As they sat around the table, more drinks were poured and laughter filled the air. The conversation slowly toward their goals and dreams. One by one, the students began sharing their reasons for becoming Magi.
Everyone listened intently, nodding, smiling, and reacting with excitement or surprise. For a brief moment, they weren't strangers, but just a dreamers.
"Hey Jenna," Thane leaned forward with a wide grin. "What about you? Why did you decide to become a Magus?"
Jenna tapped her chin playfully before responding, "Hmm… how should I put it? Honestly, I just always thought it'd be amazing to have real power. You know, the kind that lets you take control of your life, not just survive it. Becoming a Magus means freedom to me, a life beyond the limits of a regular mortal. I mean, who would actually want to stay a basic mortal if they had a choice right?"
Everyone at the table nodded in agreement, even Mortis. It was hard to argue with that. The difference between a Magus and a powerless mortal was like comparing an insect to a god. Without magic, mortals were disposable goods, easily replaced. Harsh, but true.
"And what about you, Mortis?" Thane asked, turning his attention to him after Jenna's reply.
Mortis took a small sip from his drink, letting the question linger in the air. Truthfully, he didn't care much for their dreams or ideals. But keeping a few people close might prove useful in the future, so he gave them an answer.
"I don't really have any grand ambitions like the rest of you," he said with a calm smile. "I just want to live the best life I can. That's all."
'Of course, there's also the immortality... and becoming the strongest. But none of you need to know that.' Mortis kept those thoughts to himself, offering a polite smile in their place.
"Hey, that's a solid reason," Thane replied, raising his mug. "Simple, sure, but honestly, sometimes those are the best kinds of goals. Clear and to the point."
"Alright then, what about you, Vanessa?" he asked, shifting the spotlight again.
Vanessa's expression didn't change. Her tone was soft, but firm. "I'd rather not talk about it. Maybe another time…"
There was something in her voice, a hidden sorrow buried beneath calm words.
Mortis turned slightly, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than before. Now that he was paying attention, he realized something.
She was… stunning.
Her long, straight black hair flowed like silk down her back. Her dark violet eyes shone with an odd contrast of mystery and melancholy. Her skin was flawless, pale like porcelain untouched by the sun, and her features delicate and refined, almost unnaturally so.
She looked like a fairy plucked from some tale.
And yet, even from the moment they'd first spoken, Mortis had felt something… off. A strange, nearly imperceptible feeling that something wasn't quite right about her. Dangerous, even.
He hadn't found anything to justify the instinct. No strange behavior. No visible threat. Just that subtle pull at the back of his mind.
'Whatever it is, I should keep my guard up around her higher just in case I was right,' he thought, eyes narrowing slightly.
Their conversation carried on through the night, filled with laughter, curiosity, and the subtle tension of people still unsure about each other. It wasn't until the first rays of morning light began piercing through the tent that a voice suddenly cut through the air.
"Get up! We're leaving!" Abbaran's sharp shout jolted them all to attention. "Follow the senior students, Valthor and Jareth, to the academy's airship! I'll join you once I finish packing up here. Now move!"
The moment the order was given, every student stood up without delay. The two senior students, Valthor and Jareth, took the lead, and the rest of the group followed in an orderly line, still groggy but energized by the anticipation of what was to come.
After several minutes of walking, they arrived at the airship.
It stood tall and silent, cloaked entirely in obsidian-black metal with streaks and dots of deep, blood-red light scattered across its surface. It looked like something that had flown straight out of a nightmare, like a storm of red rain had once swept across a silent night sky, staining everything in its path.
Eerie. Ominous. And yet… mesmerizing.
"All of you, gather up! Gather up! We'll wait for our professor here!" Jareth shouted, his voice echoing across the clearing.
Roughly two minutes later, Abbaran finally arrived, walking briskly with a pack slung over his shoulder.
"Alright, we're heading back to the academy," he said without missing a beat. "Bring all your belongings and get on board. There are enough rooms for each of you, so pick whichever you like."
Mortis didn't have anything to carry, so he simply nodded and stepped forward, boarding the airship with the others. The interior was sleek and cold, with dark walls and dim lighting.
They moved through a long corridor lined with numbered rooms.
Mortis walked toward the end and stopped in front of Room 67.
It was small, there was just enough space for a bed, a table, and a single chair. That was it. Bare, minimal, and oddly familiar.
'This feels like one of those tiny college dorms I read about in my past life, Mortis thought. Never lived in one, but I heard stories and read it on some forums...'
He stepped inside and let out a quiet breath.
'Still, having even this much is more than enough. Especially when the end of this journey leads to becoming a Magus Apprentice. And after that… I'll finally step into the supernatural world.'
Just as he settled in, a calm but clear voice rang out across the ship through a speaker system.
"Greetings, students. I am Kircheis Beria, your captain for this journey," the voice said warmly. "I hope you'll find your time aboard pleasant. Should you feel hungry, the canteen is open at all times. As honored passengers of the academy, all meals are completely free—so don't hesitate to enjoy yourselves."
'Free food? That's a rare kindness.' Mortis mused, leaning back on the bed.
A few moments later, the ship gave a low hum. Then—
"We're taking off now," the captain announced.
The next moment, Mortis felt a sudden jolt as the airship lifted off the ground. His body instinctively leaned into the bed as the floor beneath him shifted slightly. The ship swayed from side to side, like a massive beast stirring from slumber, before it finally stabilized with a low, steady hum.
Only once the shaking subsided did Mortis push himself up and walk over to the nearest window, roughly the size of airplane windows from his previous world.
He looked outside.
But the departure point had already vanished from sight, swallowed by distance and clouds. In its place stretched an endless sea of green, an ocean of treetops so far below that each one looked no larger than a blade of grass or a piece of straw.
It was… breathtaking and serene.
Yet even in the face of such beauty, Mortis found his excitement tugged in another direction. As impressive as the world outside was, it was the academy that truly stirred his anticipation. He was eager to finally arrive, to dive into the world of magic, and to begin learning the secrets that only Magi were privileged to know.
'Still... it'll probably take a while to get there. No point in waiting on an empty stomach,' he thought, stomach grumbling faintly.
"Guess I'll check out the canteen," he murmured to himself with a shrug. "I could use a good meal."