A soft knock echoed through the cabin door.
Still a little drowsy, I dragged myself up, rubbing my eyes. The city sun peeked through the window, painting the white floor in warm gold. I opened the door.
There she stood — the delivery girl. Same black-and-gold hotel uniform. Short brown hair neatly tied back. And in her hands, a sleek black box with "NyxTech Audio Systems" printed across the top.
"Delivery for… Mr. Nex," she said, clearing her throat halfway through.
She looked up to meet my eyes — and froze.
Her thoughts screamed louder than she meant to:
"Holy stars, he's even better up close—wait, is he shirtless? Nope. Focus. Hand over the box. Don't stare. Smile. Gods, why is he smiling back?!"
Meanwhile, I stared at the box, then at her.
Her cheeks were turning a little pink. Maybe the morning sun was hot?
"Thanks," I said, giving a polite nod and taking the package.
She nodded too—way too fast.
"Y-You're… welcome!" she blurted out, taking a small step back—and walking straight into the door frame with a soft bonk.
"Ow—n-nope, I'm good!"
She spun on her heel and rushed down the hallway, head ducked.
"Stupid. So stupid. You bonked into a wall. In front of a guy who looks like a prince. And he probably thinks you're weird. Great."
I watched her go, blinking slowly.
"Huh," I muttered.
"Nice service. I should give a good rating."
Shrugging, I stepped back inside and shut the door.
—————————————————
I walked into the bathroom. The mirror greeted me like a stranger. Hair — still wild and curly, but more whiter now than it had ever been. Eyes — deeper, colder, sharp like broken glass.
I stepped into the shower and let the water run until it turned hot.
Steam blurred the glass and blurred my thoughts with it.
"You're not the same anymore," I whispered to myself.
"Not even close."
After drying off, I dressed slowly—dark combat-fit pants, a matte grey top, sleeveless. Clean, minimal. The kind that didn't scream for attention but still drew eyes. I tossed on my jacket and clicked the strap of my katana case over my back just beside the utility bag . Lastly, my new white headphones. Sleek. Silent. A gift to myself — or maybe a reminder I hadn't completely lost,
Downstairs, the staff gave polite nods as I passed, though a few kept glancing at me longer than normal. One maid almost dropped her datapad.
I didn't think much of it. Maybe they thought I was someone else.
Outside, the city of Nyxvalen still had that calm, humbling quiet to it — like it existed in a dream someone forgot to end. I made my way through the clean streets, passing gardens blooming with sapphire-tinted flowers and children walking to early schools.
The Aether Terminal stood ahead, built from white stone and mana-threaded steel. Floating symbols turned above the gate, displaying destinations in elegant letters:
> [VAELDORATH REGION – 09:20 AM DEPARTURE – NEXUS LINE]
Perfect.
I stepped onto the platform and the soft pulse of mana hummed under my boots. The Aether Train sat idle, a sleek serpentine machine of crystal and metal, glowing faintly with power drawn from the Leylines.
Inside, it was empty this early. I took a window seat, resting my headphones over my ears.
With my new headphones on — crisp white, smooth as porcelain, noise-canceling like they were built to block out the entire world — I sat by the window, letting the train carry me through unknown lands.
The soft hum of the Aether Engine blended with the music I'd picked — low-fi, slow rhythm, no lyrics. Just sound. Just silence in disguise.
Trees blurred past, painted in hues of blue-green and silver. Faint mist clung to the forest floors like leftover dreams. Mountains loomed ahead like quiet titans, their peaks scraping at the heavens with snowy fingers.
I leaned my head against the cool glass. Eyes half-lidded.
"Why does peace feel heavier than war?"
The beat in my ears calmed the noise in my head.
Thoughts of my mother's gentle laugh…
Dad's hand ruffling my hair…
Max's dumb jokes that didn't land but still made me laugh.
And…
"You're a fairy!"
A faint chuckle escaped me before I could stop it.
That little girl's smile, wide and warm.
Her tiny hand clutching mine.
Her mother's tearful relief.
For a moment, I forgot what I had lost.
Or maybe I just remembered what I still carried.
Outside, birds flew in patterns I couldn't name. Mana shimmered faintly in the sky, threads of light like veins across the clouds. Beautiful. Cold. Free.
I exhaled slowly and let the smile fade — not in sadness, but in quiet acceptance.
The train didn't just cross distance — it crossed time.
It carried me away from a boy with too many scars…
And toward someone new.
The Aether Train slowed down with a soft hiss as it reached Vaeldorath Station.
I opened my eyes, feeling the train gently stop beneath me. The ride had been quiet and long, but I didn't mind. Music played in my headphones, and thoughts came and went — memories, hopes, and a little fear.
The train doors opened with a soft chime.
Cool air hit my face. It was fresh, sharp, and felt… different — like there was something in it, maybe mana more denser than "Nyxvalen". I stepped onto the platform.
This station wasn't like the one in Nyxvalen. It was calmer. Cleaner. Tall stone pillars held up a wide roof, and glowing threads of mana ran through the walls. Light came in through high windows, tinted slightly purple by the crystals.
Everything here felt important.
People around me walked quickly — students in fancy uniforms, adults in coats with silver pins, and guards with sharp eyes. Everyone looked like they belonged.
Except me.
As I moved forward, I noticed one of the station staff glance at me, then quickly look away, her face turning a bit red. The girl next to her giggled softly, whispering something. I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the headphones… or maybe not.
I didn't think too much about it.
Beyond the gates, I could see the city rising — white buildings carved into mountains, towers reaching for the sky, glowing rivers running through streets like magic. And somewhere deep inside, the place I had come for: Nexus Academy.
I tightened the strap of my bag.
"Alright, Vaeldorath," I said under my breath, smiling just a little. "Let's see what you're like."
The music in my ears kept playing, soft and steady.
And I walked forward into the unknown.
The sky above Vaeldorath was clear, pale blue, and endless.
I stepped off the platform, my bag slung over one shoulder, headphones still playing something soft and wordless. I followed the crowd down the main street, a wide path of white stone and sleek black rails, buildings stretching high around me — glass, mana-embedded concrete, glowing panels humming quietly.
And then I saw it.
Nexus Academy.
I stopped walking.
My eyes locked onto the massive structure ahead, built into the mountain like it had always belonged there — like it had been carved out of stone and dream. Towering walls laced with glowing mana veins, silver spires reaching toward the clouds, levitating walkways connecting towers that floated mid-air. The academy gates themselves looked like they could open into another dimension — sleek, matte black with an obsidian shimmer, etched in runes I didn't recognize.
I had read about this place.
In novels.
In files.
In game lore.
Pages and pages about what it was like — the greatest training ground in the known world. A place that made monsters out of men.
But this wasn't a paragraph anymore.
This was real. Towering. Cold. Massive. Alive.
It felt like something out of a dream I hadn't earned.
"So this is it…" I muttered.
A slight breeze passed. The academy's flags flapped gently.
My music kept playing, almost like a soundtrack to the moment.
I didn't realize I was smiling faintly — remembering that little girl who called me a fairy just days ago… and now here I was, standing in front of a place most people only dreamed about.
The weight of it hit me, all at once.
I wasn't just a reader anymore. I was inside the story.
And the story… was just getting started.