Kael's stomach lurched violently as his boots met solid ground, the abrupt transition from the disorienting rush of teleportation slamming into him like an unexpected rogue wave. Nausea coiled in his gut, and the world swam before his eyes, a dizzying kaleidoscope of blurred colors and overlapping forms. He doubled over, hands on his knees, fighting to draw steady breaths as the lingering echoes of the arcane journey rattled through his very bones.
"Aww, was it too much for the little Drakenshire boy?" Renna's voice, laced with unmistakable amusement, yet lacking genuine cruelty, cut through his discomfort. She was already sauntering ahead, hands clasped behind her head with infuriating nonchalance, her pace steady and confident. "Lightweight," she added with a grin tossed over her shoulder, her golden eyes sparkling with mischief.
Kael groaned, straightening slowly, his eyes narrowing despite the lingering dizziness.
They had arrived.
The teleportation chamber they now stood in dwarfed even Highridge's impressive station, its sheer scale immense and awe-inspiring. Overhead, glowing sigils, intricate and ancient, arched across the cavernous ceiling like constellations captured indoors, radiating a soft, ethereal gold light. The walls, crafted from polished obsidian that seemed to absorb the light, reflected faint pulses of arcane energy, creating a dizzying illusion of infinite depth.
Dozens of teleportation pads hummed with residual energy, flickering with soft light as travelers materialized and dematerialized every few moments. Students, easily identifiable by their varied but generally well-kept attire, arrived in small groups or individually—some pale and unsteady on their feet, others stepping onto the polished floor with an air of practiced calm. Attendants in smart silver and indigo uniforms moved efficiently through the emerging crowd, guiding the newly arrived, issuing glowing orientation slips, and directing the flow of traffic with elegant, floating scrolls.
Kael slowly straightened, his senses gradually adjusting to the new environment.
Beyond the towering crystalline glass doors at the far end of the chamber shimmered his first true, unobstructed glimpse of Orvale.
A city seemingly born of magic itself, radiating an aura of wonder and refined power. Luminous stone, the color of moonlight, paved the wide streets, glowing softly in the sunlight that streamed through unseen apertures in the ceiling. Elegant spires, defying gravity, floated gracefully in the air, levitated by shimmering arcs of pure magic that pulsed visibly around their bases. Intricate sigils twisted and flowed around the facades of buildings in fluid, living patterns, some delivering silent messages that flickered and changed, others displaying unknown, potent symbols.
On a nearby corner, a delicate cart chimed with the sound of invisible bells as a vendor displayed an array of enchanted trinkets that glittered with captured light. A robed scholar, surrounded by a small group of eager students, lectured animatedly beneath a levitating blackboard, chalk writing appearing as if by unseen hands. Above, sleek brass and polished wood carriages glided silently on intricate mechanical wings, their movements graceful and effortless.
Magical constructs moved through the streets with an air of purpose: moss-covered golems tending small gardens, flitting crystal familiars darting through the air like jeweled insects, and glowing orbs with intelligent, watchful eyes patrolling designated areas. The entire city pulsed with a refined, dignified energy, a testament to the mastery of arcane arts.
Kael exhaled slowly, a single word escaping his lips, filled with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "Damn."
Renna stood at the threshold of the massive glass doors, arms crossed over her chest, her expression carefully neutral. "Tch. Whatever. It's… okay, I guess." A slight upward tilt of her chin and a too-casual shrug betrayed her attempt at indifference.
He smirked, catching the undeniable flicker of awe in her golden eyes despite her dismissive words.
A shimmering, holographic sign hovered in the center of the hall, its elegant script glowing softly:
Welcome to Orvale.
All Academy Candidates, please follow the designated signs to the Reception Pavilion. Orientation begins shortly.
More students gathered around the sign, their voices a low murmur of anticipation.
As Kael stepped out into the sunlit city, following the clearly marked signs with Renna trailing slightly behind him, a powerful thrill of anticipation surged in his chest, eclipsing his lingering discomfort. Everything he had trained for, every sacrifice he and his family had made, was about to begin.
This was Orvale.
The luminous threshold to Aetherion Academy.
Where ambitions sharpened like enchanted blades. Where the currents of power shifted with subtle grace. Where fate, he sensed with a sudden certainty, was poised to write in ink far darker and deeper than any he had known before.
And Kael, the unlikely candidate from Drakenshire, had just stepped onto the page.
......
A soft pulse of light shimmered beneath Kael's boots as he stepped through the glowing arch. The portal they entered from the teleportation chamber was much smaller than the previous one, but the moment they crossed its threshold, the world expanded with breathtaking suddenness.
They were inside a vast auditorium.
It was massive.
Tiered rows of sleek stone seats stretched up toward an impossibly high ceiling laced with softly glowing constellations that seemed to shift and twinkle. The walls shimmered faintly, enchanted to reflect panoramic scenes of the outside world—soaring crystalline towers that pierced the clouds, lush, meticulously manicured gardens teeming with exotic flora, and flowing veins of raw energy that pulsed like the very lifeblood of the land. Thousands of students already filled the space, the air thick with a low hum of whispers, nervous curiosity, and quiet awe. Some were dressed in formal attire that spoke of noble lineage, others in practical travel clothes still bearing the dust of long journeys. A few had sheathed weapons strapped to their sides with an easy familiarity; others clutched ornate staves or carried stacks of floating tomes bound in shimmering leather.
Kael stood slightly behind Renna, who was craning her neck, her sharp golden eyes narrowed as she strategically scanned the dense crowd, her expression thoughtful.
"So many faces," she muttered, a hint of something akin to disappointment in her voice, her gaze flicking from one group of students to another. "Guess we're not special after all."
"Not yet," Kael replied, though a part of him felt the weight of anonymity settling heavy on his shoulders in this sea of new faces.