The city rose like a dream sculpted from stone and light, every surface humming with vibrance and proficient magical architecture. Towers stretched skyward, their spires twisted in impossible shapes.
The largest of them all loomed above the skyline, its crown of jagged spires drinking in the sunlight and scattering it across the streets below like fragments of sapphire fire.
For Aya, it was a whole other world. Back where she had originally come from, her Kingdom of Eros, an elven nation, was integrated with the nature around them; all power and resources were derived from the great tree of Eros.
She gasped in amazement, whilst Dorian took a different approach. He had already seen this city before, though it had been brief.
He recalled a mission he had taken with Vanessa a few months ago that had urged them to travel to a lake not too far from the Stargate, but actually taking in the kingdom like this was a luxury he had not had yet.
The air itself carried a subtle weight, as though saturated with unforeseen forces. Aya wondered whether it could be similar to Eros, where the great tree had provided a similar feeling, but her instincts told her something different.
It was the vast mana the Indonyians possessed. After all, they were a kingdom that was praised for their art, fashion, and especially magic.
The art and fashion were clear. Amidst the grandeur, the people moved with elegance. Some hurried, others lingered beneath the glow of enchanted lamps in fashionable clothing.
"So, where do we start?" Dorian asked flatly, giving off an impression that he was not as amused as one might be when seeing this kingdom.
Vanessa took off her witch hat, breathing in air that was refreshingly different from the slightly toxic air of Layne. "Well, first things first, we need to make our way to Indonyia Magic Academy. I have attempted to arrange a meeting with their teachers in hopes that one of them will respond."
She thought back to her past and the connections she had, whether it was her family name, 'Insigni', or the fact that 'Jeshur Idonis' was an old friend of hers. "To be frank, we may not even get a response, but I've done all I could on this part. Remember, even if this part of our search does not succeed, we will need to find another path."
Aya nodded, though it was not what she was hoping for; she had expected a clearer response from those at Indonyia, because they were acting as a small lifeline for her and her sanity. If some of the most intelligent people within the kingdom could not help them, then what were they able to do in the face of such a mysterious death, where not even a soul fragment remained?
Although she held the worry, she was reluctant to speak about it. Who was she to speak on it after all the trouble she had caused? She did not want to argue or complain, so she decided to keep her mouth closed and allow the people with more knowledge, strength, and experience to lead. And that they did.
Vanessa began leading the path forward, and they definitely did look out of place. They were not wearing the uniform of Indonyia, nor did they meet the fashionable standard that natives of the kingdom wore, so, as expected, they received many stares.
But they tried not to let it bother them, and luckily, the academy was quite close; it was the big building they had seen earlier, according to a map Vanessa had promptly acquired before departing on this journey.
Gates surrounded the entire academy, gates that were not anything ordinary. There was magic exuding from them, perhaps some form of protective magic to ensure the safety of the students. After all, this was the most prestigious academy on the continent. Ample protection was mandatory.
It needed to have a sound security system, which was accentuated by the masses of guards who stood on particular watchtowers, as well as foot soldiers who constantly walked around with grand staffs that could probably level a large building.
Whatever power they had, it was not anything someone would want to trifle with. With an academy housing over a thousand trained students and multiple instructors teaching the potent mages, Indonyia was as fortified as it could be, they all thought.
Eventually, after standing around awkwardly for a few seconds, one of the guards, a man whose appearance was quite common amongst the guardsmen, walked forward, his mana rising as he walked. But Dorian knew that this was simply a psychological trick that many mages used.
By raising their mana whilst another's was down, it gave off the immediate impression that they were stronger, and it was useful in battle and in the real world, too. If one had less confidence, they were likely to slip up or be more vulnerable, but Dorian knew this all too well. Besides, it was not as if they had anything to hide.
The guard barked, "What is your business here? Are you students, or are you family to any students?"
Vanessa shook her head. "Neither. I was hoping I could meet with either Umiya Osled or Blake Velmont. If not, could I potentially request a meeting with the principal?"
Vanessa and the group did look rather strange. It was not as if many people came to the guards dressed like outlaws or something akin to that; he suspected that they were up to no good, so he shook his head. "I would not be able to do that. If you want a meeting, then they must reply to your request, or you can book a meeting with the principal. But I will let you know that there is at least a two-month wait, as the school term is starting very soon; he will not have much time."
"Two months?" Aya repeated in a frustrated but bewildered voice. Time was of the essence; they could not simply wait and sit around for two months doing nothing. They needed to find a way through.
Wild thoughts began corrupting her mind. Should I fight my way past the guards for answers? Would it even work? Am I strong enough to do that? However, Dorian put a firm grip on her shoulder, shaking her out of the destructive thoughts, and shook his head.
It was as if he knew what she was thinking, but it was likely; Dorian had known her for most of his life, and it would not be unusual for him to know what she was thinking at a time like this, where it seemed like all was lost.
But all was not lost, and Vanessa was sure of it.
Despite her anger towards her family, the 'Insigni', she still decided to use them now if she had to. This is for my son, she thought, trying to excuse the use of their name, even though she was not permitted. But those dark thoughts—she did not have to think of them now.
From her cloak, she pulled out a gold sigil that was crested with a family symbol. One that was known, one that was exclusive and unreplicable. The guard staggered back, muttering one word.
"Insigni?!"
The other guards heard the name, and they all peered down, observing Vanessa's features. The Insignis were known to have freckles, loosely curled pink hair, and amber eyes, which was exactly what Vanessa had.
Dorian looked up at Vanessa with a smile. He had heard stories about her past and knew the tough decisions she had had to make, so using her family name here meant a great deal to her.
It was certainly a big deal to the guards, too.
"I apologise with the grace of all six kingdoms! W-was there someone you needed to see in particular?!" he exclaimed, his words stammering over each other.
Vanessa did not act sarcastically; instead, she allowed them to maintain the impression that she had the upper hand. She simply spoke: "Umiya Osled and Blake Velmont. If I require the assistance of any other teacher, then I will inform them. It is best not to make myself widely known, hence the cloak," she said confidently, pointing at the cloak.
Honestly, Vanessa was nervous it would not work; after all, her family had told her to relinquish the name. Her face went sour thinking about the turmoil between her and the rest of her family. Still, one thing was at least respectable, and that was the fact her father was kind enough not to make their feud public to the other nobles within Amento, her home nation.
Though now was not the time to direct her thoughts there, she needed to seek answers for more prominent questions. Four guards surrounded them as they walked through a long milky quartz path towards the academy.
Students were chatting away; some were nervous, awaiting the exam coming up, and others were moving into the grand campus. Aya could only think about what it would have been like for her, Dorian, and Xerxes.
'We would have come back heroes, gone on more quests, and eventually done something with so much grandeur that the Indonyian principal would be in awe, granting us a scholarship,' she thought. Instead, Aya shook her head as the vision of Xerxes being here now quickly vanished, her face consumed by guilt once more.
After a minute's walk, they all arrived at two large oak doors that were stained a darker shade. Everything in the academy was built with such precision and elegance that even something as simple as a door was breathtaking.
A guard pulled the golden knob and, conveniently, spoke: "This is actually the way to the science department. A reason why it is so close is because Lady Umiya tends to blow up a good portion of the academy, which is why this place is heavily fortified by various spells, trinkets, you name it."
Dorian had yet to meet her, but his impression was not good already, whilst Aya could have expected the guard to say something like that, considering Umiya's complex and brazen nature.
Another guard spoke, "Luckily, she is not teaching any classes at the moment. But, Mrs Insigni, please, if you do not mind, do not extend your meeting for more than a few days. Professional classes and assessments start soon, and then I will have to answer to Principal Verwynn, and that is something more terrifying than the Insigni, with all due respect."
Vanessa nodded as the guards began to move behind her. There was a simplistic white door, reinforced with iron, with a small name tag that bore the name and title:
"Professor Osled."
"Teacher of Magical Science and Theory"
Vanessa then knocked on the door three times to ensure she had Umiya's attention, prompting two guards to return to their stations by the barrier, though two still remained, observing them.
Footsteps approached, with illegible mumbling following.
"Argh, I'm trying to get all the work done, but people seemingly have greater priorities than I. WHO IS IT!?"
The door swiftly opened, brushing a wave of wind past all of them, the wind pushing their cloaks straight off their heads. Umiya adjusted her glasses, looking at all of them.
"Black-haired emo with a Fedradian blade, doesn't ring a bell."
"Pink-haired hottie who's got a killer rack, you're not familiar either."
"Blondie, who seems... familiar. Oh, great glory, it's you, Blondie!" Umiya jumped straight towards Aya, her face uncomfortably close to Aya's. "But I notice dark circles, perhaps lack of sleep; puffed eyes, tears? Could it be symptoms of depression? WHAT IS WRONG?!"
She scanned the area. "What about adventuring boy, the Orc-slayer?" she exclaimed, raising a hand in triumph.
A silence followed, but then Aya muttered, "He died."
Umiya slowly lowered the hand that had been raised in triumph. It certainly was not a 'triumphant' moment; instead, it began to explain what Umiya had noticed about her physiology. Life was cruel; at one moment, it could be burning with joy, and in the next, it could be extinguished by a terrible event.
Though Umiya had not got to know Xerxes well, he was someone who had intrigued her, and she could only suspect one thing: "And you are here because something either went extremely, terribly, crazily wrong, or..."
She scratched her head, thinking. "Nah, it is likely the first option. I'll welcome you into my humble abode, and you should all give me the details."
Entering the laboratory, they were welcomed into a very messy room. Shelves were hosting many different plants that they had never seen before. Additionally, the floor was scattered with many different sheets of paper, all with complex magical equations, broken vials, and anything that was not supposed to be cluttered. There were makeshift 'incubators' holding many different beasts and soul fragments, alongside vials with various liquids that exuded various types of mana.
Regardless of the room, they made their way across carefully, to ensure they did not damage any of the work, an office room—which was surprisingly clean—was where they all sat down.
Umiya sat down on a chair, tucking her legs up and spinning around. "So, tell me, what happened? Don't miss a SINGULAR DETAIL! Science is a precise endeavour; any detail that is skipped could result in a vicious defeat or a domineering victory over the forces of nature!"
Vanessa, Aya, and Dorian then began explaining the story through saddened voices, whilst Umiya stuck out her tongue, taking notes and collecting books that related to each topic. Though she was messy and seemingly disorganised, the truth was that Umiya was a precise scientist, one of the greatest on the continent. However crazy she might seem, she was a diligent scientist, always pursuing a new mystery.
But as they continued explaining, eventually reaching the contents of the battle within the fallen kingdom and the moment where Xerxes had not even dropped his soul fragment, an event which occurred for all humans, no matter how devastating an attack was, Umiya slowly dropped her pen
Then her face showed something that was surprising, even for the three: it was shock.