A week passed quickly, and today was the day — the first part of the Astral Convergence. The written test. In my previous life i would have been so nervous but today i felt so calm .
The sun had just risen, soft golden light filling our small house. The air smelled fresh, and a cool breeze came through the open window.
I stood in front of the mirror, fixing my shirt collar. I was wearing a plain white shirt with a dark blue jacket and black pants — nothing fancy, but clean and neat. My black hair was a bit messy as always, but my blue eyes looked calmer than usual.
Elara came out of her room, tying her blonde hair into a neat ponytail. Her black eyes sparkled in the morning light. She wore a white sweater with a light grey skirt and a small silver pin on her collar.
"You look nice," I said, smiling a bit.
She laughed softly. "You too, brother. Shouldn't we wait for Amanda and Cole? We can go together."
I shook my head. "They'll come. You know how slow they are. If we wait, we'll be late."
She sighed but smiled. "Fine, fine. These days you are so serious."
We grabbed our bags, stepped out, and locked the door behind us. The morning sun shone warmly on our faces as we started walking toward the academy.
The road to the bus stop was quiet that morning. The sunlight fell softly on the streets, and the air smelled of fresh flowers from the gardens nearby. Elara walked beside me, her blonde hair shining a little under the sun.
The city was slowly waking up — shopkeepers opening their stores, children running to school, and the sound of birds echoing through the trees.
We reached the bus stop after ten minutes of walking. A few other students were already there, talking nervously about the Astral Convergence. The bus arrived soon — large, clean, and shining in silver.
Its doors opened with a soft hiss. Inside, the seats looked soft and comfortable, with small tablets on the backs for reading or watching the news.
We sat together, Elara taking the aisle seat while I chose the window. As the bus started moving, I leaned against the glass, watching the buildings pass by.
Tall apartments, green parks, and a few small food stalls — everything looked calm.
I couldn't help but remember the last time I took this same bus in my previous life. That time, I went with Amanda and Cole, leaving Elara alone. She had given her exam quietly, and I hadn't even noticed how lonely she must have felt.
Now, sitting beside her, I felt something heavy in my chest. I didn't remember much of the exam subjects — history, biology of fragments, but it didn't matter. Elara, with her brain fragment, was a genius. She smiled softly as she looked out, and I promised myself again — this time, I wouldn't let her face anything alone.
The bus stopped with a gentle hiss in front of a massive white building — the Astral Convergence Examination Centre.
Its tall glass walls shimmered under the sunlight, and large banners with the academy's symbol fluttered above the gates.
Students were everywhere — some talking nervously, others revising from their notes. The air buzzed with excitement and tension.
Elara and I stepped down from the bus, adjusting our bags on our shoulders. The wide stone pathway led straight to the main entrance, lined with trees that swayed softly in the breeze.
Guards stood on both sides of the gate, wearing sleek black uniforms marked with glowing symbols — the sign of Core Rank holders, Rank Three fragment users. Their presence alone made the crowd quiet.
We showed our entry cards and walked through the scanning gate. Inside, the hall was even larger — shining floors, floating holograms guiding students, and hundreds of candidates finding their rooms.
Inside, the main hall of the Astral Convergence Centre was bright and full of energy. The floor was made of smooth white marble that reflected the ceiling lights like tiny stars. Holographic signs floated in the air, showing directions — "Written Examination Hall A–D → This Way", "Refreshment Area → Left Wing", "Silence Beyond This Point".
Students moved everywhere, some alone, some in groups. Everyone carried their transparent exam pouches and ID cards. Some looked nervous, others confident. The sound of footsteps, murmurs, and occasional laughter echoed softly in the vast space.
Elara walked beside me, holding her bag tightly against her chest. "It's more crowded than I thought," she said, her voice low.
"Yeah," I replied, scanning the hall. "Looks like at least five hundred people."
As we walked further, I noticed the walls were filled with glowing symbols of different Dominions — the 33 main paths. Each one had a unique color and pattern, reminding everyone why they were here: to find their true purpose.
We followed the line toward Hall C, where our exam would be held. On the way, we passed a large board that listed student ranks and fragment types from previous years. I saw some names I remembered from my last life — people who had later become heroes… and some who had died. The memories hit me like a quiet ache, but I brushed them off.
"Ethan, are you okay?" Elara asked, noticing the look on my face.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, forcing a small smile. "Just remembering a few things."
When we reached Hall C, two instructors stood at the entrance, scanning IDs and checking the candidates' arms for their fragments.
Their fragments glowed faintly, marking them as Core Rank or higher. After checking us, they nodded.
"Take your seats according to your ID numbers," one of them said.
We entered the hall. It was huge, with rows upon rows of seats and white desks, each equipped with a sleek screen for the multiple-choice test. The air smelled faintly of paper and polish.
Elara looked at me and smiled nervously. "Let's do our best, okay?"
I just nodded and we both went to our respective seats let's see 25A was my seat number near a window in the fifth row ....that's nice atleast my seat is near a window .
I sat down on my seat and turned to look for Elara , soo luckyy She was sitting in the last seat in the same row in which I was in , giving her a thumbs up from my seat, i looked around and saw many students some nervous some looked like they didn't even care as they were in casual clothes
Ooo that's Daniel Brooks , in my previous life he was in the same class as me in the Astral Academy, his fragment was probably related to Strength as I remember we were in a same team during a Academy mission.
The Astral Academy is one of the most famous Academy in our province each year as it produces hundreds of heroes that join the top guilds , that's why there are Many exercises for students in the academy like missions in which the students get missions alone or in groups and on completion of the mission the students are provided with rewards like fragments and weapons or even money .
Thinking about money , our money problem might not be an issue anymore as last week an explosion happened in the forest behind the house and when the smoke cleared I saw a Obsidian spire , an obsidian spire is an structure that has a lot of low level fragments (common and normal fragments)attached to it .
I don't know how it even got there I have thought about it for a lot you know what let's just thank god and be happy hahaha hmm coughh coughh it is a little random,
Why am I even worrying I literally died a painful death, there is nothing that worries me other than the failing to protect my sister if it ever comes to that.