The cold in Salem was the first thing that stood out to me when I transmigrated here. It was the kind of cold that never really left, even when the locals claimed it was summer.
It reminded me of places like Greenland or the colder parts of Mongolia back on Earth.
Not buried in snow every day, but cold enough that everyone outside wore thick coats, scarves, and multiple layers of clothes.
I sat in the car seat, shivering even though the heater hummed softly. My breath fogged the window, and I drew a circle on the glass. I shaped it into a watch and stared at it.
Time. That was the biggest problem.
We were on our way to Excellia Academy for the one day assessment. Pass it and you're immediately in. Fail it and the driver would be turning the car around before dusk.
Excellia was the pride of the kingdom of Salem. The country valued power, authority, knowledge, and results above everything, and Excellia was built on all of that. Most graduates were pulled straight into the military to join the fight against the world's oldest threat, the Abarrents.
People said Abarrents were born from the world's own mistake. The full story was too long to go through right now. What mattered was that they lost a war twenty-two thousand years ago and still remained the main antagonists in The Golden Weaver's First Apprentice novel.
They were responsible for many of Finster's bad happenings. One of those bad ends was slowly approaching.
The death of the Golden Weaver, Finster's teacher, Helle Regleia Blume.
Her body was already in Abarrent's hands. Finster found the place by chance and carried her astral body within him. The real trouble came after. I had no idea who the Abarrent was, what they wanted, or how to pull off a rescue without repeating Finster's failures.
This wasn't like those usual transmigration stories where the protagonist knew every outcome because they failed their own world. My protagonist actually saved his. I just hated the way he did it, that's why everything from here on was my own selfish desire to save him and that includes his family.
In simple terms, this was a hostage situation. Helle would die after our first semester. I had six months to gather information on the Abarrent holding her body, grow strong enough to fight, and somehow save her.
I wiped the window with my arm, clearing away the fog, the watch, and the loose lines I made.
I had to focus on what was in front of me.
I leaned forward and told the driver Kaye assigned to me to speed up.
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After a two-hour ride, we finally reached the gates of Excellia Academy.
The place stretched out so far that the walls looked like they continued past the horizon. In the novel it had been described as a small city. Seeing it for myself made it clear they were not exaggerating. Roads, buildings, towers, and structures went on and on, almost like an entire district had been walled off and renamed Excellia.
The guard stepped toward the car and waited for the driver to speak. I slid from the back seat into the front and answered for myself.
"I'm here for the entrance exam for this starting year."
The guard nodded, tapped his badge against a small scanner on the side of the booth, and printed a parking ticket. He handed it to me through the window.
"This is valid for twelve hours. If you do not report your results to the main desk within those twelve hours, we will remove your vehicle from Excellia territory. Any further concerns?"
"Yes," I said. "Where do I go next to attend the exam?"
The guard straightened, then pointed down the main road behind the gate.
"Drive straight until you reach the central fountain. It is impossible to miss. From the fountain, follow the signs marked 'Assessment Wing.' They are color coded blue for new applicants. Do not enter any building with a red marker. That section is restricted to staff and senior Weavers.
After you enter the Assessment Wing, proceed to Counter Twelve. Present your name and ticket. They will direct you to your assigned hall. You must arrive before the bell rings or your attempt will be marked invalid."
I listened carefully and nodded. "Understood."
"Good. Follow the road. Do not wander. Excellia is large enough to get lost in."
We went in, and I stepped out of the car and grabbed my luggage from the trunk. It earned me several looks from other examinees and even a few parents standing near their children. Bringing this much luggage made it look like I was completely confident in passing. In a way, I was declaring that I had no plans of getting sent home.
I ignored their looks.
The path to the Assessment Wing was straightforward. On the outside the buildings looked like your typical fantasy medieval structures, stone walls, sturdy wooden frames, arches, and narrow windows. But the moment I stepped beyond the first archway the interior felt like a fusion of medieval design and twenty-first-century technology.
Crystal lamps sat inside fixtures shaped like old lanterns but lit the hallway like modern LEDs. Stone columns supported high ceilings yet screens floated above them showing schedules, announcements, and directions. The floors were polished smooth like marble but with the faint glow of energy circuits running underneath.
Everything had that mix of the appearance of an old world, but the function of something far more advanced.
I adjusted my grip on my luggage and continued down the hall, following the blue signs the guard mentioned. The air shifted slightly as more students and applicants filled the walkways, all dressed in thick clothing suitable for Salem's constant chill.
I kept moving towards finding Counter Twelve. I followed the blue signs until the hallway opened up into a wide registration area filled with rows of desks. Each one was marked with a number above it.
I scanned the line and found Counter Twelve tucked between a crowd of applicants. The moment I stepped toward it more eyes landed on me.
The luggage was impossible to ignore. Students carried small bags or nothing at all. I was the only one dragging enough for a full year. A few whispered. One person even stepped directly in my way.
I glanced at her for a moment. Black hair with red highlight strands, sharp eyes, and the kind of face that was begging to be slapped by someone.
I did not recognize her. She was not in the novel's main characters nor a supporting character. I then concluded.
She was a side character, just like me.
I kept walking.
The woman behind Counter Twelve greeted me with a practiced tone and handed me several sheets.
"Fill these. Personal information on the first page, emergency details on the second. The last one is optional. It allows applicants to disclose any system information they are willing to reveal. Many leave it blank, but it speeds up rank evaluation."
My eyes settled on the optional page. This was it. The real reason I knew I could get in. The system in this world was strict. This academy valued potential more than background.
They did value background, but only if you are a royalty or of an extremely high-ranking house.
I ignored every box and only wrote in the extra details section. All I needed was one line.
SS potential with an A-rank Thrum capacity.
Simple and direct. Enough to shake the instructor for this year's entrance exam, and he'll most likely call me again for verification.
Satisfied, I handed the forms back to her.
Before I could step away, I heard raised voices nearby. The same girl who tried to stop me earlier was now arguing with someone else. A fuzzy-haired boy with olive colored hair and bright green highlights. He looked annoyed but patient in a tired way.
The luggage slipped from my hands and hit the floor with a loud thud that echoed through the hall.
I barely noticed the sound. All I could do was stare.
That face, seeing him, froze every thought in my head. He was the reason I kept living in the past and continue to do so now.
I stood there, unable to breathe for a moment, while the sudden noise pulled every pair of eyes in the room toward me.
Finster.....