforced our bodies and increased the life expectancy of those who could wield it.

Before Mana, people’s life expectancy was just around a hundred years, but when Mana came around, it was doubled. So now people could live up to almost two hundred years.

I gazed at Samuel's figure which floated in the air, and the dazzling light of the sun basked him in its light.

Samuel's chin was covered with a well maintained beard, and his graceful white hair were slicked back. His face only had a few wrinkles.

I could tell without even looking that he was a monster. He was among one of the few people in the world who were at the rank.

Truly a monster.

[This year as well, there are many talented gems attending Lock!]

[And you all have gathered here to look at the new rising stars of the world]

His floating figure looked magical. His clothes fluttered with the wind, as he continued to speak.

[Then without any further ado... Let the tournament begin!]

Just as his words faded, fireworks were launched into the air and the sky was filled with magnificent colours of many.

Then just as Samuel finished his speech, the names and images of the contestants who were to fight were displayed by a hologram which floated over the platform.

And lady luck really liked to fuck me over.

My name and image was displayed on the hologram.

I sighed before exiting the waiting room.

Walking through the corridor I made my way to the changing room.

On my way I found Jiyoung walking back to the waiting room.

“Hey!” I greeted her. For some reason there was an air of awkwardness between us, or I so thought.

“Good luck on your match!” She said.

I looked at her with a smile on my face as I responded. “Yeah, thanks.”

Then I continued my slow jog to the changing room.