"What is your name, child?"
A deep voice echoed as Caden opened the doors of the building. It was a butler, or perhaps a secretary or a teacher? He wore a black long coat that reached his knees, with a white shirt inside it. Circular spectacles sat on his face, seeming to be made of gold as they shone through the bright hallway. The narrow blue eyes, with a frozen ocean inside them, made Caden stand still from their gaze.
The bright sun gradually peeked through the mountains, and as the hallways lit up with sunlight, the person spoke again, with the same deep voice.
"You must be Caden Starhaven?"
"How did you know?" asked Caden, surprised as to how he knew it.
"My eyes see it all, son." Bringing his right hand forward, he said, "This is the letter that came yesterday at dusk. Your father," he coughed, "your adopted father sent this." His eyes judged Caden, peeking over the glasses of his lavish spectacles.
Caden stood still, not knowing what to say to break the silence. They both glared at each other for a moment.
"Pardon my manners, master. I am your new personal tutor," he rested his right hand on his heart and swept his left hand in a graceful arc as he bowed deeply from the waist, "the name's Sandor, Sandor Everhart, but you may call me Sand. From now on, your responsibilities have been transferred to me by your father. I hope I can be a good teacher."
"Personal tutor?" Caden asked, confused.
"Ah, forgive me for not explaining. Come! Take a walk with me." Sand gently moved to the side and stretched his hand towards the empty yet bright hallway. The red carpets, the golden lanterns, and the white walls shone brightly under the morning sun, and the silence was yet again broken by the distant chirping of birds, the shallow yet shriek cry of the Falcrys, which were only seen in the forests of the east.
"So, Caden. You must be confused as to why you're having a new personal tutor while others study in class together, right?"
Sand began walking, the sound of his boots echoing throughout the hallway in the early morning. Caden followed behind him with his heavy bag of clothes and his belongings in his hand.
"Yes. Why don't I get to study with them? I wanna make new friends!" said Caden, pouting.
Sand stopped for a second, adjusting his coat, and then clasping his hands behind his back he spoke, "You'll know it when the time comes." He began walking again, but this time, the pace was faster.
Caden, baffled by the answer Sand just gave, stood still as a petrified statue. But as he saw Sand going farther and farther into the hallway, he came back to his senses and ran towards him with his little legs. At first, he couldn't catch him, his breath heavy, the belongings in his hands weighing him down, and he fell down. Hearing the thud, Sand tilted his head and, glancing over his shoulder, gave Caden a look of pure disgust, as if he was disappointed in the child.
Seeing the look of disgust on Sand's face, Caden couldn't help but feel anguish. He stood up again and ran with all his might. This time, he succeeded in crossing Sand, and with both his hands spread out, blocking Sand's path, he took a deep breath and asked, "When does the training start?"
Sand gave a slight chuckle and said, "It already has," as he walked past Caden's open arms.
After walking for a few minutes, both Sand and Caden reached a wooden door at the end of the hallway. As Sand opened it, Caden saw a sight he had never before seen. The world beyond was vast, an open expanse that stretched endlessly under the infinite blue sky. As the door swung wide open, Caden's eyes widened in awe. The walls of the academy stretched around the perimeter of the land like a border, and mountains stood tall behind them like sentinels with their jagged peaks.
The land was filled with diverse terrains: lush meadows, winding rivers, plains, rugged cliffs, and high grounds.
Far in the distance stood students in groups, wearing dark purple long coats and practicing spells and paradoxes. Some stood still in a circle, holding each other's hands, while some practiced alone on the high grounds.
"What do you think, Caden?" Sand asked proudly with a smile on his face.
"It… It's amazing!"
Sand gave a quiet laugh and said, "Everyone says that. But the teachings here aren't that easy, Caden. I will work you to death, and you will want to quit every second of it. So tell me! Are you ready?"
Caden, for the first time, looked into Sand's eyes without breaking the contact and said, "I am ready."
"Hahahahaha! I see! So, you're ready? Alright then, we will have your first class today after breakfast. Why don't you go and put your belongings in your room?" said Sand, pointing at Caden's room which was near the border of the academy.
Closing his eyes, he began, "Those huge walls may seem like just a wall or a border, but they are actually where the classrooms and the hostels of the students are located. The magic academy is different than every one of the academies ruled under the Seven Heavenly Teachings."
"For example, the academy of knowledge, called Saphris, doesn't have an open field like this. They only have classrooms to read and write. This academy was made under the Truth vs Lie paradox by our Magic Saint. He used the paradox to make the lie seem like truth and the truth seem like a lie, which ensures that anyone who is an outsider to the land cannot see the true form of these walls. But those with a permit, once reached close enough, will—" Sand's speech was cut off by a loud yell from the distance, and as he opened his eyes, he saw Caden lying on the ground.
Caden's hand pointed towards the walls, terrified of what he had seen, but Sand knew exactly what Caden had witnessed.