The portal to the Time Chamber slowly opened, emitting a faint golden glow that faded with each step Saruto and Ethan took out. The outside air felt much lighter after months of harsh gravity, as if the world itself had become weightless.
Saruto paused for a moment, breathing deeply, inhaling the scent of real air once more, then looked down at his hands, glowing with fine threads of energy. He felt every cell in his body pulsate with a different force—a force he was not yet accustomed to. "Your muscles have regained their strength," Ethan said, walking calmly beside him, "but that extra power you've gained isn't stable yet… You need to train to control it."
Saruto smiled faintly, placing a hand on his chest. "Don't worry," he said confidently, "I'll make it obey me, just as I obeyed my own power before. Just give me some time."
Ethan nodded contentedly, then turned to him, saying, "You've been gone for three months, Saruto. The headmaster said he's preparing a test to get you back into the academy because of your long absence."
Saruto raised his eyebrows in surprise, then ran a hand through his hair. "A test? After everything I've been through? It seems rest will never be a part of my life."
The silence between them was broken by the sound of their footsteps approaching the palace gates. As the sun rose the next day, the golden morning light streamed into the palace, painting the walls with a warm glow. Saruto sat down at the large breakfast table, dressed in his academic uniform once more.
Before him lay exquisitely prepared dishes, their steam rising into the air. He picked up a piece of bread and ate it slowly, as if trying to grasp that his time off was truly over. When he finished, he wiped his mouth gently and stood up, saying to himself, "Time to go back…to the academy."
He raised his hand deftly, and his lips uttered a phrase familiar to him from long ago: "Teleportation."
In an instant, his features vanished into a swirling blue light, only to reappear before the gates of the Royal Academy. The air was alive with life; the sounds of students filled the background, and banners fluttered in the sky.
At the entrance, the Director stood as if he had been waiting for him for ages, a faint smile playing on his lips. His voice was calm yet commanding. "There you are, Saruto… I see you're completely healed."
Saruto approached him, bowed respectfully, and replied with a faint smile, "Yes, Director. It seems I've been gone a while."
The Director nodded, then continued in a serious tone, "Excellent, because you'll need all your strength today. After your first class, there's an exam waiting for you… Don't forget you were absent for three whole months."
Saruto sighed softly, then said with a smile that was both confident and defiant, "It's alright. I guess I just missed the competitive spirit a bit."
Saruto walked through the academy gates with steady steps, the students around him exchanging glances and whispers: "It's Saruto!"
"He's back!"
"He looks stronger than before..."
But before he could reach his classroom, he felt a familiar energy rushing toward him. The next moment, he felt a fist coming at his face with incredible speed!
He calmly and swiftly raised his hand, catching the fist without flinching. He raised his head slightly and smiled, saying playfully, "Is this your way of welcoming me, Lucien?"
Lucien stopped, his eyes widening in surprise and admiration. He smiled, pulling his fist back, and said, "Ah, so you're really healed, Saruto... I didn't expect you to recover so quickly."
Saruto chuckled softly and said, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder, "I knew you'd be the first to welcome me, but I didn't expect it to be like this."
Lucian smiled and said, "And I knew you'd block the attack."
Then the two walked side by side toward the hall gates, as the academy students watched them.