The low hum of the
Runewheeler’s rune engine
filled the air, vibrating gently beneath the floor like a heartbeat muffled in steel. Inside, the obsidian-black interior gleamed under the soft radiance of
glowing glyphs etched into the ceiling
, giving the entire vehicle an arcane elegance.
Plush, dark leather seats
lined the length of the vehicle, facing each other. On one side sat
Aamir and Raj
, both unnaturally stiff, sitting straight like students in a royal court. Across from them were
two girls clad in celestial-blue uniforms
, with elegant white trims that shimmered faintly.
Emblazoned on their uniforms was the sigil of a
coiling dragon exhaling stardust
—a mark unmistakably belonging to
Kyokai: Divine Azure Dragon of The Heaven’s Realm Institute
.
They were
not from Aryavrata
, and it showed.
"
So, is it true you have a special Tower for training ? What about soul resonance drills?
"
One of the girls leaned forward, her voice a mix of curiosity and excitement.
Raj gave a weak smile, scratching the back of his head. "Uhh... yeah, something like that."
The other girl turned to Aamir, eyes glimmering. "
You don’t talk much, huh? You’re totally the strong, silent type, right?
"
Aamir looked away. "I just don’t talk much," he murmured.
They weren’t just curious—they were relentless.
"
What’s your favorite food? Do you Aryavrata guys eat while meditating or something?
"
"
What’s your favorite place in the capital? You all look so serious! It’s kind of cool.
"
Aamir, overwhelmed, gently pulled his hand away from his knee where one of the girls had tapped it.
"...I don’t really have a favorite," he said quietly.
"Oh! Right!" one of the girls suddenly said with a grin. "
I’m Miyo, and that’s Misaki. From Kyokai. Obviously.
"
She winked. "
We’re just here to crush some egos.
"
Raj let out a laugh. "Nice to meet you." He elbowed Aamir playfully. "
Come on, man, say hi.
"
Aamir sighed. "Hello."
The girls giggled like schoolgirls who’d just gotten a reaction from their crush.
Aamir and Raj weren’t enjoying this ride—they were enduring it.
After about
half an hour
, the convoy stopped outside a large, single-story building. Though it only had one floor, it stretched wide like a miniature fortress. As Aamir’s group stepped out of the vehicle, they joined others walking toward the entrance.
The structure was made of stone-black alloy and mana-forged crystal, with shimmering glyphs etched along its curved roof. Every few feet, enchanted torches pulsed with soft blue light, illuminating banners from different academies. The emblem of Aryavrata—a roaring lion with a flaming mane—hung high among them, but it looked almost modest compared to the grand sigils of the other nations. Aamir felt an invisible pressure the moment he stepped onto the marbled floor. Power. Pride. Presence. Every step inside felt like entering enemy territory.
Inside the main hall, the atmosphere shifted. The place was filled with students, all from different countries and universities. Uniforms of various designs and colors created a vibrant mix.
Aamir whispered, "I think... they’re from other countries."
As they moved further inside, a group of students approached them—dressed in striking
purple and white
uniforms. One of them, a bulky guy with a cocky smirk, stepped forward.
"Oh, look at those clothes," he sneered. "You must be the students from Aryavrata. Why are you even here?" He laughed loudly, his friends joining in.
Then his tone shifted. His eyes moved to Miyo.
"Hey, beautiful. Why don’t you come with us?" he said, oozing arrogance.
Aamir froze. The girl’s earlier tapping still lingered on his knee, but this was different. Possessive. Ugly.
Misaki stepped forward, face tight. "Watch your mouth."
The Revan boy sneered. "Oh, did I offend your little protector?"
Raj moved slightly, but Aamir’s hand had already twitched.
The smirk on the guy’s face widened as he leaned closer.
"You seem smart enough," he murmured, leaning in with a crooked grin. "So why don’t you save yourself the trouble and hand her over?"
Aamir’s mind snapped.
Without a second thought, his hand moved. With a swift motion, he
back-fisted
the boy across the face.
The bulky student flew back like a sack of bricks and
slammed into a wall
.
Aamir blinked, surprised by his own strength. "Wait... I didn’t even hit him that hard."
Seenu laughed nervously. "You’re still not adjusted to the local gravity, bro."
Gasps and murmurs spread like wildfire across the hall.
One student whispered in shock, "What the hell... he knocked him out with just one punch?!"
Another said, "How strong is that guy...?"
Miyo
leaned closer to
Misaki
, her eyes still fixed on Aamir. "He’s just as strong as
Sinki
," she said under her breath.
Misaki nodded, her tone low and intrigued. "Yeah... if all of them are this strong, this tournament’s going to be
fun
."
Even
Sinki
, standing a short distance away, raised an eyebrow. His arms were crossed, but the smirk on his face showed his curiosity.
Hmph. Impressive.
The students who had been with the bulky boy stepped forward, anger burning in their eyes.
"You’re gonna pay for that!" one of them growled. "You messed with the wrong institute. The
Holy Purple Revan Institute
won’t forget this!"
But before anyone could step closer,
Seenu
stepped in calmly, hands in his pockets, and pointed casually at the unconscious student on the floor.
"If you want to end up like him," he said with a half-smile, "go ahead."
That was enough.
The group hesitated, then backed off slowly, throwing threats over their shoulders.
"You’ll regret this!" one said. "Revan Institute never lets things slide!"
And with that, they stormed off.
After the tension eased, Aamir’s group—along with the rest of the students from
Aryavrata
and
Kyokai
—walked toward a help desk set up at the far end of the hall.
A middle-aged man sat behind the counter, sorting through enchanted cards.
Each student stepped forward, stating their name and the institute they belonged to. When it was Aamir’s turn, the man handed him a smooth, silver-edged
rune card
, engraved with glowing symbols.
"Room 3, West Wing," the man said flatly. "This will grant access."
Aamir and his friends made their way down a corridor lined with glowing lamps, until they reached
Room 3
. As they tapped the rune card to the door, it opened with a soft
click-hiss
.
Inside was a spacious living quarter.
There were
thirteen beds
in total—
six on one side, seven on the other
. Each bed was neatly made, crafted from polished darkwood, with high-quality foam and runefabric sheets. Beside every bed stood a
personal closet
, complete with locking enchantments and space for gear.
The
rune-powered air conditioners
embedded in the ceiling glowed softly, keeping the room comfortably cool.
The group stepped in, dropping their travel bags and stretching out after the long ride.
"Whoa,"
Raj
said, impressed. "Not bad at all."
"Better than our dorms back home,"
Kunal
added, checking the runes on the wall.
Raj flopped onto a bed. "Dibs on this one."
"That’s not how it works," Seenu said, walking to a corner bed. "Beds are assigned by the rune cards. Check yours."
Kunal tapped his card on the closet. A faint glow confirmed his spot. "West wall, second from left. Nice."
Aamir sat by the window, silently observing the glowing wards on the glass. They pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. Outside, he could see other dorm wings, more students arriving.
"This place is serious," he muttered.
"Yeah," Seenu agreed, pulling out a folded map. "And tomorrow’s orientation is gonna decide who gets direct entry into the first combat trial."
Raj groaned. "No rest, huh?"
"No mercy," Kunal said with a grin.
"So, which country are they from?"
Aamir asked.
"Umm... they said they’re from the Holy Purple Revan Institute,"
Kunal replied.
Aamir nodded slowly.
"That’s in Calonia, right? I’ve heard they don’t have the best relationship with Aryavrata."
Kunal chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Wow, look at you. Someone’s been reading books lately."
"Oh, so you think you’re the only one who reads books, huh?"
Raj said with a playful smirk, nudging Kunal.
"Well, now that you’ve knocked one of their students out with a single punch, I’m pretty sure that’s going to cause a fuss," Kunal said with a half-smile.
"If they make a fuss," Raj added with a grin, "we’ll just beat the rest of them to a pulp too. Haha!"
Here’s a cleaned-up and more polished version of that entire interaction with clearer dialogue, proper punctuation, and natural flow while keeping the tone fun and teasing:
"Ha! Same old Raj—always talking about beating people up,"
Seenu chuckled.
Aamir crossed his arms, eyes narrowing in thought.
"I’m more interested in fighting that Sinki guy from the Divine Azure Dragon Institute."
"Yeah, they’re pretty strong,"
Seenu nodded.
"Definitely not the type to take lightly."
Riya folded her arms and glanced sideways at Aamir.
"You seemed
awfully
friendly with those Kyokai girls,"
she said, her tone icy. Her gaze pierced through him like daggers.
Aamir blinked, confused at first, then shifted uncomfortably as he realized it wasn’t just anger—it was something else. Jealousy?
Before he could respond, Meera looked over at Raj, narrowing her eyes.
"And you—why were you so
buddy-buddy
with them? Holding hands and everything?"
Raj flailed his hands in protest.
"W-Wait! That’s a misunderstanding! They were the ones being touchy!"
"Oh? So now you’re the victim?" Seenu said, looking at Raj and Aamir with a playful expression.
Kunal teased Meera and Riya, leaning in with a grin.
"Someone’s definitely getting jealous..."
Meera turned sharply, trying to slap Kunal. But he dodged effortlessly, laughing.
"You’re too slow!"
he mocked.
Meera clinching her teeths, grinning.
"No, you’re just
way
too fast."
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)𝒆bnov(𝒆)l