"See you soon, Grandpa... I'll come visit you," said Noctis with a small but genuine smile on his face.
The old man, with Sylen's help, climbed into a small, modest gray vehicle — one of the newer models produced by advanced technology.
Seeing a transport like that in the Exiled Zone was almost unheard of. The people of the exile stopped what they were doing and stared. Some looked surprised, others irritated, but Sylen's overwhelming aura kept them all at a distance.
Sylen walked up to the vehicle and leaned toward the driver's window.
"Thank you for your help... Please drive slowly."
The driver nodded and began moving forward at a calm pace. The city gates opened, and the vehicle disappeared through them. Noctis took a deep breath and turned to Sylen.
Sylen smiled faintly.
"Let's go as well. The academy opened a few days ago, and your room is ready. We shouldn't be late."
Noctis nodded. He wanted to ride in the vehicle too, but there wasn't enough space inside. Just seeing it up close was enough for him. Compared to the cool and fast vehicles his grandfather used to describe, this one was slower and far less impressive.
They passed through the outer gate and entered the common district. Minutes went by until they arrived at the massive wall dividing the common and noble regions. It was Noctis's first time seeing it — and he was awestruck.
'This wall is enormous... What could possibly destroy something like this?'
As his wide eyes studied the colossal structure, Sylen spoke briefly with the guards and had the gates opened. They slowly passed through, entering the noble district.
The instant Noctis stepped inside, he felt the gap between the classes down to his bones. Everything was clean — no stench, no filth. There was space between the buildings, giving them a sense of calm order.
The structures themselves were simple yet elegant, built with an unmistakable sense of strength and balance.
He looked at the people around him with quiet fascination. Their clothes were plain but well-made. Noctis glanced down at his own outfit. Sylen had lent him a few sets from his nephew — he had several color options, but he chose the black ones.
As he gazed around with widened eyes, he lifted his head slightly and looked ahead. There were tall buildings rising in the distance — not quite as grand as the ones his grandfather used to describe that touched the skies, but still majestic in their own way.
After witnessing the colossal structures during his trial, very few buildings could truly impress Noctis anymore.
"Yes, they look impressive," he said calmly, "but they're not that big. They were built on a large hill."
Sylen chuckled.
"I've seen bigger ones," Noctis added with a faint smirk.
Sylen raised a single eyebrow and observed him in silence. After several minutes of walking, they reached the heart of the district — near the Academy of the Awakened.
Behind them stood the largest wall encircling the city. The city itself was surrounded by four separate layers of walls: the outermost one guarding all districts, the next one protecting the Exiled, then the Commoners, and finally, the innermost for the Nobles. The closer one got to the center, the taller and thicker the walls became.
When Noctis realized this, he muttered curses toward the people living above.
Sylen cleared his throat softly.
"Noctis, you know this isn't an ordinary academy. It only accepts newly awakened individuals. Most of the students here come from wealthy families. They usually won't bother you, but still... be cautious."
Noctis stayed silent for a few seconds, then nodded.
When they arrived, Noctis studied the academy's exterior. The building was massive — he could tell it was three stories high from the windows alone, and it stretched far and wide. From what he could see, the entire structure was square-shaped.
At its center was a vast, quadrangular training field — also the place that connected directly to the magic realm.
They approached the front gate and stopped. Within seconds, the heavy door opened by itself, even though no one was around. Noctis blinked, mildly surprised, while Sylen simply winked at him. Noctis ignored it and followed him forward.
As they neared the inner gate, a man stepped out.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, with sparse black hair and deep brown eyes. His skin had an olive tone, and like Sylen, he appeared to be middle-aged. Noctis had sensed him before he even appeared.
'He's ascended.'
With each step closer, Noctis could feel the man's aura intensify. He had been sensing ambient magic since approaching the academy, but this man's presence was overwhelming — heavy enough to make the air tremble.
Sylen leaned slightly and whispered into Noctis's ear,
"We used to fight together. He's a teacher here now. Thanks to him, I was able to get you enrolled."
Noctis kept his composure and gave the man a polite nod. The man nodded back.
When Sylen approached, the two clasped hands firmly.
"It's been a long time," the man said in a deep, calm tone. "You just had to call me out of nowhere and put me in a tough spot, didn't you?"
'The man's body looks as hard as stone… and his voice sounds just as sharp.'
Sylen made a strange face and lowered his voice.
"I'm glad to see you too, Asvar."
The two talked for a few minutes before heading inside. They walked through a long white corridor lined with doors on both sides and climbed a set of stairs.
As Noctis looked around, nothing particularly caught his eye. The only thing that stood out was the eerie emptiness — he could sense no one else nearby, only two sources of magic: Sylen's and Asvar's.
"All the students are in the magic realm right now," Asvar said, his voice calm but firm. "That's why it's so quiet. You'll enter tomorrow, Noctis."
Noctis felt a flicker of excitement deep inside but kept his face blank. They passed several more doors until Asvar stopped and entered one. From the furniture and papers on the desk, Noctis could tell it was an office.
Asvar moved behind the desk and sat in a comfortable chair, gesturing for Noctis and Sylen to take the seats across from him. He opened a drawer and took out a device — slightly larger than a communicator, but similar in shape. After staring at Noctis for a few seconds, he spoke.
"Noctis, tell me your combat style and the nature of your magic."
The moment he finished speaking, Noctis felt a strange weight settle on his shoulders — as if something inside him was whispering "tell the truth."
He hesitated for a few seconds and glanced at Sylen. Sylen gave him a small nod.
"I generally fight in a versatile way," Noctis said. "As for my magic… it's not very practical. I can harm shadows."
The stern man stared at him for a moment, then looked down at the device in his hand and spoke in his usual hard tone.
"Shadows, huh… Shadow-related magic is extremely rare."
Noctis was surprised but didn't show it. He threw a glance at Sylen, who was now fiddling with a strange object on the desk — a set of five connected metal spheres. He pulled one and released it; the sphere struck the next, causing the one at the end to swing.
Noctis watched with a puzzled expression.
'My magic's connected to shadows, yes... but it's not shadow magic. Should I tell him the truth?'
He slowly reached out and pulled one of the spheres himself.
'...Better to stay quiet for now.'
Asvar continued to adjust the device, then stood up abruptly.
"Now I need to record your basic information."
He walked to the other side of the room and opened a small drawer, pulling out a handheld tool. A sharp, blade-like edge extended from its tip.
Noctis frowned slightly.
"Give me your hand," Asvar said flatly.
The moment Noctis extended it, Asvar lightly pricked his palm. There was no pain, but the sensation was strange. From the small cut seeped something that resembled ink — pitch-black and dense, yet not quite liquid.
Asvar gave him a brief look. His expression didn't change, but Noctis could feel the man's aura shift — heavier, darker, as though he had just realized something.
He slowly looked down at the blade.
'A tool used by soul smugglers…'
The ink-like substance flowed down the sharp edge and gathered at the center of the device. Asvar pulled the blade away and told Noctis to press on his hand.
For a few seconds, Asvar stared at the device. When it emitted a faint ringing sound, he shot a brief glance at Noctis.
"There's no anomaly in your soul… but this is the most abnormal soul I've ever seen."
Noctis raised one eyebrow slightly.
'And what the hell is that supposed to mean?'
Asvar sat at his desk for a few more minutes, adjusting the device, before finally standing up.
Meanwhile, Sylen — once again playing with the Newton's cradle — pulled one of the metal spheres and let it click against the others before following them out.
They walked through the long white hallways, climbed a few more stairs, and finally reached the top floor. After several minutes of walking, they stopped in front of a door.
'Room 549…'
Asvar tapped a small panel beside the door and then extended his hand toward Noctis.
"Touch it."
Noctis placed his hand on the device for a few seconds.
"This is your room lock. It's attuned to the magic you emit. As long as you're near it, it'll recognize your presence and open automatically."
'Technology really has advanced…'
Asvar opened the door and showed him inside.
The room was small and white — a bed, a table, and a simple wardrobe. To Noctis, the wardrobe didn't look particularly useful.
While Asvar spoke quietly with Sylen, Noctis examined the room with widened eyes.
"Noctis," Sylen said finally, "I have to go now. If you run into any problems, talk to your instructor. And come visit me during your free days."
Noctis nodded. The two left the room, and he slowly closed the door behind them.
"The room's small… but it's actually nice," he muttered to himself.
He walked over to the bed and pressed a hand against it.
'Soft…'
After years of sleeping on collapsed mattresses, the softness felt strange. He lay down for a short while, then stood and walked to the small window.
Outside, he saw the vast training grounds. The field stretched endlessly, and his gaze slowly drifted toward its center — where two standing stones rose from the earth.
They were each a little over two meters tall, carved entirely from alabaster stone, gleaming under the sunlight.
Noctis's eyes widened as he stared at them. For several seconds, he observed the alabaster stones in silence — and slowly, very slowly, began to feel something emanating from them.
As the strange energy grew stronger, the alabaster stones began to tremble.
'The Sinners are coming.'
The stones stood side by side, perfectly aligned, two meters apart. Slowly, something began to appear between them — the air twisted and folded inward and outward at once, distorting space itself.
Noctis didn't know how to describe what he was seeing — it looked like a tear in reality, bending in both directions as if trying to swallow itself.
The distortion rose upward, stretching between the stones until it formed a tall, widening rift. When the gate finally stabilized, Noctis felt something stir deep within his soul — something he couldn't quite understand.
A few seconds later, people started emerging from the rift. They walked out in an orderly line, one after another, at a steady pace. Within moments, dozens of figures appeared.
The sight both impressed and unsettled Noctis. The longer he watched, the hungrier he felt. He pressed a hand against his chest and gave it a few light thumps.
'How greedy can you be…'
As he examined the people, his eyes kept drifting — almost involuntarily — toward their shadows. Each time he noticed it, he muttered curses under his breath.
One person in particular caught his attention: a young man about his age, wearing elegant silver armor. He was tall — irritatingly handsome, even from a distance. Noctis couldn't see his face clearly, yet he could tell.
When he glanced around, it was obvious that most of the newcomers came from wealthy families. Anyone could tell by their clothes, their posture, their presence.
'I just hope I'm not the only poor one here…'
Soon, the entire training field filled with hundreds of Sinners. The air grew heavy with magic energy — so thick that Noctis felt slightly sick from it.
The last ones to emerge from the rift were the instructors — more than ten of them.
Noctis watched for a few minutes longer, then exhaled softly and pulled back from the window.
He lay down on his bed with a faint, unreadable expression.
'Tomorrow's my first day… let's see how it goes.'