Chapter 23: The Oasis and the Override
### The Dormitory and the Discovery
**Yolanda Johnson** felt a strange, jarring mixture of blessed relief and profound unease. She was driven by the silent Frank to an inconspicuous side entrance of the vast, abandoned industrial complex. One moment she was in a grimy SUV; the next, she was stepping out of an elevator into a **dormitory** that felt like a lavish, modern hotel.
Her suite was astonishing. It wasn't a hospital room or a cell; it was a home. It featured two large bedrooms, a comfortable living room, and a **fully stocked kitchen** with a glittering pantry and a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter. The bathroom, adorned with high-end fixtures and soft lighting, truly felt "made for a princess."
Yolanda immediately went to the shower, washing the grime and stress of the last two weeks from her hair. She felt a guilt-ridden luxury, knowing she was here only because her two-week-old baby could accidentally set things on fire.
As she moved through the suite, an unsettling quiet pervaded the space. She checked the hallway. It was pristine, with dozens of identical doors stretching down the corridor. She listened, then cautiously opened a few adjacent doors. They were all empty, perfectly furnished, and silent. She was the only person in the entire wing.
The **eerie quietness** scared the shit out of her. It was too perfect, too empty.
She returned to the bedroom. Amina was restless, her small body emitting a worrying warmth. As Yolanda adjusted the blanket, a figure moved outside her door. It was **Carter**, dressed in athletic wear, moving with silent purpose.
"She's spiking again," Carter said, his voice low.
Before Yolanda could protest, Carter knelt by the crib. He quickly checked the tiny child, and as he did, he subtly channeled a flow of **Water Magic**—a discipline pulled instantly from his stored memories by the System, a skill he hadn't known he possessed. The blue energy touched Amina's core.
The baby's mana core was **frozen for one second**, then allowed to melt, the process repeated gently for one minute. The chaotic, fiery energy was instantly soothed. Amina sighed deeply, her face relaxing into the deepest peace Yolanda had ever seen. The alarming heat dissipated completely.
"She will sleep for twelve hours," Carter explained, pulling his hand away. "She is stabilizing. Get some rest, Yolanda. Frank is on watch. You are safe here."
Feeling an immense surge of gratitude and curiosity, Yolanda waited until Carter left, then decided she needed air. She walked down a newly installed service staircase and exited into the vast, dark expanse of the campus.
As her eyes adjusted, she realized she was no longer surrounded by a chemical plant. She was on a sprawling, immaculate **brand-new school campus**. Spread out across the massive compound were five buildings made of shimmering, modern glass and steel, arranged in the distinct shape of a **five-point star**.
One building was labeled **CAFETERIA**. Another, **AUDITORIUM**.
At the center of the campus, where the star points met, stood a central monument carved with a second, smaller five-point star and the words: **EARTH ACADEMY: CHICAGO**.
A confused look settled on Yolanda's face. This place was impossible.
She instinctively pulled out her phone. The signal was perfect. She searched the words **"Earth Academy."** Nothing. She checked her GPS location. The map showed nothing but a few **abandoned buildings** and a defunct rail yard. The Ivy League-quality campus she was standing on did not exist in any public record. Something was definitely up.
### The Architect of Chaos
Meanwhile, deep in the newly fortified **Fortress Foundation**, **Carter** was immersed in his own realm of control—his office.
He was surrounded by a forest of glowing **holograms**. Each display detailed a different subject of magic and its corresponding elemental affinity. There were complex arrays for **Necromancy** (Dark Magic), **Biomancy** (Earth Magic), **Elemental Transference** (Fire Magic), and dozens of other subjects pulled from the depths of Drakain history and adapted by the System for human physiology.
"This is like getting trained by the Twins on steroids," Carter muttered, running a weary hand through his hair. He was attempting to absorb decades of magical pedagogy in a single sitting. "Will you be letting me sleep tonight, Earth?"
*"You better plan on taking a nap in four hours,"* Earth replied without compromise. *"Because we have a meeting at 7:00 a.m."*
Carter shrugged off the exhaustion and continued his building of the curriculum. The System continued to give him countless, immediate information for the Academy's mundane infrastructure.
*"At 7:00 a.m. sharp, you interview the lead candidate for Head of Security—a retired military logistics officer,"* Earth instructed. *"At 9:30 a.m., we have a meeting with **ten ladies** that have experience working in college cafeterias. At 11:00, we will meet with three people that have experience cooking fine cuisine for large groups of people. And interviews for maintenance and support staff will run until 5:00 p.m."*
*"After that,"* Earth continued, its voice adopting a sharper tone, *"you should probably take another nap, because that's when we will train our **recruiters**. You can't knock on every door and solve every problem with your magic. We have to train people on how to extract these children **peacefully** and help these parents."*
The weight of the new world was crushing, but Carter felt a fierce sense of purpose. He was building the future, one impossible hire and one magic-infused building at a time.
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