"Young master, it's getting late."
Vesper glanced up from the parchment in his hand, the ink still drying along the edge of a diagram. He gave a small nod. "Alright. I'm done. Let's go."
He and Nefeli stepped out of the room, descending the grand staircase.
Outside, the cold morning air greeted them. A sleek, black carriage stood at the gate, its frame adorned with silver inlays that shimmered under the sun. Two powerful, brown-skinned horses stamped lightly on the stones.
Beside the carriage stood two figures. One was Elar, composed as ever in his deep crimson robes, and Isolde, dressed in muted silver with a fur-lined cloak draped over her shoulders. Her posture was rigid, arms folded, her face unreadable.
Vesper walked toward them with steady steps. Nefeli followed silently behind.
He stopped first in front of Isolde. Her sharp, icy-blue eyes met his.
"I didn't think you'd see me off," Vesper said softly, offering the faintest smile.
Isolde tilted her head slightly. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't. I have only one little brother, after all, don't I?" She returned his faint smile.
"Any last words? Advice?"
Isolde rolled her eyes. "As if I have much to say to a grown man."
"Oh, come on, we both know that I'm still a kid in your eyes."
She stepped closer and, after a moment of hesitation, adjusted the collar of his coat. "Just be extremely careful and put your safety over everything else. Lux Aeterna is not like university."
She stepped back without another word.
Elar approached next, his gaze steady. "Your registration is complete. Your token is inside the carriage."
Vesper nodded.
"Just like others, you'll be arriving a day early," Elar continued. "Use the time to acclimate."
"Is there anyone I should be wary of?" Vesper asked.
Elar gave him a thin smile. "Brat, they're all in the 4th Cycle, just like you. If you even ask me, I'd say you're the weakest. But if you want to know the real problem, it's… Lunette Blake."
Vesper raised an eyebrow. "Lunette Blake?"
"Yes," Elar sighed. "As her last name suggests, she's a commoner. But that doesn't matter, as her current strength is not something a first-year student should possess."
"...Is she that strong?"
"She's halfway through the 4th Cycle."
Vesper's eyes widened. "What?!"
Halfway through the 4th Cycle? That's… madness. And she's just a commoner, which means she's reached this level of strength without any significant resources.
"She's expected to be the greatest prodigy of the empire. Maybe only prodigies from other empires can compare to her."
"Is she even better than Csilla…?" Vesper asked.
Elar hesitated for a moment, then replied. "No… not yet at least. Finding someone like Csilla is nearly impossible. She has broken every record you can imagine." After another pause, he added. "If she wasn't from another empire, she could be your possible fiancée."
Vesper stared at him, annoyed. "Why would someone like her become my fiancée? There are better options, like the Crown Prince."
Elar turned silent, and Isolde chuckled.
"It is possible with that face of yours…" Elar said with a deadpan expression.
Vesper's eyebrow twitched. You damn jealous old man.
"He's right. She might have really fallen for you." To Vesper's sheer shock, it was Isolde who said that, with a faint smile.
"...You too?"
"Alright," Elar exhaled deeply. "It's time to go. Just remember that you don't have to ace everything or be the top one… just be an average, mediocre student until you graduate. And always… always prevent problems if you want to get the Von Stein last name, do you understand?"
Vesper nodded seriously.
The carriage door swung open with a soft click. Nefeli climbed in first. Vesper turned back to look at the mansion—his home, his cage—then stepped into the carriage.
The door shut.
He waved at Isolde, who was now genuinely smiling.
The horses stirred, and with a crack of the reins, the carriage began to roll forward, leaving the Von Stein estate behind.
I hope I never come back here.
***
Before the gates of a magnificent, grand castle, several carriages stood. Some looked normal, some looked noble. Over a hundred people were gathered there. Some wore simple clothes and some wore expensive-looking attire. Most of their eyes were wide in awe and disbelief.
"Wow… is this Lux Aeterna?"
"It's… majestic."
"It looks even more significant than in stories."
Meanwhile, Vesper looked at it without much awe, just like the other nobles. After all, most nobles had visited here before.
Even so… it still didn't fail to astonish him. The castle itself was a sprawling marvel, its walls crafted from gleaming ivory stone, rising toward the sky.
Four massive, elegantly carved pillars stood sentinel at its grand entrance.
A vast, meticulously manicured courtyard stretched before them, leading to a series of vibrant gardens where exotic flora bloomed in impossible colors. Towers with intricate spires pierced the clouds.
While many students, especially commoners, openly gaped at the sprawling architecture, Vesper maintained a neutral facade.
he was scanning the faces around him with a detached interest. He noted the hushed conversations, the subtle sizing up between rival noble houses, and the nervous fidgeting of those less familiar to such things.
These nobles are already sizing each other up, he observed. He wasn't looking for trouble yet.
His gaze lingered for a moment on a group of students exuding an almost palpable aura of self-importance, typical of high-ranking noble scions. They'll lean on their family names, their connections. Easy targets if they don't adapt. Arrogance will get them killed here.
He wondered if Lunette Blake was among them, or if she preferred to keep to herself.
Elar said she's strong. Need to find her.
As the morning passed, a series of robed figures, clearly academy staff, emerged from the grand archway of the castle.
They began calling out names in measured tones.
Each student whose name was called stepped forward, presented a small, ornate metallic token, and was then guided through the imposing gates.
So this is it, Vesper thought, a faint tremor of anticipation running through him.
This was the "token" Elar had mentioned.
Vesper surmised it was more than just a simple identifier; it likely contained their registration details, perhaps even their Origin and Affinity, or served as an access key to various academy facilities.
His own token, a smooth, obsidian disc with a faint silver etching, was in his pocket. He decided to observe a few more students interact with it before his own turn.
Gotta learn how this works. Can't afford mistakes, especially if I'm supposed to blend in.
"Vesper!"
One of the robed figures called out his name, their voice echoing slightly across the vast courtyard.
He calmly stepped forward and presented his obsidian token. A soft, verifying light pulsed from the artifact in the robed figure's hand, confirming his identity.
After receiving a curt nod of approval, Vesper returned to his place among the expectant crowd.
Some of the students glanced his way. He wasn't at the center of attention; merely another face among the elite, which suited him perfectly.
Suddenly, a powerful voice, boomed across the courtyard, instantly silencing the murmurs. It belonged to a tall, imposing figure among the robed staff.
"Attention, applicants!" the figure announced, their gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Just like every year, out of over one hundred applicants, only twenty students will earn the honor of acceptance into Lux Aeterna. To identify those worthy, we annually devise a unique trial. This year's challenge, while demanding, is not unfamiliar to those of your caliber. Indeed, many of you may already possess an inkling of its nature, given your backgrounds."
A hush fell over the crowd, filled with anticipation. Vesper felt a familiar tension.
"For this year's trial," the official continued, "you shall all be transported into a pocket dimension, meticulously crafted by our esteemed Headmistress herself. The environment within is anything but ordinary, requiring not just strength, but exceptional adaptability. Each of you will materialize in a unique, isolated location within this dimension. From that point, the trial begins. The last twenty individuals remaining within the dimension, who prove their resilience and skill, will be declared the victors and granted admission to Lux Aeterna."
A ripple went through the students. Survival, Vesper confirmed internally, just as Elar said. No surprises there. But a dimension crafted by the Headmistress... that is insane.
"Rest assured," the figure added, their voice taking on a graver tone, "while the dimension is designed to test your limits, it is also bound by protective parameters. Should any of you approach the brink of death, you will be extracted immediately, but your injuries remain. However, let me be clear, death within the trial is a possibility."
The air grew heavy with the weight of that statement. Some students paled, others clenched their fists.
"I have conveyed all necessary instructions," the official concluded, their voice resonating with finality. "May you all return safely, and may only the truly worthy earn their place among us. Good luck!"
The official's voice reverberated, then faded, leaving a tense silence in its wake.
Vesper subtly shifted his weight, preparing himself. Alright, here we go.
He could feel the buzz of Primal Energy in the air, thick with the combined power of all the Existentials around him. The academy staff began to move, spreading out across the courtyard, their hands glowing faintly.
Then, without warning, the air shimmered. A violent distortion that seemed to tear the reality itself. A wave of raw energy slammed into the students.
Vesper barely had time to tense his muscles, a jolt of alarm shooting through him. What the hell?
One moment, he was standing in the grand courtyard, surrounded by hundreds of anxious faces and the imposing walls of Lux Aeterna. The next, the ground vanished beneath his feet. The world twisted, colors blurring into a streak of light and shadow. A sickening lurch, like being flung across vast distances, stole his breath. T-This is worse than I thought. My stomach…
Then, just as suddenly, the sensation stopped.
He hit something hard. He rolled, gasping.
Dazed, he pushed himself up, shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears. Ugh, what a landing.
He was no longer in the courtyard.
Above him, instead of the clear morning sky, stretched a perpetually twilight canopy of massive trees, their branches glowing. The ground was a tangle of ancient roots and soft, damp earth.
A strange, violet covered the ground
Well, this is definitely not ordinary, Vesper thought, Headmistress's pocket dimension, huh? That guy wasn't kidding about the environment.
He looked around, confirming he was completely alone. No other students, no sign of the academy staff. Just him and an otherworldly forest.