Lady, what the heck? I can't even help myself to a glass of water?
I looked at Avry with a deep sigh of disbelief as she shooed away the servant who was holding a tray containing a glass of water. And what did this woman say?
"Don't even bother. She is already late."
Like what?! That bitch is the reason I ended up like this and she doesn't even permit me to rehydrate from a rough day. I wonder how worse this can get. The next thing I know, I meet people who are hostile to me.
Ugh! I am already regretting it right now!
As soon as I thought that, Avry dragged me towards the reception where my fingerprints were settled alongside my facial recognition and an identity card.
I was then walked towards a seperate room filled with levitating screens that read through my biological details, which... I didn't even know how they got it!
After about a thirty seconds session, I was brought back out where I finally felt like I could breath. I looked around, and realized I was dizzy. But that wasn't the end of the identification.
We exited the building we were in, through the back gates, and suddenly, we were met with the sight of a school-like building where there were two more seperate fractions.
"The entrance isn't far now," Avry suddenly said quietly, after another long walk towards a second major gate. Her voice cutting through the soft patter of rain and the distant rumble of steam engines from the distant lands. She didn't look back as she spoke, not even a single glance to see if I was shocked or terrified. "The others are already settled into the primary dormitory sector. They have been given their timetables, their identification ranks... and their warnings."
I let out a small, breathless huff of laughter. My hands stuffed deep into my pockets as my sneakers hit the wet, metallic, field grass. "Warnings. Right. 'Don't die on day one, or you will ruin the data sets'?"
"Something like that," Avry replied softly, stopping at the edge of a massive, sweeping stone bridge that arched over a shimmering, neon-lit canal. "You will be given a room. You will be given a squad. And you will be watched by people who don't care where you came from—only what your soul can endure."
I looked past her. Staring at the distant, looming spires of the academy rising through the rain.
"Does my best friend know I am here?" The question came out with my voice dropping into a flat, quiet register.
"No," Avry answered honestly. "None of them know who the final candidate is. They only know that the last slot belongs to an anomaly who is someone like them."
"Anomaly," I repeated, a dry, faint shadow of a smile touching my lips as I stepped past Avry toward the heavy iron gates. "I have been called worse by people who were supposed to love me from birth." I whispered to myself. Then took a step over the bridge hesitantly, while Avry watched me from behind.
My fingers were cold and I was wondering if I should just runaway and survive in the woods.
So I passed the boundary.
In the high tower overlooking the grand courtyard, a surveillance feed flickered to life, highlighting my slender, dark-hooded silhouette in glowing red script:
CANDIDATE 15 — STATUS: ARRIVED.
It was annoying at first, but slowly, I relaxed into it since that intensity of red shows just how much trouble I have already gone through in life. That I get pulled into a world where this thing was common.
I looked back just one more time.
"Just go in. There will be someone who guides you to the main hall." Avry explained before heading back to the previous building she was in.
As I watched her walk away, I pushed open the door. I was met with the sight that looks exactly like a hotel reception on Earth. My eyes were probably reflecting all sorts of details that would explain the intensity of the lighting.
Dazed by the brightness, I tried to turn the only corner visible. Never did I know... That this way, I would have met someone so irritating.
I bumped into a solid body while I wasn't looking. And that person too must have been walking blindly because otherwise, how do I explain the momentum that I got pushed backwards?!
"Uh... Sorry." I looked up at the person. And holy shit!
There was a guy who looked my age, who had that same, accented European complexion that must mean he was from somewhere southeastern.
He had shiny golden hair, and green eyes that shone like fresh summer grass. If I am to say, he also had a slender build and a slightly tanned skin. Not like anyone would notice it well, he was fair, but a little more on the warmer tone. And he was also slightly tall. If I am five foot five, he is three inches above my head.
I might also say... He was rather handsome.
I stood staring for a definetively long time before snapping back to reality. "May I know where the main hall is?" I asked politely.
He just stared down at me for a while, then clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Okay, I take that back. He was not as good-looking as I would put him in my spectrum.
"You must be the last participant." He finally opened his mouth. "I can't believe I am escorting someone like you."
"Um... I said sorry." I explained while trying my best to keep up my smile. "And I believe I was supposed to be brought to the main hall for the selection?" I asked.
"Do you not know basic courtesy? Or are you just born this way?" He folded his arms and continued to look down on me. I mean...
"If I don't know basic courtesy, how would you like to explain it to me to avoid further mishaps?" My voice dripped with venom as I finally decided that people must get treated how they treat others. My smile immediately vanished, and I too glared back up at him.
He immediately shuddered, taking a step back. "Nevermind what I said earlier... My name is Helio by the way," he held out a hand for me to shake. But I clearly saw through that nice act and immediately branded him as arrogant.
And I don't shake hands with arrogant people.
I shoved past him. "Very Greek indeed. Though I thought your people were more nice to others. You are quite the opposite."
"Hey! What does this have to do with my nationality?!" He aggresively turned around to shout at me. "Besides. Ever wondered who is leading you to the hall?"
I just stared towards my left where there was a map attached, ones used in case of a fire emergency. "I don't need your help. I can go there by myself."
"Well that's smart then!" He gritted his teeth while walking towards me. "Now answer my previous question."
I thought for a while. If I am already into a trouble like this, then adding more fuel into the fire will make it a better show. "Your name means 'sun', right? And your hair is yellow, which in kids' stories mean sunny. So I am just saying... A very sunny kid who looks southeastern European and is incredibly mean. If you know... You know."
I shrugged while walking away. He seemed shocked, by the way his jaw almost hit the ground. Well it was nice to know that now I can freely fight back against people—
"Where are you from?" He asked while chasing behind me until he was at my side.
Should I say South Asia or Romania?
You know what?
"South Asia." I replied while shoving my hands into my hoodie pockets. I had long since pulled my hood over my face, just because. And I am glad I had done it since looking at him through my side-vision was annoying enough. These kind of people love to act 'cool' by being mean. I don't even know who invented it.
He started laughing at my reply. Dramatically holding his stomach while wheezing to maybe provoke me. But I didn't say my true nationality, so it didn't bother me by an inch.
"Hahaha! What-d are you? Indian?" Helio asked while making that accent.
"Yes. Whad are you going d-to do about it now?" I answered back. If he was going to be a racist bastard, I might as well seem that way. However, I did anticipate him to take my Romanian accent long before. Because I knew his nationality exactly that time he opened his mouth.
"Alright. Now it makes sense why you made that senseless joke. You are free to apologize whenever you want." He bend slightly to look at my face. Well I was certain I would come across someone who I end up absolutely hating in the future.
"Oh, please! I think I rather climb a tree and act like a bird right now than say, 'sorry'." I answered while titling my head back a bit and offered a smile. My hood shifted a little, causing the shadow of the fabric to lift up to my forehead.
He stared at my face for a stunned few seconds, which made the atmosphere feel awkward. I decided to just return to my usual position and acted as it clearing my throat. Then started walking, and so did he. But the rest of the journey was just silent.
The halls were engulfed in shadows most of the way there. Stairs were steep and the more we moved forward, the more the place turned ancient. As if they did construction every ten feet every year while keeping the previous walls perfectly fine. At the entrance, I had seen a modern day building on the outside. Right now, I was walking through a Victorian-style hotel with red carpets and heavy glass chandeliers. Then slowly, the lights dissappeared for candles. Medieval.
Wow... I wonder who the architecture was. This all seems... Surreal. I thought to myself right then.
I let out a deep breath of sigh right after that, looking down at my own shoes as I walked on the red carpet. Looks like slowly my life might get better—
"What are you thinking? Are you that unsocial?"
Ah! I almost forgot about this annoying pest I unknowingly collected on my way here!
"What? Do you want me to curse at your face right now?" I asked back.
"Not that, but I was just curious. That was all."
"Curiousity killed the cat." I answered. Pacing a few steps forward to keep a gap between this yapper and myself.
"Hey! Just what is wrong with you?!" He shouted from behind.
"I don't know. I just seem to have caught a guy on my path who doesn't know anything about humans."
"Well that is the exact same thought I have about you! I wasn't even aware that I was I escorting a sociopath you know!"
"Stop yelling. My ears are about to explode." I did say that, but I also covered my ears with my hands. I hate extroverts like him. They all treat you badly and then also ask you to be their talking buddies.
He continued to babble on, but I only heard muffled voices until we reached the entrance of the main hall, from where I stood three paces away.
I glanced back to see if he was lost since I heard shit. But looks like he can keep track of things.
After ensuring that, I wrapped my fingers against the straight, cold, metal door handles. It was a searing contrast to my feverish body. (Yes, I was sick that day.)
As soon as I pushed it open, I was greeted with the sight of twenty or so people in total, and a few were lined up behind a table.
On the table were stones with different runes, colours and symbols. As I watched closely, the people lined up were participants and the ones distributing were 'professors'. Avry was there as well.
Behind me, Helio walked inside. "So what are you going to do now? Firstly you are the last participant and now you are standing still like a statue as if the line would move towards you." He whispered.
I was already looking away from him. Now all I needed to do was...
"Don't mind me. I was only interested in what magic what participant got." I answered back at him while stepping forward to queue up.
**************
First Draft: 24.10.2025
Rewritten: 9.08.2026