It was Kael's first time stepping outside the campus walls since that strange first morning—when he'd awoken in a body not his own, in a world pulled from half-forgotten stories.
Back then, the city had been a blur, too bright, too overwhelming, a dizzying assault on senses still reeling from the impossible shift. He hadn't had the opportunity, or perhaps the mental capacity, to truly explore it.
Now, the familiar spires of the Academy stood tall behind them, their sleek silver edges gleaming in the afternoon sun, a comforting beacon of disciplined knowledge.
But ahead—the city opened like a living mural, painted in warm ochres and burnished reds, glinting runes catching the light, and the distant murmur of a thousand human voices rising into a harmonious hum.
They had taken a portal directly to District 6, the shimmer of arcane transit momentarily disorienting before they stepped out onto solid, bustling ground.
