"Your highness, it is time," a middle-aged man with a mustache said, standing in front of the door and facing a handsome young man. He was wearing a black suit.
"I told you to call me Luceran while we're at the academy, Nelez," the young man responded lazily as he finished getting dressed.
"The graduation ceremony will start in less than an hour. I suggest Your Highness start walking to the main hall now so that you won't be late," Nelez said, bowing respectfully.
"Sigh... I told you to call me Luceran," the young man repeated, shaking his head.
"It is important to distinguish status, Your Highness. It would be impolite for me to call you by your name," Nelez reminded him.
"Fine, whatever." Luceran finished his preparations and walked out of the room.
This was the graduation day for this generation, so Luceran had to arrive on time to avoid embarrassing himself and his family's reputation. The moment he closed the door, nearly every student in the corridor turned their heads to look at him. The intense stare lasted for just a few seconds before things returned to normal. Luceran sighed, shrugging his shoulders to Nelez, who was retreating into the shadows. As he walked down the corridor, he saw many other teenagers of all shapes and sizes, heading toward the same place: the main hall. He saw some tall, slender students with pointed ears, their light-green hair catching the light as they walked. He also saw some stocky, broad-shouldered students, their sturdy builds and braided beards a clear sign of their dwarven heritage.
"Luceran!" someone shouted from behind him. Luceran turned to see a young man with brown hair and purplish eyes waving at him. The boy wore a dark blue uniform, just like all the other students.
"Hey, it's rare to see you in such a rush," Luceran said.
"Well... I had to pack all my things and also write a letter to my family," the young man explained.
"I see. Let's go together then." Luceran and the young man walked side by side toward the main hall, with other students still occasionally sneaking glances at them.
"So, what's next?" Luceran asked.
"What do you mean, 'what's next'?" the young man replied.
"Kellen, the prodigy of the Immortal Academy! The only disciple of the principal for the past 10,000 years! The whole world is waiting to hear your next move. After all, this is only the beginning," Luceran said with a hint of dramatic flair.
Kellen remained silent, listening to Luceran's words. Truthfully, he had been thinking about this exact question ever since he was chosen to be the principal's disciple. He had a rough idea of what he wanted to do; he just didn't know the exact path to achieve it yet.
"What is your goal in life, Kellen?" Luceran asked.
"Hmm... I think it is to continue The Teacher's dreams. I want to further develop the well-being of Primordia and pursue the truth of the world," Kellen answered honestly.
"What a grand and ambitious dream," Luceran exclaimed.
"You're mocking me," Kellen said with a snicker.
"No, you misunderstood me," Luceran said, shaking his head. "I actually envy people like you."
"Oh? The second prince of the Kyros Divine Empire envies this humble scholar? Your Highness, you must be joking. You have everything everyone else could ever hope for, and you're saying you envy me?" Kellen asked, a genuinely confused look on his face.
"Sigh... if only it were that easy," Luceran said, his voice barely a whisper. The two friends continued down the corridor toward their destination in comfortable silence.
By the time they reached a T-intersection, the corridor was getting crowded. There, they saw a young man with purplish hair and a stern face. His posture was as straight as a sheathed sword. His sharp, arched brows were accentuated by a small horizontal scar on his left cheek, and a purple scabbard hung at his waist.
Luceran whistled when he and Kellen met the stoic, purple-haired youth. The young man looked at them, acknowledging Luceran's whistle.
"Prince Luceran, Kellen," the youth said, bowing slightly to the prince and greeting both of them.
"Ugh," Luceran groaned, rolling his eyes at the formal address.
"Haveth, would you like to walk with us?" Kellen asked politely.
"The prince and the scholar should go on ahead. I have to wait for someone," Haveth replied.
Luceran and Kellen nodded and continued on their way, mingling with the other students. A few minutes later, they arrived at an open space: the Garden of Arcana. The garden was decorated with trees that glowed with a gentle arcane light. The path was made of artistically carved paving stones, and benches were placed every ten meters along the sides. Flowerpots filled with vibrant blue, purple, and pink flowers added a perfect touch of color. Scattered seven meters above the ground, glowing lanterns illuminated the garden as if it were night.
Along with the other students, they maneuvered through the garden, heading north toward the main hall of the Immortal Academy. The garden was vast; it took them about thirty minutes to walk through it at a normal pace.
"It will be a long time before I can enjoy the peaceful environment of this garden again," Luceran said.
"Oh? And why is that?" Kellen asked.
"Because I have to return to the capital and fulfill my duty as the second prince," Luceran stated dully, his face flat and empty of emotion.
Kellen didn't reply, seemingly lost in thought as he processed the prince's response. The silence continued until they arrived in front of a majestic, open gate, joining the throng of students.
"Here we are," Kellen said.
"Yes. Let's go in," Luceran replied.
It was a majestic grand hall, three times the size of a football field, with walls decorated with medieval fantasy paintings of heroes, magicians, and dragons. In each corner of the hall, gigantic, thirty-meter-tall pillars made of silver granite stone with beautiful carvings supported the ceiling. A grand, majestic chandelier levitated in mid-air, illuminating the hall with a soft, yellowish-white light. The floor was covered by a giant blue carpet, intricately woven with patterns of glowing runes.
At the far end of the hall stood a stage, two meters high and spanning a third of the hall's width. In the center of the stage was a silvery podium, carved from ancient wood with carvings that glowed with a faint, purplish-blue light. Inside the hall, at least 5,000 teenagers, both male and female, stood in anticipation. Some were chatting with one another, others were in groups discussing various topics, while a few stood silently, lost in their own thoughts.
Suddenly, the mood of the hall shifted dramatically. The chandelier's light changed from a warm yellowish-white to a vibrant cascade of rainbow colors, and the triumphant sound of trumpets echoed through the space.
"Let the ceremony BEGIN!" a booming voice announced.