But Ren's attention soon drifted to the building ahead. Now that he stood still, he could truly see it. The academy towered above everything else in the valley, carved from a kind of deep charcoal stone that seemed to drink in the sunlight rather than reflect it. Thin veins of glowing azure ran along the edges of the walls and arches, pulsing gently like a heartbeat. The entire structure felt less like it had been built, and more like it had grown—as if summoned from the earth itself.
Twin spires stretched into the sky, their tips crowned with orbiting rings of light that turned lazily, emitting soft chimes that echoed like wind chimes through the courtyard. Between them sat a domed observatory, covered in star-metal glass that refracted the sky into shifting constellations—even during the day.
Around the academy were several floating platforms shaped like lotus petals, tethered to the main building with energy bridges that shimmered with spectral hues. Ren could just make out students crossing them, robes fluttering, glyphs lighting up beneath their feet.
The air here smelled of ancient paper, ozone, and blooming flora—like a mix of old knowledge and new magic. Statues of robed figures stood in alcoves carved into the outer walls, their faces either stern or sorrowful, each holding an artifact: a key, a blade, a scroll, a burning stone.
Ren exhaled slowly.
He turned back to the boy on the left, who had now noticed him too. Their eyes met briefly. The boy gave a slight nod, nothing more. Not a smile, not a greeting—just acknowledgment. And then he walked through the gate.
Ren stepped forward, following behind him.
As he passed through, he felt a strange pressure—like stepping through the surface of a bubble. The world shimmered. For a split second, it was as if his mind had been scanned, weighed, and recorded. Then the sensation vanished.
The courtyard beyond the gate opened wide, revealing students gathering in groups under hanging crystal lamps that floated like lantern fish. There were towering notice boards displaying class schedules and trial announcements. Small golem-like creatures scurried around delivering scrolls and supplies.
Ren barely had time to take it all in when a voice rang out.
"Gatebearer Ren Kael?"
He turned. A woman in deep violet robes stood by a floating desk. She wore a half-mask made of glass and brass, her eyes glowing faintly beneath.
"Welcome to Astralis Domain," she said with practiced poise. "Orientation begins shortly. You'll be taken to your assigned Sanctum. Please, follow me."
Ren looked back one last time toward the blinking gate. Then he straightened his shoulders, gripped the strap of his satchel, and stepped forward into whatever this place had in store.
The walk through the domains's halls was like passing through the inside of a living cathedral. The ceilings were impossibly high, held aloft by towering ribs of stone laced with floating script that spiraled upward like lazy fireflies. Magical torches burned with soft silver-blue flames that cast no smoke.
As they reached the end of a corridor lined with floating bookshelves, the woman in violet robes gestured to a set of ornate double doors made from pale wood and etched with a hundred names that shimmered as Ren passed.
Inside was a wide amphitheater, its seats carved from polished crystal, glowing softly with assigned names in different languages, others were already gathering—some laughing in groups, others sitting alone, their faces serious or withdrawn.
At the center stood a raised circular platform where a tall figure in a dark robe with gold trimming waited. His face was hidden beneath a hood, but when he spoke, his voice boomed as if echoing from every wall.
"Welcome, new Gatebearers," the figure said. "You have stepped beyond the threshold of the known. You are not students. You are initiates—fragments of potential waiting to become force."
Ren spotted an empty seat and made his way to it, but paused when he saw a familiar figure shuffling awkwardly just a few steps ahead.
It was the buzz-cut boy.
He was standing in the aisle, staring at the glowing seat marked "Kalen Dray." His hands trembled slightly.
"This… is me," he muttered. "Okay. Okay. Just sit down. Breathe. Don't vomit."
Ren raised an eyebrow. So the mysterious cool guy's just a walking bundle of nerves, huh?
Kalen finally noticed Ren watching and instantly tried to play it cool—shoulders back, chin high.
"Oh, it's you. The one who was staring at the gate like he'd never seen a blinking portal before," he said, voice wobbling just a little.
Ren smirked. "I could say the same about you… minus the part where you nearly passed out trying to sit down."
Kalen flushed slightly, then slumped into his seat with forced confidence. "Tch. Whatever. Just don't slow me down. I've read all the Gatebearer manuals. I've already memorized every Glyph Matrix in the first tier. I'm going to be top of the class."
He didn't realize he was muttering the last part under his breath, more to reassure himself than to intimidate Ren.
Ren sat down beside him. "We'll see."
The robed instructor continued:
"Each of you holds a key—a Gateborn mark within your soul. Your path from here will not be easy. In the days ahead, you will be tested, broken, reforged. And when the time comes to choose your Domain… choose wisely."
He raised a hand, and glowing symbols spun in the air above him, forming a rotating map of Astralis Domain. Different towers, halls, and floating islands appeared—each marked with names like:
Prism Gauntlet
Combat Pit
Wilderness Brew
"You will train across these zones. Each zone will test a part of your potential—combat, theory, invocation, resilience, and control."
Suddenly, the map zoomed in on one building: a narrow spire surrounded by a moat of liquid crystal.
"For today, your focus will be The Prism Gauntlet—your first real trial. A gate will open for each of you, tailored to your fears, instincts, and your bond with the stone inside you. Survive it, and you will be recognized."
Ren stiffened slightly. His hand brushed against the hidden pocket inside his coat where his Whispering Stone marked palm rested.
Beside him, Kalen whispered with pale lips, "Wait… what kind of trial did he just say?"
Ren leaned slightly and whispered back, "The kind where you don't get to bring your cheat sheets."
Everyone soon got up and started heading towards the Prism gauntlet. What surprised Ren the most was that there where portals dedicated to each person present t despite the numbers? Ren made way towards the portal prepared for him and with deep breaths he took his first step.