The heavy double doors of the grand auditorium groaned as they swung open, letting in a flood of chatter that abruptly cut off the moment my boots hit the polished white stone floor.
The entire first-year division was already here.
Hundreds of students stood in perfectly aligned, tight blocks, organized cleanly by their uniform colors. To my left stood the proud lines of Class Ascendant. Across the hall were the students of Class Veritas, followed by Class Fortis and Class Audax.
As I walked down the center toward the front of the Ascendant row, every single eye locked onto me.
"Look at him... he's actually walking," someone from Fortis whispered loudly.
"Is it true? Did he really hit Expert High?" a girl from Audax muttered, trying to feel the pressure of my mana.
I didn't blame them for staring.
