After the last student passed the exam we were led to choose a faculty of study to join and the led to a celebratory banquet for freshman .The banquet hall was in full swing, the chatter of students and faculty filling the air as the new students settled into their designated tables. Platters of delicacies covered the long, polished tables, and glasses of sparkling wine and juices clinked with every toast. For a moment, the world felt almost serene, like nothing could disturb this delicate harmony.
I had made my decision to join the Alchemy Faculty, a choice that still made my heart race with excitement and doubt. The Dean of Alchemy had been warm in her welcome, but there was an air of quiet calculation about her that made me uneasy. What did she see in me, other than my interest in alchemy?
As I looked around the room, I couldn't shake the feeling that the Deans of the other faculties were watching us, the new students. The way their eyes moved over each of us, lingering longer on some faces, perhaps even calculating the potential of each individual. There were those who seemed to be the obvious choices—like Vanessa, who was effortlessly blending in with the Spiritual Attributes Faculty. But then, there was me.
I had no official power rating on the power stone. I had passed the test, but it was clear to everyone who observed me closely that something was off. I had been placed into the Physical Attributes Faculty by default, but even there, I felt like an outlier. No one really understood me, least of all the faculty heads. Still, they couldn't ignore the raw potential I seemed to hold.
"Sky," a voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to find the Dean of the Physical Attributes Faculty looking at me with a sharp, calculating gaze. "I see you've decided to join the Alchemy Faculty."
His voice was smooth, almost too smooth, and there was something in his eyes—a glimmer of curiosity that made my skin prickle.
I nodded, feeling suddenly exposed under his scrutiny. "Yes, I think I'd be better suited there."
"I can't help but wonder if you've made the right choice," the Dean said, his lips curling into a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "But I suppose we'll see in time, won't we?"
There was a subtle challenge in his words, as if testing me to prove my worth, not just to the Alchemy Faculty, but to him personally. I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but the intensity of his gaze made me uneasy. His demeanor was cold, and yet there was something about him that made me feel like I was being measured, weighed, and found wanting.
But before I could respond, a soft voice broke through.
"Sky, you're joining the Alchemy Faculty?" It was Aerin, her face lighting up with excitement. "I think that's a brilliant choice! I've always admired the intricacies of alchemy, and I've heard that the Dean of Alchemy has an eye for the gifted. She must have seen something special in you."
I smiled faintly, grateful for Aerin's encouragement, but as my gaze drifted back to the deans, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. The Dean of Alchemy, whose name was Freya, was watching me with a mix of interest and something deeper, like she was contemplating something far beyond my simple decision to join her faculty. Her sharp eyes never strayed too far from me, and it made my heart race.
Noticing the attention, I glanced around. Bradley and Mai were engrossed in conversations with their respective deans, their faces a mix of curiosity and excitement. I could tell that Bradley had solidified his place in the Physical Attributes Faculty. He was already chatting up the Dean of the faculty with ease, laughing at something the dean had said. Mai, too, seemed to have found her place among the Spiritual Attributes Faculty, where she was getting along well with the Dean of Spirits, a tall, regal woman with an air of mystery about her.
But my attention was drawn back to the Deans—their eyes shifting towards me with renewed interest. It wasn't just Freya now. The Dean of Spiritual Attributes, a woman named Lady Seraphina, was watching me from across the room, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly as if pondering something even though she was also engaged in conversation with Mei. She had not made any overt move toward me, but there was no mistaking the subtle energy that seemed to pull her gaze toward me whenever I looked away.
My heart thudded in my chest. It was clear to me now—I wasn't just a curious new student to them. I was something... else. Something they were all watching with intent, as if they saw something that no one else could perceive. Or perhaps I was a puzzle they were trying to figure out.
I shook my head, trying to focus on the present, but the weight of their attention made it impossible to ignore. I just ocued on people watching ,trying to observe the dynamics of this place. At that moment, a new figure entered the banquet hall. A tall, elegant woman, with silver hair cascading down her back and a regal presence that commanded the room. Her beauty was ethereal, but it was her aura that drew the most attention. She was the head of the Church of the Goddess, though she didn't wear the traditional robes that marked her as one of its clergy.
Princess Isabelle Vixen, the niece of the King of Ninetailed, entered the hall with a group of attendants right behind the Priestess. Her eyes—dark and intense—landed on Kai Xu immediately, a senior who stood alone, as if drawn to him by some invisible force. She was beautiful, poised, and clearly accustomed to getting what she wanted, but there was a slight shift in her expression when she noticed the distance between her and Kai Xu. He hadn't even spared her a glance.
The rivalry between the two was palpable, even if unspoken. As much as Isabelle tried to seem casual about it, I could see the subtle tension in the air. But Kai Xu, who seemed aloof and unapproachable, gave her no attention whatsoever. His gaze remained fixed on the far side of the room, his expression neutral, distant.
I couldn't help but feel the stirrings of something as I observed his side profile—something that made me feel exposed, though this was the first time I'd seen him, yet strangely the feeling was powerful. But right now, I couldn't afford to focus on that. I needed to keep my attention on the fact that something was brewing in the shadows.
The most powerful people in our kingdom in the same room seemed strange , why would they be here at this time when I'd heard that they never really attended entrance ceremonies.
The Church of the Goddess—the presence of the princess and the whispers around her—felt like something far deeper than just politics. It was something hidden, a force that wasn't just about royalty or titles. It was about power, about the fragments of a forgotten prophecy, and about something far more dangerous that lay hidden beneath the surface of this kingdom.
As I stood there, my heart pounding, I realized something: I wasn't just at this school to learn about alchemy or powers. I was here because my presence had drawn attention—not just from my fellow students, but from forces far more sinister, forces I didn't fully understand yet.
And I had no choice but to keep going forward, to discover the truth behind the attention I was receiving and the darkness that loomed just beyond the horizon ,that exam seemed like a foreshadowing