With the robot seemingly extending the package away from its chest, Riven slowly plucked it up from its hands. As the weight left its metallic hands, it was surrounded in a blue glow, with its eyes flashing.
Then, without a sound, its entire body flickered - a distortion of sorts in the air- leaving, without a single trace.
Riven stood there, staring at the space where it had been, the package clutched tightly in his arms.
"Great", he muttered under his breath.
Shifting back inside, he pushed the door shut lightly.
Crossing over to the desk, with the box not leaving his sight.
He placed it down.
He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the package in silence, before he unceremoniously pulled it open.
RIIIPP!
Inside, neatly folded lay a set of robes unlike anything he had seen.
Lifting it up carefully, the fabric felt light, as it cascaded over his hands.
The base colour was a deep charcoal, dark enough to be perceived as black, yet under the dim room light, traces of silvery blue danced across its plain.
Along the high collar and cuffs held a silver trim, that responded when hitting the light.
Turning it over, intricate patterns were embroidered on the outer seams, "Is this runes?", he questioned.
The patterns seemed somewhat familiar.
They weren't conspicuous at first glance, but up close, the designs held weight and added to the aesthetic.
It reminded him of shapes and designs he'd see only in games he'd played before, but not exact.
Over the left chest, adorned with demanding precision, was a small crest. An abstract flame was woven with smooth, sharp arcs.
Each line merging into the other, assembling a symbol that felt resolute but also poetic.
Noticing a similarity, Riven glanced at his admission letter. Not paying to much attention to it earlier, it seemed they were the same symbol, solving the mystery of why this package arrived.
"It seems to be from the academy....", he whispered.
Unfolding the matching pants, his hands glided across the same, charcoal, flexible design. Just like the robes, it felt light; clearly made for agility and combat, it was a design that gave him comfort the more he touched it.
Silver lines etched the outer seams, echoing the same design on the robe. They also hummed faintly in the light, as if powered by something.
Boots inside followed shortly after. Matte black with minimal weight and bulk to them, they looked practical and stylish. The soles providing grip, perfect for what ever occasion.
He ran his fingers down the fabric over and over. There was something calming about it.
"Fancy clothes and all...I wont lie, this thing actually feels nice. Like it's made for someone who knows what they're doing."
He paused, sighing.
"But that's the problem."
"I've just been dropped in here, and I'm lost..."
His voice trailed off as he rubbed his hands over his face.
He folded the robes gently, placing them back into the box.
In silence, he dropped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling light. It hummed faintly, as if echoing the room.
Minutes passed.
He didn't move.
Closing his eyes, his thoughts drifted - to the letter, the glowing tech, the talk of academies, of powers. All of it.
'Should I start by figuring out this place first?'
A pause.
'And what happened to the old Riven?'
He had all these questions - and no answers.
'Lying here wont solve anything'
He sat up slowly. Eyes settled on the polished, black device resting on the desk. Pushing himself off of the bed, he walked over and picked it up.
Rotating it, he examined the sleek curbed edges and thin design before tapping the side. A screen projected outward, softly glowing in the air.
Rows of softly glowing symbols and icons floated in the air. As he scrolled, his eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar language and strange visuals.
It had seemed there was a language barrier he had no anticipated due to his earlier success in finding the search bar.
His chest tightened.
"Great. How am i supposed to find anything If I can't even read this?", he muttered, irritation creeping in. He was about to scroll past when a small notification blinked into view.
"Auto-Linguistic Integration Recommended"
With a text reading under it stating - "Activate?".
Riven blinked. "....What?"
Before he could think too long, the screen changed, projecting the statement -
"This device will integrate with your neural pathways translating written and spoken words into Eldric Standard.
Side Effects may include, but are not limited to : Mild headache, Brief dizziness.
'Seems like I've been saved', he thought, pressing confirm.
Instantaneously, a cool wave spread through his temples, blurring his vision. A faint ache pulsed behind his eyes - then faded.
The foreign symbols that had plagued the screen twisted, shifted... and turned into readable words.
Before diving in, Riven paused, thoughts spinning.
"The Eldric standard?" he echoed.
"That's the academy... So is the planet named Eldris too?"
Only one way to find out.
Swiping through the interface, he found a tab labelled - "Planetary Overview : Eldris"
'This must be it!'
Tapping it open, a projection hovered over his screen - a rotating image of a planet; vast green continents, deep blue oceans, glowing against the darkness of space.
Labelled underneath it read :
Planet Name - Eldris
Population - 4.2 billion
Governance - Planetary Alliance Council
Major Sectors - Captial : Auric Spire City.
Northern Region : Frostveil Plains
Eastern Region : Emberlow Basin
Western Region : Riftstone Expanse
Skimming through each section, he glanced at the cities, their vast academies and more.
'So this is Eldris'
"Eldris is one of the thirteen allied planets within the Planetary Alliance, known for its advanced technology, it produces some of the top rankers - individuals who often excel in the prestigious Interplanetary Academy Tournament.
"Among the disciplines taught on Eldris, there are four primary paths of power : Magic - manipulation of magical energy ; Spirit Bonding - the forming of pacts with entities ; Taming - the commanding of formiddable beasts ; and Ki - the harnessing of internal life force. They are ranked universally from E to S tier , measuring mastery and potential".
Riven stared at the glowing holo-screen, the words 'ranked universally from E to S', taking all his thought.
"They said I demonstrated potential....but for what?"
"Can I really use those powers?'
The thought stirred both doubt and excitement. Thinking back to the letter, Riven clenched his fists. 'If this magic stuff is real... maybe I just need to call it out'.
He took a deep breath, raised his hands will all the flair he could muster.
"Fireball!"
Nothing.
'Alright', he thought. 'Maybe more focus'
He tried again - louder, slower, more dramatic.
"Fi-re-BALL!"
The only thing that responded was a faint flicker from a loose cable in the wall.
Still nothing.
Riven stood up, waving his arms like a conductor at a concert. "Ignite! I summon you... Water pistol!"
He struck multiple poses and waited.
Nothing.
A long pause. Then-
Sigh
Slumping back onto the bed, he rubbed his face.
"All that dramatic yelling...for what?"
He was clearly embarrassed.
Glancing at the holo-phone, hovering on standby on the desk. Maybe there was something to answer all of this, to answer why he'd been accepted despite not feeling 'magical'.
Swiping across the menu, he noticed an unread message flashing faintly.
'Unread Mail?'
Tapping it open, the first thing he saw was :
'Eldris Academy Records Office'
Clicking on the message, it read -
From: Eldris Academy Records Office
Subject: Admission Confirmation and Profile Access
Greetings, Riven Brown
We are pleased to confirm your successful admission into Eldris Academy following your recent aptitude evaluation. All relevant personal data and assessments have been securely transferred to the academy's internal database.
To review your student profile, including aptitude rankings, academic placement and disciplinary designations, please access the Eldris Student Portal using the link below.
If you encounter any difficulties, please contact the Records office via the support function.
Welcome to Eldris Academy, may you see success.
--Eldris Academy Records Office
"I guess that answers that question", he laughed.
Clicking on the link, he was redirected to a page, the screen flickered, before displaying him the student portal. The design was straightforward, various tabs were labelled, and it was filled with data panels.
Scanning the page, a few tabs instantly stood out: 'Profile', 'Courses' , 'Rankings', and 'Notifications'.
Thinking it would store his personal information, he loaded up the 'Profile' tab, was instantly met with a series of data; his name - Riven Brown - at the top, alongside his ID and a holo academy emblem. Even his age was present, 16, plastered next to his name.
'16 huh?', he thought, originally wanting to know how young he was.
Scrolling down further, lie a circular chart, showcasing all four mediums it stated:
-Magic: Level C (Score: 40/100) - Previously demonstrated potential in magical application.
Next to it, similar bars appeared for other power metrics, but there was a clear distinction between basic aptitude and lack of mastery....