As soon as Aiden and Julian stepped into the large hall, the air shifted. Heads turned immediately in their direction, and a wave of whispers broke out like ripples in a still pond. Students leaned toward one another, whispering into each other's ears, eyes following the two of them as they walked further into the room.
Aiden felt the familiar weight of stares pressing down on him again. It was becoming tiring, this constant attention. He didn't understand what was so fascinating about him. Choosing to ignore all the stares, he kept his expression neutral and followed Julian to an empty row of seats. They sat down without a word.
But even after taking their seats, the stares didn't stop. In fact, they seemed to intensify. Students sitting behind craned their necks to get a better look, while those in front turned around more than once, whispering as if Aiden wouldn't notice.
Aiden sighed quietly and leaned back in his seat. He was trying not to care. But then something happened that made him pause.
A girl, clearly a Fae from the ethereal shimmer in her skin and the subtle glow of her eyes, walked right over to them and sat down beside him. Without any greeting, she stared at him openly for a moment, blinking slowly as though trying to convince herself he was real.
Then she spoke.
"Please," she said, her tone half pleading, half curious, "can you tell me your skincare routine?"
Aiden blinked.
She leaned in slightly, continuing without waiting for his response. "You're even more beautiful than most of the Faes in this school. And you know Faes are famous for our beauty, right? But here you are, just sitting there, looking like that. I have to know what you do."
The girl's voice was genuine but intense. She wasn't mocking him, just... fixated.
"I mean, look at me," she went on, motioning vaguely to herself. "I'm a Fae, and I still feel like I'm lacking something. If there's a way to enhance beauty, I'll do it. Whatever it takes."
Her eyes wandered over Aiden's features again. "Is your hair real? And your eyes? They're so bright, so gold. It's almost unfair."
Then she mumbled under her breath, "Maybe I should dye my hair silver too... and get golden lenses."
Aiden just stared at her, unsure of how to respond. The whole situation was bizarre.
Noticing his silence, the girl pressed further. "Why aren't you saying anything? Don't be stingy. Just tell me what you did to look this way."
He cleared his throat, trying to find the most harmless answer. "Um... genetics?"
The Fae girl narrowed her eyes, her tone becoming sharper. "Come on, don't lie. There's no way a human should look like you. Be honest."
Aiden shrugged. "I'm not lying."
Her expression darkened immediately. She stood up in a huff, glaring down at him with something like wounded pride. "You should be grateful I even took the time to talk to you," she snapped. "I just wanted to know how you managed to be so beautiful, and you can't even give me that. So stingy."
And with that, she walked off, still muttering under her breath.
Aiden turned to Julian with wide eyes, completely stunned. Julian was already looking at him, trying and failing to hold back a laugh. A moment later, both of them burst out laughing.
"I didn't even say I wanted to be her friend," Aiden said through a chuckle. "Why did she act like we were supposed to bond over beauty tips?"
Julian smirked. "I have no idea. She's weird. But entertaining."
Before their laughter could fade completely, the atmosphere in the room shifted again. The door opened, and three teachers entered. The students immediately quieted down, attention shifting from gossip to curiosity.
Aiden noticed something strange right away. Behind the central teacher, a floating table glided through the air, following her like it was tethered to her energy. On top of it sat a glowing, round object with three swirling colors that seemed to pulse faintly. The entire setup looked otherworldly.
The floating table followed the teacher until she reached the center of the hall, where it descended gently and settled onto the floor without a sound.
The woman stepped forward, her voice ringing out clearly. "Good day, new students. My name is Miss Flecine, and I'm one of your instructors here at Sky Line Academy."
She gestured toward the two teachers who had entered beside her.
"This is Mr. Bertain," she said, pointing to a tall, elegant man with pointed ears and an otherworldly grace that immediately identified him as a Fae. "And this," she continued, gesturing to the broader, quieter man on her other side, "is Mr. Gareth, another instructor here. He belongs to the wolf race."
Her eyes swept over the students before continuing.
"I'm aware that many of you already know what you are, what race you belong to. But some of you might still be uncertain, or completely unaware. That's perfectly fine. Today, we're going to uncover that."
Aiden sat straighter, now fully focused.
"But more than just your race," Miss Flecine added, "we'll be testing your potential. Even within the same race, individuals vary in power. Some are born with gifts that others are not. This test will determine where you stand."
She paused before adding, "It will also show us who among you might be a leader... and who might struggle to keep up. I won't lie to you. Life here will not treat everyone the same. Just as hands are not equal, neither is potential."
Mr. Bertain stepped forward, picking up where she left off.
"This globe," he said, pointing to the orb on the table, "will test your latent ability. It reads your potential and reveals how powerful you may become."
He looked around at the students. "But let me be clear. The academy does not discard those with lower potential. We do not abandon our students. However, we will prioritize those who show the most promise."
His voice lowered slightly, growing more serious.
"So now, we'll begin. Starting from the front row and moving back, each of you will come forward and drop a single bead of blood onto the globe."
At that moment, Miss Flecine held out her hand. Aiden watched as several thin needles appeared in the air before her, floating down onto the table as if summoned by magic.
Aiden leaned slightly toward Julian and whispered, "She summoned those out of nowhere, right?"
Julian gave a quick nod, eyes still focused on the table. "Yeah. Welcome to Sky Line."
The room fell into an anticipatory hush as the first student slowly stood and walked toward the glowing globe.