"For what reason do you want to study at Bastian Academy?"
The question echoed against the ears of the young man, seeding itself into his head. In the silent room, it dug so deeply into his mind that the only choice was to say what he felt the strongest—
"To become somebody capable of crushing the Fulminare," Seven honestly answered.
"—"
A lack of a response existed for a moment before another question came from the intercom:
"To what end will you chase that goal?"
"Anything and everything within my power," Seven answered.
Once again, silence befell the blank rook with his answer before—a click resounded. He didn't know whether or not what he said was met positively, though as the doors opened again, he found his answer arriving.
Director Ren walked in, adjusting his glasses with a quiet exhale, "A fellow freshman will show you to your living quarters. If you need anything or have questions, she is somebody you can rely on."
"I passed—?" Seven asked.
Only a small wave came from the Director who walked away, not giving any sort of direct answer. All that was left for the perplexed, young man was leaving the room, taking the elevator before he found somebody already waiting inside of it.
"Yo! You're Seven? Hmm—impressive build you've got, you're no slouch."
Before he could even get a word out, he found himself being inspected by the brunette girl. She looked him up-and-down, humming to herself before finally stepping back and looking up at him.
"Sorry 'bout that, I'm May. The Director sent me to be your sort of guide into Bastian. Nice to meetcha!" The girl introduced herself, extending her hand.
He accepted the gesture, finally finding the chance to speak, "Thanks. This place is a bit much, so I guess I do need some help getting used to it."
May wore a snow-white uniform with silver leggings running past her skirt, gesturing for him to stand in the elevator before she pressed one of its buttons.
"Isn't that the truth? If you tried to get around on your own, you'd probably end up completely lost. Totally embarrassing, right? Good thing you have me!" May said with a smug smile, pointing at herself before laughing.
"Yeah…" Seven smiled, finding the girl to be almost too energetic.
What stood out to him was the fact she had access to the floor the Director had brought him to, which seemed at the very least somewhat exclusive.
'She must be somebody he trusts–is she a top student here? I don't know much about the hierarchy of Bastian, but I've heard it can be insanely competitive,' he considered.
The elevator didn't just stop at the lobby floor, but instead went deeper, entering an underground area of the academy that he wasn't even aware existed.
He looked around, seeing the pale walls pass by quickly through the translucent lift, "Where's this taking us–?"
"The dormitory, of course," May answered with a chipper smile, tilting her head to the side as she looked at him.
Despite that answer, Seven recalled seeing buildings that were labeled as living quarters when first arriving at the academy, "But aren't those outside?"
"Those are the standard facilities for standard students," May explained, bringing her hands together as the elevator hummed in its descent, "Down here is the Platinum Dorms–it's reserved for the top five ranked students in Bastian. A special unit, of a sort, for special missions."
"Then why am I being brought down here? I have a room there?" Seven curiously asked, feeling a bit woozy as he watched the lift quickly descend.
"I'm not exactly sure the reason myself, but there was another room built a few days ago. It looks like the higher ups really have taken a liking to you," May remarked with a chuckle before lightly tapping her finger against his chest. "--I'd be careful about that, though. Special treatment will be seen as a target on your back to some students."
"Thanks for the warning?" Seven hesitantly said.
The elevator finally came to a stop, parting its doors to a pristine corridor. It was completely spotless, with not even a speck of dust lining the marble walls.
"Right down this way—c'mon!" May excitedly gesture for him to follow, almost skipping down the hallway.
He obliged, walking behind his fellow student. Past the initial corridor was a lounge room of sorts, though it looked like something straight out of a billionaire's suite. There was a dip in the center with a circular, pale sofa that surrounded a countertop with a digital screen.
Sitting there was another person–a youthful man of similar age, though with a light scruff on his chin and shaggy, dark hair.
"Oh! Shin, you're here–this is the new guy!" May waved over to the man lounging on the sofa.
If looks could kill, Shin definitely had them; dark bags under his eyes and a stare that looked as though he could care less about who he looked at. Shin wore a loose, black tank-top that revealed his toned arms that were layered in scars and tattoos.
Seven greeted himself, "Nice to meet you."
"Ah? Hey," Shin half-heartedly greeted, only glancing over for a moment.
It was as uncaring of an introduction one could give, but Seven brushed it off, not expecting too warm of a welcome anyway as he moved on alongside May.
At the other end of the room, a short descent of steps led to a hallway where he was led to the further room.
"Here you go—oh, you'll need to open it," May instructed with a smile, stopping in front of the door.
There was a special lock attached to the sleek, black entrance that prompted for a handprint.
'It's already registered for me? Feels kind of creepy,' he thought before placing his palm against the digital surface.
A light chime played from the screen as a soft voice played from it: "Student #0 confirmed. Welcome, Seven."
The door retracted itself, revealing the special dorm exclusive to himself as he stepped past the threshold. He was taken aback by the interior; pristine, marble flooring and opulent walls outfitted with digital surfaces that blended with the room.
"Here's your bathroom," May pointed out to the left of the immediate corridor in the dorm.
Into the doorway, he entered the bathroom, though it felt as though he walked into a completely separate living quarters with just how vast it is, "Talk about spacious. This would be a king's bathroom if we lived in medieval times."
"In this academy, the top students are basically royalty. At least, that's how the rest of the world sees us," May explained with a bright smile, walking with her hands behind her back.
It was a degree of luxury that he'd never experienced himself, only the sort of thing he witnessed in movies. The bedroom was outfitted with a king-sized bed, covered with pristine, gray sheets and a desk already set up with a top of the line computer. Attached to the wall was a television that would put some theaters to shame.
Every reaction to the outlandish dork was met with laughter from the girl.
"You're interesting, Seven. Most people that come to Bastian are full of themselves and pompous," May claimed, sitting down on the edge of the made bed.
"Really? Well, this is all sort of new to me," he admitted.
'Somebody like me…Just a month ago, I was nobody—not a dollar to my name. Can somebody like me really live this sort of life?' He questioned.
Settling in, he unpacked his things, though it amounted to just a few personal belongings to fill the empty drawers. As he set his suitcase down, he turned around to find the helpful peer handing him something—a touchscreen device.
"A phone?" He questioned, accepting it as he looked at the device in his hand.
"It's already set up with all the programs and contacts you'll need! Just a heads up, the board really likes calling us from the top five up for emergency missions—it's a pain," May warned him with a playful sigh.
He slid the phone into his pocket with a smile, "Thanks. I think I'll be able to settle in now."
"Well, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask away!" May said, giving him a wave as she hurried out of the door.
He followed her, stepping back into the hall in an attempt to ask, "But I don't know where you—"
Before he could even get the statement out, she was already gone. He stood there for a moment before heading back into his room, seating himself on the bed.
'Well, I'm here—Bastian Academy. It feels…surreal,' he thought.