"Rose? May I ask why everyone was making a big deal out of your last name?"
Rose slowly looked up, her face showed confusion.
'Has this guy been living under a rock or something?'
"Don't mind it... It's nothing worth mentioning."
"I see...."
Darian turned around to look at the nine new students.
"Welcome to Eastern University," said Darian, his voice calm but commanding. "I'll explain the rules now—so pay attention."
The nine students who had passed turned to face him, their postures stiffening as the weight of reality settled in.
"You are now official students of the Eastern University of Magic and Combat. That alone carries weight," he said, eyes scanning each face. "From this point on, you'll be held to a different standard than the rest of the world, you are going to become a mage....."
***
Alger stood in front of a door
Its dark wooden surface bore the marks of time: shallow dents, faded patches, and scratches that told quiet stories of students long gone. A brass number plate was nailed to the top: Room 317.
Alger used a key to unlock the door. The cold metal knob creaked slightly when turned, not enough to bother... but enough to remind him this wasn't new. Nothing here was meant to feel fresh or easy.
It wasn't grand, but it felt real.
Like a quiet beginning.
Before he could enter the room, Dawn called out to him, and he turned around.
His room was directly opposite his: Room 318.
"Alger... you should've told us earlier... that you were a Conjuror."
"I should've told you. But Ivy? Gods, no. She would've told all of Zephyr before the week was over!"
Dawn cracked a smile—just a faint one.
"I won't argue with that."
Alger entered the new room, closing the door behind.
The room smelled like dust—dry, untouched air that had settled over everything like a thin, invisible sheet.
Sunlight filtered in through a narrow window on the far wall, casting a pale rectangle onto the wooden floor. The bed was tucked away in the top left corner, neatly made. A small desk stood beneath the window, its surface scuffed and marked with faint lines—scratches left by the students who had come before him.
To his left was a single cupboard and another door... which probably led to a bathroom.
Huh?! No way… I get my own bathroom?! Yes! Finally!
It had been sixteen long years since Alger had a bathroom to himself.
Back at the orphanage, there were only a handful of bathrooms shared among two hundred children. Everyone bathed in the same place, at the same time—a chaotic ritual that somehow became routine. It wasn't exactly a nightmare... but the idea of stepping into a space that was his, with a door he could lock, and silence he could claim—it felt like a luxury he never thought he would have again.
He tossed his bag onto the bed and hurried to the door, heart racing with anticipation…
But the moment he opened it, his excitement crumbled.
There was a single toilet.
The room was narrow—barely enough space for him to walk through. A small mirror hung above an old tap, and beneath it sat the lonely toilet like it had been abandoned there as a joke.
No shower... No bath... It was nothing like the private sanctuary Alger had imagined…
Disappointed, Alger slowly walked toward the bed, still reeling from the heartbreak in progress...
He let himself fall onto the mattress with a dull thud.
I don't have time to mope... I need to decide. Decide what courses I'm taking.
Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper.
It was divided cleanly into two columns—on the left, a list of all available courses; on the right, a blank space beside each one, waiting for a checkmark… a decision that might shape the rest of his time at Eastern.
The rules at Eastern University were simple. Apart from stuff most schools have, don't disrespect teachers, don't use Element without a supervisor... There were other rules.
Students are compulsory to take at least one course; of course, the upper limit is entirely up to you. A course generally lasts anywhere from 2-5 years, depending on its difficulty. Something like 'Basics of Tempest' might finish in as little as a year. Whereas 'Advanced Tempest Theory' might last even more than 3 years.
You're supposed to register your name at the admissions office with the Instructor responsible for overseeing your exam, which for Alger was Darian.
After that, you will receive a form for the courses you wish to take, the paper Alger was holding, and the keys to your room.
Unfortunately, the room wasn't permanent. The University assigned dorms like this—located on the eastern wing—only to new students, and only for their first year.
Which meant Alger had until then to find a decent job... and an apartment to live in. Still, there was time. He'd be seventeen by the time he had to leave this room.
The University itself was massive. From the outside, it looked like one colossal structure—but in reality, it was divided into four distinct wings.
The northern and southern wings held the lecture halls. The eastern wing, where Alger now stayed, was reserved for dormitories. And the western wing housed the essential facilities—a cafeteria, a library, and so many more interesting things...
Between the four wings stretched a modest garden, with neat walkways connecting everything like a quiet crossroads.
Alger wanted to explore it all... to see where each path led. But for now, he had a more pressing task.
He stared at the paper in his hand, thinking.
How many courses should I take? five? No, that's too much...
Three sounds about right.
Unknown exploration sounds interesting, I'm definitely taking that.
The course for Tempest Conjurors course doesn't start until a few more months. Damn it!
History? Yes, that is something I want to know more about, but no. If I'm not wrong, the course is about the history of humanity, not the world... I have no interest in learning about useless wars and conflicts.
I also have to awaken a new gate. Damn it! It's all so confusing.
He thought for a while, until it was midnight....
Unknown Exploration, Advanced Tempest Theory, Basics of Inferno, and Basics of Aqua.
I don't think I can handle all four courses at once.... but I can do three. I will do two basic courses until the course for Tempest Conjuror begins. After that, I will drop one of the basic courses...
Yes. That sounds good.
He stood up and went towards the table. The table was still covered in dust; it had a couple of empty papers with a paperweight on top of it, apart from that, there was also a single feather pen and a bottle of ink.
He grabbed the pen and marked all four of those courses...
He turned off the Elemental lamp that was on the table and collapsed on his bed... he as too tired to do anything else...
***
"No... not again. PLEASE, I don't want to—"
His voice was swallowed by a scream—raw, broken, and filled with agony.
And then, in an instant, his life surged forward in a blinding flash... memories collapsing, moments unraveling....