Morning light spilled across the stone courtyard of Astrahelm Imperial Academy, tinting the white towers gold. Students rushed between buildings carrying manuals, practice gear, and wooden training weapons. The place was loud, energetic, chaotic—yet strangely precise, like everyone here was used to running on strict order.
Arin followed Mira through the central hall, trying not to bump into every excited student who crossed their path. The academy was far bigger than he imagined. Tall glass windows reflected the rising sun. Rings of training grounds wrapped around the main arena. Groups of students were already practicing techniques even before the bell rang.
"This place is huge…" Arin muttered.
Mira smiled as she fixed her hair loosely behind her head. "You'll get used to it. Maybe."
They joined their class group, who gathered outside a large marble gazebo where the morning lecture was held. Students whispered the moment Mira stepped in. Arin noticed the glances—not at him, but at her.
She waved casually to a group of boys and girls who knew her. A few boys tried to stand straighter when she looked their way. A few glared at Arin, whispering about how "the forest boy" was walking beside her.
Arin lowered his head slightly. Mira sighed and nudged his shoulder.
"Don't look so small," she whispered. "We're classmates. Friends, even."
"…Right."
The instructor arrived—a stern woman named Sena Rylas, wearing a long coat lined with shimmering threads.
"Attention!"
The chatter died instantly.
"Today is your first academy evaluation day," Sena announced. "You will not fight. You will not spar. You will learn. And if you cannot learn, you will be taught until you can."
A few students swallowed loudly.
"First lesson," Sena said, snapping her fingers. "Control your Astra."
Four crystal pillars lifted from the ground around the class, humming with faint light. Students formed a circle. Mira stepped forward naturally, raising her palm and channeling her Astra without hesitation. Her aura flickered in a controlled green flow, smooth and steady. Even the instructor gave a small nod.
Arin tried the same. A faint shimmer rose around his hand, but the seal held most of it down. His energy pulse was weak, almost unnoticeable. Students around him relaxed, losing interest.
Sena walked between them, correcting posture, breathing, mental focus.
"Your Astra does not answer to fear," she said. "It answers to clarity. Focus. Breath."
She tapped Arin's wrist lightly to adjust his position. "Better."
Arin nodded, though he could feel Mira glancing at him with a smile.
As the class ended, Sena clapped once. "Next lesson. Mind discipline."
This took place on a shaded platform built with soft stone and runic carpets. An elderly mentor named Halden stepped forward, speaking calmly.
"In battle, you will not always face blades. You will face fear, pressure, instinct. If those crush you, your technique becomes meaningless."
He walked slowly before them.
"You will learn to be calm when everything inside you screams."
Students sat cross-legged. Deep breathing exercises began, more intense than Arin expected. Halden tested their responses by faintly flaring his Astra at each student—just a small ripple to see who flinched.
Many did.
Arin did not move.
Halden paused in front of him longer than anyone else, as if surprised by the stillness in the boy's eyes.
The lesson ended with half the students exhausted from the mental strain, while Arin felt almost… normal. Forest survival had trained him for far worse.
A short break followed.
Students wandered toward shaded benches near the training shed. That's where Arin heard the muffled sound of someone stumbling—and laughter.
Three noble-born boys had cornered a thin boy with round glasses who held his books protectively to his chest.
"You nearly touched me just now," one noble hissed. "Are you blind?"
"I—I didn't see—" the boy stammered.
"You don't belong here, scholarship trash."
Arin walked toward them.
The boys looked up, annoyed—until they saw him.
He didn't glare, threaten, or raise a fist. He simply stood there, eyes steady, expression unreadable.
Something in that silence made them step back.
"Tch… whatever. Not worth it," the nobles muttered, backing away quickly.
The boy exhaled shakily.
"Are you alright?" Arin asked.
"Y-Yes… I'm Nilo. Nilo Fenrick. Thank you."
Mira walked up beside Arin, arms crossed. "Pick on someone your own size next time," she said to the nobles who were already far away.
Nilo bowed his head nervously. "I'm just… not good at physical training. I came here through an academic scholarship."
"Then you belong here," Arin said simply.
Nilo blinked, surprised by how genuine the words sounded.
The break ended, and the class moved to the physical core training field—a massive open ground marked with white lines stretching further than Arin initially realized.
Instructor Daren blew the whistle.
"Two-hour endurance run! Your performance today goes toward your Elite Points for the year!"
Groans filled the air.
Elite Points were everything here—the path to elite class, elite teachers, elite missions. Many students trained their lungs out for them.
Arin didn't think much of it.
But when the whistle blew again, Mira exploded forward like a burst of green wind. Other students followed in loud clusters. Arin began jogging at an easy pace, passing one group after another without strain. Weeks of survival, sprinting from beasts, climbing cliffs, running through storms—this was nothing.
By the one-hour mark, half the class collapsed on the sidelines.
By the final lap, Mira and Arin were the only ones still maintaining a steady rhythm. Mira was breathing heavily but determined. Arin's steps were steady, effortless.
Students murmured as they watched.
"Is he even human?"
"Why doesn't he look tired?!"
Mira stumbled at the last stretch—but Arin caught her arm lightly, keeping her upright until she regained balance.
"Thanks…" she panted.
"You're strong," Arin said breathlessly—but in truth, he wasn't very breathless at all.
They crossed the line together. Nilo, far behind, waved weakly from the midway point.
After the run, lunch break arrived. Students gathered in the courtyard under the shade of tall oak trees. Mira and Arin sat with Nilo at a wooden bench.
Mira dug into her tray immediately. "I swear, every time training involves running, I regret being alive."
Nilo nibbled bread slowly. "I finished only half the track… I'm hopeless."
"You're good at things we're not," Arin said. "Everyone has different strengths."
Nilo brightened a bit.
A sudden commotion rose near the center fountain—Commander Johan arrived with Instructor Serah. Students straightened immediately as Johan cleared his throat.
"Afternoon lecture. Echo Form—fundamentals."
Students gathered closer. Johan's presence made everyone silent.
"Echo Form," he began, "is your first gate. Your raw essence. But power without discipline is chaos. Chaos invites destruction."
He glanced briefly at Arin, his expression unreadable.
"Many cadets force their Echo to awaken. Stop doing that. Echo answers when your body is ready—not when your ego demands it."
Students scribbled notes quickly.
Johan continued, explaining resonance, energy flow, and the transition into Astra. His explanations were sharp, clear, and far more detailed than anything Arin learned before.
Mira listened with focused eyes. Nilo wrote so fast his pencil nearly snapped.
Arin folded the information quietly into his thoughts, matching it with the incomplete teachings he once received long ago.
After the lecture, there was one last short break before dismissal.
The day finally ended with the academy bell ringing across the sky.
Students packed their belongings. Arin slung his borrowed bag over his shoulder and headed toward the gate—but Mira grabbed him by the collar.
"Where are you going?"
"…Home?" Arin said.
Mira stared at him like he'd said something unbelievable. "Arin… students aren't allowed to leave. This isn't a walk-in school."
Arin blinked. "It's not?"
"No!" she said, exasperated. "This is Astrahelm Imperial Academy. You live here. In hostels. For years. You can't go home unless you have approved leave."
Arin froze.
He'd never stayed in one place this long.
Mira softened her tone. "It's okay. I'll help you get your room assignment. You're not alone here."
Arin nodded slowly.
"…Alright."
The academy lights flickered on as the sun dipped, painting the towers in blue and silver. Students laughed, complained, and hurried toward the hostel buildings.
Arin stepped beside Mira and Nilo, following the crowd into a future he didn't fully understand yet.
But for the first time…
He didn't dread what awaited him.
Not when he had people walking beside him