The morning mist still clung to the mountains when Aren first caught sight of Astryx Academy.
For years, he had heard stories about it.
The greatest magical institution in the kingdom.
A place where nobles, prodigies, and gifted mages gathered to shape their futures.
Now, standing at the base of the winding stone road that led to the academy gates, Aren couldn’t help but stare.
The academy looked less like a school and more like a city built by giants.
Towering spires pierced the clouds.
Floating crystal lanterns drifted through the air.
Ancient walls carved with glowing runes stretched for hundreds of meters in both directions.
Students wearing colorful academy uniforms walked through the massive gates while magical carriages arrived every few minutes.
Aren tightened his grip on the worn leather bag slung over his shoulder.
Compared to everyone else, he felt painfully ordinary.
Most of the students arriving wore expensive robes embroidered with family crests.
Some were accompanied by servants.
Others traveled with armed guards.
Aren had arrived alone.
“Well,” he muttered to himself.
“No turning back now.”
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.
The moment he crossed through the academy gates, a strange sensation washed over him.
It felt as though countless unseen eyes had suddenly turned toward him.
The feeling vanished almost immediately.
Aren frowned.
Maybe it was just his imagination.
After all, this place was overflowing with magic.
Strange feelings were probably normal here.
Inside the academy grounds, the scenery became even more breathtaking.
Beautiful gardens surrounded marble pathways.
Fountains floated several feet above the ground, defying gravity.
Trees with silver leaves sparkled beneath the morning sun.
Students chatted excitedly as they made their way toward the registration hall.
Aren followed the crowd.
Soon he reached a large circular building constructed from white stone.
Above its entrance hung a golden sign.
Registration Hall
Dozens of academy staff members guided new students through various lines.
Aren joined the shortest queue.
The wait wasn’t long.
Eventually he reached a middle-aged woman seated behind a crystal desk.
She adjusted her glasses and smiled.
“Name?”
“Aren.”
She placed a glowing hand on a crystal orb.
The orb flashed.
“Aren…
yes, you’re on the list.”
She handed him a small silver badge.
“First-year student.
Dormitory Three.
Keep this with you at all times.”
“Thank you.”
The woman nodded.
“Next.”
Aren stepped aside and attached the badge to his jacket.
The moment he did, the badge briefly shimmered with blue light.
Then, unexpectedly, sparks erupted from its surface.
Crack!
The badge split down the middle.
Aren froze.
Several nearby students turned to look.
“What happened?”
“Did he break it?”
“How?”
The academy staff member blinked in surprise.
She picked up another badge.
“That’s…
unusual.”
She handed him the replacement.
“Try again.”
Aren carefully accepted it.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the badge vibrated violently.
Buzz!
A bright flash burst from its center before settling down.
This time it remained intact.
The woman stared at it.
Then at Aren.
Then back at the badge.
“…Interesting.”
“What does that mean?” Aren asked.
She hesitated.
“I’m not entirely sure.”
That answer wasn’t very reassuring.
Still, the woman waved him onward.
Aren decided not to think about it.
Strange magical accident.
Nothing more.
At least, that’s what he told himself.
The next destination was the Assessment Plaza.
Every new student had to undergo a basic magical evaluation.
The academy used the results to determine class placements and training programs.
Hundreds of students gathered around a massive stone platform.
Several professors stood nearby observing.
One by one, students stepped onto the platform and touched an evaluation crystal.
The crystal measured magical aptitude.
Simple enough.
Aren waited patiently for his turn.
As he watched, various reactions occurred.
Blue light.
Green light.
Occasionally gold.
Each result prompted cheers or disappointed sighs.
Finally, his turn arrived.
A professor motioned him forward.
“Place your hand on the crystal.”
Aren obeyed.
The crystal was surprisingly warm.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion of light erupted from the crystal.
The entire plaza illuminated.
Students cried out in shock.
Professors jumped to their feet.
The crystal’s surface rapidly changed colors.
Blue.
Red.
Gold.
Silver.
Black.
White.
Every color imaginable flashed across its surface.
Then all the light vanished.
Silence fell.
Aren slowly removed his hand.
“…Did I do something wrong?”
No one answered.
The professors exchanged confused glances.
One elderly instructor approached the crystal.
He examined it carefully.
Then he frowned.
“It’s blank.”
“What?”
“The crystal recorded nothing.”
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
“Nothing?”
“How is that possible?”
“Didn’t it just explode?”
The elderly professor looked genuinely puzzled.
“Remarkable.”
Aren wasn’t sure whether that was a compliment.
Eventually the professors allowed him to leave.
But many students continued staring at him.
Some looked curious.
Others looked nervous.
Aren hurried away before anyone could ask questions he couldn’t answer.
After the assessment, students were given time to explore the academy grounds.
Aren spent most of the afternoon wandering.
The campus was enormous.
Every corner seemed to reveal something new.
Training arenas.
Alchemy laboratories.
Libraries larger than castles.
He eventually found himself standing before the Grand Library.
The building possessed seven floors and countless stained-glass windows.
Unable to resist, Aren entered.
The smell of old books immediately greeted him.
Rows upon rows of shelves stretched farther than he could see.
Aren smiled.
This place was amazing.
As he walked through the aisles, however, another strange incident occurred.
Several enchanted lamps hanging from the ceiling suddenly flickered.
Then they all brightened simultaneously.
Students nearby looked around in confusion.
A librarian frowned.
The lamps had never behaved that way before.
Aren kept walking.
Behind him, every lamp gradually returned to normal.
No one connected the event to him.
Not yet.
By evening, the academy grounds glowed beneath thousands of magical lights.
Aren finally made his way toward Dormitory Three.
The building was tall and circular.
Inside, he found his assigned room.
Fortunately, he had no roommate.
After setting down his belongings, he sat beside the window.
The day’s events replayed in his mind.
Broken badge.
Exploding evaluation crystal.
Flickering magical lamps.
Coincidences.
They had to be coincidences.
Right?
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
A staff member stood outside.
“Orientation begins shortly.”
“Thank you.”
Aren followed the stream of students heading toward the assembly hall.
The orientation speech lasted nearly an hour.
Professors introduced academy rules.
Students learned about classes and examinations.
Most listened attentively.
Aren struggled to stay awake.
Eventually the event ended.
Students began returning to their dormitories.
Aren chose a quieter path through the academy gardens.
The night air felt refreshing.
Moonlight illuminated ancient statues lining the pathway.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Until he reached the Hall of Relics.
The building was older than anything else on campus.
Its walls bore signs of centuries of history.
Powerful magical artifacts were stored inside.
Normally, students weren’t allowed to enter.
However, several display windows allowed visitors to observe relics from outside.
Curious, Aren approached.
Inside one display case rested a collection of ancient objects.
Broken swords.
Crystal fragments.
Mysterious stones.
Most appeared dormant.
Forgotten remnants of another age.
Aren glanced at them briefly and continued walking.
Then—
Crack.
He stopped.
The sound had been faint.
Almost inaudible.
Slowly, he turned around.
One of the relics inside the display case had changed.
It was a small black crystal hidden among dozens of other artifacts.
A thin fracture now ran across its surface.
Crack.
Another fracture appeared.
The crystal trembled.
Golden light leaked through the growing cracks.
The surrounding relics began vibrating.
Alarm runes along the walls suddenly activated.
Red symbols flashed everywhere.
Warning bells rang throughout the Hall of Relics.
Aren stepped backward in shock.
“What is happening?”
Inside the building, professors and guards rushed toward the artifact chamber.
Several powerful mages appeared moments later.
Their expressions turned pale when they saw the damaged crystal.
“Impossible…”
“That seal has remained intact for centuries.”
“How did it crack?”
No one had an answer.
Aren quietly slipped away before anyone noticed him.
But far behind him, inside the Hall of Relics, the fractured crystal released one final pulse of golden light.
For an instant, a shadowy symbol appeared within its core.
A symbol long believed lost.
A symbol connected to an ancient prophecy.
And for the first time in hundreds of years—
The artifact had awakened.