A strange sensation washed over Aren, a weightlessness that made his heart flutter. As they emerged from the wormhole, his eyes widened in sheer disbelief. He wasn't alone; every student around him stood frozen, their mouths agape at the sight before them.
They stood in a colossus of a compound, a space so vast it could easily house over a hundred thousand students. The structure was perfectly circular, crowned by a massive roof of translucent blue glass that bathed everything in an ethereal light.
All around them, holographic displays flickered with data, and sleek robots glided through the crowds with mechanical precision.
"Welcome to A.H.A."
The students were still busy soaking in the futuristic marvels when a synthesized, robotic voice cut through their excitement. Standing before them was a peculiar droid it looked like a silver sphere perched atop a conical base.
As the students stared at the droid, Mr. Bert stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "I am Bert Benjamin, representative for Group D. We need passage to the Main Hall."
Upon hearing Mr. Bert's voice, the robot's eyes flashed as it scanned a screen integrated into its arm. "Please state your registration code," it chirped.
Mr. Bert pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. "03052007."
The robot began processing the data immediately. The students watched the exchange in hushed silence, hanging onto every word.
"Looks like Mr. Bert has done this a dozen times before," one boy whispered to his friend.
"Just imagine," another replied, his voice trembling with excitement. "If the arrival station looks like this, what must the actual academy be like?"
The droid's voice broke their chatter. "Please, follow me."
With a mechanical whir, the robot led the way, and the sea of students followed. It brought them to a halt in front of a sleek vehicle. "Please board. This will transport you to the Main Hall."
It was a Sentinel Hover Bus. Once again, the students were struck by a wave of awe.
"What is that? It looks like a bus, but... different," a student remarked.
"It's a Sentinel Hover Bus," another student explained knowledgeably. "It doesn't use wheels like a normal vehicle; it utilizes magnetic fields to glide through the air."
Mr. Bert turned to the group, his tone turning serious. "Alright, that's enough talk. Form a line and board the bus immediately."
The students scrambled to find seats next to their friends. By the time Aren stepped onto the bus, his heart sank. Every seat was taken; groups of friends had already claimed their spots, leaving him standing in the aisle.
I guess I'm standing the whole way, Aren thought bitterly.
"Aren, sit here."
He looked up to see Mr. Bert gesturing to the empty spot beside him in the very front row. Relieved, Aren took the seat. As the bus hummed to life and began to move, a student shouted from the back, "Wait, is there no driver?"
Aren looked at the cockpit. The student was right the steering area was empty.
"Everyone, settle down," Mr. Bert announced, calming the rising panic. "This bus is on autopilot. There is no need for concern."
Despite his reassurance, a few students remained tense until the bus exited the compound. The moment they transitioned outside, fear was instantly replaced by wonder.
The scenery was breathtaking. They were surrounded by towering, majestic mountains and lush, vibrant greenery.
To one side, a massive crystal-clear lake sparkled in the sun, where robotic dolphins leaped gracefully from the water. In the distance, other massive dome-shaped compounds dotted the landscape.
The bus hovered along a wide, polished road at high speed, heading toward the heart of the academy. To the students, it felt as though they had been transported to a high-tech paradise.
"Look at that! Is that a stadium?" a girl cried out, pointing toward a monumental structure.
"That is the A.H.A. Battle Field Stadium," replied the same girl who had explained the wormholes earlier. "The Academy uses it for all major sanctioned events and tournaments."
As the others cheered and pointed at the sights, Aren turned to the man beside him. "Mr. Bert? If you don't mind, may I ask you something?"
Mr. Bert didn't speak, but he gave a small, solemn nod.
Aren took a deep breath. "On the day of the awakening test, you said A.H.A. was nothing more than a circus. But looking at all this... it doesn't seem like that at all."
Mr. Bert sighed heavily, his eyes fixed on the passing landscape outside the window. "Just because we cannot see the rot doesn't mean it isn't there," he said quietly. He turned his gaze toward Aren, his eyes piercing. "Life here is not as easy as it looks. and because you are a Null, you will likely face more hardships than most."
"Hardships? What do you mean?" Aren asked, a knot forming in his stomach.
"Don't worry about the details yet," Bert replied grimly. "Just keep your eyes and ears open. And never trust anyone blindly."
Before Aren could press for more, the bus came to a smooth halt. They had arrived at the Main Hall.
Mr. Bert stood up and led the students off the bus. They found themselves standing before a gargantuan metal door that seemed to touch the sky. As they stared at the entrance, the heavy doors hissed open, and a woman stepped out.
She wore shimmering silver battle armor. Her face was strikingly beautiful and delicate, but the armor she wore looked fierce and battle-worn.
"My name is Silvia Silver, and I am your instructor," she announced. Her voice was cold and entirely devoid of emotion. Many of the boys found themselves momentarily dazed by her presence.
"Miss Silvia will assist you from here," Mr. Bert's stern voice broke the spell. He looked at the group one last time. "My journey with you ends here. I expect you all to work hard and reach the Elite Rank."
He glanced at Silvia, then lingered his gaze on Aren for a moment longer before boarding the bus to depart. A wave of sadness hit the students as they watched their guide leave, but Silvia's commanding voice snapped them back to reality.
"Form a line and follow me. Now."
She led them into the heart of the compound. Inside the Main Hall, hundreds of other students from different schools were already gathered.
"The main event will begin shortly," Silvia said before ascending the stage.
As they waited in the assembly, the hall buzzed with the sound of students mingling and whispering. Aren stood alone in a corner, watching the crowd, feeling like an outsider.
"Don't you think this is all a bit boring?"
Aren spun around to find a boy with bright red hair standing behind him, wearing a carefree, crooked grin.
"A party would have been much better than an assembly, don't you think?" the boy asked. Aren blinked, confused as to why this stranger was talking to him.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't introduce myself. I'm Theo. Theo Volker." He held out his hand.
Aren took it tentatively. "Aren Vox."
"A bit of an introvert, aren't you?" Theo chuckled.
Before Aren could respond, the atmosphere in the hall shifted. The chatter died down instantly. An elderly man stepped onto the stage.
Though he looked to be in his fifties, he exuded an aura so terrifyingly powerful that the entire room fell into a deathly silence.
Four other figures followed him, standing like statues behind him. The old man scanned the sea of young faces before speaking in a voice that carried the weight of absolute authority.
"Students... Welcome to Apex High Academy."