It was still daytime when we reached the gates of Undying City.
It felt unreal to stand in front of something so large. The stone walls must have been thirty meters high.
There was a lot of commotion by the gates. Hundreds of civilians are travelling to and from the village. Most were dressed in clothes that looked much different from my own farmers' rags.
Knights were guarding the entrance. Not knights in black like those who travelled with the Collectors, but rather simple guards in steel armour.
When they spotted Meruvio's chariot, they hastily opened the door, as if their lives depended on it.
Did the collectors hold that much power?
The giant gates opened, and the horses carried our chariots into the city.
Immediately, I felt overwhelmed by the vastness of the Undying City.
The City was on a constant uphill. The further you travelled towards the centre, the more the elevation rose.
There were rows and rows of beautifully built buildings for all needs spaced around the city. Houses, stores, restaurants, taverns. Anything you could think of.
Civilians of all ages travelled about the place eagerly. From the looks on their smiling faces, you would never guess that an apocalypse was incoming.
What stood out most in the city, was that at the highest point, there were two buildings.
One was a palace. Its design was flat, yet the stonework was beautiful, as if it had been crafted by a master artist.
However, the building next to it was even greater. It was similar to the design, but its height stretched much taller. It was made from white stone, with giant pillars surrounding it, and vibrant windows that reflected the starlight.
There was another building that caught my eye too. It was a towering temple, surrounded by an estate of luxurious houses. My guess was that this would be the location that Ivy would arrive at during her journey towards becoming a Holy Angelite.
As our chariot rode through the streets, my head peered out of the window, gawking at the sights.
Collector Meruvio laughed.
"Nothing like your old village, eh?"
He was right. Life in the city seemed much more eventful. Much more intimidating.
I nodded my head.
"As you probably know, you're currently too young to enrol in the academy. So instead you'll join our Preparation School. It's a smaller institution where students with talent prepare themselves physically and mentally before awakening and enrolling on the Varadna Academy. Most start at this school at the age of six and stay there for six years. That means you'll be entering as a sixth-year student. The final year."
As Meruvio explained this, I couldn't help but be filled with excitement.
A school where I could not only train physically, but also be given the chance to learn? It was an opportunity that my poor upbringing had always stopped me dark achieving.
"Sounds good sir."
"Of course, you will be far behind the other students in terms of education, but I think you'll have an edge on them somewhere else."
The Collector smiled. He was hinting at my awakening.
I should have been the only student there who had awakened. After all, none of us would be teenagers.
Being behind in terms of education would be frustrating, but I could catch up. I would work hard, just like I had on my parents' farm.
Meruvio must have seen the determination in my eyes. It was clear that the man liked me. Or at least I interested him.
---
Eventually, we arrived at a building located near the centre of the city, but not so close to the palace and Varadna Academy.
We stepped out of the chariot. The winds of the city blew in my face, followed by fragrances I had never experienced before.
I noticed the eyes of the passerby staring at me. It was rare to see a boy in such dirty clothes inside the capital city, a place where nobles and royalty lived.
"This is the Varadna Preparation School. Your home for the next year."
The three-story building was made from red and white stones, with a luxurious look that none of the other buildings on the street had.
There was a marble staircase leading to double doors, and above the doors, there was a golden sign with words etched onto it.
"Become the future that we need." It read.
"Classes are over for today, but I'll take you inside and introduce you to the Master Professor. He will give you a room, and fill you in on anything you might need to know. In the meantime, I'll fetch you some clothes... and a sword. You'll need a sword."
I found myself taken aback by Meruvio's kindness. He didn't strike me as the man to hand out favours.
"Why are you doing so much for me?" I asked him.
The man smirked. "Because I believe you're an investment."
I didn't know what he meant.
...
Meruvio led me indoors. We entered and found ourselves in a cosy reception area with a desk at the centre, ready to receive visitors.
There was a woman behind the desk reading a book. She was brown-haired, wore glasses, and had a beauty spot on her cheek.
She looked up from her book, unbothered. Even when she spotted Meruvio, she didn't seem to show respect like the others did.
"Madisen. It's good to see you." The collector said, leaning up against the desk cooly.
"Meruvio." The receptionist said without a care in the world. Her eyes landed on me, and her brow raised. "Who's the tall farmer boy?"
A hand suddenly landed on my shoulder. It belonged to Meruvio.
"This is Leox Lether. A new student that I'll be enrolling into the academy. Is the Master Professor here? I'd like to introduce him."
Madisen's eyebrows only rose higher as she looked me up at down with her brown eyes.
"A new student? Isn't he a bit... Old?"
"Yes, twelve years old to be exact. I would have had him enrolled on the Academy this year, but he isn't old enough just yet."
"The academy?" Madisen echoed. "Does that mean..."
Meruvio couldn't help but chuckle. "Hehe, yes. Leox had awakened at the age of twelve.
"..."
The words stunned the woman into silence.
Meanwhile, I hadn't said a single word.
"This will be interesting. The Master Professor is in his office, you can head upstairs now."
Meruvio tipped his head respectfully towards the young woman. But before he left, he flashed her a wink.
"So, could I take you out for dinner later, perhaps?"
"Perhaps not," Madisen responded, before turning back to her book and paying the man no more attention.
"Ahh, another time then."
Afterwards, Meruvio gave up his poor efforts and led me up the stairs.
It seemed that even powerful men could be humbled at times. All it took was a pretty woman.