Lunaris City
It was morning so the city was buzzing with people everywhere. The city was quite busy.
John entered through the portal then walked through the streets. He was in his academy uniform. the meeting point was The Pillar of Penance statue. John had to meet his guide there.
He asked around and walked towards the statue
Suddenly from behind somebody said "if it isn't the beauty queen of Zylara"
John turned back, his sigh heavy with the realization that his peace and quiet had just officially ended.
Diana stood there, her white hair windswept and wild, her muscular arms crossed over her chest. She looked like she could snap a spear in half with one hand, but her grin was pure mischief. "Aw, look at that face," she chuckled, nudging Reina with a sturdy elbow. "Did we interrupt your royal brooding, Your Majesty?"
Reina leaned back, her deep blue hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. She didn't move an inch, but her glowing amber eyes tracked John with the intensity of a cat watching a bird—only the bird was wearing a stupid hat. "Careful, Diana," Reina purred, her voice smooth and dripping with sarcasm. "If he sighs any harder, his tiara might fall off. We wouldn't want the Beauty of Zylara to lose his shine, would we?"
John looks at them "you two are as close as always"
they both chuckle then Diana goes towards him "Hey you awakened your magic good for you"
Reina then from behind "yeah I noticed he has gained a little muscle"
then Diana smirks "hey why didn't you join Anna's group" then she smiled "Anna asked us to join, we joined thinking you would be there."
John looks at Diana "I had just got my magic so I had to train"
Reina interrupts "well you didn't miss much everybody were a bunch of try hards" then she continued "we left after a while I swear to God if Anna had barked another order at me I would have killed her in her sleep"
then Diana sighs "They invited Arthur and Serena you can imagine how that went" she said dramatically "Serena was okay but Arthur with his heroic agenda kept on nagging at everybody and his friends were even worse. At one point Mike punched Arthur in the face"
John laughed "I would have loved to see that"
Suddenly a magic circle appeared on the ground below our feet and we were teleported suddenly we reached near a massive gate it read Aethercore Academy. there were many students already present there.
Diana gasped "Alright that was grand"
Reina didn't look nearly as impressed as Diana; she was too busy scanning the sea of students with a critical, golden-eyed gaze. She brushed a stray strand of blue hair from her face and leaned toward John. "Grand? Please. It's just a flashy way of saying 'Welcome to four years of stress.' Look at all these fresh-faced idiots. Half of them look like they're about to vomit."
"And the other half look like they want to fight someone," Diana added, her eyes lighting up as she spotted a group of older students practicing mana-control near the entrance. She cracked her knuckles, the sound sharp against the hum of the crowd. "I think I'm going to like it here."
Through the Ivory Gates
The gates themselves were colossal—two slabs of obsidian-veined marble that seemed to pulse with a faint, rhythmic light, as if the academy itself were breathing. As the trio walked through, the noise of the city was instantly replaced by the low, resonant chime of a bell echoing from the central spire.
then a old man in a butlers suit welcomed us he had a terrifying aura
he looked at us Sternly "I am Vice Headmaster Ron Gilbert" then he continued "you all will proceed to the Auditorium
he led us to the Auditorium. we three went into the Auditorium and took our seats.
the Auditorium was massive with a huge stage in front
The doors to the auditorium creaked shut with a heavy, magical thud that silenced the room. The chatter died down as a tall, sharp-featured student stepped onto the stage. He didn't need a microphone; his voice carried through the hall, amplified by a subtle ripple of mana.
He wore the academy uniform, but it was customized with gold braiding and a crimson sash—the mark of the Student Council President. He moved with a terrifyingly calm grace, the kind that came from knowing he was likely the most powerful person in the room.
"Look at him," Reina whispered, her golden eyes narrowing. "That's Kaelen Voss. He can't stand John."
Diana leaned in, a smirk playing on her lips. "during our school days he always tried to lecture john something about being the next generation of heroes and responsibilities. John used to ignore him whenever he tried to speak to John."
Kaelen reached the podium, his gaze sweeping over the freshman class like a predator surveying a new pack. He waited for total silence before he began.
Kaelen began his speech
"To the incoming class of Aethercore: look at the person to your left. Now, look to your right."
A ripple of nervous movement went through the crowd. Diana winked at John; Reina just rolled her eyes at the ceiling.
"In any other institution, you would be told that these people are your brothers and sisters in arms. Here? They are your benchmarks. Magic is not a charity. It is a finite resource, and the world outside these walls is not interested in your potential—it is interested in your results."
Kaelen's hands gripped the edges of the podium. "Some of you have spent your lives being told you are special. You have been coddled by teachers and praised for 'natural talent' while lacking the discipline to actually wield it. You treat your gifts like a fashion statement rather than a responsibility."
"That's definitely a shot at you," Reina murmured, nudging John with her elbow. "The 'fashion statement' bit? He's basically calling you a pretty ornament."
Kaelen's eyes locked onto John's for a cold, unmistakable moment. "There is no room in the next four years for those who think they can slide by on luck or charm. The title of 'Mage' is earned through blood, sweat, and absolute adherence to the Heroic Code. If you are here to play at being a hero, leave now. We are here to build them."
He stood taller, his mana-signature flaring just enough to make the air in the auditorium feel heavy. "Discipline is the only path to power. Remember that, or the Academy will remind you itself. Welcome to the beginning of your real education."
As Kaelen stepped back from the podium, the room remained uncomfortably silent for a moment before the faculty began to clap, followed slowly by the intimidated students.
"Wow," Diana whispered, letting out a breath. "He's even more of a buzzkill than he was two years ago. How does he breathe with that stick so far up his—"
"Language, Diana," Reina interrupted, though she was grinning. She looked at John, her golden eyes shimmering with amusement. "So, John? How did it feel? That was a five-minute long break-up speech and he didn't even use your name."
John let out a dry laugh. "He hasn't changed at all. Still has that fucked up bitch of a personality."
"Well, he's definitely going to be watching you," Diana said, leaning her weight against John's shoulder, her muscular frame a grounding presence. "Which means we're going to have to be extra loud and extra annoying just to keep his blood pressure up. It's our civic duty."
Suddenly, the lights in the auditorium shifted from the warm amber of the lamps to a brilliant, shocking violet. The floor beneath them hummed, and the giant Aethercore crest behind the podium began to rotate.
The heavy, rhythmic sound of a drum echoed through the hall—once, twice, three times.
"That's the signal," Reina said, her playful expression finally settling into something more alert. "The speech is over."
A voice, much older and more powerful than Kaelen's, boomed throughout the room.
"Freshmen! Stand from your seats and go to the dorm room assigned to you."