Walking through the portal felt like plunging into water and emerging again, except they didn’t get wet. The sensation was strange—a fleeting chill ran through them, apanied by a faint tingling, as though the air itself carried traagic. The portal resembled the mythical Mirror of Ophelia, which was said o reflect the living, but this one was distinctly different. Perhaps it was the immense mana fluctuations emanating from it or the imposing presence of the two colossal guardians standing watch.

  As they emerged oher side, the se was breathtaking. It mirrored the lush beauty of Finley—deh vibrant pnts, t trees, and valleys carpeted with blossoms of every imaginable hue. The air was fresh and tinged with a faint floral fragrance, giving the entire ndscape an otherworldly quality.

  Before them stretched a massive crowd of children their age a. Among them were slightly older students, easily identifiable by their uniforms. The juniors wore binations of bck paired with dark blue, green, purple, or yellow ats, each denoting a specific css or rank. Meanwhile, older students stood out with their bd-red uniforms, plemented by striking red capes. These were clearly the seniors from the inner academy—students who had already proven themselves.

  The se was abuzz with activity. Juniors were mingling nervously, some exgied whispers while others stood quietly, taking it all in. The seniors and older juniors moved through the crowd with purpose, weling the newers and guiding them toward the academy with a mix of authority and encement.

  Athena, Ayden, and Julian observed the vibrant energy around them, uanding instinctively that this was only the beginning of their journey.

  The seniors led the newers toward a massive ptform where rge airborne fleets were docked, ready to embark on their jourhe seniors methodically ted the students and divided them among the fleets. Groups of seniors ahemselves and boarded alongside the newers, ensuring everything ran smoothly.

  Just as the final group of students was being directed to the st fleet, Alfred Leyni appeared, esc the remaining stragglers who had takeime crossing the portal. He was the st to step through, his presenanding as he approached Athena, Ayden, and Julian with a serious expression.

  “These three will be with me on the first fleet,” Alfred decred, his tone leaving no room fotiation. “Please make the necessary arras.”

  The female senior in charge of the assigs froze momentarily, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. She quickly gnced down at the files in her hands, her fingers fumbling nervously with the papers as she tried to pose herself. “Y-Yes, Mr. Leyni,” she stammered, her voisteady as she hastily made the ges.

  Without sparing a g the tomato-red senior, Alfred gestured for his three new disciples to follow him. They trailed behind him toward the grand first fleet, their curiosity piqued by his posed demeanor.

  As they walked, Ayden shot a g Julian, his expression speaking volumes. Did you see that?

  Julian smirked in response, his look practically saying, I bet he’s single.

  Athena, catg their silent exge, rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the small smile tugging at her lips. The trio boarded the first fleet with Alfred.

  The first fleet was nothing short of magnifit, its luxurious decor adorned with fine silks, ornate carvings, and shimmering ors. Athena, though only a short time into her jourhrough the portal, already found herself appreciating her new academy. What stood out to her most was its ck of discrimination. Even in the gra fleet, nobles and oners were treated as equals, a stark trast to the societal norms she was used to.

  Of course, not everyone shared her perspective. A few spoiled noble brats whined about having to share the fleet with oners, their entitlement evident in every pint. However, the teachers and seniors aboard quickly ehat their grievances didn’t disturb the harmony of the group, addressing the pints firmly and fairly.

  While the smaller fleets traveling beside theirs, Athena’s gaze nded on the Northern prince, who was loudly pining. He bemoaned his fate, calling it an indignity to be a prind yet be assigo a smaller fleet while "oner rats" ehe grand one. His dramatic dispy made Athena shake her head in silent disapproval.

  To her, the size randeur of the fleet mattered little. Whether it was made of gold or simple wood, as long as it served its purpose, it was enough. Sharing space with oners wasn’t an issue for her either. Her father had instilled ihe value of judging people by their character rather than their wealth. In her experience, loyalty and genuine kindness often came more readily from ohan from the snobby, entitled nobles who sidered themselves superior.

  With this thought, Athena leaned ba her seat, letting the hum of the fleet's engines and the chatter around her blend into a soothing backdrop as they soared toward the stop.

  After a while, the lively chatter among students and the whining of a few nobles gradually subsided, leaving the atmosphere aboard the fleet calm and serehe room Athena, Julian, and Ayden occupied was located he teachers' and seniors’ quarters, making it one of the most luxurious rooms. It featured a rge window that offered a breathtaking view of the outside world.

  Alfred had expined earlier that room assigs, whether on the fleet or in the academy dormitories, were determined by the color of the gem iokens. Sihe trio’s tokens represented higher-tier gems, they were grahe privilege of using these opulent rooms.

  The journey didn’t take long. After passing several valleys, rolling hills, and shimmerihey approached a majestic mountain ras peaks disappearing into a b of fluffy white clouds. As the fleet asded, the temperature began to drop noticeably. Athena could hear faint murmurs from other rooms about the sudden chill and the dense clouds that obscured their vision.

  Then, as if ohe clouds parted to reveal a grand sight—a colossal structure that loomed ahead. It wasn’t merely an academy; it looked more like an imposing fortress, its t spires and intricate architecture exuding power and history.

  Suddenly, a meical voice emanated from a speaker stone embedded in the ter of their table, announg their arrival. “We have reached our destination. Please prepare to disembark.”

  Athena took a closer look at the speaker stone, marveling at its desighough it wasn’t unfamiliar to her. The device was a diamond-shaped mana stone glowing with a vibrahereal blue light. Intricate rune arrays adors surface, and it was surrounded by a goldeallig that orbited it diagonally. The entire assembly was mounted on a sleek, bck circur base.

  This type of eborate structure was sidered a mark of immense luxury, further emphasizing the opulence of the academy. While Athena was aced to seeing such devices in the pace, the same could not be said for the on students—or even some nobles. Most relied on simpler tools for unication, typically basia stones with engraved runes. For oners, owning one of these grandiose devices was not just rare but a signifit symbol of wealth and status.

  A few moments after the meical annou, all the students quickly prepared themselves to disembark from the fleet and began moving toward the exit. The se that greeted them was a sea of students in various uniforms, along with teachers lining both sides of the path. To the others, it might have seemed like a warm wele, but to those three troublemakers, it felt more like walking through a judging crowd on their way to the execution ground. Not every eye in the crowd was friendly—some eyes carefully sed each student with cold, hostile scrutiny.

  With chills running down his spine, Ayden tightened his grip on his sister's hand, while Julian, sensing the growing hostility, quickly became alert and stood slightly in front of both the princess and pri that moment, they all khat life at the academy wouldn’t be as simple as they ohought.

  After a long and unfortable walk, they were led into a vast hall where a grand podium stood, and several figures sat upon it. Dressed in rich, formal attire, it was clear they were among the teachers of the academy. Most of them were older, with weathered faces, but amidst them, Alfred had just arrived and took his seat beside a white-bearded man eared to be an ordinary old man in a fine grey suit. However, it was the man's eyes—sharp and perceptive—that betrayed his true nature. Alfred was the only young professor among the dignified group, and that alone spoke volumes to Athena—this man was no ordinary teacher.

  The professors were not the only ones present in the hall. Senior students from the Academy filled the gallery, holding bahat weled the newers.

  Once all the udents, led by the seniors, had arrived, the old man in the grey suit rose from his seat. His presence alone anded respect. He greeted the crowd with a booming voice that echoed through the vast hall:

  "My dear students," he began, his tone carrying authority and warmth. "I am Lawrence Sylvester, your principal. You may have already entered Alfred Leyni, our vice-principal. Today marks the beginning of your new journey. Let me assure you, it will not be filled with roses and rainbows—it will be fraught with challenges and danger.

  I gratute each of you for passing the simple yet reveali at the entrance portal. While some were forced to give up and leave, you persevered and asded those steps. You may have wondered about the purpose of that trial. Allow me to expin: only those with extraordinary mental fortitude could plete the ast. That, my children, is why you are here. You are special, each of you, and I urge you to believe in yourselves and work hard to achieve greatness."

  The room filled with appuse and cheers as the principal's words resonated with the students.

  "I wele you all on behalf of the entire Academy. May the gods of Ausra Nevaeh bless us," he cluded.

  After a pause, Principal Sylvester tinued, "Now, please step forward, one by one. Your seniors will guide you to a device. I your token, and it will reveal your dorm assig and room number. Remember, here, your strength is your wealth."

  As he fiwo senior students brought forth an intricate device, pg it at the front of the hall. One by ohe udents approached, iing their tokens and disc their dorm assigs.

  There were seven dormitories in total, ranked by level: Eta, Zeta, Epsiloa, Gamma, Beta, and the highest tier, Alpha. While the House of Alpha existed, no student had ever been assigo it—not even the professors possessed the mental strength required to reside there.

  For first-year students, dorms above Delta—Gamma, Beta, and Alpha—were exceedingly rare. Most students started in the lower levels and only earheir way into the higher dormitories as they advanced in years and hoheir skills. As the dormitory level increased, so did the resources avaible to its residents. This created fierpetition among students, all striving to secure a p the upper-tier dorms.

  Every time a student pced their token in the device, it would annouhe student’s name, gem color, dormitory name, and room number. Most students had yellow e gems, which meant they were assigo Eta aa dorms, respectively. A few students, including the Northern prince, had red gems and were assigo Epsilon.

  When it was Ayden’s turepped forward fidently. As his token was ied, the device’s meical voinounced, “Ayden Lucas Are, Purple, Delta, Room 104.” A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. Purple was rare, and being assigo Delta was an impressive achievement.

  was Julian. He walked up with the same posure, his token glowing as the voice decred, “Julian orari, Purple, Delta, Room 105.” Cheers and chatter broke out again as it became clear that the two were neighbors. Ayden and Julian exged a triumphant high-five, grinning at their shared aplishment.

  Among the crowd, whispers grew louder.

  “Two students ia this year? That’s incredible!”

  “Yeah, but it happens occasionally. Remember that crazy Bhildr girl from a few years back?”

  “No one will ever top the Saintess, though. She got into Gamma, and that’s where the seniors from the inner academy stay!”

  As the excited murmurs tinued, it was Athena’s turn. Both Ayden and Julian already khe oute but waited eagerly to withe sho everyone’s faces.

  Athena stepped fracefully. Her red hair, streaked with shimmering ptinum locks, swayed lightly as she moved, and her mismatched eyes—one a pierg purple and the other a vibrant blue—remained calm and posed. Uhe other students, there wasn’t a trace of nervousness in her demeanor.

  All eyes turo the ethereal girl who exuded an air of elegand fidence, so different from the others. Even Principal Lawrence Sylvester, seated on the podium, narrowed his eyes in reition. With hair and eyes like that, he already had a suspi about whose child she was—and he braced himself for what was to e.

  Athena reached the devid ied her token.

  The meical voice resohrough the hall, cutting through the hushed anticipation:

  “Athena Alexis Are, Gold, Alpha, Room 001.”

  For a moment, there was silence, followed by aion of chaos. Gasps and excmations filled the air as the crowd tried to process what they had just heard. The entire hall buzzed with disbelief and astonishment.

  Alpha.

  The name of the legendary dorm, reserved for the stro of minds, had been called—something that hadn’t happened in geions.

  The only ones unfazed were Ayden, Julian, and Alfred, who stood calmly, their expressions a mix of pride and amusement as they watched the pandemonium unfold around them.