Aluis and Pasadin watched as the last candidate walked through the magic circle and was whisked away.
The testing grounds had gone quiet. Just wind sliding across an empty field and the faint hum of the transfigured earth settling back into stillness.
Pasadin hovered a moment longer than he needed to, then let his boots touch the ground. The wings of wind behind him dispersed like mist.
"That went smoother than last year," he said, rolling his shoulders once. "More of them made it through the first phase."
Aluis clasped his hands behind his back as he strolled.
"They moved far better than before. I think this was the fewest number that collapsed on the track."
Pasadin snorted. "And yet half of them could not outline where the eastern front line started."
Aluis chuckled.
Pasadin's mouth tugged into something like amusement. "Of course, there was one particular boy who caught my eye. "
Aluis's gaze sharpened. "Kai Ashcroft."
"Mm." Pasadin rubbed his chin.
"An unnatural physical ability. Almost freakish in nature." Pasadin admitted.
Aluis nodded. "A diamond in the rough."
"Agreed." Pasadin sighed softly, "But the boy's theory score was awful."
Aluis's head tilted a fraction.
"Ten," Pasadin said. "Out of fifty selected questions. If we graded purely on writing, he would have failed."
"But instinct and ability can only take you so far. Without knowledge, his efforts will not bear fruit."
"It's best we recommend that the faculty put an extra set of eyes on him." Aluis chimed in.
"I'll take care of it." Pasasdin agreed, but then his brows furrowed, " Of course, there is the matter of Noah Reed."
"The spear boy?" Aluis shot Pasadin a glance.
"The spear," Pasadin agreed. "Subpar physical output. Far behind the rest at his age. But on the theory paper?"
"Seventy out of a hundred."
Aluis finally turned his head fully, attention caught properly now. "Seventy." The word trailed off his tongue.
"Seventy, " Pasadin repeated, enjoying the way it landed. "He answered far beyond the required fifty. Took the risk. Still scored high. That takes either arrogance or confidence."
"Wasn't the record for the highest entrance score an eighty-five?" Aluis's perception of Noah seemed to shift in a new light, "Impressive."
"The boy's ability to write answers was commendable." Pasadin's gaze drifted back toward the empty field. "Dare I say, he is the opposite of Kai. Body versus mind. Instinct versus planning."
Aluis paused for a brief second, savouring the thought in his mind.
"It will be interesting," he said finally, "to see which one breaks out of their mould first."
Pasadin chuckled. "At times like these, you really seem to don a frightening smile. I guess that hasn't changed at all."
"Ignore my tendencies. Consider it just me being lost in thought." Aluis shook his head.
Pasadin's band chimed. He glanced down, and the glow reflected in his eyes. His expression shifted to grim immediately.
Aluis noticed. "What is it?"
Pasadin lifted his wrist. A thin ring of light formed above it, showing a compressed call glyph. He accepted.
A voice echoed from the other end, muffled by magic. Pasadin listened, and his jaw tightened.
"Yes," he said once.
A pause.
"Yes. Understood."
The call ended.
Aluis waited. "Speak."
Pasadin exhaled and pinched his temple with dismay.
"Security for the starting day is being increased."
Aluis's head tilted again. "Why?"
Pasadin's voice dropped.
"One of the higher-ups is going to pay the Academy a visit."
-
Light swallowed and spat me out as the world rearranged itself around me.
My boots scraped against stone as I slid to a stop.
I staggered once, caught myself, and sucked in a breath. I was back in the City Centre. My eyes naturally drifted towards the horizon.
The sun was sinking behind the buildings, and the sky was marred by a deep maroon red.
'Almost evening.' I hastened and jogged out.
By the time I reached Marin's, my shoulders were stiff, and my throat felt dry.
The bell over the bakery door chimed as I slowly pushed it open.
Marin was behind the counter, sleeves rolled up, arms dusted white. The shelves were half stocked, and he was already setting up for tomorrow with the quiet fury of a man who didn't believe in rest.
'As hardworking as ever.' I smiled.
The bell chimed.
Marin twitched but didn't look up. "If you want the cheap loaf, it's gone. Come back in the morning."
I stepped inside fully and shut the door behind me.
"Not very welcoming," I said, "I thought you'd miss me."
Marin froze. His eyes locked on me so fast it was almost funny. For a second, he looked annoyed. Then anxious. Then he tried very hard to pretend he wasn't either.
"You're back," he said, voice rough. "How did it go?"
I didn't answer and took in a slow breath, and Marin's shoulders tightened as if he had already decided what my silence meant.
He grumbled, stepping away from the dough. "Bah. Do not make that face. If you failed, you failed. There is always next time. You are stubborn enough to try again."
The corners of my mouth lifted.
"Yeah," I said. "About that."
I reached into my coat and pulled out the uniform.
For a heartbeat, Marin didn't react.
Then he stepped closer, hands hovering above the fabric.
"Well," I said, holding it out. "Looks like you might have to find a new helper soon. Unfortunately."
Marin's face shifted. A small smile crawled up from the corner of his mouth.
He snorted once, a rough sound. "Idiot.."
He reached out and smacked me on the head.
I hissed. "Ow."
"You deserve it," he said, but his voice was different now. Warmer. "Making me think you failed."
"I was thinking about how to tell you," I muttered, rubbing my head.
Marin cleared his throat, eyed the uniform in my hands and looked it over.
"Don't wrinkle it," he grumbled. "It's time you made an effort to look presentable. "
I laughed, and he annoyingly waved me off, but I saw it. The way his shoulders loosened, as if a weight had lifted off his back. For a brief moment, I felt thankful that he cared.
-
[Two Weeks Later]
Dawn crept in thin and grey, the snow outside the bakery glistened with a sheen of silver.
I tightened the collar of my uniform, adjusted the strap of my spear across my back, and took one last look around. The ovens were cold for once. The shelves were half stocked for the morning rush. Marin was already at the counter, hands busy with nothing important, pretending he wasn't watching me.
"Don't burn the Academy down," he said without looking up.
"I'll try to keep the fires contained," I smiled.
He grunted, then shoved a warm loaf toward me. "Eat on the way."
I took it, tucked it into my inner pocket, and nodded once. "Thanks. For everything."
Marin's eyes flicked up at that, sharp and annoyed. "Go. Before I change my mind and put you back to scrubbing pans."
I didn't linger and started jogging toward the town centre.
Viktor and Sylvie were already waiting by the teleport marker. When they saw me, Sylvie's expression softened just slightly.
"You clean up well," she said.
"Don't encourage him," Viktor muttered, then handed me the scroll. But Viktor didn't let go immediately.
"Two things," he said, "First. Keep your wits about you. The Academy finds no distinction between the place of origin. But the people around you might not be so kind. You'll definitely face friction between those from different areas."
I nodded. "Understood."
"Second." He jerked his chin toward my spear. "Fighting with a weapon is good. But in real combat, mana control makes a world of difference. Learn and master it as soon as you can. Unlike here, you'll find plenty of resources in the Academy."
I let the advice settle, then exhaled slowly. "I will."
Viktor finally released the scroll and stepped back. He lifted his hand in a simple salute.
"Good luck," he said.
Sylvie saluted too.
I returned it, then took two steps back until I was standing inside the marker circle. The etched lines on the stone faintly glowed under my boots.
I held the scroll with both hands. The air tightened. Then the scroll flared, and everything turned white.
-
I stepped out of the teleport, boots hitting stone with a clean, controlled impact.
Ahead of me, the arrival platform stretched out in a broad circle of carved stone, etched with concentric rings and old ward-lines that glowed faintly beneath the surface. Around me, more students flickered into existence in bursts of colourless light, one after another.
The platform I was on fed into a wide open courtyard, three times bigger than the field back in Southern Ridge. At the corners of the courtyard were banners hung from the walls that flittered slowly in the wind.
Students were already being guided into blocks. I slotted into the line with the other students and glanced around. Many of them were excited, and a strange anticipation lingered in their eyes.
'Something like the first day of school, huh. But I guess it's a bit more intense in this case.' I understood that feeling well.
I exhaled slowly and kept my eyes forward.
The Academy's central stage stood at the far end of the courtyard, a raised platform of black stone with wide steps and a smooth, polished face that looked as if it had been carved from a single, solid block. Teachers were already gathering in a loose line, wearing dark uniforms with various trims and insignias.
I saw Aluis first. Even amongst a crowd of his own, he carried that same intensity. As if he was just biding his time to explode into action.
Pasadin was there too, standing a little apart, calmer, hands folded loosely behind his back. He looked the most 'Professorly' among the bunch.
Though they were not the only ones on stage, they were the ones my mind snagged on.
Slowly, my gaze drifted past them to the centre.
An older man stepped forward, and the courtyard quieted without anyone needing to ask.
He was neither tall nor short. Something in the middle. But in a sense, he seemed stocky and sturdy. His silver hair was pulled back neatly. A dark coat with subtle embroidery along the edges rested on his shoulders.
His eyes swept across us once.
When they passed over me, I felt a sharp pressure poke into my head. As if someone was pressing me down.
He spoke, and his voice carried without effort.
"Welcome. I am Roderic Vern," he continued. "Dean of the Romulo Academy"
'I know that name.' My thoughts raced, and I immediately recalled a memory I had stashed away.
'Roderic Vern, an S-rank awakened mage.'
In the story I remembered, he was an early game NPC. One who occasionally handed out special quests. Yet, later on, he was killed in the conflict when the Academy was attacked.
Roderic's gaze moved again.
"Well done for passing the Academy's Entrance Test", he said. "That means Humanity deems you worth investing in for the future. As you now join the ranks of the awakened, you are no longer just students but Cadets. Hence, you will be held to the standards of the Awakened Corps and be expected to conform to rules and maintain discipline."
A few students straightened.
"This Academy exists for one reason," Roderic continued in a leaden voice. "To produce Awakened capable of surviving, and influencing the War in favour of Humanity. You will be trained. You will be tested. You will be pushed past comfort and pride. Some of you may struggle to keep up, and some of you might even break."
He let the words settle.
Roderic's expression did not change.
"But the sacrifices of the few will push many to rise. The Academy only has one rule. Do everything in your power to get stronger, push yourself to the limits, and realise your potential. Then and only then, will you pave a path for humanity."
A ripple moved through the student crowd, subtle and immediate. Heads lifted in pride and eyes sharpened with purpose.
"Today," he said, "you start your journey as a cadet, and you will have the special honour of hearing the words of the General of the Human Coalition."
Roderic stepped back half a pace, just enough to make space and flourished his palm. The space in front of him shivered as a fissure appeared in the air.
Roderic bowed his head ever so slightly.
"Welcome. Archmage Aurelian Kynes."