The clock tower at the station chimed lazily, the metallic echo rolling across the wide platforms. The station was already buzzing when Rion arrived.
Students in the academy's new uniform stood scattered across the platform, talking, yawning, staring at their reflections in the glass windows. The uniform itself was surprisingly simple but elegant: a deep midnight-blue coat with white lining, silver buttons, and a crest stitched near the chest — a half-open book with a burning candle resting at its center. The trousers and skirts were plain black, and the boots matched the dark-blue coat. Nothing extravagant — but undeniably refined.
Rion tugged at the collar.
Fancy… but tolerable, he thought.
Kael, meanwhile, was rotating like a malfunctioning weather vane.
"Does this angle make me look heroic?" he asked, pushing his hair back.
Five seconds later: "No, maybe this pose—?"
Ten seconds later: "Rion, do I look like future Sorcerer material?"
Andrea stood nearby with the emotional range of a stone wall, staring away from them like she was embarrassed to share the same oxygen.
Kael struck another ridiculous pose, and Andrea's eye twitched.
Rion pretended not to know them.
Then Borin appeared, clapping his hands.
"Alright, kids! Your train is arriving soon. Try not to break anything before that."
Kael practically vibrated with excitement.
Andrea blinked in boredom.
Rion nodded politely.
The train rolled in with a low metallic howl, and they boarded.
The rhythmic clatter of the rails soon filled the cabin as scenery flowed like watercolor past the windows—hills painted orange by the fading sunlight. Rivers glimmered like living silver. The sky slowly melted from soft gold to velvet blue, until the sun dipped and surrendered to night. Stars spilled across the sky — not scattered, but arranged as if someone had brushed them gently into place.
Kael plastered his face against the window.
Rion's eyes softened, absorbing every detail.
Andrea sat stiffly, hugging her bag as though the scenery personally offended her.
When the train finally hissed to a halt, night had fully embraced the land.
The three stepped out.
And the world opened.
Black sky stretched infinitely above, the moon hanging low and brilliant. Stars pulsed like tiny hearts. The breeze was cold, crisp — carrying a faint scent of river water and old stone.
It was beautiful, like stepping into a painting someone poured their soul into.
Students wearing the same uniform walked in groups, whispering, giggling, yawning.
Rion understood instantly.
All of them… future Arclen students.
Borin gathered them near the riverbank, where countless boats floated like dark silhouettes. He handed each student a black robe with a hood.
"Wear it. Cover your face."
They obeyed.
He lit candles and passed them out.
"Hold the flame in front of your face," he instructed.
The moment Rion, Kael, and Andrea stepped into the same boat, the river shifted — glowing faintly beneath them. It was as if someone scattered stardust across the water. Every ripple shimmered with trapped moonlight.
It felt ancient.
Almost sacred.
The boats drifted.
And Borin lifted both hands, voice deepening with solemnity.
"Students," he began, and the night seemed to quiet for him.
"From this moment onward, your old path ends."
The river glowed brighter, reflecting thousands of flickering candle-lights.
"This journey will not be easy. It may break you. It may test every bone in your body, every corner of your mind. No road behind you remains untouched. Once you take your first step here, the path behind you collapses. Your past cannot carry you… only your will can."
The students listened, silent as stones.
"You will suffer. You will lose things precious to you. But suffering does not destroy the soul — it sharpens it. And if the road ahead looks dark, remember…"
His voice echoed against the water.
"…you are the light that shapes a new era."
He lifted his candle.
"Bow your heads.
We honor the beginning.
We honor the courage to step forward.
We honor the light inside every one of you."
Students bowed, whispers merging like a prayer carried across the river.
As Rion raised his head, something vast appeared in the distance.
A castle.
No — not a castle.
A world.
A titan of stone and magic, rising above clouds, stretching like the memory of a dream. Countless windows gleamed like stars woven into architecture. Towers spiraled upward like the spines of old dragons.
It was breathtaking.
It was impossible.
Borin smiled softly.
"Welcome… to Arclen Academy."
The boats docked.
Students removed their robes and gathered near a giant gate carved with ancient runes.
There, an old man waited.
And Rion felt his heart stop for half a second.
The man's presence was… enormous.
He wasn't tall or muscular. He didn't radiate power. Instead, his very existence felt like an ocean disguised as a puddle. Calm, quiet… but limitless.
He wore a long blue robe and a tall ceremonial hat. His beard and hair — white, flowing like winter wind — fluttered gently. His round glasses reflected the moon, hiding eyes that felt older than the mountains.
His posture was humble.
His presence was not.
He stood like someone who had witnessed the birth and fall of empires, the shifting of stars — and carried each memory with gentle patience.
Students instinctively straightened.
Even the air felt respectful.
To Rion, the man felt ancient and unmovable, like a forgotten pillar which was older than a history.
Borin stepped forward proudly.
"You all are fortunate. The Third Monarch of the Land of West… and Principal of Arclen Academy — Semerius Balthazar — graces your arrival."
Gasps rippled through the students. They bowed.
Beside him stood a woman in her mid-fifties, sharp but warm, wearing a black-trimmed robe.
"And greet your Vice Principal, Vera Dune."
The students bowed again.
Balthazar scanned the crowd with a soft smile, but his gaze was searching — as if he was waiting for someone.
Rion felt a chill crawl up his spine.
And Balthazar's eyes paused.
Just for a second.
Just long enough for Rion to feel seen — deeply, uncomfortably seen.
It wasn't like being watched.
It was like being understood.
As if Balthazar looked straight through his flesh, his name, his past… and straight into something buried deeper.
He quickly looked away.
"My dear students," Balthazar spoke gently, and his voice wrapped around them like warm cloth.
"You must be tired. But endure a bit more — because I've prepared… a small welcoming ceremony."
The reaction was immediate.
Students EXPLODED with excitement.
Kael practically levitated.
Andrea's eyes lit up for the first time.
Only Rion remained unaffected, blinking at the sudden transformation.
He whispered to Kael, "You threw up five times earlier. How are you energetic now?"
Kael puffed up proudly.
"Because THIS is the moment I've dreamed of!"
Rion leaned in.
Kael placed a hand dramatically over his heart.
"Listen carefully, Rion. I have… a dream."
Rion blinked.
Andrea raised an eyebrow but pretended not to care.
Kael inhaled deeply and began:
"So—imagine this."
He stretched his arms wide, almost hitting Rion.
"I arrive at the Arclen Academy… NOT by boat, not like everyone else—
No, no, no—
I descend from the sky."
Rion's eyes narrowed slightly. Andrea's shoulders stiffened.
Kael continued, eyes sparkling.
"A giant golden phoenix swoops down with a loud cry— KYAAAA!!!
Flames everywhere—BUT COOL FLAMES, not burning-people flames!"
He flailed his hands to imitate fire.
"I jump off the phoenix, land on the academy courtyard—
BOOM!
The ground cracks under my epicness."
Rion quietly wondered if Kael actually took the exam on the same world as him.
"But wait—wait—this is where it gets REALLY good."
Kael leaned closer, whispering like he was sharing forbidden knowledge.
"All the students form a circle around me.
Boys gasp—
'Who is that legendary hero?!'
Teachers whisper—
'Could he be… the Chosen One…?'"
Andrea rolled her eyes so hard they nearly made a sound.
"Then," Kael continued proudly,
"EVERY girl in the academy suddenly runs to me—like, ALL of them."
Rion blinked. "…All?"
"Yes, ALL!" Kael nodded aggressively.
"And they say—
'Kael, you're so handsome!'
'Lord Kael, please notice me!'
'Dear Kael, please step on me gently—'"
Andrea choked on her own saliva.
Kael wasn't done.
"And then the girls start fighting over who gets to sit next to me at the ceremony.
One of them faints because she can't handle my charm.
Another proposes marriage on the spot!
And THEN—"
Rion slowly angled away from Kael.
Kael spread his arms like he was embracing destiny.
"I walk into the hall…
girls clinging to both arms…
and BOOM—
the principal declares me the future strongest prodigy ever seen.
THEN—
we eat mountains of food!"
He finished with a triumphant grin.
Silence.
Rion stared at him, expression unreadable.
Andrea stared at him like he had mentally checked out of society.
Finally, Andrea stepped back, face red from embarrassment and rage.
"…You… are a pervert."
Kael gasped.
"W-WHAT?! HOW?! Which part? The phoenix?! The food?!"
Andrea pointed at him as if pointing at a crime scene.
"The part where you turned the academy into your personal harem, you idiot!"
Kael froze.
Rion sighed softly.
Before more chaos broke loose, Vera rang a small enchanted bell.
The students RAN like wild animals.
"Slow down, children! I can't keep up!" Balthazar laughed.
Vera added kindly, "Kids, please! The ceremony isn't going anywhere."
Kael yelled, "LET'S GOOOO!!"
Andrea walked away pretending she didn't know him.
Rion sighed and followed calmly.
As he passed Balthazar…
The old man suddenly stopped talking.
His gaze followed Rion.
A small smile tugged the corner of his mouth.
Not kind.
Not cruel.
Knowing.
Vera whispered, "So… that is the boy?"
Balthazar answered quietly,
"Yes.
And now… the game begins."