The sun crept over the horizon during the morning hours, coloring the sky with gentle wispy brushstrokes of gold and crimson. Kai strolled down the dirt road, the stillness of the morning a violent contrast to the maelstrom that churned within his mind. Elara's final words continued to taunt him, a clear and unambiguous list of commands that were the only certainty in his entire life.
"Head north on the road. The Academy of Arcanis will take you the rest of the distance. Train. Learn. Grow. You'll be seeing me soon enough."
He tightened the frayed strap of his pack around his hand. The thought of being utterly alone once more made him uneasy, a bitter knot in the pit of his stomach. But with each step, his steps bore the weight of something new, something unknown—resolve. Each lesson, each wound, each near-death experience had been an examination. And now the true test began.
By midday, things started to shift. Great spires of gray and white rock rose up through the trees in the distance, so high they appeared to defy the sky itself. The Arcanis Academy filled the horizon, more city-fortress than school, its great outer walls constructed of a magical rock that glowed softly with an otherworldly light. High above, dark blue and silver banners streamed proudly in the wind.
As Kai approached, the path parted and the sheer magnitude of humankind brought him to a halt, gasping in wonder. A great procession of applicants stretched from the gates of the Academy, a wave of apprehensive energy and bright hope. It was crowded with young men and women, all aglow with a hot hope that made Kai feel small. Their equipment was much better than his plain, travel-worn attire. He looked at gleaming, expertly fitted armor, swords with hilts that had been polished to a blinding shine that had a magic about them, and delicate staves with glinting crystals. The look made him bitterly recall how unprepared he was.
Silent whisperings lingered in the air, harsh and clear in the tense waiting.
"Did you notice that crest? He's a noble from Eastvale House. They say he was born with a Silver-rank mana core."
"Her? She's Lyra, the Beast Tamer's daughter. I've heard she's already Level 14… monsters won't stand a chance."
"My brother attempted this past year. Said half of the applicants fail even the first half of the entrance exam. Just send you home."
Kai swallowed hard, his hands becoming moist. He glanced down the line of confident, hulking men and felt like a fraud, the lowest of them all, the least.
Blue-glazed phrases of his system danced in his vision, a anxiety habit he was falling into. It wandered through the throng and a river of information swept over the men one by one, validating his fears.
[Noble Recruit – Level 12]
[Beastkin Swordswoman – Level 14]
[Mage Initiate – Level 20]
His chest constricted. A Level 20 mage was just another candidate here. The distance between him and them seemed like an abyss.
"First time here, too?" a soft voice asked, halting his cycle of terror.
Kai caught sight of a boy roughly the same age as himself with a rumpled brown crop of hair and a wide, happy smile. He had plain leather kit, no more elaborate than that, but the easy confidence he exuded under the plainness made it speak differently. Beside him stood a girl whose blonde locks were braided away neatly down her back, serene, thoughtful eyes, and a bag that was stuffed to overflowing with thick books.
"I'm Joren," said the boy, extending a hand. "This is Page. You?"
"Kai," he replied quietly, shaking hands with Joren.
Joren's grin grew even larger. "Well, Kai, it looks like you're just as nervous as I am. Guess that makes us friends already."
Page smiled at him in a small, dutiful smile. "Don't let the lords in their fancy armor intimidate you. Most of them are so used to their family's wealth that they've forgotten how to fight."
Kai attempted to calm down, a portion of him liking the brassy diversion. Yet his interest prevailed. The soft glow showed up in his field of view once again, and on automatic pilot, he moved his focus to his two new companions.
[Status – Joren Hale]
[Level: 13 Health: 4800 / 4800]
[Stamina: 1900 / 1900]
[Mana: 600 / 600]
[Status – Page Elwin]
[Level: 12 Health: 4200 / 4200]
[ Stamina: 1600 / 1600 ]
[Mana: 2500 / 2500]
Kai's own breath caught in his throat. Even the friendly commoners are this powerful? Joren was Level 13, and Page, a level lower than him, had an even larger supply of mana than his own. He faltered for a moment, a wave of insecurity sweeping over him before his own level erupted in comparison.
[Status – Kai Ardent] Level: 5 HP: 6000 / 6000 ST: 2400 / 2400 MP: 2000 / 2000
He gazed at the figures, a swirl of shame and confusion inside him. His raw stats—his health, his stamina—were better than theirs because of his special system. But level. Level 5. It was terrible, a noob who'd somehow gotten into an expert level by error. How were high stats going to save him when his lowest level was so poor?
"Is everything alright?" Page asked, her calm eyes tilting forward in curiosity.
Kai rapidly blinked the window away and tried to create a smile, which hopefully did not appear as phony as it did. "Yeah. Just. overwhelmed with all of this."
They proceeded in procession until they were facing the massive gates. Stoic, giant guards stood beside shining crystal arches that were emitting a soft, humming light. They led each candidate individually through them. With every one, crystals burst into colored light—shimmering green, deep blue, blazing orange—filtering their mana and potential.
As he approached Kai, his chest constricted. He inhaled deeply and stepped forward. As soon as he crossed under the arch, the ward began to do some bizarre pulsing. Its bright, consistent light that had glowed so brightly for every one of the others wavered and twitched around him, its colors changing a dozen at a time as though it wasn't sure what it was reading.
The testee, a dark blue-robed mage with a stern face, scowled, eyes narrowing in suspicion. For a horribly long time, Kai was convinced he'd been caught, that some alarm would sound and reveal him as a freak. But after an uncomfortable moment, the light cleared to its usual state, and the man merely waved him on past with a bewildered expression on his face.
Kai gulped hard, his legs trembling slightly as he sprinted to keep up with Joren and Page.
Next to him, Joren was chuckling. "Whoa, that was strange. Guess even the wards are nervous today."
Page glared at Joren a hot look. "Never make a joke like that. Mana wards don't 'glitch'." Her gaze lingered on Kai just a beat longer than she needed to, her expression in thought, but she said nothing else.
Finally, the three of them stood before the massive, rune-studded gates of the Academy proper. Ancient runes glowed dimly along the stone, a promise unspoken of the potentiality, peril, and possibility that lay within.
Kai tightened his fists on his sides. His chest pounded with a wild beat of fear and excitement. But underneath it, something stronger smoldered—determination. He had gone this far. He had endured beasts, assassins, and desperation itself. Regardless of his level appeared to be anywhere below the others, he would not turn away now.
This was the first actual step towards the world Elara had spoken of. This was his true start.
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