Chapter 128: 128 | Third Place, Seventh Place, and One Big Problem [PS BONUS]
We tore open the envelopes at the same time. Inside mine was a thin metallic disc that started glowing the moment it hit the air. I nearly dropped the thing, but managed to set it on the counter before it could project whatever hologram was stored inside.
"Is yours doing that?" Sloane asked, holding her own disc at arm’s length.
"Yeah. Diane?"
"Same here." She was already reaching for the disc with the confidence of someone who’d dealt with Hero tech before. "They’re projection discs. High-end ones, by the look of it."
The three discs activated simultaneously, filling the kitchen with golden light that resolved into three separate holographic displays. Each one showed the distinctive Halloran Academy seal, but that’s where the similarities ended.
My projection showed a figure I recognized immediately, even though I’d never seen him in person. Tall, impossibly broad-shouldered, with golden hair swept back and that trademark smile that had graced a thousand magazine covers.
Radiant. The number one Hero in the entire country was about to deliver my exam results.
"Holy shit," I breathed.
The hologram began to speak, and that famous voice filled the kitchen with warmth and authority that made my chest tight for reasons I couldn’t explain.
"Lukas Belmont," Radiant said, his smile somehow managing to be both reassuring and slightly sad. "Son of Vanguard and Reina Belmont, two Heroes I had the privilege of calling friends."
My breath caught. He knew my parents. Of course he did. They’d died in the same incident that had left him injured, though the public had never been told about his wounds.
"Your practical exam performance was exceptional," Radiant continued. "One hundred and seven villain points, placing you in the top fifteen percent of all applicants nationwide. But that’s not why I’m here."
The projection shifted, showing footage from the entrance exam. Me, moving through the simulated city with Spectral Reach constructs extending from my hands like golden threads. The quality was incredible, every detail captured in perfect clarity.
"During the practical assessment, you encountered another applicant in distress. Felicity Hardy, caught in a collapsing structure with no clear escape route. You could have continued toward your own objectives. Instead, you chose to help."
The footage showed me finding Felicity trapped under rubble, using my constructs to lift the debris while she tried to free herself. Then the building started coming down, and I’d grabbed her and carried her to safety, my body shielding hers from falling concrete.
"This action earned you sixty-three rescue points," Radiant said, his smile widening. "Points awarded not for defeating villains, but for embodying the true spirit of heroism. The willingness to put others before yourself, even when no one is watching."
Rescue points.
"Combined with your written examination scores, your total places you not just as accepted to Halloran Academy, but as the third-highest scoring applicant in this year’s entrance class."
Third highest. Out of fourteen hundred applicants.
"Welcome to Halloran Academy, Lukas. Your parents would be proud."
The projection faded, leaving the three of us standing in stunned silence.
Sloane broke it first. "Third place? You got third place?"
"Apparently." My voice sounded strange in my own ears. "What about yours?"
Her projection had shown Professor Steele, the Combat Operations instructor I remembered from the practical exam. Sloane had placed seventh overall, with the second-highest combat score in the entire applicant pool.
Diane’s projection was different. Not an acceptance, but a congratulatory message from the academy’s Public Relations department, acknowledging Fitzgerald Media Group’s continued partnership and expressing excitement about representing the children of two of their most valued associates.
"We both got in," Sloane said, her voice small with wonder.
"We both got in," I agreed.
Then she was in my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist as she kissed me with enough enthusiasm to bruise my lips. I could taste her excitement, her pride, her absolute joy at the realization that we were actually going to do this together.
When she finally let me breathe, Diane was watching us with that soft expression that meant she was having feelings she didn’t quite know how to express.
"I’m proud of you both," she said simply.
"We couldn’t have done it without you," I replied, and meant it.
She’d been the one to push us both to apply, to believe we were good enough even when we didn’t believe it ourselves. She’d been our training partner, our coach, our foundation.
Now we were going to Halloran Academy. Together.
The excitement in the kitchen felt electric as we all stared at the fading holograms. Sloane was practically vibrating with energy, her pink hair catching the morning light as she bounced on her toes.
"Wait, there’s more," she said, diving back into her envelope. "There’s actual paperwork in here."
She pulled out a thick packet of documents, her eyes scanning the first page rapidly. "Class assignments, dormitory information, course schedules..." Her voice trailed off as she found what she was looking for. "Oh my god."
"What is it?" Diane asked, moving closer to read over Sloane’s shoulder.
"Class 1-A," Sloane breathed, her face lighting up like she’d just won the lottery. "I’m in Class 1-A."
Of course she was. Seventh place overall with the second-highest combat score? They’d be crazy not to put her in the premier combat track. I felt a surge of pride watching her face transform with pure joy, followed immediately by a knot of worry in my stomach.
If she was in 1-A, where did that leave me?
I fumbled through my own envelope, finding the same thick packet of documents. The letterhead was elegant, embossed with the Halloran Academy seal in gold foil that caught the light. My fingers felt clumsy as I unfolded the first page.
HALLORAN ACADEMY
Department of Hero Operations
Official Class Assignment Letter
Lukas Belmont
Student ID: HN-2024-1157
Entrance Rank: #3 Overall
Dear Mr. Belmont,
Congratulations on your acceptance to Halloran Academy’s Combat Operations program. Your performance during both written and practical examinations demonstrates the exceptional potential we seek in our students.
After careful review of your examination results, psychological profile, and projected development trajectory, you have been assigned to:
CLASS 1-B
Instructor: Professor Imara Steele
Classroom: Building C, Room 237
First Day: Monday, August 8th, 0800 hours
Your class assignment reflects not academic ranking, but optimal learning environment based on your individual needs and capabilities. Class 1-B specializes in tactical flexibility, adaptive combat strategies, and non-traditional applications of Aspect abilities.
