The teleport hits like a lightning bolt—my body feels like it's stretched to its limit before being snapped back together again. The world blurs, then reforms, and suddenly we're standing in a completely different location.
"Welcome to Valefort's pod station," Selia says, her voice cutting through my disorientation.
I blink several times, trying to process the scene before me. Unlike the utilitarian military design of the Heroic Corps station, this place is nothing short of magnificent. Crystal spires rise overhead, their surfaces catching sunlight and splintering it into rainbow patterns across polished marble floors. Mana-powered displays hover in the air, showing arrival and departure times. Students and faculty in various styles of clothing move through the space with practiced ease.
We exit the station, stepping onto a wide boulevard that stretches out in multiple directions. My eyes widen despite my best efforts to maintain my cool. The street is alive with activity—shops with glowing signs advertising everything from magical artifacts to the latest fashion trends line both sides. Floating lanterns drift overhead, casting a warm glow even though it's daytime.
"You like it?" Selia asks, clearly amused by my reaction.
I quickly compose myself. "Yeah, kinda reminds me a bit of home," I say with deliberate nonchalance.
"What was that?" Selia tilts her head.
"Nothing," I reply quickly. "Where exactly is the academy located?"
Selia gestures broadly. "Well, technically this entire place is Valefort. It's an island, if you didn't know. The academy itself is placed in the center of the island."
She starts walking, then suddenly stops and waves her hand. "Actually, let's save some time."
A sleek vehicle glides to a stop beside us—some kind of hover taxi with an open cabin and a driver wearing a cap with the academy's emblem.
"Taking him to the academy?" the driver asks, looking me over.
"That's right," Selia confirms as we climb in.
During the ride, I watch the surroundings transform. The commercial district gives way to more academic settings—libraries with floating books visible through enormous windows, training grounds where students practice combat moves, and gardens with plants I've never seen before, some of which appear to be moving on their own.
When we arrive at our destination, Selia pays the driver with another one of those silver coins, and we step out in front of the most impressive building I've seen yet.
Valefort Academy towers before us, a massive structure of dark stone and gleaming metal. Runes are etched into the walls, occasionally pulsing with blue light. Spires rise into the clouds, and the central tower seems to shimmer, as if it's not quite fixed in reality. The sheer scale of it makes me feel small, yet the power radiating from the place resonates with something inside me.
The main gates are guarded by figures in armor that seems to absorb rather than reflect light. They don't even glance at us as we pass through—Selia's Heroic Corps insignia apparently providing all the authorization we need.
The courtyard beyond is a marvel of landscaping and magical architecture. Fountains spray water that forms impossible shapes in midair, trees with silver leaves whisper in a breeze I can't feel, and stone pathways seem to shift subtly as students walk across them.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Selia asks, noticing my expression.
Before I can answer, a man approaches us. He's wearing pristine white robes with subtle arcane patterns woven into the fabric. Thin glass frames perch on his nose, and his orange-brown hair is neatly combed.
"Lady Selia," he says with a polite bow. "We've been informed of your arrival and that you were bringing the Heroic Corps sponsored student."
"Here he is," Selia replies, giving me a gentle push forward.
The man looks me up and down with a critical eye. I stand a little straighter, keeping my face neutral despite his scrutiny.
"James Holloway," he introduces himself. "I'm a student professor tasked with escorting the new arrival to the Vice Headmaster's office."
Selia steps closer to me. "I'll be accompanying him as well."
James seems surprised. "I was only instructed to escort the student—"
"That won't be a problem, will it?" Selia asks, her tone pleasant but leaving no room for argument.
"No problem at all," James forces a smile. "Please, follow me."
As we walk through the academy halls, I take in everything around us. Students hurry past in various styles of clothing—some in what might be uniforms, others in casual attire. In one corridor, a group practices casting spells that leave trails of colored light in the air. In another, holograms display complex magical formulas that twist and reshape as students manipulate them with gestures.
We finally arrive at an imposing door made of dark wood with silver inlays forming arcane symbols. James raises his hand to knock, but before his knuckles make contact, a deep voice calls out from within:
"Come in."
James seems taken aback when the voice responds, and I'm a bit surprised too, though Selia just looks amused. She gives me a little nudge forward as James pushes open the heavy door.
The office that greets us is nothing like what I expected. While the academy's halls gleam with polished surfaces and magical precision, this room looks like it survived a paper hurricane. Documents are stacked in precarious towers on every available surface. Books lie open, their pages marked with colorful tabs. The air smells faintly of ink and coffee.
Behind an enormous desk sits a woman who appears to be in her mid-thirties, her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun with a few strands escaping. She doesn't even look up from the document she's signing, her pen moving in quick, confident strokes.
"Vice Headmaster, I've brought the new student as requested," James announces with formal stiffness.
"You can leave, James. Thank you," she says without pausing her work.
James blinks, nods awkwardly, and backs out of the room with a forced smile. The door clicks shut behind him.
"I thought I told James to just bring him," the woman says, still not looking up. "Why are you here?"
"C'mon, you're telling me you don't miss your favorite student?" Selia responds with a playful tone.
I can visibly feel the air quotes, I think to myself.
The woman finally stops writing and looks up, a clear expression of annoyance crossing her face. "When you graduate, you're supposed to leave, Selia. Not come back for 'personal' visits."
"Come on, don't be such a stick-up. Besides, I only came here to check on you, my favorite professor ever." Selia's voice drips with exaggerated sweetness.
The Vice Headmaster sighs deeply, apparently deciding to ignore Selia's antics. Her piercing gaze shifts to me, scrutinizing every detail from my white hair to my borrowed clothes.
"I'm Professor Eleanor Vexx, Vice Headmaster of Valefort Academy." Her voice is crisp and no-nonsense. "So you must be the transfer student they sponsored, right?"
"That's what it's looking like," I reply with a slight shrug.
Her eyes narrow, clearly not appreciating my tone. "Well, anyway, you've been officially put into the system. What's awaiting now is your rank evaluation that will happen at the end of the week." She shuffles through some papers. "Since you're sixteen, it means you're a first year, so we've placed you in Class 2-A."
I keep my face neutral, but my mind races. A rank evaluation? I wonder what exactly that entails.
"You will get a package with everything you'll need for the year," she continues, "including a rulebook and a smartwatch. You'll receive regular school notifications for events, exams, and club activities, as well as your schedule."
I nod along, taking in the information while secretly wondering how a watch can do all that.
Professor Vexx sighs heavily. "You may go. I wish you good luck." Without another word, she returns to her paperwork as if we've already left.
I stand there for a moment, slightly surprised by the abrupt dismissal. I glance at Selia, who just smirks, apparently used to her former professor's behavior.
We exit the office to find James waiting patiently in the hallway. "I'm here to take you to your dorm room," he says, his professional demeanor fully restored.
Selia turns to me. "This is where we part ways. I've got some stuff to discuss with her, so I'll stick around for a bit before I leave." Her expression softens slightly. "Now you're gonna be on your own for the rest of this, so good luck and try to stay out of trouble. This academy isn't so forgiving."
I nod, suddenly feeling the weight of what's ahead. "Thanks. For everything. And for saving me."
She smiles then—a genuine smile that transforms her face—and bends down slightly to press a quick kiss to my cheek. I freeze, my hand automatically rising to touch the spot.
"Hopefully we'll meet again," she says with a wink, then turns and walks back into the Vice Headmaster's office.
James clears his throat, clearly as stunned as I am by Selia's gesture. "We should get going," he manages.
As we start walking through the academy's corridors, my hand remains on my cheek, the sensation of her kiss still lingering.
"Did I just get myself a noona?" I whisper to myself, feeling an unexpected warmth spread through me that has nothing to do with the academy's magical ambiance.
To be continued….