Zephyr froze mid-step.
That voice—familiar, but distant. Like an echo from another life.
He turned slowly.
A boy was jogging toward him, waving one hand. Tall, lean, with messy gold hair and a loose academy coat that hung open like he couldn't be bothered to wear it properly. His eyes were sharp, alert—but there was a wildness to his grin, like someone who found amusement in all the wrong places.
Zephyr squinted.
The boy slowed to a stop a few steps away, hands in his pockets now, watching Zephyr with a curious smirk.
And then it hit him.
"…Red bull?"
The boy blinked—then burst out laughing. "I knew you will remember!"
Zephyr stared. "You… You were on the train. No—before that. In the void."
The boy pointed. "Silver-white space, weird glowing man, total mindfreak. Yeah, that was me. And you were the one with the 'this isn't real face'. I remember thinking, 'Damn, that guy looks like— I think it's best if I don't say the rest of what I was thinking .'"
Zephyr's jaw tightened. "You were the one who said… the red bull was expired."
"Hell yeah I did," the boy said, grinning wide. "First thing I thought when I realized we were getting isekai'd. I mean, that drink was nasty. If I die and come back, I'm blaming it."
Zephyr stared, words failing him. He hadn't really seen any of the others after the light swallowed them. And truth to be told he was glad they were here with him.
And here he was. Real. Loud. And apparently still insane.
"I don't even know you even back in our world," Zephyr said slowly, "And it's not as if I even took a good look at you, but strangely I know you."
"Call me Kael," the boy replied, tapping his temple. "I think I was in line behind you when the glowing jerk dropped the 'no cheats' bomb. Ooh and also I think that glowing freak did something to us cause I recognized the rest of us easily".
Kael studied Zephyr for a moment, eyes flicking down to the glowing Phoenix emblem on his wrist. "South Wing, huh? Fancy. Guess we're not in the same squad. I've got the Red Sphinx."
He raised his hand showing him the red sphinx symbol.
Zephyr immediately became confused. 'i thought the voice only called out four destrict, how is they a fifth one'. Zephyr was sure only four destrict was called out.
"Red sphinx what's that". Zephyr asked confused.
Keal answered half-heartedly. "You know the special class, the entire districts fight to get into".
'Why is he asking me lame questions, didn't he read the book'. Keal was confused at the question until he saw the clueless look on the face of Zephyr, he immediately got a bad feeling. "Don't tell me you haven't read the book". He asked praying against all odds that he had read the book.
Zephyr shook his head and answered. "No, not at all that freak was just being petty".
Keal mouth hung loosely as he stared at zephyr.
Zephyr shifted, uncomfortable. "…Why are you looking at me like that?"
Kael's mouth finally closed, but only so he could rub his face with both hands.
"Oh my god," he muttered. "You poor, beautiful idiot."
Zephyr's brow twitched. "Excuse me?"
Kael gestured wildly. "You haven't read the book. You have not read the book. Bro, the book is this world and now you haven't read it! Now that I think about it I did hear someone saying something along the lines of not having read it."
"yep that's me" Zephyr muttered. "i haven't read it, and now I have no clue of future event, just going along with the flow".
'saying it out loud sounds depressing
Kael just stared at him again—long and hard—before exhaling like a man being told the planet had ten minutes left.
"…Okay," he said, slapping his own cheeks lightly. "Okay. I'll explain. Because if I don't, you're going to walk into the academy clueless and get vaporized."
Zephyr didn't like the sound of that.
Kael pointed to his emblem. "Red Sphinx isn't a normal district. It's not even listed in the orientation materials. It's an elite, special class they set up since the founding of the school. Top-tier potential candidates from all four districts—recruited after after passing the circle clash"
"Circle clash?" Zephyr repeated.
Kael nodded. "Yeah. You know how all of you were assigned a wing right after registration? Yeah after setting down, three months from now the trail will be taking place. It's like… they're building a bomb and trying to find the best ingredients to make the biggest bang."
He leaned closer, voice dropping slightly. "Every three months, the academy holds something called the Clash Cycle. It's a battle—brutal, no rules, full-squad chaos. Each class fights each other. The one who top the class gets to fight the others who top their class in each district."
"The victor of that gets pulled into the Red Sphinx. It's not a district. It's a crucible. But even after getting into the district you got to fight to stay in the district, Every four weeks a tournament is taken in the district and the one who ranks last is taken back to their district to wait till three months later before retaking the circle clash."
"What the hell is wrong with this world". Zephyr was getting frustrated at the absurdly of the situation.
"Exactly. Only the insane, the talented, or the desperate ever make it to Red Sphinx."
Zephyr narrowed his eyes. "And they let you in?"
Kael smirked. "Don't let the jokes fool you, I ranked seventh last year and although I have only been in this body for three days I ranked Twenty eighth, nearly fell off the class but only three days. Aren't I talented".
"Yeah sure". Zephyr half-heartedly replied as he hurried behind the rest of his supposed district mate.
Keal followed closely behind him as they walked into the Westward. The wooden door was like a gate, they walked inside.
When they stepped inside, Zephyr froze.
The interior was nothing like what the exterior suggested. The space seemed to stretch endlessly upward and outward. Marble pillars—thicker than tree trunks—rose to support a vaulted ceiling laced with golden veins that pulsed faintly, as if breathing. Floating lanterns drifted lazily through the air, casting warm, dancing light across the polished obsidian floors. Rows of intricate banners bearing phoenix insignias hung suspended in midair, fluttering despite the absence of wind.
Hovering platforms and spiral staircases crisscrossed the open space, connecting multiple levels that seemed to stack infinitely, each lined with corridors and arched doorways that vanished into mystery. It felt like the inside of a cathedral built by beings who had never heard of architectural limits.
Zephyr tilted his head upward, mouth slightly open, trying to take it all in. "This… this is just a school building?"
Keal let out a low whistle beside him. "Academy, man. Not just a school. And yeah—it's like walking into a god's living room."
Dozens of other students had already begun filtering in, many just as stunned. The low murmur of awe and hushed voices echoed across the cavernous chamber.
Zephyr's eyes drifted to a large semicircular seating area set up toward the center. Cushioned, tiered seats shaped like a miniature coliseum surrounded a wide, circular stage of glowing blue crystal.
A second later, a soft chime echoed through the space—subtle, yet commanding. Instinctively, the crowd began moving.
Keal nudged Zephyr. "C'mon. That's our cue."
They walked toward the seats and found a spot midway up the steps. Zephyr sank into the cushion, still unable to pull his gaze away from the sheer scope of the place.
Keal slumped beside him, arms folded behind his head. "Told you. They don't do 'ordinary' around here."
Zephyr didn't reply. He was still staring, the gears in his mind turning.
'for goodness why can't this world be normal for once'.