"Attention all students. Freshmen enter the portal first." The announcer's voice boomed clearly through the open courtyard, bouncing off the tall crystalline walls of Varsa Academia. "Other students, stand aside."
All the other students stepped back immediately, forming neat rows along the edge of the square. A hush fell over the crowd as the portal gates began to shimmer with blue flames, their strange energy rippling in the midday sun.
"Wonder what's changed this year?" A junior whispered to the sophomores around him, tilting his head.
"Vasra Academia's usual," one sophomore replied lazily, eyes scanning the portal.
"They've cooked something spicy for the freshmen this year," another smirked, clearly amused.
Alvine dashed back as soon as he heard the announcement, nearly stumbling over his own feet. "Mr. Beaumont! You're… you're here!" he stammered, still catching his breath.
"Alvine, you look alive," Xavier said, handing him a bottle of water. His calm, reassuring presence contrasted sharply with the chaos around them. Sweat ran down Alvine's face as he gulped the water.
The portal gates opened fully, each one burning with a steady, blue flame that danced like living fire. "I believe that my queen…" Celeste murmured to Alvine, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips. "Don't eat too much sugar while I'm gone." She hugged him tightly.
Alvine froze, dumbfounded. Celeste was walking away, and he still hadn't summoned the courage to confess his feelings. His heart hammered painfully in his chest.
"Be careful out there," Eleanor said, hugging her daughter like it might be the last time she'd see her. Celeste wiggled uncomfortably. "Mom! That's too tight!"
"Princess, remember our talk," Xavier added softly, his hands resting gently on her shoulders. "You're different. Don't trust a royal blindly."
"I won't," Celeste promised, determination burning in her eyes. "I won't turn into one of them."
Xavier's hand lingered briefly on hers, pressing the silver necklace against her chest. "This necklace… never take it off. Ever. The Celestials may be mythical, but the shadows of Varsa are very real." His voice lowered to a whisper, meant only for her ears. "That's all I've ever trusted. Lysander didn't teach me that—the royals are vessels of those shadows. Don't ever trust them."
A sudden commotion drew their attention. A boy came crashing down at the portal entrance, drawing gasps from the crowd. One by one, more freshmen faltered, stumbling against the strange energy. The portals seemed selective, allowing some in effortlessly while striking others down. Fear flashed across the eyes of the remaining students.
"All freshmen, please enter the portals!" the announcer repeated, calm but firm.
"Enter the portals… to hurt us," one freshman shouted, frustration and anger etched across his face.
Xavier noticed the strange carvings glowing along the portal gates. "Celeste, look at those carvings," he said, pointing. "They're glowing… like zodiac energy."
"What glow?" Celeste asked, frowning. Alvine squinted, trying to see what his father was pointing at but failing.
"That's complex Virgo magic at work," Xavier explained, his voice tense. "Each student's power is measured. Those whose abilities fall below the threshold get hit."
"I prefer we go back home," Alvine muttered, worried clearly in his tone. He watched Celeste step forward, unflinching.
"Relax, Ali. I can handle this," she called back confidently.
"Celeste, wait!" Xavier's voice rang telepathically inside her mind, a warning she couldn't ignore. "Don't turn into one of the royals."
"I promise I won't," she shouted, stepping fully into the portal gates. Alvine's hands clenched involuntarily as she vanished into the swirling blue flame.
Xavier's smile lingered only for a moment before dark concern shadowed his face. A boy with an anti-gravity board passed beside him, entering the same portal. The flicker of surprise in Xavier's eyes quickly hardened into something far darker; his irises turned pitch black, void of light.
"Xavier, are you okay?" Eleanor called simultaneously, one telepathically, the other standing right in front of him.
"I'm fine… just tired," he replied, masking his concern with a faint smile. Eleanor, however, was not convinced.
"Sit down," she ordered, aware of the tension rippling through him.
He obeyed, slumping slightly. "Harper, I've seen my brother's necklace," he admitted quietly, still shaken.
"The silver crown necklace?" Harper asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yes… but my father's dark presence was also around it," Xavier explained, his voice heavy with disbelief. "I saw it… I felt it."
"It must be a fake," Harper said skeptically.
"My body only bows to my father's darkness," Xavier said, voice low and steady. "If he is truly in the Citadel, I have to leave immediately." He took a deep, controlled breath, trying to calm the storm inside him.
The portals continued to swirl, and somewhere within that magical chaos, Celeste moved forward, unaware of the silent watch her father kept over her. Xavier's eyes burned with both pride and dread, knowing the dangers she would face, yet trusting in the strength he had seen in her since she was a child.
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