Arthur woke slowly.
The first thing he noticed was the quiet.
No crashing waves. No creaking wood. No shouting crew.
Just soft voices.
His eyes opened.
A white ceiling came into view, lit by warm lantern light. The air smelled faintly of medicine and herbs.
Arthur shifted slightly.
Pain didn't follow.
That surprised him.
"…He's awake."
Arthur turned his head.
Three people stood beside the bed.
A nurse in a white uniform stood closest, holding a small clipboard. Beside her was a tall older man with calm silver hair tied behind his head.
The last person looked nothing like Arthur expected.
The man leaned casually against the nearby window, arms folded loosely across his chest.
He looked relaxed.
Too relaxed for someone in charge.
Arthur recognized him almost immediately.
Headmaster Elias Aetherion.
The leader of Aetherion Academy.
The headmaster noticed Arthur looking at him and smiled.
"Well," he said casually, "good morning."
Arthur blinked once.
"…What happened?"
The nurse answered first.
"You were brought here yesterday afternoon by the Hunter escort."
Arthur sat up slowly.
His body responded normally.
No dizziness. No weakness.
Just stiffness.
"You were unconscious when they arrived," the nurse continued. "Severe Prana exhaustion. Minor internal damage."
She closed the clipboard.
"But you recovered unusually fast."
Arthur frowned slightly.
"The ship…"
The headmaster straightened and walked closer to the bed.
"The serpent?" he asked.
Arthur nodded.
The headmaster shrugged lightly.
"It's dead."
Arthur exhaled slowly.
The nurse continued.
"The captain survived as well. He lost his arm, but he'll recover."
Arthur looked down at his hands.
"Most of the passengers…"
The nurse's expression softened slightly.
"Didn't make it."
The room went quiet for a moment.
Then the headmaster spoke again.
"That route had been cleared before your ship passed through."
Arthur looked up.
"So the beast shouldn't have been there."
"That's correct," the headmaster replied.
He leaned slightly against the edge of the bed.
"The hunters are still investigating how it appeared there."
Arthur nodded slowly.
He didn't mention the moment when the serpent collapsed under invisible pressure.
No one had seen it.
And he didn't understand it himself.
The nurse finished writing something on the clipboard.
"Regardless," she said calmly, "you're fully healed now."
Arthur blinked.
"Already?"
She nodded.
"Your body stabilized much faster than we expected."
The headmaster glanced briefly at the pendant around Arthur's neck but didn't comment on it.
Instead he smiled again.
"Convenient timing."
Arthur looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"You arrived at Aetherion Academy one day early," the headmaster replied.
The nurse stepped aside as Arthur slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"You'll begin orientation tomorrow," she said.
Arthur stood carefully.
His balance felt normal.
Good.
The headmaster watched him for a moment.
Then he reached out and gave Arthur a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Surviving something like that," he said, "is mostly luck."
Arthur looked at him.
The headmaster continued calmly.
"You were on a ship attacked by a Prana Beast that shouldn't have been there."
Arthur didn't argue with that.
The headmaster smiled slightly.
"And you survived while many stronger people didn't."
Arthur stayed silent.
The older man's tone remained casual.
"If I were you," he said, "I'd take that as motivation."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Motivation?"
"To get stronger."
The headmaster folded his arms again.
"Because luck has a habit of running out eventually."
Arthur considered that.
Then he nodded once.
"…Understood."
The nurse stepped toward the door.
"I'll have someone bring you fresh clothes and escort you to the dormitory."
Arthur walked toward the window while she spoke.
Outside, the academy stretched across the mountain plateau.
Large stone buildings stood across wide open courtyards.
Training arenas filled the lower grounds.
Students moved across the campus paths in small groups.
Arthur watched them for a moment.
Tomorrow he would officially begin training there.
The headmaster walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he glanced back once.
"Get some rest tonight," he said.
Arthur looked at him.
"Why?"
The headmaster smiled.
"Because academy life gets interesting very quickly."
Then he left the room.
Arthur stood quietly at the window.
For the first time since leaving home, he finally felt it.
His journey had truly begun.
And Aetherion Academy was only the first step.