Chapter 23 - A Beautiful Sunset
Back at Aurora Isle…
The island was peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
The sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold. The ocean surrounding the island was so clear that the faint outlines of the seabed could be seen beneath the surface.
Birds soared freely across the sky.
And beneath the water, Dalfings danced through the waves, occasionally breaking the surface before disappearing again.
To an outsider, Aurora Isle looked like paradise.
But for the students—
It was anything but.
"Haaah… my head hurts."
"Stop pushing me, idiot."
"I just want to sleep…"
Complaints echoed throughout the group as the students dragged themselves across the enormous campus.
From morning until evening, they had been guided through Aurelian High.
They had seen the cafeterias.
The libraries.
The gyms.
The playgrounds.
The seminar halls.
The laboratories.
And countless other facilities scattered throughout the academy.
The campus was so enormous that simply exploring it had left many of them exhausted.
"Huff… huff…"
Rey leaned heavily against his sister.
"Moriko… please help your brother. I can't walk anymore."
Moriko stared at him.
"What do you want me to do? I'm exhausted too."
She pushed him away.
"Don't be a baby. I'm your sister, not Mom."
Rey placed both hands over his chest.
His expression became dramatically heartbroken.
"Oh… aren't you cruel for your own good?"
Moriko stared at his exaggerated expression.
"If you have enough energy to make those ridiculous poses, you have enough energy to walk."
Rey's expression immediately collapsed.
"Man… where are the dormitories?"
He dragged his feet along the ground.
"Honestly, I'm more exhausted from listening to that old professor talk than from walking."
Moriko laughed.
"If you walk like an old man,I'm leaving you here."
"Wait!"
Their voices gradually faded into the distance.
A few steps away, Mira watched them with an amused smile.
'They're quite energetic.'
She turned toward the girl walking beside her.
"Tired?"
Seraphine glanced at her before letting out a small sigh.
"The walking isn't the problem."
She glanced back toward the academy.
"It's Professor Henry's lecture. I think he could talk for another three hours without stopping."
Mira laughed softly.
"You're not wrong."
For a moment, they continued walking in silence.
Mira glanced toward the enormous academy surrounding them.
"Tomorrow is our first real day here."
Her golden eyes brightened.
"I'm actually excited."
Seraphine looked at her curiously.
"You are?"
"Of course." Mira smiled. "We finally get to study here. There are so many things I want to learn about."
Seraphine nodded.
"Same. I've heard Aurelian has research facilities that don't exist anywhere else in Stella."
Mira's expression softened with curiosity.
"Really?"
"That's what I've heard."
Seraphine smiled.
"Guess we'll find out tomorrow."
Mira nodded.
"Yeah. Tomorrow should be interesting."
Meanwhile, Aric continued walking ahead of everyone.
His posture remained straight.
Not a trace of exhaustion appeared on his face.
Hmph.
Weaklings.
He didn't allow anyone to see his fatigue.
Not here.
Not at Aurelian.
Jay walked quietly among the students.
Unlike most of them, he wasn't focused on how tired he was.
His eyes continued moving across the surroundings.
The placement of buildings.
Security systems.
Road layouts.
Entrances.
Cameras.
Emergency exits.
Everything.
He had also paid close attention to Professor Henry's explanation of Aurelian's history and important facilities.
The academy wasn't merely large.
It was carefully designed.
Every structure had a purpose.
Every system was maintained to an almost absurd standard.
Interesting.
Jay's thoughts continued as he walked.
This place is more advanced than I expected.
He slowed slightly.
Ahead of him, a large building came into view.
Clap!
The sudden sound pulled everyone's attention forward.
The students looked up.
The building before them was enormous.
Large enough to accommodate hundreds of students.
Professor Henry stood at the entrance.
"I know you're all exhausted, so I won't take too much of your time."
A wave of relief immediately spread through the students.
Rey raised his hand in a dramatic salute.
"Professor Henry, your kindness will never be forgotten!"
Henry stared at him.
"Hmm."
He cleared his throat.
"Anyway."
Rey slowly lowered his hand.
Henry continued.
"These are your dormitories."
He gestured toward the building.
"Your rooms have been assigned according to your ranking groups." Group A will occupy the fourth floor, Group B the third, Group C the second, and Group D the first."
The students exchanged glances.
So even their dormitories reflected the hierarchy.
Henry continued.
"Your individual rooms will be assigned according to your ranking number."
He paused.
"Collect your access information and get some rest."
His expression softened slightly.
"Tomorrow will be your first official day as Aurelian students."
The students needed no further encouragement.
They rushed toward the dormitory.
Jay walked directly to his assigned room.
There was no keycard.
The moment Jay stood before the door, a thin blue light swept over him from head to toe.
And a beep..
Scan complete.
Identity confirmed.
Access granted.
A mechanical voice followed.
"Would you like me to open the door?"
Jay paused.
"Open."
The door slid aside.
His eyes immediately scanned the room.
It was luxurious.
A large bed.
A study desk.
Storage space.
A private bathroom.
Advanced environmental controls.
And, surprisingly—
A separate training room.
Jay stepped inside.
He looked around carefully.
Everything he needed was already there.
It's good.
He walked toward the center of the room.
"Close the door and dim the lights."
"Certainly."
The door closed automatically.
The lights softened.
Jay looked toward the ceiling.
The mechanical system was impressive.
He thought for a moment.
"Perhaps I should give you a name."
A brief pause.
"I'll decide tomorrow."
With that, Jay changed and went to sleep.
The exhausting day finally came to an end.
***
The Next Morning
Morning arrived quickly.
Jay woke at his usual time.
He completed his morning exercises, stretched, and took a shower before putting on the Aurelian uniform.
The uniform fit perfectly.
Black.
Gold trim.
The Aurelian insignia displayed proudly across his chest.
Jay adjusted his collar.
Then he looked toward the ceiling.
"Lumi."
The mechanical voice responded immediately.
"Yes?"
"What time is it?"
"7:28 AM."
Jay nodded.
"I should leave."
He grabbed his belongings and walked out.
The corridor was already filled with students.
As Jay headed toward the cafeteria, he overheard several conversations.
"My room is terrible."
"What did you expect? You ranked in Group D."
"At least yours has better technology than mine."
Jay continued walking.
So that's the difference in hierarchy.
Even their living conditions reflected their rankings.
Interesting.
He quickly ate breakfast before heading toward the Group A classroom.
When Jay entered—
He immediately noticed the first bench.
Neva Frost sat at the front, her long white hair neatly tied behind her. Her blue eyes remained fixed ahead, her fair complexion contrasting sharply with the dark Aurelian uniform.
Calm.
Silent.
Untouchable.
Her eyes met Jay's for a brief moment.
Neither spoke.
Jay continued walking.
The fifth bench.
He stopped.
Even the seating arrangement is based on rank.
The first bench belonged to rank one and two.
The second to three and four.
The third to five and six.
The fourth to seven and eight.
And the fifth
Jay...
He looked at the empty seat beside him.
"Hey, bro!"
A loud voice interrupted his thoughts.
Jay turned.
Rey stood beside the desk with a huge grin on his face.
He extended his hand.
"What's up?"
Jay looked at the hand for a moment before shaking it.
"Hello."
Rey's grin widened.
"So we're benchmates from now on!"
Jay looked at the seat.
"I suppose."
"Nice!"
Rey dropped into the chair beside him with a grin.
Jay glanced at him.
Around them, the other students continued settling into their seats.
Mira entered the classroom shortly afterward. Unlike the nervous students around her, she seemed genuinely excited. Her eyes wandered across the classroom, taking in the unfamiliar faces and surroundings.
Mira took her seat and casually observed the other students as they chatted among themselves.
A moment later, Moriko entered the classroom.
Her short green hair framed her face, while her amber eyes moved across the room with a calm, observant expression. Her tan complexion and athletic build made her stand out even among the students of Group A.
Without paying much attention to the conversations around her, she walked toward her assigned seat.
"Hello."
Moriko greeted Mira..
Mira turned toward her and smiled.
"Hello."
She gestured toward the seat beside her.
"You can call me Mira."
Moriko nodded.
"Moriko."
She took the seat beside Mira.
Before either of them could say anything else, someone caught Mira's attention.
Further ahead, Seraphine's wavy purple hair stood out among the darker uniforms, while her violet eyes moved curiously around the classroom.
Then Seraphine noticed Mira and waved at her with a bright smile.
Mira smiled and returned the gesture.
Seraphine gave her a small nod before turning back toward the students around her.
Mira glanced around the classroom again.
The classroom slowly filled.
Conversations grew louder.
Then..
Thud.
The classroom door closed.
Silence.
Every student turned.
Professor Vega stood at the entrance.
Her cold eyes swept across the room.
The first day of Aurelian High had officially begun..