《The Academy's Time Looper》


 A Thiefs Brew

    Pressing his head against the shabby wooden table before him, the cloaked figure sighed before raising his head.


    Inside the relatively small bar, where most customers were in their mid-thirties and had faces full of facial hair, the cloaked figure stood out.


    With a small stature and height of 5''8", the boy with jet-black hair and ocean-blue eyes seemed a bit older than sixteen.


    Wearing tattered pants and a piece of dirty black cloth that stretched from his hair to his waist, the boy finally raised his head upon hearing a figure approaching him.


    With an exhausted expression, a server stopped by the boy''s table, with two trays full of drinks balancing on both of his hands.


    "The usual, Athen?"


    Ignoring the waiter''s question, Athen stared at the glasses full of a light-orange liquid with a dreamy expression.


    "..."


    After a couple of silent seconds passed, the waiter was about to walk away when an angry voice yelled out from behind them.


    "DAMN IT, DARREN! I TOLD YOU TO KICK OUT ANY NON-PAYING CUSTOMERS. NO HOBOS IN THIS FINE ESTABLISHMENT!"


    Behind the bar counter, the furious bartender stared at Athen, his eyes practically bulging out of his face.


    Upon hearing the last part, a couple of snickers emerged from the other customers, who quite resembled hobos with their tattered clothing and ungroomed faces.


    The bar was far from a fine establishment.


    Inside, the bar was dimly lit, though not in a charming way¡ªit was more like the flickering glow of a single failing bulb.


    The walls were covered in peeling wallpaper, stained yellow from years of cigarette smoke, and adorned with faded posters from decade-old events.


    Even the floor was sticky and uneven, and dangerously covered by countless glass shards.


    Darren, exhausted, turned back to face Athen.


    "Look, Athen, I have no idea why you come despite knowing damn well you have zero money... but it needs to stop now."


    *CREAK*


    As two more customers, dressed in suits and equipped with briefcases, entered the bar, Athen finally looked away from the glasses.


    Reaching into his pocket, Athen ignored the annoyed server before digging even further.


    "OH!"This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    By some miracle, Athen''s face lit up in excitement as his hand emerged from his pocket with a rusty bronze coin.


    Smiling as if he had planned the entire thing, Athen exchanged the bronze coin for a glass of the light-orange substance.


    Exasperated, Darren placed the glass on the wooden table before turning to leave.


    Staring at the glass of beer in front of him, Athen''s eyes sparkled with exhilaration.


    Day in and day out, his life was miserable.


    Scavenging for scraps all day and looking for a place outside to sleep all night.


    Yet, at this moment, with the glass of beer in front of him, all of that disappeared.


    Not wasting a moment, Athen grabbed the glass before swiftly raising it to his mouth.


    As the light-orange substance rapidly entered his mouth and the glass drained, a wide smile appeared on Athen''s face.


    Within a few seconds, the entire glass was empty.


    Putting down the empty glass, Athen wiped his mouth, staining the black cloth covering his arm a light orange.


    Leaning back in the chair, Athen stared at the empty glass in front of him.


    "Now...where do I sleep?"


    Though Athen realized he had just spent his housing funds for the night, a wide grin still appeared on his face.


    Basking in the drink''s strong aftertaste, Athen thoughtlessly stared at the glass, simply enjoying the moment.


    However, something quickly caught his eye.


    Through the curved surface of the glass, a pure-blue object shimmered, instantly catching Athen''s attention.


    Maybe... this damned ability of his would finally prove useful!


    Leaning back further in his chair, Athen stared backward and attempted to find the diamond.


    And there, in the pocket of one of the new customers, the diamond shone as if saying to Athen, "Please take me!"


    And how could he resist?


    Glancing around the bar, Athen also spotted the enraged bartender still staring at him.


    "Well, it''s about time I leave anyway."


    With his brain spinning from the drink, Athen carefully grabbed the empty glass before standing up.


    "DON''T YOU DARE TAKE THAT DAMN GLASS WITH YOU!"


    Most of the customers, immune to the bartender''s yelling at this point, continued talking, thankfully paying no attention to the two.


    Waving his empty hand, Athen smiled before placing the empty glass to his mouth once again.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not leaving until I''m finished with the glass, boss!"


    Scowling, the bartender was about to say something before realizing it was utterly useless to communicate with the deranged boy.


    Keeping an eye on Athen, the bartender began taking orders from the new customers, who stood out even more than Athen.


    With their fancy suits, pure-black fedoras, and well-groomed faces, they practically emulated the word "rich" to Athen.


    People like them were rare in Athen''s hometown of Blackthorn, or more commonly known as "Scrapthorn."


    Located on the outskirts of the human realm, Scrapthorn was quite literally the farthest place from the capital city.


    Although Athen had never left his hometown, the stories of the capital city brought by visitors were always interesting.


    Especially that term they always mentioned.


    Magic.


    Having fought with his fists all his life, Athen couldn''t even fathom the idea of something that could kill or harm another person without any physical contact.


    Even the idea of utility spells that could do what took Athen an entire day in less than a second brought a headache to his head.


    Fireballs, man-made tsunamis, light spells, and alcohol-creating spells?


    They were interesting, but Athen didn''t have the time or resources to waste exploring this idea of magic.


    But that wasn''t to say Atlas didn''t believe their stories of magic.


    After all, he also had some sort of unbelievable power...though it hadn''t been as useful as that magic the visitors always talked about.


    Perhaps realizing the wealth of his new customers, the bartender''s expression changed from furious to amicable.


    Breathing in and out, Athen carefully concentrated his heartbeat, dismissing all the other various sounds of the dirty bar.


    As the sounds disappeared, Athen closed his eyes, trying his best to keep his composure despite the lurid smell.


    Feeling a sudden breeze rush against his face, despite the fact that he was inside, Athen smiled.

 The Frozen Gambit

    Focusing on himself, Athen slowly opened his eyes.


    He only had one chance at this.


    In front of him lay the same dirty and messy bar with the same rich customer standing in front of the now amicable bartender.


    There was just one thing different.


    The noise was gone.


    Not a single sound echoed throughout the full bar; even the sound of the creaking chairs was muted.


    Looking down at himself, Athen also realized that his entire body was covered in a light-blue hue...as if he were some sort of a spirit.


    Taking a step forward, Athen did not waste any time as he rushed towards the frozen rich figures.


    Behind him, the empty glass that was previously in his hand was now floating in the air .


    Even as Athen ran through the bar, his shoes weren''t touching the ground as he seemed to be floating in the air.


    Finding the most optimal path, Athen rushed right toward a table instead of going around and wasting time.


    However, instead of jumping over the table, Athen simply...ran through it.


    His spirit-like body simply phased right through the table as if it didn''t exist in the first place.


    Passing right through one of the frozen customers, Athen slowly came to a halt as he approached the figure with the blue diamond in his pocket.


    When Athen first received and discovered this unique magical power, his excitement was through the roof.


    Think of all the things he could do with the power to work in this frozen time.


    All the robberies he could pull off... all the money he could make!


    There was nothing he couldn''t do!


    "and short-lived that dream was..."


    Yet, a day after discovering this insane power to "stop time," he was back in the dumps, scavenging for coins and anything he could sell to get a drink for the night.


    There was just one problem with his power.


    He couldn''t do anything except move around in this frozen time!


    In order to activate the power, he would have to concentrate on the feeling of his heartbeat and focus on the blood moving through his chest, taking at least a couple of seconds.


    And maybe the worst of all, the power had a cooldown of more than two days, and he could only use it for ten seconds at a time!Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    In this world, though time was frozen, he was an incorporeal figure who couldn''t touch or do anything besides move himself around.


    Thankfully, though, his clothes stayed with him when he stayed in this incorporeal state.


    Everything else was left behind.


    Looking at his previous spot before he had activated the power, Athen could spot his floating empty glass.


    Below the glass, a couple of pieces of trash that were in Athen''s pockets also levitated in the air.


    Unable to resist his desires, Athen threw his hand at the rich man''s pocket, yet just always, his hand passed right through the diamond.


    Shaking his head, Athen leaned down, hiding under the bar top and behind one of the stools.


    Then, the next second, time resumed as the previously frozen rich customers approached the counter where the bartender stood.


    Hidden below the bar top, Athen could only see the legs of the rich customers as they began speaking.


    "One Arcane Ale with a lemon."


    "I''ll take a Sorcerer Stud."


    Nodding his head, the bartender quickly turned around and began making their drinks, hoping to get a huge tip from the two.


    As one customer, the one with the diamond in their pocket, sat down, the other quickly asked.


    "Where might the bathroom be?"


    Normally the bartender would simply say, "piss off!" and tell the customer to go take a leak outside, but this time, he pointed to the right before immediately saying.


    "Over there!"


    Scooting closer to the stool where the man with the diamond was sitting, Athen reached his hand out, preparing.


    It was just a matter of seconds until they dropped.


    There was some delay, but it should drop in about...


    "now!"


    As Athen whispered those words, the empty glass and trash that were floating in the air, even after time resumed to normal, suddenly moved.


    The empty glass quickly descended, while the trash had already hit the floor by now.


    *SHATTER*


    As the glass hit the wooden floor, it splintered into hundreds of small fragments, adding to the already dirty floor.


    Hearing the glass shatter, the bartender angrily turned around with his mouth open and ready to yell.


    Following his lead, the rich customer twisted his stool around before staring at the broken glass fragments among the small pieces of trash.


    The other customers, however, were already used to the sound of glasses breaking, so they ignored the sound and continued talking loudly.


    Noticing nobody by the broken glass fragments, the rich customer looked at the bartender with a confused face.


    Trying his best to keep his composure and act civil, the bartender replied to the customer''s confused gaze.


    "ah, that little kid, Athen. He must have dropped the glass and then ran off. Don''t worry, he''ll pay me for that glass and much more... sooner or later."


    At that moment, Athen used the distraction to reach into the customer''s pocket and grip the diamond.


    Maneuvering his hands so that they didn''t hit any part of the customer''s pants and alert him, Athen slowly retrieved the blue diamond out of the pocket.


    Holding the diamond with both of his hands, Athen immediately scooted away, hoping the rich man wouldn''t notice that his pants had suddenly become lighter.


    Stuffing the diamond in his pocket, Athen''s heart felt as if it was going to burst out of his chest.


    He knew that a beating and some prison time... maybe even death, depending on the personality of the rich customer, were coming his way if he got caught.


    But maybe death wasn''t such a bad thing... at least it would bring him peace.


    Solace in this terrible town seemed unobtainable...


    As the rich customer lazily stared at the bartender while he made the drink, Athen slowly emerged from the bar top.


    Crouching, Athen speed-walked through the bar, getting closer and closer to the doors with every passing second.


    Yet, as he approached the door, a familiar face suddenly stepped forward and blocked the exit.


    Looking down at Athen with a concerned expression, Darren sighed before also leaning down.


    Whispering into Athen''s ear, Darren softly said.


    "Look...don''t come back here for your own sake. That glass was at least five bronze coins...and boss takes payment with interest."


    Then, before Athen could even reply, Darren opened his hands, revealing the rusty bronze coin that Athen had used to pay for the beer.


    Forcing open Athen''s hands, Darren handed him the coin before gesturing to the door.


    "Good luck... Athen. You''ll need it in this cruel and terrible world."

 Fleeting Promises

    Smiling, Athen forgot about escaping for a second before meeting eyes with the kind server.


    In spite of his boss''s constant complaints and threats to fire, Darren had always attempted to help Athen.


    Although Athen had no idea why somebody like Darren, with a job and stable source of money, would help someone like him, he graciously accepted Darren''s help.


    Whether it was out of pity or something else, Darren always snuck Athen beers or small snacks like peanuts when he came to the bar.


    And even now, despite knowing that his boss would fire him if he found he was helping Athen, Darren continued to help.


    Looking at Darren, Athen smiled and replied.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll come back for you."


    And those words were some of the few words that Athen sincerely meant.


    Once he found a buyer for the precious diamond hidden away in his pocket and sold it, Athen would repay his debt.


    The town was terrible, but some precious diamonds like Darren''s were apparent inside the trash.


    Clearly not believing Athen''s words, Darren flashed a smile before gesturing to the door.


    "Quick now, if we get caught... it''s all over for both of us."


    Nodding his head, Athen passed by Darren, who sympathetically patted him on the shoulder.


    Darrent evidently thought this would be the last time he saw Athen, but Athen had other plans in store for him.


    Athen was going to get out of this shithole of a town, and Darren could decide what to do what his share of the money when Athen gave it to him.


    Slowly opening the door, Athen slipped out of the bar before breaking into a mad sprint away.


    It was nighttime, and the odds of Athen running into a thug who would rob him were high.


    The thought of losing his newly obtained way out of this shitty town propelled him to run even faster.


    Placing one hand in his pocket, Athen touched the smooth and sharp surface of the diamond.


    It was so blue...and colored with Athen''s dreams.


    Once he was out of here with the money from the diamond, he could do anything.


    The possibilities were endless.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He was like a bird that had just grown its wings and gained the ability to fly.


    Perhaps he could even find a small cottage in the capital city and see if all the tales those visitors had told him were true.


    Looking at his fleeting surroundings, which were broken-down huts and piles of trash, Athen did not wear his normal disgusted expression.


    Everything... seemed so bright now.


    The colors were so vibrant...it was like the world had changed for Athen.


    Calming himself down, Athen removed his hand from his pocket.


    "It''s not over yet..."


    By now, the rich customer should have noticed the disappearance of his diamond.


    The customer would likely pay the bartender and other people in the town to search for the culprit by giving a large reward to whoever found the diamond.


    Or perhaps the visitor was one of those beings who possessed "magic" and would find and hurt Athen himself...


    As the building of the bar got farther and farther away, Athen took a deep breath.


    He needed to be logical right now.


    One little mistake and this whole pipedream of escaping this rotton city would be gone.


    Instead, he would be placed in a revolting prison cell, where he would likely die of either starvation or violence.


    He couldn''t let himself get carried away... yet.


    Looking around, Athen noticed that the streets weren''t completely empty yet as some vendors were still wheeling their carts away.


    Blending in, Athen slowed to a walking pace before swiftly taking a right into a nearby alleyway.


    The safest part of town for him right now would be the center, which was where the security center was located.


    Nobody would start a fight or attempt to rob him there as they would risk going to jail.


    Closing his eyes, Athen envisioned the map of the entire city in his head before creating a route to the center.


    Pulling the black cloth over his head, Athen completely covered his hair before emerging from the alleyway on the opposite side.


    Leaning downwards, Athen quickly grabbed some dirt before smearing it all over his face.


    No thug would attempt to rob him if he looked like this.


    Ignoring the disgusting sensation of the dirt, Athen walked forward, passing by other teenagers who resembled him.


    They all had similar terrible clothing and messy hair... to the point where he couldn''t even distinguish them from each other.


    All of them were malnourished and wandering around with nowhere to sleep for the night... just like the night before.


    Standing still, Athen looked around for a boy of his height with dark-black hair.


    Finding someone who resembled him, Athen ran forward and immediately patted him on the back.


    The boy, turning around, stared at Athen with a confused expression.


    Reaching into his other pocket, Athen grabbed the rusty copper coin that Darren had given him.


    Showing the copper coin to the boy, Athen watched his eyes sparkle before speaking.


    "1 coin for all your clothes; take it or leave it."


    Not even hesitating for a second, the boy energetically nodded his head before starting to strip himself in the middle of the street.


    Doing the same, Athen exchanged clothes with the boy before handing him the copper coin.


    Pointing in the direction of the bar, Athen said.


    "I heard the bar is giving out free food for the day."


    Not even responding, the boy immediately clenched the copper coin before rushing in the direction of the bar.


    Making his way toward the center of the town, Athen shook his head.


    He felt sorry for tricking the boy, but Darren was right.


    This was a cruel and harsh world, so you either needed to adapt or die.


    The boy probably wouldn''t be hurt too badly as the visitor would quickly interrogate him before realizing that he had no idea where the diamond was.


    Still, a tang of guilt still burned in Athen''s chest as he headed to the center of the town.


    Memorizing the boy''s appearance, Athen silently pledged.


    "I always repay my debts."


    The boy would get his share of the money when Athen found a buyer for the diamond as well.


    Seeing a few streetlights in the distance, Athen started running, realizing that there was now almost nothing separating him from the center of the town...and freedom.

 The Diamonds Secret

    As the cracked streetlights shined down, illuminating Athen, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    For the night, he was safe.


    However, after that... things could get dicey.


    The visitor could inform the town''s security of his robbery, making the center of town no longer a safe space for him.


    Hopefully, by then, Athen would already be long gone.


    As for finding a seller for this precious hope-filled diamond of his, Athen knew someone perfect.


    There was only one blacksmith in the entire town, as only a few people could even afford to have weapons made or changed.


    Athen wasn''t naive enough to believe that he would be getting a good price for the diamond, but something was better than nothing.


    The blacksmith would likely lowball him in an attempt to get the diamond and resell it, but Athen had no qualms with that.


    Choosing another seller would be impossible.


    If he showed the diamond to other people in the town, he would most likely be jumped and robbed immediately.


    And if he left the town to sell the diamond, he would be robbed by some scavengers, gaining nothing from the diamond.


    Finding an empty alleyway near the center, Athen walked into the thin strip before sitting down on a pile of trash.


    After making sure nobody was nearby, Athen discreetly removed the diamond from his pocket before placing it on his lap.


    In the darkness of the night, the diamond seemed to sparkle, instantly drawing all of Athen''s attention.


    Picking up the diamond, Athen placed it in between his two hands, making sure he was not damaging it.


    It was weird, really, the situation he was in.


    Athen was in a state of limbo, in between achieving freedom from this town and returning to his miserable life.


    All he had to do was survive the night.


    Gathering the courage, Athen carefully lifted the diamond up to his eyes, trying to leave as few fingerprints on it as possible.


    The diamond itself was probably worth more than Athen and every other teenager in this town.


    Yet...Athen didn''t see anything special about it.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    It was just a gem.


    Sure, it was cool to look at, but what the hell do you do with it afterward?


    He had heard from one of the rare visitors that gemstones were rare because they could added to "magic wands" and "spells" to increase power, but how did that help him?


    Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Athen wrapped his hands around the diamond, trying to discern what was so special about it.


    "hm?"


    As he wrapped both his hands around the diamond, Athen discovered a part of the right diamond was sticking out.


    Almost having a heart attack, Athen immediately began examining the part of the diamond sticking out.


    "this can''t lower the price...right?"


    Maybe something in his pocket damaged the gemstone when he was running...


    Unfortunately, Athen had no knowledge whatsoever of gemstones, so no matter how hard he looked, he learned nothing in the end.


    Placing his finger on the diamond, Athen traced the gemstone before eventually stopping on the part that was sticking out.


    "Maybe... I can push it back in?"


    If it was sticking out, then Athen could just push back in, and it would be back to normal!


    Placing his finger on the part of the gemstone that was sticking out, Athen immediately started applying pressure.


    Pushing down with his finger, Athen ignored the surge of pain and continued applying pressure.


    *CLICK*


    "hm?"


    Surprising by the sudden sound, Athen dropped the diamond, but thankfully, it landed square on his lap.


    However...when Athen glanced down at the diamond on his lap, he almost jumped back on fear.


    There on top of the diamond was a small female figure who seemed to be holding some sort of large stick with an orb on top of it.


    Before Athen could even regain his composure and react, the adult female figure tipped her witch''s hat and opened her mouth.


    To Athen''s horror, the diamond actually began emitting a sound.


    "Hello Student! Congratulations on your acceptance to Aetherhelm Academy! I am your principal and will be giving you a short introduction on w-"


    As the sound emitted from the diamond increased, Athen desperately grabbed the diamond before covering it with his hands.


    "DAMN IT, STOP MAKING NOISE!"


    Covering the diamond fully, Athen anxiously glanced around, making sure nobody had heard the sound.


    "First, the academy... muffled ...located in the capital city... muffled... currently the number one... muffled... in the entire world."


    Running further into the alleyway, Athen took off the cloth covering him before wrapping it around the diamond in an attempt to hush it.


    Reaching the end of the alley, Athen sighed upon realizing that the diamond wasn''t talking anymore.


    "Huff... huff... Thank... pant... god..."


    Staring at the diamond inside the cloth, Athen immediately changed his mind.


    This diamond was special...IT COULD TALK!


    After finding another pile of trash to sit on, Athen placed the cloth-covered diamond on his lap.


    "now...what the hell was that... and does it add to the price?"


    Looking around, Athen confirmed that nobody was nearby before slowly unraveling the cloth.


    Shivering due to the cold of the night as he was now shirtless without the cloth, Athen curiously stared at the diamond on his lap.


    It seemed to be back to normal as there was no female figure on top of it, and it wasn''t speaking...


    Wordlessly, Athen stared at the diamond, and his perspective of it completely changed.


    "...do all gemstones talk!?"


    Tracing the diamond again, Athen found the area was sticking out before placing his finger on it.


    Tomorrow, after selling it to the blacksmith, he would never see the diamond again...so Athen decided now would be the time to explore it.


    One of these would never fall into his possession again, so Athen couldn''t resist the urge to press down on the diamond again.


    *CLICK*


    As a click sound echoed from the diamond, the female figure once again manifested atop the diamond.


    Now, not being surprised, Athen closely examined the figure...before coming to a revelation.


    "s-shes one of the rich!"


    She was wearing a luxurious dress with well-groomed long orange hair, and she even had a necklace on!

 The Diamonds Dilemma

    Getting over the rich female''s luxurious appearance, Athen stayed quiet as the figure once again opened her mouth.


    "Hello Student! Congratulations on your acceptance to Aetherhelm Academy! I am your principal and will be giving you a short introduction."


    Principal... academy?


    Athen, thankfully, had managed to learn the common language of the world through throwaway textbooks and conversation, but these words still boggled him.


    Why was this diamond a principal?


    And where the hell did an academy come from?


    Looking at the holographic woman in front of him, Athen stayed silent with his questions and continued to listen.


    "Aetherhelm is a magic academy, unrivaled in education and power, so your acceptance in itself is an amazing feat. Pat yourself on the shoulder for me!"


    "..."


    Hearing the word "magic academy," Athen began to realize what was going on.


    "I got accepted into a magic academy...?"


    Shaking his head, Athen continued staring at the holographic figure, but it remained still with its mouth closed.


    "...?"


    Taking a deep breather, Athen sighed before tapping himself on the shoulder.


    Almost immediately, the principal began speaking again.


    "Your textbooks and uniform will be available upon your arrival at the academy. Student, please arrive at the academy by..."


    Stopping for a moment, the holographic female figure glanced at her arm before opening her mouth once again.


    "Two days from right now! Best of luck, and I can''t wait to see you all for orientation in two days!"


    "Once you arrive at the capital city, head to the nearest train station and get off the Aetherhelm station. From there, your new teachers and advisors will guide you on where to go!"


    After those last few words, the holographic figure on the diamond suddenly disappeared, and the alleyway became silent once again.


    Digesting all the information, Athen came to a conclusion.


    The smile on his face was gone, instead replaced by a grim and sorrowful expression.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Picking the diamond up, Athen stared at it for a few seconds before sadly muttering.


    "It''s worthless... the diamond is worthless. It''s just an invitation, probably made by ''magic.'' I-it''s not worth anything."


    Dropping the diamond on his lap, Athen covered his face with his hands before leaning backward.


    Lying down on the pile of trash, Athen stared upward at the night sky, where the half-crescent moon, alongside a couple of stars, shined.


    It was obvious to him that this diamond was worthless.


    The gemstone was just a cooler version of a letter for students who had been accepted into whatever magic academy.


    His hopes had been crushed.


    Although Athen hated to admit it as he realized his way out of this shitty town was a dead end, he also felt somewhat relieved.


    The visitor probably wouldn''t care less about the missing diamond, so nobody would be searching for him.


    No one would attempt to rob him of the diamond, so he was safe for the time being


    In other words, he was right back where he started.


    Right back to his miserable life.


    Right back to scavenging trash in the hope of making a single bronze coin.


    Right back to barely surviving, with the only joy being the occasional drink you''re able to buy.


    Raising the diamond above his head, Athen allowed the moon to shine down on it, causing the alleyway to be partially lit up.


    Sure, one path out of this wretched town had closed... but another path had opened


    "magic... huh?"


    Athen had two options.


    Return to the same monotonous and miserable life he had been living for the past sixteen years... or take a risk.


    Somehow make his way to the capital with the allowed two days, catch a quick train, and finesse his way into this "Atherhelm Academy."


    Well, he had taken a risk by stealing this diamond, so what was one more?


    Was it even possible for him to travel from the farthest town in the human realm to the capital city within two days?


    And even if he did...what would happen then?


    What if the guards found out he had stolen the invitation from someone...what then?


    He would most likely be hauled off to jail for stealing and lose the little freedom he had left.


    But...what happen if he made it, and no one noticed he was a fraud?


    The principal on top of the diamond had said it herself.


    Aetherhelm is a magic academy, unrivaled in education and power.


    Raising his hand up, Athen attempted to touch the shining moon.


    "The best magic academy in the world..."


    He could attend the best academy in the world and learn... magic.


    These fairytales and stories he had heard from the town''s visitors could become a reality for him.


    No longer would he be some homeless teenager scavenging for leftovers.


    He would be a... mage.


    A part of the upper class of society.


    Closing his eyes, Athen imagined the possibilities.


    In his mind, Athen was holding one of those magic staffs that the principal had and shooting off fireballs like they were nothing.


    He was drowning in money, having luxurious meals all the time, and...a smile was on the imaginary Athen''s face the entire time.


    As Athen''s thoughts began to slow, he finally gave in to the nagging feeling of exhaustion that had been bothering him this entire time.


    Placing one hand on the diamond, which was now on his stomach, Athen drifted off to sleep.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Woken up by the bright sun shining down directly on his face, Athen reluctantly opened his eyes, using his arm to shield them from the sun''s rays.


    Sitting upright, Athen took the diamond off his stomach before placing it in his pocket.


    Time was ticking...


    Getting up, Athen took one last glance at the pile of trash where he had slept last night.


    "Well...no turning back, now."


    Wrapping the black cloth around his chest, Athen climbed onto the roof of one of the huts.


    Though nobody could see him, Athen still raised his hand and started waving.

 Gambling on Time

    Just as Athen was about to turn around and embark on his journey to the capital city, a sudden voice interrupted him.


    Looking down at the security center of the town, Athen spotted a familiar figure talking to one of the security members.


    With a piece of paper in his hand, the bartender that Athen knew so well was talking to a figure who had a sword wrapped around his waist.


    Seeing the security guard take his paper, the bartender immediately began speaking.


    "Please, we need to make this town a better place... for the future generations."


    Raising his hand to his face, the bartender pretended to wipe away tears before continuing.


    "That kid, Athen...he''s a terrible influence on the kids in our town, and he constantly commits crimes, knowing he can get away with them."


    "Just last night, that kid deliberately smashed one of my precious glasses. Then...he looked straight at me and smiled as if he was happy because of my suffering."


    "I speak for all business owners in the city when I say...he needs to go!"


    "..."


    Athen, standing atop the roof, was silent upon hearing the pure shamelessness of the bartender.


    "He owns bars...what the hell is he talking about making this town a better place? HALF THE CRIMES HERE ARE CAUSED BY DRUNK PEOPLE!"


    The security guard, clearly not buying the bartender''s hypocrisy, sighed before accepting the paper and saying.


    "I''ll make sure he pays for the glass he broke."


    The bartender, clearly not happy at the punishment, angrily demanded.


    "HE NEEDED TO BE IN A CELL! HE CAN''T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH T-"


    "Alright, that''s enough."


    Ignoring the fuming bartender, the security guard reentered the center with the drawing of Athen in hand.


    Clearly not happy, the bartender walked off while muttering.


    "If they can''t stop that child...I''ll take matters into my own hands."


    Keeping the bartender''s words in mind, Athen descended from the rooftop before rushing towards the town''s gate.


    Arriving at the road that led out of the town, Athen wiped off his sweat before finding a place under the shade to rest.


    Walking from this town to the capital would be pure insanity and take over a week.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    So, Athen needed another mean of transportation.


    And it just so happened that there were some visitors who were going to the capital city as well.


    The adult with the suit and briefcase, who had the diamond before Athen''s robbery, was clearly not a student, so he had to be a teacher at the academy.


    Thus, he would also need to get to the academy within two days to start teaching on time.


    Or...he could be some random person who, like Athen, stole the diamond from a student who was accepted.


    But considering the man''s luxurious attire and well-groomed face, Athen doubted that he was a robber.


    Leaning against the wall, Athen kept a close eye on the road, making sure the visitors didn''t pass by without him.


    The gates of the town were closed in the early morning hours by security as they didn''t want anyone entering or exiting the town without their supervision.


    Since the gate was still closed, the visitors couldn''t have left yet, and considering the distance between the capital city and this distant town, they would have to leave soon.


    Hearing a sound, Athen slipped into the shadows before glancing at the closed gate.


    Three security guards, each equipped with a key, headed to the gate while talking amongst themselves.


    "I''m telling you...this place is a shitcan compared to the capital city. My brother went last week, and he described the most amazing things to me."


    "Man, this place is a shitcan compared to anything in the world. Get over it, alright?"


    "Yeah, at least we can find jobs and get money here. And man... if you thought criminals were dangerous here, just imagine them with that fairytail shit they call ''magic.'' "


    Finishing their conversation, one of the guards took his key out and began unlocking the gate while the others walked to the right and left side.


    As the gate was unlocked, the other guards pulled back the right and left side toward them, opening the gate wide.


    *CLACK-CLACK! CRUNCH! RATTLE-RATTLE! THUD!*


    Thankfully, Athen didn''t have to wait long as he immediately heard a carriage approaching the now-open gates.


    Glancing at the window of the carriage, a sudden jolt went through Athen''s chest as he spotted the two men with suits and briefcases inside.


    While the security guards investigated and checked the carriage, Athen took a deep breath.


    The cooldown of his time-stopping ability had always been at least two days.


    When he had used the ability for the first time, the cooldown had actually been over a week, and since then, it had been constantly decreasing as he used it more and more.


    However, the time he could use the ability remained constant ten seconds.


    Before this, his main use of the ability had simply been to search for any money.


    In his incorporeal form, Athen could search an entire pile of trash within two seconds as he could just start from the bottom or float upwards.


    Normally, he would have to closely examine the pieces of trash to make sure he wasn''t missing anything, but as a spirit, every small detail was visible to him.


    Though it was only ten seconds, Athen saved hours of time by flying through trash piles to determine if they had anything worthwhile.


    "Alright, you''re good."


    As the security guards gave their approval and walked away from the carriage, allowing it to pass, Athen covered his ears, shutting out all distractions.


    He needed his ability to activate despite it being less than 24 hours since his last use.


    Leaving the town without identification was impossible, so Athen couldn''t just walk through the gates.


    And every exit of the town was closely guarded, so escaping in this broad daylight was impossible.


    Shaking his head, Athen began focusing on the sound of his heartbeat.


    "BA-dum... BA-dum..."


    "BA-dum... BA-dum..."


    His body, perhaps realizing that Athen was attempting to activate the ability, immediately started shaking.


    As a surge of pain enveloped his body and his heart tightened, Athen covered his mouth, not letting his inward screams of pain out.


    Biting his tongue to distract himself from the pain, Athen muttered.


    "Please body not now...I''ve been through much worse."


    Gripping the diamond in his pocket, Athen endured the pain, still focusing on the sound of his heartbeat.


    "BA-dum... BA-dum..."


    Closing his eyes, Athen focused on his stomach, which was burning up as blood rapidly coursed through his veins.

 A Leap of Faith

    "WAIT!"


    Screaming to himself, Athen immediately reopened his eyes and unfocused on the sound of his heartbeat.


    Coming back to his senses, Athen immediately grabbed the diamond out of his pocket.


    "Oh, thank god."


    If he had activated his ability right now, then the diamond would have been left behind in this town, and his escape would have been for nothing.


    Internally thanking his brain for reminding him, Athen put the diamond in one of his hands before cocking it back.


    Straining his right arm, Athen put his hand behind his shoulder before immediately rushing it forward with all the strength he could muster.


    Then, in a swift and powerful motion, the diamond departed from Athen''s hand, rising with every passing second.


    Assuming a graceful arc, the diamond flew just over the top of the wall before landing somewhere on the other side of the wall.


    Taking a glance at the carriage, which was now moving forward, Athen didn''t dare celebrate but once again covered his ears with his hands.


    Muting all distractions and nearby sounds, Athen removed one hand from his ear before placing it on his chest.


    With his hand on his heart, Athen focused on the sound of his heartbeat before allowing his attention to drift to the lower part of his stomach.


    As Athen''s stomach began to heat up, causing his hand to burn, he slowly closed his eyes.


    After a couple of seconds, a cool breeze suddenly rushed against his face, forcing his messy, black hair off his forehead.


    Athens had only achieved the feat of activating his power two times within 24 hours once when he first discovered the power... but now he had done it again.


    Recalling what had happened the last time he activated his powers twice, Athen winced in fear.


    "Well...it''ll be worth it."


    Feeling his chest start to tighten, Athen immediately opened his eyes before glancing downwards at his body.


    And once again, his body was highlighted with a pure-blue hue, while everything else seemed to be frozen.


    Not wasting a second, Athen sprinted toward the walls that surrounded the entire city.


    As Athen approached the wall, he suddenly broke into a fit of coughter as it became harder and harder for him to breathe.


    His legs started to wobble while his arms started shaking uncontrollably, forcing him to slow down.


    Persevering, Athen bit further down on his lip before running as fast as his body would allow him to go.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    As the light-blue hue surrounding Athen began to flicker and the carriage started moving in slow motion, Athen dived forward.


    Phasing right through the wall, Athen landed head-first on the other side as the light-blue hue completely disappeared.


    Desperately gasping for air, Athen rolled over, looking up at the pure blue sky and the sun.


    With the help of a nearby rock, Athen managed to stand up just in time to witness the carriage exiting the town and heading onto the road.


    Taking one last glance at the wall behind, Athen reminded himself of the promises he had made before taking off.


    Even though this diamond had not given him money, it might have given him something way more useful.


    Magic.


    The ability to wield the power, usually only seen in books and fairytales, was now partially available to Athen.


    When one door closes, another one opens.


    As he ran towards the carriage, Athen curiously surveyed his surroundings as this was his first time ever leaving his town.


    The area around him could only be described as ... abandoned.


    The grass was golden and dry, clearly from a lack of rain and care, and that was it.


    Besides the plain path of the road, there were just fields of golden grass that seemed to stretch on forever.


    Treading on the golden grass, Athen had to run to maintain a close distance from the carriage, waiting for the perfect time to hop on.


    Realizing that he wouldn''t be able to keep up this pace for another minute, Athen decided that it was now or never.


    Speeding up, Athen threw his hand forward, barely clasping onto the steel bar at the very back of the carriage.


    Mustering all the strength he had left, Athen clung to the carriage while pulling the rest of his body forward.


    Just as Athen began climbing onto the back of the carriage, it suddenly sped up, kicking Athen''s legs up onto the air.


    With his hands attached to the carriage, pulling him forward, and his legs in the air, swaying around rapidly, it almost looked as if Athen were flying.


    Feeling his legs start to numb, Athen pushed himself even further, finally having his entire body on the carriage.


    After sitting on the steel pipe that connected the two back wheels of the carriage for a second, Athen quickly laid down to prevent himself from being seen through the carriage''s back window.


    Exhausted both physically and mentally, Athen basked in the wind''s breeze as the carriage continued moving along the road.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Back in a very familiar bar, a furious bartender was talking to two figures, each equipped with a metal chest plate and their respective weapons.


    Unlike the private security guard from earlier, these figures had ragged clothes and faces full of scars, displaying their combat experience.


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN''T FIND HIM!?"


    Stepping forward with the drawing of Athen in hand, the figure with the sword calmly replied to the bartender.


    "I''ve asked around the city, using... methods, and the kid was last spotted by the town gates. One farmer said he spotted him resting under one of the houses on the outskirts."


    *BANG*


    Slamming a glass of beer on the bartop, the bartender angrily muttered.


    "He left...that goddamn brat. He must have escaped through the town gates without being noticed!"


    Unphased by the bartender''s muttering, the other figure, equipped with two curved daggers, stepped up and said.


    "If you pay extra, we can track him down, even outside the town. The gates opened less than an hour ago; he couldn''t have gotten far."


    Without skipping the beat, the bartender''s expression immediately transformed into a grin as he replied.


    "Deal. I want that kid''s body in my bar by tonight."


    Turning around, the figure with the sword said.


    "We want 50% of the profits you get from selling him."


    Seeing the bartender nod, the figures smiled before immediately exiting the bar, not bothering to hide their weapons.


    Outside, two horses waited for them, so the mercenaries mounted their respective horses before taking off.


    As they rode through the dirty streets of the town with their horses, homeless figures and merchants immediately cleared out the streets, quaking and trembling upon seeing them.


    Within a couple of minutes, the two mercenaries and their horses had arrived at the same exact gate from earlier.


    Seeing the private security guarding the gates, the figure with the daggers reached into his pocket, pulling out two silver coins.


    Riding up to the security guards, the mercenary handed the coins to one of the guards, who, in response, moved out of the way, allowing the mercenaries to exit through the gate.

 Echoes of the Past

    As the carriage began passing through a bumpy part of the road, Athen sighed as he was thrown up and down every second against the hard metal pipe he was lying on.


    His entire body was already aching from his sprint to catch up and climb up onto the carriage, but that wasn''t even the worst part.


    The first and only time he had managed to activate his time-stopping ability twice in a day had resulted in a world of pain for Athen.


    Nothing happened physically... but mentally, it was a nightmare.


    After activating his time-stop ability twice to search through more pieces of trash, Athen had been ecstatic.


    He had just shortened the cooldown of his time-stop ability from two days to less than one day!


    For the first few hours after activating the ability, Athen was completely fine, even happy, as his second use of the ability had allowed him to gather two copper coins.


    However, the real pain came at night.


    Unable to find a place to sleep, Athen had been wandering in the empty and dark streets of the town, trying to keep himself busy.


    As he walked through the streets, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the streets weren''t empty.


    In fact, there were plenty of merchants and other people walking through the streets despite the late hour.


    At least Athen wasn''t alone in his struggle to find housing!


    To know people were suffering with him brought Athen some solace.


    However, when Athen found a nearby alleyway to rest in for the night, he immediately noticed something was off.


    Everyone was looking at him...


    Then, before Athen could react, the merchants rushed into the alleyway, blocking his way out and running towards him.


    "WAIT! WAIT! WAIT A MINUTE!"


    Hearing Athen''s pleas, the crowd of merchants and other people stopped right in front of him, simply staring at him.


    Then, in unison, the figures all spoke at the same time.


    "We''re your friends, Athen. Don''t be afraid."


    "We''re your friends, Athen. Don''t be afraid."


    "We''re your friends, Athen. Don''t be afraid."


    Athen, standing there scared and trembling, could only watch as the people slowly walked closer to him, cornering him.


    Waving his hands up and down, Athen pleaded for them to stop, but they ignored him and continued walking forward.


    With his back to the wall, Athen, thinking he was about to be jumped for something he had done in the past, pulled out his trusty stick.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Pointing his wooden stick, which kind of resembled a sword if you looked closely, at the crowd, Athen said.


    "DON''T MAKE ME HURT YOU GUYS."


    "..."


    Realizing there was no way out, Athen stood up straight before raising his stick.


    If he was going down, then he was going to bring at least one of them down to hell with him.


    The figure at the front, resembling a merchant that Athen had stolen a banana from, continued walking forward.


    Running toward the crowd, Athen screamed while plunging his stock forward at the merchant.


    But...the stick just phased right through the merchant.


    Seeing his stick simply pass through the merchant as if he were a hologram, Athen confusedly muttered.


    "wait... am in that wo-"


    Before Athen could even finish his sentence, the crowd of people suddenly charged forward at Athen.


    But instead of attacking Athen, they simply phased right through his stick...before going into his body.


    Being the closest, the merchant immediately phased right through Athen''s body and stayed there as if he were becoming one with Athen.


    Then, as more figures phased through Athen and merged with him, Athen dropped to the floor.


    Trembling, Athen went into a seizure-like state as his body began shaking uncontrollably.


    Not caring, more and more figures rushed forward, merging and combing with Athen''s shaking body.


    Unable to control his body, Athen began to lose all sense of reason as pain enveloped his brain, making it seem as if his entire body was being cut open and dissected.


    "AAAAARRGGHHHH!"


    As the last human in the crowd fused with Athen''s body, his vision suddenly went dark as pure coldness enveloped his body.


    Still spazzing out, Athen''s consciousness began to drift, and his thoughts began to slow as the pain forced him into a state of unconsciousness.


    Then, as the sun rose and the next day started, Athen''s eyes immediately flicked open while he desperately covered his body.


    Despite the fact that the sun was shining right down on him, Athen felt cold... colder than possible.


    Touching his stomach, Athen didn''t feel skin... but ice.


    "i-is my body frozen?"


    For the entire day, Athen was in a comatose-like state as he was unable to move, and his entire body felt frozen, not listening to any of his brain''s commands.


    Opening his mouth or moving around was simply impossible for him, so Athen simply laid on the ground in the alleyway the entire day.


    However, even though he was hungry, exhausted, and paranoid, Athen forced himself to stay awake.


    Staring at the sun to keep himself from blacking out due to pain or sleeping, Athen ignored the pain in his eyes and stayed awake.


    For some reason, Athen felt like if he blacked out or slept right now... he would never wake up.


    Thus, for the entire day, Athen endured the pain surging through his body and the coldness that enveloped him, clinging to his last bit of consciousness.


    Finally, as the sun descended and the moon emerged, the coldness and ice around Athen''s body disappeared, and he was able to open his mouth.


    However, he didn''t.


    Exhausted, Athen took one last glance at the moon before finally closing his eyes, allowing himself to drift off to sleep.


    And after that single day of pain and pure suffering, everything went back to normal.


    After that, Athen didn''t see any figures watching him and trying to merge with him...everybody was simply minding their business as usual.


    Even the merchant that Athen had stolen the fruit from waved at him like nothing had happened that night.


    It took some time for him to stop being paranoid and scared every time he saw someone, but eventually, Athen recovered.


    That day of suffering couldn''t have been a nightmare as time had actually passed while he was on the floor in pain... and he was sure that the pain he felt was real.


    So, Athen concluded that it was the result of him using his abilities without a long enough cooldown.


    From then on, Athen vowed to wait at least two days in between using his ability.


    Even if he could get away with using it at a faster rate, Athen never wanted to be put through that experience again.


    Well...that was until now.


    Trying to push his inevitable day of pain away, Athen sighed before taking a glance at the carriage he was on.


    Taking a carriage from his distant town to the capital would take at least four days, with break stops included, so surely, something would have to change soon.


    Yet, as Athen looked around, all he saw was fields of dry and golden grass alongside a couple of grey trees.


    "CHECK THERE!"

 The Golden Grass Ambush

    Hearing the sudden voice echoing from behind him, Athen immediately jumped off the carriage while it was still moving.


    After tumbling on the road for a second, Athen stood back up before rushing into the field of golden grass, ducking down and taking cover behind the weeds.


    Athen wasn''t afraid that the carriage would leave him as he knew exactly what was happening.


    The carriage was being robbed.


    It was not at all surprising to Athen as they were basically in the middle of nowhere, far from any town or city.


    Adding onto that, the carriage seemed to be completely defenseless as there was just a driver and two people inside.


    Normally, a carriage of this size would have a security escort, but this carriage was left undefended.


    In other words, it was just a walking bag of money for any passerby who had weapons.


    A carriage of this size would sell for at least five golden coins, which was more than the cost of the entire bar back in Athen''s hometown.


    Using an opening in the grass, Athen watched as two figures on horses, traveling at a much faster rate than the carriage, galloped past him.


    Going around the carriage, the horses treaded on the field of the golden grass before getting back on the road right before the carriage.


    After a couple of moments, the horses abruptly halted in the middle of the road, preventing the carriage from moving any farther forward.


    The driver of the carriage, noticing the blockade ahead, turned around and looked through the carriage''s front window.


    After mouthing some words to the men inside, the driver turned back around and halted the horses leading the carriage.


    As the carriage came to a stop, the two mercenaries stayed on their horses, not even trying to hide the weapons that were slung around their belt.


    After a couple of moments of silence, the mercenary with a sword unmounted the horse before slowly walking towards the carriage.


    Looking at the driver, the mercenary said.


    "Mind if we inspect this carriage, good sir?"


    Hesitating for a moment, the driver glanced back through the window before nervously replying.


    "I''m sure there''s nothing here that would be of interest to you...if you would just let us pass by and g-"This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Interrupting the driver, the other mercenary said from atop his horse.


    "We''ll decide what''s interesting and what''s not. And if what you said is true, then why are you scared of a quick search?"


    Not waiting for the driver''s response, the sword-using mercenary walked closer to the carriage, tracing his finger alongside it.


    *CREAK*


    Drawing the mercenary''s attention away from the driver, the door of the carriage opened, revealing a figure with a black suit and briefcase.


    Looking outside at the mercenary, the suited figure hesitated before asking.


    "What seems to be the problem here?"


    Chuckling, the sword-using mercenary stared at his teammate before shrugging his shoulders and replying.


    "Do you have a problem? I definitely don''t."


    "no...?"


    "Then, it seems there is not a problem."


    Gathering his thoughts, the suited figure sighed before asking.


    "If there is no problem, could you allow our carriage to pass? Unfortunately, we are in quite the rush as we have a flight to make."


    Ignoring the suited figure''s instructions, the mercenary continued inspecting the carriage before saying.


    "I''ll be done in less a minute, but I''ll need you two to come outside the carriage for me. Does that sound like a deal?"


    From inside the carriage, the other suited figure leaned back in his seat before saying.


    "Look, Alaric, I''m not dealing with the principal if we''re late for orientation. Are you going to do something, or must I get up?"


    Sighing, Alaric took a step back before sitting down.


    "I tried to warn them...They''re all yours, Caldris."


    Unsealing his briefcase, Caldris opened it wide before grabbing his wand, which was sharp around the edges, and standing up.


    Outside the carriage, the other mercenary also dismounted his horse before walking over to the carriage door.


    Noticing that a fight might break out, Athen moved through the grass and closer to the carriage to get a better look.


    With his wand in hand, Caldris jumped out of the carriage, landing in between the two mercenaries.


    Not giving them a second to react, Caldris pulled out his wand before aiming at the sword-using mercenary.


    "Look, you two aren''t going to get shit out of us. Either move it or fight for it."


    Smirking, the mercenary, seemingly prepared for this, immediately drew his sword before saying.


    "Works for m-"


    However, the mercenary couldn''t even finish his sentence as a large fireball appeared right in front of him before rushing forward.


    Diving to the left, the mercenary barely managed to avoid being hit by the fireball, though his pants and legs got burned to a crisp.


    Squealing in pain on the field of golden grass, the sword-using mercenary couldn''t even muster the strength to stand back up.


    All it took was one spell to incapacitate him...


    And the other mercenary, standing still with his daggers, muttered


    "a-a m-mage."


    Regaining his composure, the figure pulled out his two daggers before... rushing at the driver of the carriage.


    Jumping over the horses, the mercenary landed behind the driver and immediately placed his dagger to his neck.


    Shivering, he screamed out.


    "TAKE ANOTHER STEP AND HE DIES."


    But, while his attention was completely on Caldris''s figure, Alaric, who was still inside the carriage, stood up before also drawing his wand.


    Then, the tip of Alaric''s wand glowed a light yellow before a sudden spark surged toward the mercenary with daggers.


    *CRASH!*


    Going straight at the mercenary, the surge of electricity shattered the window before hitting the mercenary head-on.


    Losing grip of his dagger, the mercenary fell to the ground before, with sparks of electricity still surrounding his body.


    On the other hand, Caldris drew a square with his wand in the air, immediately manifesting a makeshift prison cell that encapsulated the burning mercenary.


    Alaric, walking out of the carriage, made sure the driver was alright before also throwing the electrocuted mercenary into the prison cell.


    Turning to face Caldris, Alaric sighed before asking.


    "Now, what are we supposed to do with them?"

 The Ambitious Rat

    Crouching down in the bushes, Athen had to cup his hand around his mouth to prevent his astonishment from leaking out.


    Magic wasn''t just real...it was unfair... a cheat code.


    Two people, without even moving more than a step, had taken out two fully armed men... with just their wands.


    Swords, daggers, any weapons, fists... they couldn''t even compare to the power of a simple and small stick.


    After seeing magic in use for the first time, Athen was mesmerized.


    How could anyone not be after seeing that display?


    Maybe his time-stopping ability was magic or was somewhat related, at the very least?


    Snapping Athen out of his trance, Caldris turned to Alaric before loudly saying,


    "Let''s just leave them here. Someone will find them eventually."


    As the two figures reentered the carriage, leaving behind a small square prison that had the two mercenaries inside, Athen got ready to run.


    However, as the driver tipped his cap and began controlling the horses, Athen did not follow the carriage.


    While the carriage slowly moved forward, Athen rushed towards the square prison after making sure the carriage was far enough away.


    Staring at two unconscious figures in the makeshift prsion, Athen took a quick look at their bodies before rubbing his hands together.


    Free loot?


    Now, how could he pass that up?


    Twisting his body, Athen was relieved to find that, somehow, he could actually fit in between the bars of the prison cell.


    Glancing at the carriage, which was getting further and further away from him with every passing second, Athen muttered.


    "Did they purposely make the gap this big?"


    The gap between the bars was just small enough that the mercenaries couldn''t fit through it with their muscular frames and iron chest plates, yet Athen, alongside any beggar, could squeeze through just fine.


    Shaking his head, Athen turned sideways and sidestepped in the prison cell, showing no fear at the two unconscious bodies.


    Glancing at the ground, Athen alternated glances between the sword and pair of daggers... before ignoring them.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After all, he had his trusty stick!


    Also, he doubted that the security of the school would let him walk in with a bunch of weapons, even if he had one of the invitation diamonds.


    Finding two bronze coins on the body with the sword next to it, Athen was practically jumping for joy.


    Calming himself down, Athen quickly searched the other figure, and though he found nothing, his happiness was already through the roof.


    Tucking the two bronze coins in his pocket, Athen turned sideways and prepared to exit the prison cell.


    However, as he lifted his right leg out of the cell and on the path, Athen suddenly realized that his left leg wasn''t moving.


    Rapidly turning around, Athen saw the figure with the daggers next to him latched onto his leg.


    Barely conscious, the figure, with his hair all frizzed up from being electrocuted, managed to mutter out.


    "i-it''s you. all y-your fault, it''s all your fault."


    "...?"


    Then, before Athen could react, the figure suddenly reached for his daggers.


    Desperately attempting to free his leg, Athen kicked it up and down; however, the grip of the dagger-using mercenary was simply too strong for Athen''s frail body to resist.


    As the mercenary''s free hand gripped one of the daggers, Athen shrieked back, but no matter how hard he tried, his left leg remained still.


    Seeing the mercenary raise his dagger, Athen reached into his pocket and grabbed the two copper coins.


    Not skipping a beat, Athen cocked back his hand and threw the coins right at the mercenary''s forehead.


    Surprising by the two hits to his forehead, injuring him even further, the mercenary weakened his grip on Athen''s leg.


    Taking the chance, Athen, instead of simply escaping, kicked up his now-free left leg.


    Catching the mercenary by surprise, the top of Athen''s left leg surged forward, luckily hitting the mercenary straight on the bottom of his chin.


    Letting the dagger in his hand drop to the floor, the mercenary once again slumped to the floor, falling unconscious.


    Athen, his heart beating fast and mind running in circles, took a second to realize that he had actually knocked out the mercenary.


    This wasn''t his first time getting in an altercation, as expected of a street rat who had to fight others for scraps... but this time, his leg was at stake.


    In those simple town altercations, one party would always give up before anyone got seriously hurt, so there were no stakes.


    But this time, if Athen had messed up his throw or acted a second too late, he could have lost his leg permanently.


    Paranoid, Athen grabbed one of the bronze coins before leaving the other as it was far too close to the other unconscious mercenary.


    Stuffing the single bronze coin in his pocket, Athen sprinted away from the cage and towards the carriage in the distance.


    This time, a bit more gracefully, Athen grabbed the steel pipe that connected two back wheels of the carriage before eventually climbing on.


    After lying down on the metal beam to prevent himself from being seen, Athen simply stared up at the sky for the next few minutes.


    As his heart and breathing pace slowed to a normal pace, Athen sighed, glancing at his surroundings.


    Athen couldn''t even fight someone for real without being paranoid and scared.


    Yet, he was envious of the two magicians inside the carriage who used violence to suppress the two mercenaries easily.


    He was like a rat.


    Athen would rob and steal from others without any fear, but whenever things got real, he would run away like a coward.


    He wanted all the glory and power without any of the consequences.


    However... he was a rat with goals as he took the risk of heading to the academy, which was in the far and distant capital city.


    Suppressing his self-deprecating thoughts, Athen looked around, surprised to see the fields of golden grass had transformed.


    Signs of civilizations could be seen in the distance as fences and herds of animals entered Athen''s vision.


    Recalling the "flight" that two rich men had mentioned earlier, Athen''s anticipation grew as he spotted a couple of buildings in the distance.

 Sensory Overload

    Clenching the diamond in his pocket, Athen slowly lifted himself, making sure he wasn''t visible from the back window of the carriage.


    As the sun began to reach its apex and afternoon arrived, Athen glanced forward and around the carriage.


    Where was this "flight" that the two rich men had to catch?


    Looking at the ground, Athen realized that they were entering a town as the ground below was now stone and flat instead of dirt and bumpy.


    Gathering enough courage, Athen stood up for a split second, glancing through the back window at the two figures.


    During the fight earlier, when the rich men had emerged from the carriage, Athen hadn''t managed to get a good look at them, but now his internal picture of them was much clearer.


    The man who called himself "Alaric" seemed to be in his mid-twenties to thirties with an abnormally tall height of 6 feet and two inches.


    Her face was well-groomed and devoid of any red spots or scars, and his amber-brown hair was pushed all the way back, giving him a smart and amicable appearance.


    On the other hand, the other man, who called himself "Caldris" let his messy black-hair flow onto his his forehead and partially covered his onyx-black eyes.


    Though he seemed to be the same age as Alaric, Caldris''s appearance made him look much rougher and more serious.


    And based on his cocky posture with his feet stretched out and resting on an empty seat, Athen could already tell he had a nasty personality.


    It''s not like Athen was one to talk, though...


    As the wildness disappeared, instead replaced by decently sized stone houses and occasional ships, Athen took one last glance at the carriage before readying him.


    This time, not tumbling to the ground, Athen jumped off the carriage before immediately getting off the road.


    Staying on the carriage for any longer would increase his chances of being spotted by the people and vendors on the sidewalk.


    The carriage was moving much slower now as they had to stop so people could occasionally cross the road, and there were other carriages on the street as well.


    Standing on the sidewalk with his tattered clothes, Athen glanced around the town, internally comparing it to his own.


    The houses and shops here were spaced much farther apart, and besides a couple of stragglers, there seemed to be no beggars.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Back in his town, at night, the streets would be filled with sleeping people.


    "Is that what the middle class looks like?"


    The normal people walking down the street wore a pair of trousers and a collared shirt with no stains or holes.


    Even the small things were apparent to Athen, like the clean streets and non-overflowing garbage cans.


    There was no repulsive smell... and maybe most interesting of all, the people of the town did not seem... grim.


    Emotions like happiness, sadness, or even anger were visible on the faces of people walking by Athen.


    Glancing at the nearby puddle of water, Athen stared at his appearance and tried to discern his expression.


    There was nothing, just a plain, normal face that was looking right back at him.


    Exactly like everyone else back in his hometown.


    "What would life have been like if I was born here...?"


    Following the slowly moving carriage, Athen walked through the streets, resisting the urge to enter stores on his left side.


    The stores were made out of stone and had decorations, even windows, to display their products from the outside.


    Kids walked by Athen, holding their parent''s hand while energetically jumping around and pointing at the shops.


    One of the kids even stopped by and pointed at Athen''s tattered clothing.


    "LOOK MOM, LOOK! LO-"


    Stopping his child mid-sentence, the woman, wearing a blue dress, placed her hand over her child''s mouth before apologetically looking at Athen.


    Ignoring them, Athen passed by, overwhelmed by his change of surroundings.


    This place...was also far from the capital city, yet it was so different from his town, which was only a two-hour carriage ride away.


    Why wasn''t his town like this?


    What made the plot of land this town was on more valuable than his towns?


    If this town was already this clean and advanced...how would the capital city be?


    Ahead of him, the road ahead of the carriage came to an end, causing the driver to halt the horses.


    Swinging the doors open, Caldris immediately exited the carriage while Alaric stayed back and handed some coins to the driver with a concerned expression.


    Not wanting to lose sight of the two figures, Athen increased his pace to a speed walk as the two professors began moving.


    However, as Athen came to a stop next to the carriage and right when the road ended, his feet suddenly stopped moving, and his mouth opened wide.


    Hundreds of people could be seen walking around in front of Athen, with a matching number of vendor stands set up.


    Banners were set up all around, protecting the shoppers from the sun, and loud sounds echoed through the entire place.


    "COME GET YOUR FRUITS, BUY TWO GET ONE FREE, DEAL ONLY TODAY!"


    "FEELING TOO HOT? COME COOL DOWN WITH A NICE DRINK...ONLY AVAILABLE TODAY!"


    "HEADING TO SCHOOL? COME GET YOUR ESSENTIAL RIGHT HERE!"


    "EXHAUSTED? TIRED? BORED? COME TRY THIS NEW FRUIT, BROUGHT ALL THE WAY HERE FROM THE CAPITAL CITY!"


    Hundreds of stationary wooden carriages were set up, with merchants standing in front of them, proudly displaying their available products.


    Athen, who was standing still, got pushed aside as the people behind walked into the square-shaped area.


    Looking up, Athen quickly spotted a large sign that read, "Market Square."


    Taking his first step into the square, Athen looked around like a lost dog, as his eyes glanced everywhere, and his expression was confused.


    There was just too much going on for Athen to handle.


    The sounds, the different smells, the people, and the sights.


    It was all so interesting... and amazing.


    Shaking his head, Athen instinctively clenched the diamond in his pocket to prevent himself from being pickpotted.


    Cupping his ears, Athen rushed into the market square, barely managing to keep his eyes on the two professors despite the massive crowd of people.

 A Ticket to the Top

    Making his way through the crowd, Athen weaved in and out of the gaps before eventually reaching the other side of the market square.


    Ahead, there were still no streets, but thankfully, there were fewer people walking around, accompanied by a few carriage vendors.


    However, the sidewalk ahead wasn''t flat but rather upward sloping, and looking above, Athen could see a massive building sitting at the very top of the path.


    Panting, Athen didn''t try to hide or disguise himself as he simply walked forward and up the hill, following the two professors ahead.


    As Athen got higher and higher, the building... or rather a giant hangar that sat atop the hill came into view.


    There were two massive doors that had a height of at least triple the Athen, and through those doors, he could see... ship inside?


    Through the occasional picture book he had read, Athen could recognize the massive ship inside the building.


    "But...aren''t those supposed in water!?"


    Breaking Athen out of his trance, a sudden loud sound echoed from the hangar.


    "This is the last call for all passengers. Boarding will close in five minutes; please head onto the ship if you have not already done so. The ship will depart to the Capital City for an estimated duration of eight hours."


    In front of Athen, Professor Caldris yelled out a couple of obscene words that the bartender in his hometown often said to non-paying customers before sprinting forward with his briefcase.


    As Alaric ran after his colleague and towards the hangar, Athen hesitated for a moment and reached into his pocket.


    How exactly... was he going to get on this flight to the capital city?


    "The best academy in the world...huh?"


    Recalling the words of the principal he had heard when the diamond started talking, Athen grinned.


    If Athen said he didn''t have the money but would pay later, surely, the flight attendants would trust him, a student of the number one academy, right?


    Then, after entering the academy, Athen would think about how to pay back his debt.


    Sprinting after the two professors, Athen glanced behind and noticed a couple of children around his age also running up the hill.


    Unfortunately, the students behind him were hauling massive suitcases and luggage up the hill, so they had it far worse than Athen.


    Still, he didn''t feel any pity.


    At least they had belongings to bring with them to the capital city, while all he had was a single bronze coin, a fake diamond, and one pair of tattered clothes.


    Arriving atop the hill, Athen stared at the open doors for a second, wiping this sweat off his face.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Tidying himself up the best he could given the circumstances, Athen tucked his black cloth shirt into his tattered pants before walking forward.


    The inside of the hangar was more mundane than Athen had expected, as, besides the massive ship at the front, nothing else stood out.


    However, it was much colder than Athens had expected it to be.


    There was no wall behind the ship, so the cold breeze rushed forward from the outside, going straight through the holes in Athen''s clothes.


    Shivering, Athen took one last glance at the city below through the opening, noting how even the massive buildings and the crowds of people from earlier seemed like ants to him from this height.


    Moving on, Athen walked to the other side of the hangar, where the entrance to the ship was located.


    Thankfully, all the other sides of the hanger were covered in metal walls, partially protecting him from the cold wind.


    Allowing the breeze to push back his hair, Athen gripped the diamond in his pocket before walking toward the line of people standing in front of the ship.


    Glancing around, Athen spotted the professors from earlier who were already at the front of the line and entering the ship.


    Surprisingly, the line moved quite fast as people simply handed over some coins and entered the ship without any problems.


    Within a minute, Athen was already standing in front of the stairs that led onto the ship, staring at the only thing preventing him from reaching the capital city.


    Blocking the entrance, a middle-aged man with a peaked hat and full navy blue clothing gestured to Athen before asking.


    "Your fare?"


    Preparing himself, Athen carefully removed the diamond from his pocket before placing it in the flight attendant''s stretched hand.


    "You see...I''m actually a student at THE Aetherhelm Academy trying to get to campus, but unfortunately, it seems like I''ve left my wallet behind. But, I promise that as soon as we arrive, I''ll ask my mother to send the m-"


    Dropping the diamond right back in Athen''s hands, the flight attendant pointed at the exit of the hangar before saying.


    "No money, no ticket."


    "Ah, but I do have the money...it''s just not with me right now. As you can see, I am a student of Aetherhelm Academy, so I can assure you that I have the funds."


    "Look, kid, Atherhelm this Atherhelm that; if I let every little kid onto this ship for free, it''d be a playground, not a flight."


    Taking back the diamond, Athen tried his best to keep an amicable expression on his face while he reached into his other pocket.


    Revealing the rusted bronze coin in his pocket, Athen grinned before asking.


    "Is this... by any chance enough?"


    "..."


    "..."


    Interrupting the flight attendant''s silent staring at the single bronze coin, a furious voice spoke from behind Athen.


    "What''s taking so long?"


    Glancing at Athen with an exasperated expression, the flight attendants said to the woman behind.


    "Madam, if you''ll give me a second, we''ll sort this all o-."


    Ignoring the flight attendant, the girl pushed Athen to the side before approaching the flight attendants with her hand open, revealing a small pouch.


    As the woman dropped the pouch in the empty flight attendant''s hands, Athen could practically see the coins inside almost bursting out.


    Without a second thought, the flight immediately moved out of the way and allowed the woman to enter the ship.


    Glancing at the inside of the bag, the flight attendant''s expression immediately transformed as a wide grin appeared.


    Gesturing for Athen to come closer, the flight attendant pointed at the entrance to the ship before whispering.


    "Look, she overplayed by a tiny bit...but if you don''t tell, I won''t say anything about you getting on."


    Taking the chance, Athen patted the flight attendant on the shoulder before nodding and entering.


    It was nice to see that there were some people like him in this different city!


    Stepping foot on the ship, Athen climbed up the stairs that led up to the lower deck, glancing at the fancy red cloth that covered the walls.


    The lower deck consisted of more stairs that led to the upper deck, an outside area with a couple of tables, and an inside area where hundreds of chairs were.


    The chairs were mostly occupied by teenagers and adults alike, and they sat beside the windows that covered most of the ship''s walls.


    And through the clear glass door that led outside, Athen could see some people standing with their hands on the railing while they stared downward at the city below.


    Having arrived on the ship successfully, Athen took a deep breath before heading towards the middle portion of the inside area, where a bar stood.


    Maybe he could get something from his remaining bronze coin!

 Above the Clouds

    Taking the single bronze coin out of his pocket, Athen approached the high-top tables, glancing at the wall of liquids behind to see what kind of drinks could be made.


    In the middle of the inside area, a circle of bar stools alongside a circular high-top table that surrounded the bartender could be seen.


    And in the very middle of the circle, a large shelf that went all the way from the ground to the ceiling stood.


    The shelf held a variety of different bottles, each one colored a different color and marked with a different name.


    Back in his hometown bar, there were a maximum of three bottles, and all of them were the same light orange...not that Athen was complaining, though.


    Those light-orange drinks more than sufficed for him.


    Looking around, Athen spotted a couple of middle-aged men already sitting with their drinks while reading some newspaper.


    Paying them no mind, Athen sat down atop one of the bar stools before placing his singular coin on the bar-top table.


    While the bartender began making a drink for another customer, Athen carefully examined the bottles.


    Rubbing his hands together, Athen looked at the new types of liquids, immediately making his choice.


    As the bartender finished serving his drink and walked around the shelf, toward Athen, an awkward moment of silence ensued.


    "..."


    Confused, Athen pointed at his copper coin on the high-top table before saying.


    "I''ll take a mix of whatever''s in that strawberry bottle, that sour tequila, and finally, a little passionfruit vodka to top it all off."


    Staying completely silent, the bartender gazed at Athen for a moment before asking in a confused tone.


    "How old are you, kid?"


    Looking at all the other customers gulping down their drinks, Athen calmed himself before saying.


    "I don''t see why that matters, I''m just placing an order, aren''t I?"


    Sighing, the bartender pointed at a sign hanging from the ceiling, and following the bartender''s gaze, Athen read the sign out loud.


    "As per country laws, we will not serve ANY sort of alcohol to those under the age of 18."


    "...do you see the problem, now?"


    "Can''t you make an exception? I''m a paying customer, aren''t I?"The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Within a few seconds, Athen was back wandering the lower deck, inwardly cursing while looking around for a seat.


    Drinking laws, really?


    Which dumbass decided to make that a law!?


    Heading towards the glass doors that led outside, Athen angrily muttered.


    "What happened to this being the land of the ''free'' "


    Pushing open the doors, Athen allowed the cold breeze to him before walking to the edge where the railing was.


    At that moment, a sudden loud sound echoed from a nearby speaker that was attached to the wall.


    "We will be taking off now. For the next few seconds, the ride will be somewhat bumpy, but after that, we expect to have no turbulence whatsoever."


    Athen already had somewhat of an idea of what was going to happen from the position of the ship next to the open wall in the hangar, but that didn''t stop him from curiously peeking over the railing.


    As the ground below Athen began to shake, the ship slowly rose in the air before suddenly moving forward.


    Thrown backward by the ship''s abrupt movement, Athen barely clung onto the railing, watching as the ship got higher and higher in the air.


    Covering his mouth desperately as the ground shook even harder, Athen scanned the outside area of the lower deck, suddenly realizing why it was completely empty.


    Finally, after a couple of seconds, the ship stopped rising, causing the floor to return to normal.


    After recovering for a moment, Athen looked downward, expecting to see the city; however, only a stunning expanse of pure whiteness awaited him.


    Hundreds of fluffy clouds, dazzling white under the sunlight, spread out below the ship, blocking Athen''s view of the city.


    Not all disappointed, Athen spent a few moments simply staring at the beautiful white clouds that perfectly contrasted with the light-blue sky and pure-yellow sun.


    Even if he didn''t make it to the academy in the end...seeing this might have just made his journey worth it.


    Yesterday, he was sleeping on a pile of trash, trapped in an endless cycle of scavenging for money, and today, he was flying above the clouds, as free as one could be.


    All of it was because he took a risk.


    The bigger the risk the better the reward... and Athen had just hit the jackpot.


    Snapping Athen back to reality, the cold breeze once again blew against his exposed stomach, sending shivers through his entire body.


    Having seen enough, for the time being, Athen was about to head back inside when he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.


    On the opposite side of the railing stood a figure with jet-black hair cascading down to her waist and striking green and yellow eyes.


    Opposite the clouds, her black hair seemed to absorb the incoming sunlight, fluttering under the occasional cold breeze.


    Alone, the figure stood with her wands on the railing, not staring at the clouds below but straight ahead at the endless expanse of the light-blue sky.


    In contrast to Athen, the figure wore a lavish skirt and top, both colored a pitch-black and adorned with golden-colored buttons.


    However, it wasn''t her star-striking beauty and fancy clothes that attracted Athen''s attention.


    It was her change...in personality.


    Recalling the figure who had impatiently pushed Athen out of the way and overpaid to get onto the ship, Athen could hardly believe it was the same person.


    The figure in front of him seemed so silent and tranquil, not impatient or angry.


    Well, whatever had happened, she had paid for his flight, so he wasn''t complaining.


    Letting the lone black-haired figure be, Athen let go of the railing and began walking towards the doors.


    However, before Athen could even reach the glass doors, a sudden voice echoed from behind him.


    "So, you''re going to be attending Aethelm Academy?"


    Turning around, Athen simply nodded his head, prompting a disrespectful snort from the girl.


    "I see they''re letting anyone in nowadays. To think the number one school for mages would accept a homeless teenager with no training."


    Not at all bothered by the girl''s harsh tone and words, Athen struggled to keep his laughter from leaking out.


    She was the only reason he was on the ship and going to the academy!


    It wasn''t the academy''s fault he was in; it was hers!

 Academy Preparations

    Staying silent, Athen halted mid-step, turned around, and began walking back to the railing to look at the clouds.


    How could someone''s personality change so much?


    One moment, the girl was some silent and solemn princess, and now, she was an annoying and arrogant brat.


    Ignoring the arrogant clicking sound the girl was making with her tongue, Athen glanced backward through the glass doors.


    Back inside the lower deck, everyone was either sleeping or taking a nap as people rested their heads against the windowsill while staying silent.


    And Athen really wanted to join them.


    With all that chasing and sprinting he had done earlier, combined with his experience with the mercenaries in the prison cell, Athen was drained of his energy and completely exhausted.


    Unfortunately...he couldn''t, not yet.


    The last time he had activated his time-stopping ability twice in a short amount of time, sleeping had been impossible, leading him to wander the streets at night when he was ambushed by the "imaginary" figures resembling the people from his hometown.


    Similarly, Athen couldn''t close his eyes right now to drift off to sleep as his body simply ignored his brain''s commands when he attempted to close his eyes.


    The first stage of Athens''s punishment was already in effect.


    Recalling how the announcement from earlier said that the trip would last eight hours, Athen let out an audible sigh.


    That meant he would be arriving at the academy in the dead of night...or exactly when the mental attack had occurred last time.


    What would happen this time?


    Would he be attacked by the "imaginary" and "mental" figures of the school security guards, the professors, or even the students?


    How would those "imaginary figures act?"


    Would they attempt to merge with his body like last time... or perhaps, do something worse?


    More importantly, what would happen after?


    Would he be put in the same comatose state where he would be forced to stay awake for hours on end, enduring constant pain from his body?


    Recalling how he had been essentially frozen and forced to endure pain for a day straight, Athen started shivering.


    He wanted to believe that the punishment from last time was a one-time occurrence; however, the fact that he couldn''t go to sleep or close his eyes easily proved him wrong.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Coping, Athen calmed himself down by telling himself that there was still a possibility that nothing would happen.


    There was also the possibility that the attack could occur earlier than expected...maybe even right now.


    What if, in the next moment, hundreds of "imaginary" figures resembling the passengers on the ship started rushing at him?


    Thus, Athen decided to stay outside and endure the cold breeze, as it was just him and the black-haired girl outside.


    On the other hand, the inside of the lower deck was packed full of passengers...and potential enemies.


    And, of course, if Athen couldn''t endure the pain, he had an... easy way out here, but he doubted it would come to that.


    The sheer suspense and anticipation kept Athen on edge as he stood by the railing.


    Although the punishment could happen at any moment, and he could instantly be plunged into a world of pain, Athen was still able to enjoy the beautiful and amazing scenery of the sky around him.


    Trying to distract himself, Athen recalled the harsh words of the girl beside him.


    "To think the number one school for mages would accept a homeless teenager with no training."


    Was it that obvious?


    Looking down at his clothes, Athen realized that he needed a major transformation before he got off the ship.


    If this girl could tell he was out of the place, the teachers and professors would obviously be able to as well.


    He wouldn''t even get past the front gate, as the security guards would spot him and probably be able to tell he had stolen his diamond invitation from his outfit alone!


    Although the woman''s words were demeaning and annoying, they could have saved Athen from being exposed as a fraud.


    Out of the corner of his eyes, Athen glanced at the figure, who was still staring up at the sky, before examining her clothing.


    The difference in clothing was easily visible, but what did that girl mean when she said, "with no training."


    How could she have known that Athen had no experience with magic or combat?


    Realizing that there was only one way to find out, Athen shook his head before slowly opening his mouth.


    "You''re one to talk. It doesn''t seem like you''ve trained a single day in your life. All that fancy-ass clothing for what? Seems like someone''s trying to overcompensate."


    "..."


    Clearly caught off guard by Athen''s response, the black-haired figure slowly moved her head until she stared right at Athen.


    With her greenish-yellow eyes sparkling, the girl silently stood there for a moment before eventually replying in a completely emotionless tone.


    "You have never even touched a wand in your life, have you? Your posture, your hand''s uneven and inconsistent imprints all over the place...why are you talking to me!?"


    Taking in all the information, Athen immediately stopped leaning downwards, feeling a sharp pain in his back as he raised and aligned his shoulders.


    As for the next second problem, Athen simply stared at his hand before realizing that there were indeed scars everywhere rather than a consistent imprint that a wand would have left.


    Grinning, Athen simply reached behind him and lifted up the black cloth covering his back, revealing a stick that was somehow attached to the back of the cloth.


    "my trusty stick!"


    Taking the stick, Athen tightly gripped its base before turning back to the confused and frustrated figure.


    Shrugging his shoulders, Athen simply said.


    "Hmm... alright! Could you wait here for a moment? I''ll be back in a moment."


    Without waiting for a response, Athen climbed the stairs that were outside up the top deck of the ship.


    Reaching the top floor of the ship, Athen glanced below, immediately seeing the girl standing completely still like she had been electrocuted or something.


    Ignoring her, Athen glanced around the slightly more populated outside area of the top deck, noticing a couple of other male boys who were around his sage.


    Seeing most of them dressed in a collared shirt, a pair of black trousers, and a blazer, Athen got to work.

 Dressing Up

    Gripping the stick tightly in his hand to mimic the imprint of a magic wand, Athen carefully wandered around the outside area of the upper deck, looking for a target.


    The outside area of the upper deck was much smaller than the lower, as you could see the lower deck stretching out far below from the railing.


    However, it was much more decorated, with tables and seats, and some vendors were even present.


    There were even patio heaters set up almost every ten steps to combat the coldness of the wind.


    Seeing a group of students his age with collared shirts and trousers sitting nearby, Athen halted mid-step.


    Scanning the group, he immediately heard an obnoxious and arrogant voice, much more than the girl from earlier, sounding.


    "Don''t you know? I''ve already been ranked in the top ten applicants of the school. It''s only a matter of time before the school is in the palm of my hands. I''ve already learned how to cast combat spells!"


    "...I''ll pass."


    Attempting to steal a suit from a top-ranked school student did not seem like a good idea in any world for Athen.


    Passing by the group of students excitedly crowding around the top-ranked student, Athen attempted to find a weaker target.


    Sighing, Athen looked around, realizing that his task was practically impossible unless he used some form of violence.


    And considering every other person on the deck was at least ten times bigger than his malnourished self, violence would only lead to his harm.


    How was he supposed to steal the clothes off someone!?


    He couldn''t just run up to someone and take off their clothes in front of everyone!


    "..."


    Coming to a realization, Athen halted mid-walk and stared down at his hands before quietly muttering.


    "I''ve already used it twice...what''s another one added!?"


    Would the pain be intensified if he used it three times without waiting for the two-day cooldown instead of two?


    Considering his options, Athen decided that...it would be a problem for his future self.


    He had already gotten this far, so there was no point in stopping now.


    Athen had realized it long ago, but for someone from his terrible and poor hometown, he was far too cautious.


    If others in his town received his power, they would go berserk, using it any chance they got without any care for the consequences.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Shaking his head, Athen headed inside the upper deck, noting how it completely resembled the inside of the lower deck, except there was no bar.


    Sitting down on an empty seat a couple of feet away from a sleeping student, Athen took a couple of deep breaths before slowly raising his hands and covering his ears.


    Feeling the distractions and noises from the outside disappear, Athen concentrated on the sound of his heartbeat.


    As his heartbeat began to speed up, to the point where it felt like it was going to burst out of his check, Athen had second thoughts; however, he persevered, simply telling himself that it would all be worth it in the end.


    *WHOOSH*


    The next moment, as a cold breeze rushed against Athen''s face, he slowly opened his eyes, immediately looking down at his body.


    Seeing his body outlined in a spiritual light-blue hue, Athen didn''t waste a second as he jumped out of his seat.


    Glancing backward, Athen sighed in relief upon seeing his invitation diamond and single bronze coin floating above the chair he was sitting on.


    Arriving at the sleeping student, Athen phased right through him and his chair before ducking.


    As the light blue surrounding Athen began to flicker, Athen could be seen crouching in the small space between the chair with the sleeping student and the chair on the opposite of it.


    Finally, as time resumed to normal and the sound of people snoring entered Athen''s ears, he reached out from under the chair before carefully starting to unbutton the sleeping figure''s collared shirt.


    At the same time, Athen took off the black cloth covering himself before spreading it on the sleeping student, covering the student''s now exposed stomach.


    Staring at the student''s blue jeans, Athen took one breath, ready to sacrifice all his dignity if he even had any left at this point.


    Taking off his own pants, Athen rapidly swapped them with the student''s jeans before also putting on the student''s collared shirt and tie.


    Not knowing to put the tie on correctly, Athen just allowed it to hang loosely around his neck as he crawled under the chair.


    Emerging from beneath the chairs, Athen casually stood back up, not even looking around to see if anyone had spotted him, and walked through the upper deck, picking up his belongings on the way.


    Opening the glass doors, Athen entered the outside area of the upper deck before heading back down the stairs to the lower deck.


    To his surprise, the black-haired girl from earlier was still standing in the same exact spot he had left her in.


    Uncrumpling his collared shirt, Athen entered the outside area of the lower deck, immediately waving at the expressionless girl.


    "How do I look now!?"


    Snapping out of her trance, the black-haired girl glanced upward at Athen, assuming a confused expression upon seeing his new clothes.


    However, instead of applauding like Athen thought she would, the girl simply shook her head before answering in a cold tone.


    "You look like you just stole some person''s clothes and put them on."


    "...? Look, I know I seem and look homeless, but are you really accusing me of stealing? That''s too far."


    Staying silent, the girls simply pointed at Athen''s collared shirt, prompting him to look down.


    And there on Athen''s collared shirt lay a nametag stitched into the shirt and said, "Kai."


    "..."


    Sighing, Athen stared at the girl''s dress, now noticing a nametag that read, "Alice."


    Pointing to the nametag on his shirt, Athen calmly said.


    "...? My name is Kai. Didn''t I introduce myse-"


    "A THIEF IS HERE, HELP ME! ATTENDANTS, PLEASE HELP!"


    Looking at the snickering girl in front of him who was screaming so innocently with a smile on her face, Athen snarled.


    As the attendants on duty swung open the glass doors and entered the lower deck, Athen stood there with a composed expression


    Sure, the girl might know his name isn''t Kai for whatever reason, but the security guards wouldn''t...not yet, at least.


    However, as Athen desperately waved at the guards, ready to explain the situation so it looked like he was in the right, they simply ignored him.


    Without asking any questions, they glanced at the black-haired girl, who pointed at me, and then rushed toward me.


    "son of a b-"


    Backing up from the incoming guards, Athen realized that there was no way out of this situation as his back touched the cold and hard railing of the deck.


    Unless...?


    "Fourth time''s the charm!"

 Second Try

    Not even bothering to cover his ears, Athen simply zoned out, only focusing on the sound of a heartbeat and nothing else.


    However...his heartbeat sounded like the exhaust of a fully modified and modded Lamborghini SVJ.


    *BRRRRR*


    *BRRRRR*


    There were no rhythmic beats... his heart was just non-stop pumping blood in and out without any pauses.


    Putting that aside, Athen concentrated on his stomach with his eyes closed, hoping that his ability would somehow activate again before the attendants reached him.


    But...there was nothing.


    There was no cold breeze to wake Athen up from his slumber.


    And, after a moment, the loud sounds of talking and footsteps reentered Athen''s ears.


    It was over...he had been caught.


    The fact that he had been able to activate his time-stop ability three times in this short period was already a miracle, so it seemed four times was just asking too much.


    Accepting defeat, Athen simply put his head down, awaiting his arrest by the attendants.


    He had failed to consider that there would never be any investigation in the first place.


    If it were him, a random nobody, versus the obviously wealthy black-haired figure, the attendants would believe her no matter what.


    There was also the fact that Alice seemed to know who "Kai," the person whose clothes were stolen, was, as she had been able to identify Athen as not Kai.


    After a few seconds of simply waiting with his head held low and eyes closed, Athen was surprised he hadn''t felt anything.


    Wasn''t he supposed to be in handcuffs?


    Regaining a sliver of hope, Athen slowly opened his eyes, tensing his legs as he prepared to make an escape if possible.


    Although Athen had considered throwing himself off the railing to avoid being arrested...he valued his life far too much to do that, as shown by his constant precautions.


    Living, no matter the circumstances, was better than the death.


    If Athen had ended himself back in his hometown because of his terrible life, then he would never been able to gain the ability to stop time...and experience this ride on the flying ship.


    He kept living and would continue living because there was always that 0.001% chance that things would get better.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    And if he didn''t live long enough to experience that, he would never forgive himself.


    What were all those years of pain spent in his hometown for if he never went to truly enjoy life?


    Why had he even lived in the first place if things were always going to stay the same and never get better?


    Even if he was put in jail, he would live...just because he knew there was that slight possibility that things would get better.


    "...?"


    Reopening his eyes, Athen found himself inside the upper deck, sitting on a chair while countless people slept around him.


    Rubbing his eyes countless times, Athen confirmed that he was not on the lower deck with the girl anymore...but back on the upper deck.


    Did he pass out?


    Then, Athen stared not at his surroundings but down at himself.


    His entire body was covered in a familiar light-blue hue, and around him, everybody was staying eerily still.


    He was back in this place...where it all started.


    As the ten-second usage period of the ability ticked down, Athen stood up, seeing his belongings floating behind him in his previous position.


    Glancing to his right, Athen found the boy named Kai a couple of meters away, still sleeping with all his clothes intact.


    Time-stopping to travel back in time wasn''t a big jump...was it?


    Ignoring the inside area of the upper deck, Athen rushed outside, phasing right through the glass doors.


    Passing right through the countless frozen figures and tables on the deck, Athen sprinted forward.


    Arriving at the railing of the upper deck, Athen''s hands phased right through the railing as he glanced downwards.


    And there, the black-haired girl was in the same position, simply waiting for him to arrive.


    There was still the problem of being prepared for the academy, clothes-wise...


    As the light blue surrounding Athen''s body began to flicker, he immediately ran back into the inside area of the upper deck, barely managing to phase through the glass doors as his ability ran out.


    After picking up his invitation diamond and bronze coin, Athen walked toward Kai while time resumed to normal, and the others began moving.


    Tapping Kai on the shoulder, Athen watched as he slowly opened his eyes before scratching his brown hair and staring at Athen confusedly.


    Making eye contact with his amber-brown eyes, Athen immediately questioned.


    "Hello, I was wondering if you happened to know a girl by the name of Alice."


    Raising his head, Kai seemed to ponder for a moment before asking.


    "I do...but do you know her?"


    Nodding his head, Athen quickly pointed to his ragged clothes before answering.


    "Ah yes, she has instructed me to get a proper pair of clothes. She said something about me being too poor of sight for her eyes."


    "...she did?"


    As Athen nodded his head in response, Kai continued.


    "Both of us alongside..."


    Stopping mid-sentence, Kai pointed outside at a figure from earlier who was bragging about his academy rank.


    "Lance and the other top ten students in the first year were forced to meet up at the city this ship just left him."


    "I met the girl, Alice, at that dinner."


    Shaking his head, Athen inwardly cursed his bad luck.


    Out of the probably over sixty students on the ship, Athen had managed to pick one out of the ten that the girl knew.


    Seeing Kai about to drift back off to sleep, Athen pointed at his black cloth before sighing and asking.


    "Do you think they would let me into the academy with these cl-"


    "You''d get kicked out at the front gate."


    Pausing for a moment, Kai''s face suddenly lit up as he asked.


    "Oh wait, are you a first-year as well?"


    "Yeah...but all my luggage is already at the academy, so this is all I have left to wear."


    "Ah...I see."


    Opening his luggage, which was resting on the seat right next to him, Kai smiled before saying.


    "I think I have an extra pair in my luggage; you can borrow it for the orientation."


    "...it was that easy?"


    "What was that?"


    Waving his hands, Athen graciously accepted a white collared shirt, a blue tie, and blue jeans from Kai.

 The Upper Deck

    Standing still with the clothes in his hands, Athen watched as Kai simply waved before resting his head against the windowsill and closing his eyes once again.


    Within a couple of seconds, Kai already seemed to be fast asleep.


    "...alright, then."


    Regaining his composure, Athen spent a minute looking for a bathroom before finally finding one.


    "...why is there a line?"


    In front of the door that was labeled "Bathroom," two people could be seen patiently lined up and waiting outside.


    Not questioning it, Athen simply headed toward the end of the line while glancing at the others, confirming that he was the only one surprised.


    *BANG*


    As the bathroom door flung open, one person came out, then another came in, and then the door shut.


    "private bathrooms?"


    Not letting the surprise show on his face, Athen suddenly recalled something and checked the collared shirt that Kai had given him.


    And, indeed, right below the collar lay a name tag that read, "Kai."


    Well, he had permission now, so it should be fine, right?


    Shaking his head, Athen looked up from his clothes, immediately noticing that the girl in front was looking at him.


    With silver-white hair that stretched all the way down to her legs and calm silver eyes that conveyed a feeling of tranquility, the girl stared at Athen with an emotionless expression.


    "...?"


    Had he done something wrong already?


    Had she somehow noticed something wrong and was now going to report him to the flight attendants?


    Why was she staring at him out of all people!?


    Keeping his expression tame, Athen simply ignored the girl and looked through the windows at the outside area of the upper deck.


    On the upper deck, it seemed like there was a divide as one huge group of students occupied the couches while the others had control over the standing tables.


    The two groups stole glances at each other almost every second before turning back around and obviously talking about the other while laughing.


    School hadn''t even started yet...how were there already factions forming!?


    Turning back to look at the line to the bathroom, Athen sighed upon noticing that the girl was still staring at him, now with a slightly confused expression.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Furrowing her eyebrows, the girl intently stared at Athen before eventually noticing that he was staring at her as well.


    "..."


    "..ah"


    Looking away from Athen, the girl awkwardly pointed at the clothes in Athen''s hands before asking.


    "Do you know Kai?"


    Taking the chance, Athen glanced at the girl''s nametag, which read, "Delphi."


    Realizing that the girl wasn''t out to get him, Athen nodded before pointing at the sleeping Kai in the distance.


    "He let me borrow a pair of clothes."


    As the door to the bathroom swung open, Delphi gave Athen a quick wave before turning around and saying.


    "You should keep those safe...Kai is quite the celebrity. I only just saw him for the first time last night, so I was able to tell you''re not him. Others might not be able to..."


    Without waiting for Athen''s response, the girl entered the bathroom, letting the door slam shut behind her.


    Celebrity...?


    Recalling Delphi''s last words, Athen muttered.


    "How is a celebrity if she just saw him for the first time yesterday...?"


    How can one be a celebrity if people don''t know what you look like?


    Suddenly, Athen came to a realization, a grim expression forming on his face.


    He had forgotten the first and only principle he had learned in this world!


    Nothing is free.


    If people saw the nametag on his shirt said, "Kai," they would crowd around Athen while Kai walked off scot-free.


    Assuming what Delphi said was true, people would actually think Athen was Kai because somehow they didn''t know what Kai looked like.


    Great, massive amounts of attention was exactly what he needed when he was trying to sneak his way into the academy!


    Sighing, Athen watched as Delphi exited the bathroom, kindly holding the door open for him.


    Nodding his head in thanks, Athen entered the bathroom, taking a couple of seconds to admire the cleanliness of it.


    After some time, Athen removed his black-cloth and tattered pants before putting on the nicely ironed collared shirt and navy blue jeans.


    Hanging the tie around his neck without knotting it, Athen glanced at himself in the mirror and folded down his collar.


    Exiting the bathroom with his black cloth and old pants in his hands, Athen was surprised to see that an even bigger line had formed outside of the bathroom.


    Finding a secluded area, he took a seat before propping his head up against his hand and looking out the window.


    Enjoying the picturesque scene of the bright sun and pure-white clouds, Athen''s mind began to wander, thinking of all things that could happen in the next few days.


    Magic...he could learn it!


    And this time-stopping ability, there was still much to gain from it.


    Time-stopping was a cool ability, but its limitation of turning Athen into an incorporeal being did make it somewhat useless.


    Not to mention the long cooldown and the short usage period of ten seconds.


    However, traveling back in time with his memories intact was amazing!


    Imagine all the things he could do... and all the money he could gain.


    With time traveling, anything was possible.


    There was just one thing...Athen had no idea how he could do or control it in the slightest.


    And, most frightening of all, was there a punishment for doing it!?


    Mentally deciding that he would test the ability out two days from now when the cooldown for his time-stopping ability reset, Athen suddenly noticed that the light outside was beginning to fade.


    As the clouds began to turn grey and block out the sun, Athen recalled the trial that could be awaiting him upon his arrival at the academy.


    The use of his ability three times in this short amount of time...Athen felt he wasn''t overexaggerating when he thought dying was a possibility.


    As he glanced back inside the upper deck, Athen felt a nagging sensation that he was forgetting something, but nothing came to mind.


    Ignoring it, Athen simply gazed outside, contemplating the possible challenges he would face when he deboarded the ship.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Finally, after what seemed like hours...because it was, the ship''s speakers suddenly echoed throughout the upper deck.


    "We will be landing shortly; please grab onto something to ensure the impact doesn''t fling you into a wall."


    "We thank you for your patronage and hope you had a great flight!"

 The Capital

    Exhaustedly rubbing his eyes as he hadn''t managed to even close them and experience the bliss of darkness for over eight hours, Athen lifted his head from the windowsill.


    The first half of the ride was cool...but after that, the eventual despair began setting in and invading his mind.


    With nothing to see but the light-blue sky and the clouds below, Athen only had his mind to entertain him.


    And...entertain him, it did!


    Just a couple of scenarios that Athen had imagined about his impending punishment for using his ability three times included having his body taken over, dying, and becoming a puppet.


    It got to the point where Athen had sprinted down the lower deck and pleaded with the bartender for a drink.


    Of course, the bartender did not oblige, but Athen had managed to steal a half-empty glass from a distracted customer.


    He needed something...anything to distract him.


    Unfortunately, that meant Athen had missed the landing of the ship as he had been too preoccupied with stealing drinks.


    And, just when he got back to his seat, the announcement had gone off.


    Looking out of the window now, Athen could see that the flying ship was once again in a hangar.


    Shaking his head, Athen looked at the inside of the ship, already seeing people crowding around the stairs downward to the exit of the ship.


    Placing the black cloth he had worn earlier over the nametag on his collared shirt, Athen reluctantly got up from his seat and joined the chaotic line of the people.


    For now, he could hide the nametag that said, "Kai" and avoid the attention from the "celebrity''s" name, but Athen doubted he would be able to when he entered the academy.


    He would draw even more attention, possibly negative, if he walked around a noble magic academy with a dirty piece of black cloth in his hands.


    Walking down the stairs, Athen glanced ahead and, coincidentally, spotted Kai''s amber-brown hair a couple of feet away.


    Pushing his way through a couple of people, Athen followed Kai as he exited the ship and stepped foot onto the floor of the hangar.


    However, just as Athen was about to exit the hangar behind him, Kai suddenly turned around with a hearty smile and asked.


    "You don''t know the way from here to the academy, do you?"If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Realizing that his guise was up, Athen nodded his head with an innocent expression.


    Sighing, Kai pointed out one of the hangar''s windows, and following Kai''s finger, Athen spotted a couple of carriages outside the hangar.


    "Following me won''t work, although I am flattered you chose me out of all people."


    Pausing for a moment, Kai extended his palm before using his other hand to point at the index finger of his extended palm.


    "This is the hangar we''re at right now..."


    Pushing his finger over his extended palm, Kai continued.


    "Go straight until you see a sign, then make a ri-"


    Interrupting Kai mid-sentence, a familiar figure with jet-black hair and greenish-yellow eyes exited the ship before immediately grabbing his shirt and pulling him forward.


    "Let''s go unless you want the carriages to leave you behind."


    Paying no attention to Athen, Alice dragged Kai by the shoulder forward and out of the hangar.


    Unable to resist, Kai allowed himself to be dragged out before pointing to a group of students by the entrance and yelling.


    "FOLLOW THEM, MY FRIEND! I''LL SEE YOU AT THE ACADEMY...AND WE WILL BE UNITED TILL DEATH DO US PART!"


    "..."


    Thankfully, due to hundreds of other people in the hangar, Kai''s voice was ignored and drowned out by most.


    Too tired to respond to Kai with another dramatic and semi-romantic line, Athen lazily glanced at the group of students by the entrance before following them as they left the hangar.


    The walk to the academy couldn''t be that long...could it?


    Only holding on due to the half-glass of beer from earlier, Athen exited the hangar...only to be completely re-energized.


    Similar to the hangar in the other town, this one also sat atop a gigantic hit, allowing him to see the entire city below.


    There were buildings that seemed to tower up to the sky...thousands of lights that lit up the dark night, and carriages, which were a rare sight in Athen''s hometown, were as common as a glass of beer in a bar.


    Taking in the amazing view of the city, Athen halted for a second and took a couple of deep breaths, confirming that he wasn''t dreaming.


    Though since Athen was so high up, he couldn''t make out any specific details, the sheer size and quantity of everything shocked him.


    Buildings were stuffed right next to each other with barely any gaps, and an intricate system of roads was visible throughout the entire city.


    Regaining his composure, Athen smiled before walking down the hill and following behind the group of students.


    One thing that still shocked Athens was that there was no space left unused.


    There were no plains of grass or any signs of nature anywhere...everything was marked by human touch.


    Even on the path downhill, Athens left and right were filled with countless buildings and shops, each different than the previous one.


    The designs, materials, and shapes of each building and shop made the city feel so new and fresh, not repetitive in the slightest.


    "Hmm?"


    Seeing the students take a right, Athen was immediately met with a sight that he hadn''t even seen in books, only read about.


    "A...mana train?"


    Railroad tracks that encircled the entire capital city and delved inside lay in front of Athen.


    Walking below a large cover, Athen spotted hundreds of students in a uniform similar to his waiting right by the ledge with the tracks below then.


    However, before he could join them, Athen was met with... countless metal bars.


    Getting in line behind one of the metal bars, Athen watched with interest as a person in front of them crouched down and placed a single coin into a hole in the bar.


    In unison, the bar raised itself, allowing the student to pass before immediately lowering and blocking the next student off.


    Thanking the bartender, instead of cursing him out internally like earlier, Athen grabbed the single copper coin in his pocket and walked up to the bar.


    "..?"


    Letting the copper coin fall back into his pocket, Athen glanced around to make sure nobody was watching.


    Then, without any hesitation, Athen crouched down and crawled under the metal bar.

 Aetherhelm Train

    Brushing the dust off his pants, Athen stood up like nothing had happened and continued walking forward without looking back.


    Giant, bright lights hung from the overhang, illuminating the train station and the hundreds of people under it.


    Glancing around the station, Athen moved through the crowds of people, eventually finding his way to the platform ledge.


    In contrast to Athen''s grim mood, almost every other student wore smiles as they eagerly talked among themselves about their future at the academy.


    After all, thousands of people from all across the nation had gone through an extensive screening process and countless tests to apply, so getting in was nothing short of a miracle.


    The acceptance rate to Aetherhelm Academy was extremely low, with around 75,000 applicants applying each year and a grade size of around 500 students.


    For them, this was the climax of their entire life.


    All their years of schooling and grueling hours of studying had led them to this moment.


    But...on the other side of the spectrum, those who weren''t so lucky to get in now had to endure another round of applications in hopes of getting into a lower-ranked magic academy.


    While this happiness among the students may seem like a good thing for the academy...it was actually quite the opposite.


    These students, now away from their parents for the first time, now had the ability to break loose and act however they wanted.


    Most of the students here had attended private academies that enforced strict regulations and required hundreds of hours of studying.


    Their entire lives up to this moment had been dedicated to entering the academy, so now that they had achieved their goal...they were lost.


    What was next for them?


    All the rashness and feelings of these students, which had been bottled up in their private academies, were now starting to burst out.


    In the back corner of the station, a familiar figure began to bite his tongue and scowl as he stared at the jolly scenery in the station.


    The usual smiling and optimist Alaric stared at the floor, his eyes filled with disappointment and sorrow, and muttered.


    "They don''t know...do they?"


    And, the normally strict and stern Caldris looked at the students around him with a smile filled with joy and delight.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "They don''t."


    After tens of years of teaching and testing, the academy had developed the perfect way to get these students back on track.


    A test so private and secure that students and faculty were forced to sign a magic oath that prevented them from revealing the method to anyone.


    Athen, unable to realize his privilege because he had stolen the invitation diamond, awkwardly stood and awaited the train''s arrival.


    Every second that ticked by for Athen was a second closer he was to receiving his punishment.


    Scanning the students, Caldris''s jet-black eyes eventually paused on Athen''s crumbling and alone figure.


    Tapping Alaric''s sorrowful shoulder, Caldris pointed at the lone figure and said.


    "I''ll bet you a day off that the kid over there passes the test."


    Lifting himself up from the ground, Alaric followed Caldris''s figure, finding the figure of Athen.


    His clothes were clearly too loose, with his tie not even on correctly, and his posture made him look like a hunchback.


    From Athen''s appearance alone, Alaric could tell that the kid was not from a private academy or a wealthy family.


    Getting into Aethermhelm Academy while hailing from a public academy was a feat in itself as they had lower budgets and worse educators than privates, making them less ready for the academy''s application tests.


    And, more often than not, these students were significantly less prepared for classes in the academy due to their poor educational background.


    Thus, Alaric was confused as to why his colleague was betting on such a poor student.


    Unable to resist the offer of a workday off, Alaric nodded his head and accepted Caldris''s bet.


    Rubbing his eyes, Athen looked left and right, not sure which direction the train would come from.


    *RUMBLE*


    As Athen looked towards the right, the entire platform suddenly shook, almost throwing Athen and countless other students off the edge and onto the railroad tracks.


    Barely catching himself, Athen immediately backed up, watching as a clean, steel train entered his vision.


    *WHOOSH*


    Speeding right past them, the train blew the crowd of students near the edge onto the ground.


    Still standing, Athen gripped his tie, which had almost fallen off, before watching as the front of the train slowly came to a stop a couple of meters in front of him.


    *Whirrr... shhhht... click*


    Within seconds, a pair of doors slid open right in front of Athen, revealing the clean and empty interior of the train cabin.


    Rushing into the cabin, Athen immediately found a seat and watched as dozens of students entered the train.


    The train featured two lines of seats that faced each other on the vertical walls of the train with a couple of hooks hanging from the ceiling.


    Behind each line of seats was a gigantic window that stretched from the front of the cabin to the end.


    *Whirrr... shhhht... click*


    Just as one last student stepped on the train and grabbed a hook, the doors closed, and the train immediately began surging forward.


    Looking past the student across him, Athen stared out the opposite window, watching as the lights of the station faded and descended into the darkness of the night.


    Unfortunately, Athen was facing the hangar, not the capital city behind him, so his windows only revealed the pitch-black sky.


    After a couple of seconds of silence, the students once again began talking to each other; however, Athen did not mind it as it distracted him from coming up with painful scenarios.


    "Did you get your dorm number yet!?"


    "Yeah, my diamond said I was #45!"


    "Well, I''m #219, but at least all first-years are in the same building."


    "What about orientation tomorrow?


    "I think they said 8 AM wakeup?"


    "Damn, why do we even need orientation? Let''s just get to the magic and cast fireballs and kill goblins!"


    "People like you are the reason why we need orientation."


    As if responding to Athen''s desperate boredom, the train suddenly halted, causing a loud voice to sound from the speakers in the cabin.


    *DING*


    "Aetherhelm Station."


    *Whirrr... shhhht... click*

 Full Effect

    As the doors slid open, Athen jumped from his seat and immediately exited the train, hoping to get to his dorm as fast as possible.


    If the same punishment as last time activated now, Athen wouldn''t be dealing with a couple of merchant spirits but hundreds of student spirits who would attempt to merge with him.


    Jumping off the train and onto the new platform, Athen took out his invitation diamond before clicking the switch.


    And just as the small figure of the principal appeared on the diamond, Athen immediately shoved it back into his pocket.


    Keeping his ears peeled for the announcement of his dorm number, Athen sprinted out from under the overhang.


    And, there in front of him lay Aetherhelm Academy.


    However, that wasn''t what attracted Athen''s attention.


    "...another DAMN HILL!?"


    As more people began to flood out of the train station, Athen sighed before speed-walking ahead.


    Similar to the hangar, the academy lay above the rest of the city; however, it wasn''t on a hill; it was more like a mountain, considering its size.


    "Dorm #34"


    Panting, Athen scurried to the sidewalk as a couple of carriages suddenly began climbing up the road.


    Increasing his pace, Athen sprinted up the slope, letting his tie fall off and be blown down to the train station below.


    "t-too many people..."


    At that moment, just as the open gold gates that led into the academy came into view, Athen''s legs started to shake.


    Trembling, Athen forced his legs forward again...and again.


    Above him, countless figures began to flood out of the carriages and walk through the open gold gates.


    "One more step...one more."


    Unable to lift up his head anymore, Athen''s gaze was locked on the ground below.


    Illuminated by the bright half-crescent moon above, Athen raised his right leg, moved it forward, and swiftly planted it on the ground.


    "..."


    However, when the bottom of his right shoe hit the pavement of the sidewalk below, there was no sound.


    Silent.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Everything was silent.


    Touching the diamond in his pocket, Athen gathered the last of his strength and immediately hurled it right over the open golden gate of the academy.


    Even though Athen knew from his glance earlier that there should be crowds of students behind, not a single voice could be heard.


    Even though Athen knew that there was a carriage to his right, there was no sound being generated.


    The only thing he was able to see was the ground below him.


    The clean and concrete pavement of the sidewalk below him alongside the dress shoes that he had received from Kai.


    But that was enough for him to know.


    To know what was happening.


    Even if his eyes were closed, he would know.


    After all, the last time he had experienced something like this, nightmares had haunted him for months.


    As his left leg lifted in the air and surged forward, Athen felt an overwhelming sense of dread take over him.


    His eyes were wide open as if he had just seen the Grim Reaper, and his skin was pale like a dead body.


    Feeling a weird sensation overtake him, Athen glanced at his legs, watching as a light blue slowly moved downward from his head to his legs.


    After a couple of seconds, both of his legs and shoes were highlighted in a familiar light-blue hue.


    Accepting his circumstances, Athen tried to close his eyes...and this time, it actually worked.


    For the first time in a while, Athen couldn''t see anything but pure darkness.


    However, that serene and peaceful moment was short-lived.


    A second later, Athen reopened his eyes, feeling re-energized and not as exhausted.


    Gathering up his strength, Athen slowly lifted his head up towards the golden academy gates.


    And... everything was frozen.


    The security guard by the gate, the students leaving their carriages, and the familiar professors walking up the hill.


    Not a single figure moved.


    Taking a deep breath in, Athen readied himself for the worst-case scenario.


    All the spirits of these frozen people would attack him in a matter of seconds.


    Floating above the sidewalk, Athen ran forward, phasing right through the students and various merchant shops in front of him.


    As Athen took one last glance behind him at the floating bronze coin in the air, a reminiscent smile appeared on his face.


    Taking a detour off the crowded path, Athen phased right through the walls of one of the buildings on his right.


    At the same time, the frozen merchant inside the store suddenly came alive as his body was surrounded by a light blue hue.


    Seeing this, Athen didn''t hesitate to run forward, phasing right through the wall of this store and entering the next store.


    Not looking back, Athen phased through countless more store walls until he was met with a silver fence that surrounded the academy.


    Behind the fence lay what seemed like a forest where trees and bushes were visible everywhere.


    Glancing backward, Athen spotted an unfamiliar floating head peeking out of the wall he had just phased through.


    "...damn...they''re here."


    Going right through the fence, Athen was about to continue forward when a light-blue figure with a hose suddenly stepped out of a bush, blocking Athen''s path.


    Sighing, Athen looked up, spotting his diamond levitating in the air right above a tree, having managed to get there before the punishment went into full effect and time was stopped.


    He couldn''t just leave the diamond here and run.


    After the punishment and during orientation, the security would eventually find him and demand proof, so he needed it.


    But...there was no way for Athen to gain height.


    If he attempted to climb, his hands would just go straight through the tree, so that wouldn''t work.


    All he could do was jump, and that didn''t even get him close to half of the tree''s height.


    And even if he managed to get up that high, how was he supposed to take the diamond in this state?


    His hands would just pass right through it.


    As Athen contemplated what to do next, the light-blue gardner suddenly rushed at Athen.


    Simaltenousy, multiple spiritual figures behind Athen phased through the academy''s fence and darted towards his figure.


    He was surrounded.

 Diamond Hunt

    As the spiritual figures got closer and closer to Athen''s frozen figure, his mind began to spin in circles, trying to find a way to both avoid the figures and obtain the diamond.


    Glancing behind him, Athen immediately spotted over ten shop merchants, each covered in a blue hue, rushing towards him.


    But, in front of him, there was only one spiritual figure, and this gardener was also the closest to Athen currently.


    Obviously, there was only one direction to go.


    Recalling his first painful and dreadful experience with this state, Athen tried to think of any way to escape.


    It felt like just yesterday when he was alone in an alleyway back in his hometown, cornered by tens of spiritual figures who all wanted to merge with him.


    As the time began to tick and the figures came closer, Athen''s thoughts suddenly halted as he remembered the pain he had felt when the figures had merged with him.


    "...it has to work...if they can hurt me, I can hurt them."


    Taking a deep breath, Athen took one last glance behind him, only to immediately turn around upon seeing not around ten figures...but over fifty.


    Some of them were even students that Athen could recognize from his time on the flying ship.


    Tensing his legs, Athen made eye contact with the spiritual-like gardener in front of him, allowing a slight grin to appear on his face.


    At the same time, a small smile spread across the gardener''s face, and though Athen could not see it, countless similar grins appeared on the now-hundreds of spiritual figures behind him.


    "you creepy bastard..!"


    Creeped out by the smile of the gardener, Athen immediately cleared his expression before...sprinting forward.


    Showing no signs of hesitation or fear, Athen wore a completely calm expression as he charged right at the gardener as if he were in a duel.


    Inwardly counting down in his head, Athen forced himself not to look backward, bracing his body as the distance between him and the gardener decreased.


    Seeing his target sprint at him like he was about to give a hug, the gardener''s smile spread across his entire face, his eyebrows raising in excitement.


    Pushing himself to the max, Athen increased his pace, embracing the flood of adrenaline that overwhelmed his body.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Then, just as his and the gardener''s figure were about to collide, Athen suddenly slowed to a halt.


    Ignoring Athen''s stop, the gardener continued rushing right at him with a grin, possibly thinking his target had given up.


    However, just as the gardener got close enough to touch his target''s figure, Athen suddenly kicked his right foot backward.


    Then, with his left foot forward and right foot back, Athen pushed down on the ground as hard as he could.


    In a swift and graceful motion, Athen propelled himself off the ground, narrowly avoiding the gardener who had just reached him.


    As the spiritual gardener hesitated upon seeing his target disappear, Athen pushed his left foot upward as high as he could.


    And...he felt something.


    He wasn''t levitating anymore.


    Glancing downward at his left foot, Athen smiled as he saw his left foot resting on the shoulder of the gardener.


    It hadn''t phased through the gardener.


    Not wasting a moment, Athen pushed down as hard as he could on the spiritual gardener, regaining his balance and dragging his right foot upward.


    Then, like a great white shark jumping out of the water to catch a bird flying far too close to the ocean''s surface, Athen leaped off the gardener''s shoulder and right at a familiar tree.


    However...would it be enough?


    Flying past the oblivious gardener and at the tree where the invitation diamond was located, Athen''s head was perfectly aligned with the top branch of the tree.


    Peeking over his shoulder, Athen''s smile reappeared as he saw the gardener fall to the ground while desperately grabbing his shoulder.


    However...that smile soon disappeared as Athen raised his head and looked in the direction of the academy gates.


    Not tens, not fifty, not a hundred...but at least three hundred spiritual figures could be seen rushing towards him.


    And...with every passing seconds, tens of new spiritual figures phased right through the academy gates and headed straight at him.


    "ah...I understand."


    Athen now understood the difference in punishment between the last time when he had used his ability two times in a short span and this time when he had used it three times.


    There were a hell of a lot more figures out to get him... at least three hundred more!


    As he turned back around to face the tree, a grim expression appeared on his face.


    What the hell was he supposed to do after he got the diamond back somehow?


    Run away from this many people!?


    He was a dead man walking.


    His body had been put in a comatose state for an entire day when around ten spiritual figures merged with him.


    Now what...?


    How was he supposed to deal with over three hundred..?


    Suddenly, Athen wished that one of the feared scenarios that he came up with on the ship ride here had come true instead.


    Anything was better than this.


    Shaking his head, Athen regained his composure and focused on the task at hand.


    As he approached the tree and began descending from the air, Athen desperately raised his hand as high as it could go.


    And maybe, by pure chance or luck, the palm of his hand was perfectly aligned with the diamond that was frozen and levitating above the tree.


    There was just one problem, though...he was descending.


    Within two seconds, his head was no longer aligned with the tree''s top branch...but the second-highest.


    And his stretched-out hand...? It was barely still aligned with the diamond.


    But there was still an undeniable spark of hope shining in Athen''s eyes, and his stretched-out hand was still there, not yet put down.


    Because...when he looked down, it was not grass below him.


    The hundreds of spiritual figures that had been rushing at him from behind had finally caught up.

 Spiritual Escape

    Below Athen lay over ten spiritual figures, all crowding around the position right below Athen''s descending feet.


    It was like a Plinko machine...but Athen was the Plinko.


    Perhaps sensing Athen''s impending descent, the spiritual figures suddenly all looked up...at the exact same time.


    All of a sudden, there were now over a hundred pairs of eyes intensely and carefully watching Athen every more.


    Feeling his skin start to itch and tremble due to the hundreds of gazes on him, Athen shook his head.


    Making eye contact with the figures, who were staring at him with pure bloodlust and untamed desire in their eyes, Athen''s confidence started to waver.


    Ignoring the crawling sensation that coursed through his entire body as a result of all the attention, Athen carefully scanned the area below him for the perfect target.


    And there, right next to the trunk of the tree, lay the perfect candidate.


    A familiar one at that...


    With greenish-yellow eyes and silky black hair, Alice, surrounded by a light-blue hue, lifelessly stared up at him from beside the tree trunk.


    She just happened to be in the perfect position, right? It wasn''t like Athen wanted revenge for her almost imprisoning him and ruining dreams!


    Phasing right through some low-hanging branches, Athen pushed his shoes together and made them perfectly perpendicular to the ground.


    Then, after Athen descended for a couple more seconds, he finally felt his shoes suddenly touch something concrete again.


    Taking a short glance downward, Athen spotted his two shoes sitting right atop Alice''s glossy black hair.


    Shrinking under the pressure of Athen''s weight, Alice''s figure started crumbling, lowering both her and Athen.


    And, in stark contrast to her original personality, Alice didn''t have a pissed-off or arrogant expression on her face, despite Athen being stacked on her like two Jenga pieces on each other.


    Feeling himself get lower to the ground and closer down to the horde of spiritual figures, Athen smiled before propelling himself upward.


    Phasing right through the branches above him, Athen immediately raised both his hands up as high as he could.


    With both his arms stretched up to the sky, Athen continued ascending...until, finally, he went right through the tree''s highest branch.


    Right above him, overlapping with the half-crescent moon, lay his diamond...his precious diamond.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The thing that had given him hope.


    A gemstone he considered useless at one point now seemed to be the most important thing in his life.


    "...how ironic..."


    After discovering it was a fake diamond, Athen wanted to smash it into pieces out of anger.


    Yet...now, he was risking his life just for the chance to get it back.


    Glittering under the moon''s shine, the diamond, frozen in the air, appeared to be waiting for Athen as it floated in right above the highest branch of the tree.


    Seeing the diamond between his stretched-out hands, Athen slowly moved his palms closer and closer together until they were less than a centimeter away from it.


    If his hands got any closer...he knew what would happen.


    They would simply phase through the diamond.


    At that moment, as Athen''s hands patiently surrounded the diamond, he felt himself start to fall.


    And this time, as he looked down, Athen saw the green grass of the forest below him, devoid of any figures..


    As Athen titled his head and looked further downwards, he saw the hundreds of spiritual figures to the side.


    "...they learned."


    None of them were close enough for Athen to land on their head and jump back up again.


    They had purposely gotten out of Athen''s landing zone to prevent him from escaping into the air once again.


    And...as he had learned from his previous experiences, Athen couldn''t phase through the ground below him to escape.


    Actually, he couldn''t even touch the ground.


    His shoes, still surrounded by the light-blue hue, would simply float above the ground as if there was a barrier separating him from the floor below.


    However, Athen actually considered this a good thing in the past, as if it were not for this barrier, he would permanently phase through the ground until his ability was deactivated.


    Then, he would inevitably suffocate to death or be crushed by stone and dirt.


    But now... this meant there would be no escape if he fell now.


    His landing zone was empty...but surrounded by hundreds of spiritual figures, like a moshpit right before the beat drop of a song.


    Moving his trembling hands so close to the diamond that his fingers started to flicker in and out of sight as they phased through the diamond before going back outside, Athen closed his eyes.


    If there was one good thing about this damned world where everyone was a spiritual figure...it was that there was no noise.


    Everything was silent.


    Nobody in this world could make noise.


    While some may find this lack of sound creepy, Athen personally found solace in it.


    In his overcrowded and trashy hometown, it was almost possible to find a place that wasn''t noisy.


    It could have been midnight in the most secluded alleyway in the town, and Athen still would have heard drunks screaming loudly or the echoing footsteps of the homeless wandering the town.


    However, as Athen focused on his body, that pure silence faded.


    "BA-dum... BA-dum..."


    "BA-dum... BA-dum..."


    Breaking the silence, the sound of Athen''s heartbeat emerged.


    It was odd, really...he was a spirit, yet he still had a heart and some of his other organs?


    How was that possible!?


    Unfortunately, Athens did not currently have the time to consider the contradicting aspects of this unnatural power.


    Shaking his head, he muttered.


    "Yet...during the middle of a war, those damned philosophers do."


    In the end, Athen knew his only chance of getting out of this situation alive was for him to activate his power again somehow.


    Even if he left the diamond behind and ran, his capture would be inevitable, considering the sheer number of people following him.


    He would just be prolonging the eventual choice.


    If activating his power took him inside this world...then it also had to be able to take him out.


    As the sound of his heartbeat slowly faded away, returning silence to the world, Athen clasped his hands together.


    However...nothing happened.


    Immediately opening his eyes, Athen attempted to look downward...but his head wouldn''t move.


    In fact, despite his brain''s desperate commands, his entire body didn''t budge a single inch.

 A Crack in the Sky

    Although Athen should have been panicking as he had completely lost control over his body and become paralyzed, there was one good thing.


    He wasn''t falling.


    His height wasn''t increasing or decreasing.


    He wasn''t getting any closer to the horde of spiritual figures below, and his hands were staying near the diamond.


    *CRACK*


    Breaking the silence of this world once again, the sound of glass cracking echoed throughout the forest.


    However...the sound was far too loud.


    It had to be close by.


    Confused, Athen attempted to swivel his head to find the nearby cause of the noise, but his head simply stayed still, disobeying his brain''s commands.


    Although he could move the pupils in his eyes to look from his right to center to the left, his head wouldn''t move around.


    Exasperated, Athen closed his eyes with a sigh, attempting to make sense of the whole situation.


    Reopening his eyes, Athen slowly moved his pupils up, attempting to get a glance at the sky above.


    What if he had already survived the punishment?


    Was it already daytime!?


    It was still dark outside...but maybe, just maybe, the clock had just ticked past 11:59 PM and began the new day at 12:00 AM!


    However, when Athen''s pupils reached the top of his eyes, and the sky came into view...an internal scream echoed throughout his body.


    If he could move, his entire body would have been trembling with fear, his eyes wide open, and his mouth letting out an ear-curdling screech.


    He had found the cause of the cracking noise...


    The pitch-black sky, partially lit up by the countless stars and half-crescent moon, was... split in half.


    There was a crack in the sky.


    A huge zig-zag line ran through the sky, separating the right and left parts of the sky to cut it in half.


    The line even ran through a star...and separated it.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Half of the star was on the left, with the other half on the left...however, they weren''t aligned in the slightest.


    The half of the star on the left portion of the sky was elevated and farther apart from the right part.


    Peering into the sky further, Athen...looked past the crack.


    And, behind the crack, lay what seemed to be... a void of pitch-darkness.


    If it weren''t for the stars that lit up the right and left portions of the sky, Athen wouldn''t have even been able to discern the fact that there was a crack.


    Devoid of any light or stars, the area in the middle of the sky and behind the crack was colored a much darker shade of black.


    It was like a sandwich...if Athen could describe it.


    A horrifying one.


    The buns were the navy-blue top and right portions of the sky, and the area in the middle, behind the crack, was pitch-black.


    Unable to comprehend how the sky could have been cracked, Athen''s pupils began to tremble and desperately shake in his eyes.


    Then, Athen noticed something as he continued staring at the crack in shock.


    Was it just him...or was the crack getting closer and closer to him with every passing second...?


    As if responding to his question, the crack suddenly widened and came closer, at least from Athen''s point of view.


    The previously small crack in the sky... was now massive.


    It used to cover around 10% of his vision, while the right and left portions of the sky covered the other 90%.


    But now...the crack was 40% of his vision and growing...


    He couldn''t even look away...everywhere he moved his pupils, the crack was still there.


    At that moment, his body suddenly moved.


    But Athen hadn''t told his brain to move his body.


    It began flying... upwards.


    Ignoring the laws of gravity, Athen''s body suddenly flew upwards and above the tree...and diamond.


    His body...it was being sucked into the crack in the sky.


    The pitch-black crack was now 90...no 92...no 99% of Athen''s vision.


    With his body still completely frozen, Athen flew upwards into the crack in the sky, like a basketball going into the net of a hoop.


    However, unlike a basketball that could barely fit into a hoop, the crack was at least 1000 times bigger than Athen.


    In other words, it was impossible to miss in this basketball game of Athen and the sky''s crack.


    Giving up, Athen simply gazed into the void of pitch-darkness as his body fully entered the crack.


    And just as his body entered the crack, it closed behind him, like a door slamming shut behind you after you entered a store.


    Of course, Athen did not see the crack close as he couldn''t move his body...but he could tell.


    Pitch-darkness.


    Everywhere.


    If the crack was still open, there would still be some light from the stars shining on the outside, but this void around Athen was pitch-black.


    As he moved his pupils downwards, he couldn''t even see his own hand.


    His entire body was shrouded in pitch-darkness, completely invisible, with his ocean-blue pupils seeming to simply float in the air.


    Athen couldn''t even tell if he was closing his eyes or not.


    Whether he had them open or closed, his vision remained pitch-black.


    It was...unsettling if Athen could describe it.


    As his thoughts began to slow and Athen slowly gave up, one question emerged from his mind.


    Do I...even exist?


    It felt as if...Athen was just a part of a whole.


    Not an individual with their own thoughts or feelings.


    Like a spec of sand on a beach.


    He was one...with the pitch-black darkness.


    He was nowhere...but everywhere at the same time.


    Everywhere the pitch-darkness went, he was there.


    He couldn''t see anything to confirm it, but his body was telling him that it was true.


    It was as if...he had merged with darkness itself.


    He was no longer Athen...just a small particle of darkness in this void that seemed to stretch for infinity.

 Last Words

    As Athen''s mind began to slow and descend into complacency, his pupils froze, giving up on resisting whatever force had trapped him in this void.


    Maybe...being here wasn''t so bad.


    The outside world was so full...of challenges...and work.


    Entering the academy was just the first step in Athen''s arduous journey ahead.


    From here, he would have to excel in magic when... he had just seen it for the first time a couple of hours ago.


    Not to mention, he was at risk of being kicked out of the academy and possibly being imprisoned at any time if someone found out the truth of his admission.


    After successfully graduating from the academy, which would be a miracle in itself, Athens would have to find a well-paying job.


    But was that it?


    Nope!


    Every day, for at least ten years, Athen would have to work at his acquired job to earn money to survive.


    Finally...after that, he would be able to retire with a shit load of money, right?


    If...he didn''t die of boredom and depression first.


    It was one thing after another with no heaven in sight, simply more hellish hours of work.


    What was the point of it all?


    However...in this pitch-black void, none of that mattered.


    Wealth, money, political power...they were nonexistent.


    Closing his eyes, Athen allowed his chaotic mind to come to a halt as if he were preparing to fall asleep.


    Athen...he was happy here, wasn''t he?


    Why was he trying to do all this work for happiness and freedom by entering the academy...when it was right here, in this pitch-black void, just waiting for him?


    His mind was at peace here, and his worries were dissipating with each passing second.


    How am I going to escape!?


    How am I going to survive the punishment for using my ability?


    How am I going to enter the academy without being caught?


    None of that mattered to Athen anymore.


    As Athen clung to his last piece of consciousness, his figure began to descend deeper and deeper into the pitch-black void.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Oblivious to the movement of his own body, Athen let himself go, accepting the feeling of relaxation and leisure that had somehow crept into his body.


    But, just as Athen''s last thought disappeared, his eyes suddenly flickered open as he felt a gust of wind rushing against his face, as if he were a dog with his head out of the window.


    *WHOOSH*


    *WHOOSH*


    Angry that something had dared to interrupt his state of tranquility and pure peace, Athen immediately opened his eyes.


    However, to his shock...and displeasure, the scenery around him...wasn''t a pitch-black void.


    It was somehow worse.


    As Athen''s pupils reached the top of his eyes, his mind suddenly began racing with countless thoughts, reawakening from its slumber back in the pitch-black void.


    Above him lay...what could barely be called a sky.


    The normal pure-blue sky was drenched in blood-red color, making it seem as if the atmosphere itself was...bleeding.


    Blending right in, a moon, colored a mix of dark red and magenta, came into view, shining right down on Athen.


    Lowering his pupils, Athen examined his surroundings, noticing how the moon cast an ominous and murderous aura down with its dark red color.


    Athen''s figure seemed to be sitting down and leaning against something while looking up, as even when his pupils were at their lowest, Athen was unable to see his own body.


    Refocusing on his surroundings, Athen could only describe his current line of sight... as a battleground.


    No...that was far too nice.


    A purge?


    No.


    It was the end of the world.


    Mountains of body, all unrecognizable to Athen, lay to his left and right, and the fields of grass around him were painted blood-red.


    The rocks, various machinery, bodies, and hundreds of flipped-over carriages around Athen had only one thing in common.


    Blood-red.


    One body even lay next to Athen...its pale skin covered in debris, and... its body had a gigantic hole, big enough to fit a basketball through, in its stomach.


    Beyond that, Athen could see rivers of light-red lava, accompanied by clouds of smoke that seemed to stretch up to the sky.


    The entire terrain was flat, with no buildings or any marks of civilization left standing.


    Unfortunately...or fortunately in this case, Athen couldn''t see most of the terrain below as his head was angled upwards, and of course, he was unable to move it.


    As his mind ran wild, trying to comprehend how he had been transported to this doomsday-like scene, a sudden sound echoed through the previously silent space.


    *CLAP*


    *CLAP*


    Interrupting Athen mid-thought, "his" head suddenly moved, looking downwards at its own body.


    And then''s when Athen realized.


    Athen wasn''t Athen...right now.


    A pair of battered legs entered his visions, half of it covered in the iron armor while the other half was burned to a crisp, colored a pitch-black.


    Without any input from Athen, the body suddenly jerked, causing the mouth to suddenly open and spit out blood on the floor below.


    And as Athen gazed at the puddle of blood below, seeing the body''s reflection, his mind halted.


    The figure seen in the reflection was a completely different person than Athen.


    Having a pure-white beard alongside countless scars on his face, the figure seemed to be at least fifty years old.


    But, what was most concerning of all was the tennis-ball-shaped hole in the figure''s throat, which Athen could clearly see in the blood''s reflection.


    Yet...Athen felt no pain.


    Not giving Athen any time to think or react, a sudden voice sounded from what seemed like only a couple of meters away.


    "You''ve managed to survive? Impressive."


    Again, without any commands from Athen, the figure''s head suddenly moved upwards and in the direction of the voice.


    Only a couple meters ahead of Athen lay a figure with two pitch-black wings protruding from his back alongside a ghostly grin.


    Nearing Athen''s current body, which refused to move no matter how much he commanded it to, the figure leaned downwards, making eye contact.


    "Unfortunately, this is the end. With you, the human race is officially exterminated."


    Pausing for a moment, the winged figure suddenly raised his hands and excitedly said,


    "Oh! I''ve heard humans use this phrase a lot! Any last words?"


    "I''m Timeless."

 Timeless

    Shocking both Athen and the winged figure, a feint, yet unmistakable, set of words emerged from the old man''s mouth.


    "I''m Timeless."


    His throat was busted up...and his vocal cords were erased from existence...yet the white-bearded figure had spoken.


    Immediately, the winged figure''s expression transformed from a creepy grin into one of utter panic.


    His pupils began to tremble and race around in his eyes, and his breath began to quicken as he increased his pace to sprint.


    "What...what are y-"


    Ignoring the incoming winged figure, "Timeless" looked down at his body once again, revealing countless more wounds all over his chest and legs.


    However, despite being in the face of death...the bearded figure was oddly calm.


    Through the puddle of blood on the ground, Athen could see "Timeless" calmly gazing at his harshly injured body without any signs of urgency or panic.


    Hearing the sound of rapid footsteps became louder and louder, "Timeless" slowly looked up, making eye contact with the now-frantic winged figure.


    Not breaking eye contact, "Timeless" simply leaned backward before raising his hands and stretching them out above his head.


    *CRACK~CRACK*


    "In the next one..."


    As the sound of knuckles cracking echoed throughout the area, the winged figure''s body became surrounded by a dark red hue, his speed increasing tenfold.


    But, before the winged figure could receive his answer and reach the bearded figure, Athen''s vision suddenly went dark.


    W-what the?


    And just like that...he was back in the pitch-black void?


    Or was he?


    He honestly couldn''t tell if his eyes were being forcefully closed or if he was simply back in the void.


    As if responding to his question, a sudden spark of light, covering maybe 4% of Athen''s line of sight, appeared in the exact middle of his vision.


    ...huh?


    Without any input from Athen, his body once again moved, stretching his hands out toward the sparkling dot of light.


    As Athen''s finger touched the dot of light, his surroundings suddenly shifted as the pitch-black void disappeared, replaced by a lush, green plain.


    Surprised at the...tranquility of his new setting, Athen found himself in the middle of a field of grass.


    Unlike the last figure he was spectating, this new one seemed to be aimlessly walking around while swiveling his head in every direction as if he were trying to find something.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Although he had no mirrors or puddles to see what the new figure he was spectating looked like, Athen was able to form a visual model in his head.


    The figure wore navy blue jeans and a striped collared shirt, and surprisingly, he was completely healthy.


    The sky above was colored a light blue, and the bright yellow sun shined down on the world, casting a wholesome, jolly mood.


    Suddenly halting, the figure glanced downward, honing in on a specific patch of grass.


    Then, in a swift and quick motion, the figure threw his hands forward at a piece of grass, creating a circle around it with his two arms.


    "I got you!"


    ...?


    The piece of grass had transformed...into a human?


    A small child with long black hair and blueish-green pupils stood where the blade of the grass used to be.


    Placing his hands around the child, the figure delicately grabbed her legs before raising her up to the sky.


    With a sweet smile on her face, the child delightfully twiddled a strand of her black hair before exclaiming.


    "Dada, how do you always find me!?"


    Before the figure could respond, a sudden voice sounded from behind the two of them.


    "Aktaio, it''s time to head back in."


    Hearing his daughter chuckle as he raised her up and down in the air, Aktaio smiled before replying.


    "Why don''t you come out for a bit, Aliki?"


    Placing his daughter atop his shoulders, Aktaio turned around to face the source of the voice, revealing a woman with long black hair and greenish-yellow pupils who seemed to be in her mid-twenties.


    Dressed in pure-black clothes, the figure promptly walked right in front of him before carefully taking the girl into her own hands.


    Placing the squirming child on the ground, she turned to face Aktaio, a grin slowly spreading across her face.


    At first, Athen had seen some semblance between Alice, the girl who had snitched on him, and Aliki, but seeing the beautiful smile on the flawless face before him, all those thoughts disappeared.


    She was like a blooming cherry blossom tree in the spring...


    Removing a hair tie from her pocket and putting it in her mouth, Aliki brushed her hair backward and carefully tied her jet-black hair in a high ponytail before saying.


    "Ah...why can''t life just be like this forever?"


    Indeed, with the beautiful woman in front of him, coupled with the light-yellow sun, pure-blue sky, and blooming flowers, Athen had to admit that the scene was something he would never forget.


    In the real world, Athen was going to come back here...one day.


    Shifting his gaze downwards at his daughter, who was already back in the fields of grass and trying to hide, Aktaio replied.


    "Forever...huh?"


    However, as Aktai gazed back up, Athen was finally able to see the man''s face through Aliki''s pupil.


    The man with a well-groomed face, devoid of any scars, had black hair and a pair of deep-blue eyes.


    However....in contrast to the jolly mood around him, Aktaio now wore a deathly grim expression with his eyes drooped and shoulders slumped.


    At that moment, Athen''s vision went dark for a moment as Aktaio, the figure he was spectating, presumably blinked.


    But when Aktaio reopened his eyes, the scenery around...had completely transformed.


    Aktai and the daughter were nowhere to be seen, and a pile of burned rubble had replaced the house in the distance.


    The lush, green grass, alive and flourishing a moment ago, was now completely grey.


    In fact, everything around Athen was grey, even the sky, and devoid of any colors.


    Suddenly, a defeated and exhausted voice came out of Aktaio''s mouth.


    "Well...I guess it''s my fault; I gave up halfway through...I guess I''ll pass on the torch now."


    "After all...I am Timeless."


    Then, without any warning, Athen''s vision suddenly shifted.


    Now, he was in the middle of what seemed to be a camp, as hundreds of tents were pitched around him, each colored red and decorated with a symbol of two swords clashing.


    Before Athen could examine the war camp anymore, the figure he was spectating suddenly looked down.


    And, right below him lay a woman with long silver-white hair sprawled out on the floor.


    Her eyes were blissfully closed, her pure-white uniform covered in dark red spots, and she was lying on a makeshift stretcher.


    Staring at the dead body below him, the new figure Athen was spectating simply sighed before sadly remarking.


    "I promise...the next me...will keep you safe."


    "I, Timeless, will make sure of it."


    As those last words came out, Athen suddenly felt his surroundings shift again, and his vision became pitch-black once again.


    But...one thing was different.


    *RING*


    As a loud sound echoed around him, Athen subconsciously raised his hands and immediately covered his ears.


    It was then that he realized he had regained control.

 Predecessors

    Not wasting a single second, Athen immediately sprinted forward at full speed, attempting to escape from the pitch-black void.


    When he had been frozen, he had almost succumbed to the pitch-black void and went to sleep.


    What would have happened if he hadn''t felt that sudden gust of wind on his face?


    Would he have truly become...one with the darkness then?


    Pushing aside those thoughts, Athen simply ran and ran, even though there was no exit in sight.


    If he stopped...then would his body be frozen again?


    However, as Athen''s pace started to slow and he began to pant like a dog, a sudden spark of light appeared to his right...and then left.


    Still running forward, Athen glanced to his left, seeing a ball of light simply floating in the pitch-black void.


    However, as he stared at the ball of light longer and longer...Athen quickly realized it wasn''t really a ball of light...


    They were...memories.


    In the ball of pure light, Athen could see the backdrop of a mountain, and on top of that mountain stood a figure with jet-black hair.


    Frozen, the figure simply stared up at the sky, which was colored a light orange, until finally, his mouth slowly opened.


    "So...I can choose whether to end or continue this...because I''m Timeless..?"


    Looking away from the light ball and back forward, Athen''s eyes suddenly widened in shock.


    There was no longer a pitch-black void...it was more like a street during nighttime with a bunch of lamposts lighting it up.


    Hundreds...no thousands of balls of light were lined up on his right and left, highlighting his figure as he continued sprinting forward.


    Although Athen couldn''t look into each specific ball anymore as there were far too many, there was one thing in common among all of them.


    The sound.


    You would think, considering the thousands of bulbs of light, that the sound emitted would be just a bunch of mixed-up and incomprehensible English.


    However, one phrase kept on popping up over and over again, emerging from the thousands of voices.


    For this to happen, that would mean all the figures in each of these light balls were saying the same exact phrase at the same exact time...over and over again.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I''m Timeless."


    "I''m Timeless."


    "I''m Timeless."


    Covering his ears due to the sheer amount of noise generated by the balls of light, Athen muttered.


    "I GET IT; YOU''RE TIMELESS!"


    Despite all of this, Athen continued running...because as he lifted his head and stared forward, he realized something.


    The darkness...it was fading with every step he took.


    And, at the very end of Athen''s sight, a familiar crack came into view, but behind that crack, instead of there being more darkness, there was light.


    Escape.


    However, as Athen glanced backward, he quickly noticed that the balls of light behind him were rapidly disappearing, plunging the area back into the darkness.


    If he didn''t get out now...he would be stuck here forever.


    Increasing his pace to the maximum, Athen ignored the searing pain in his heart and aching in his legs.


    "What if I..."


    Swerving off the path, Athen ran towards one of the balls of light on his left that hadn''t yet disappeared.


    Stopping a few meters away from the ball, Athen pressed his right leg down on the floor.


    Propelling himself off the floor of the pitch-black void, Athen exploded into the air with his feet nearly at the height of the ball of light.


    Mid-air, Athen stretched his right foot out to the maximum until he finally felt it touch something concrete.


    Then, without any hesitation, Athen pushed his right foot down on the light orb with as much strength as possible.


    Gaining even more height, Athen pushed himself off the ball of the light, watching as it flickered before disappearing behind him.


    As the crack filled with the light came closer and closer, Athen, still in the air, stretched out both his hands as far forward as he could.


    *SHATTER*


    *SHATTER*


    Just as Athen''s hands reached the entrance to the crack, the orbs of light to his right and left suddenly shattered.


    *SHATTER*


    *SHATTER


    As the fingertip of his middle finger went through the crack, the last set of light orbs broke, causing the room to descend back into darkness.


    And, there in the pitch-black void, floating in the air in a diving position, lay Athen, completely frozen.


    Only a centimeter in front of his levitating body was the crack, which was still open and filled with light.


    However, this time, it wasn''t just his body that was frozen.


    His thoughts, brain...everything was paralyzed.


    *Tap~tap*


    *Tap~tap*


    Breaking the silence in the void, a pair of footsteps sounded throughout the area.


    The owner of these footsteps, with ocean-blue eyes and short black hair, leisurely walked towards Athen''s frozen floating figure with no regard for time.


    Stopping momentarily, the figure stared at Athen for a moment...before clapping his hands


    *Clap~clap*


    *Clap~clap*


    Continuing to walk toward Athen, the figure smiled before enthusiastically remarking.


    "That''s the farthest one of us has ever made it in this room...isn''t it?"


    "Perhaps he could be the one to finish it...no, what am I saying? It''s far too early to make a judgment."


    Reaching Athen, the figure simply stood and stared for a moment, muttering.


    "It feels weird being on the other side now...it was just yesterday I was in his position."


    Rubbing his hands together, the figure stood still...however, at the same time, his body was slowly going further and further up.


    The pitch-black void was specifically raising the area around him up to Athen, as if responding to his will and internal order to be lifted.


    Reaching Athen''s height, the figure placed his right palm on Athen''s hair before closing his eyes.


    "Well..I guess it''s my turn."


    "Thousands of years of information...all yours, now."


    After a couple of seconds, the figure''s eyes suddenly flickered open.


    With droplets of sweat falling from his face, the figure desperately gasped for air while slowly removing his hand.


    Wiping the sweat off his forehead, the figure crouched downwards, placing his mouth to Athen''s ear.


    "One last thing for now. Don''t forget...w-...no... you are Timeless."

 A Loopers Legacy

    After saying those last few words and finishing his transfer of information, the figure simply rubbed his hands together before descending to the ground.


    The gaze on the figure''s face as he stared at Athen''s frozen and floating body could only be described as pitiful and sympathetic.


    Finally looking away from Athen, the figure glanced to the right and began drawing on the air before him with his fingers.


    In unison, the area of the pitch-black void the figure was facing started to shift as small ocean-blue particles began to appear in the air.


    Tracking the figure movements of the figure, the ocean-blue particles acted as paint when the figure''s figure was a brush.


    "This loop is yours as the body''s current possessor...but there is one thing you must do."


    Staring at the words that the ocean-blue particles had formed, the figure let out a deep and resigned sigh before raising his hand again.


    The words in the air were heavily distorted and warped due to the pitch-black void, which was starting to merge with the ocean-blue particles and corrupt the words in the air.


    However, to the figure, these words were unmistakable.


    "After all... it is what caused my loop''s end."


    K??????i?????????????????l?????????????????l?????????????????? ???????????????h???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????r????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????b????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????r????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????o????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????h???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????r????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????b????????????????e???f????????????o?????????????????????????r?????????????????????????e??????????? ???????????????i???????????????????????t???????????????????? ??????????????????????i???????s????????????????? ???????????????????t?????????????????o???????????????????o??????????????????????? ????????????????l????a??????????????????t??????????????????e?????????????????.??????????Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Unlike the memories and pieces of information that the figure had transferred earlier to help and guide Athen, this phrase was a command...one that he could not disobey.


    Like a judge sentencing a criminal to death, the figure wore a grim expression as his body began to tremble, preventing him from concisely moving his hands.


    "N-no, I have to..."


    Why did he have to?


    The figure honestly did not know, but the one before him had said so...and so had the one before that one... and the one before that one as well.


    They had all said it was necessary...and therefore, it was required in the figure''s mind.


    After all, they were all him as well...so why wouldn''t they be helping him?


    No matter the varying methods or ideologies each of them had, they all had the same goal in the end.


    Making up his mind, the figure steeled himself, biting his tongue to distract himself from other thoughts.


    Tasting the sharp and metallic flavor of his own blood, the figure grimaced before moving his palms.


    Following the figure''s hand movements, the set of words ascended in the air before floating towards Athen''s body.


    Then, within a couple of seconds, the command merged with Athen''s body, disappearing from sight... forever.


    And that was it.


    This would be the last time the figure saw Athen...in person.


    Of course, he would have to continuously add more information into his body when his mind had finished translating the memories he had just added, so his job wasn''t necessarily done.


    Taking one last glance at Athen''s frozen figure, he smiled and muttered.


    "Remember those words...Good luck... Athen. You''ll need it in this cruel and terrible world."


    "You can''t even trust yourself..."


    The next moment, the figure had disappeared, leaving Athen alone in the pitch-black void.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    An unknown amount of time after the disappearance of the figure, the scenery began to shift as the pitch-black void seemed to shatter.


    Above Athen, the pure light-blue sky came into view, devoid of any clouds and allowing the sun to shine through perfectly.


    Below his still-frozen body, the forest could be seen, sparkling under the rays of the sun and barren of any figures...even spiritual ones.


    To the right of the forest and next to a couple of buildings, thousands of frozen students could be seen sitting on foldable chairs in front of a massive stage.


    Although the stage was empty, the expressions of the motionless students were apprehensive and nervous.


    And, on top of the stage, a bright red banner decorated with pure gold and diamond jewels was strung, displaying the words, "Orientation Day!"


    Various animals could be seen, with birds flying well above the stage and squirrels sitting atop trees, seeming to watch the event.


    However, despite all of this, there was not a single bit of noise or movement.


    In fact, throughout the entire world, on every single continent, piece of land, and ship, not a single sound was made.


    That was until...


    A couple of seconds later, Athen''s figure could be seen sitting atop the top branch of the highest tree in the forest.


    His hair was messy and spiky, as if he had just woken up from a long nap, and his uniform was covered in autumn leaves but thankfully unstained by the dirt on the ground


    And right above him, floating in the air, lay a light-blue diamond, dazzling and sparkling under the sun''s shine.


    *Chirp~chirp!*


    *Tweet~tweet*


    As the sound of birds chirping and humming sounded throughout the forest, Athen''s right eyelid suddenly flickered open.


    Before Athen could even react or make sense of his surroundings, the diamond suddenly continued its descent.


    Falling right between Athen''s hands, which were stretched upwards, the diamond landed right on the... top portion of his pants.


    "AHHHH! IT HURTS! AH!"


    As Athen''s shrieks of pain echoed, countless frightened birds took off into the air, causing countless more leaves to fall onto him.


    Panting as if he had just a marathon, which in his eyes he had, Athen immediately grabbed the diamond, holding it tight in his grasp, before looking downward.


    And thankfully, there were no thousands of spiritual figures below waiting to merge with him.


    It seemed like he had survived the punishment...for now.


    "w-what time is it!?"


    Noticing the sun shining bright and the clear blue sky, Athen immediately recalled the fact that orientation would be starting soon.


    Putting aside his...experience last night, Athen immediately began descending from the tree, going from branch to branch until he finally reached the ground.


    Breaking out into a sprint as soon as he reached the ground, Athen attempted to dust the leaves off his hair while making sure his uniform was clean enough.


    Leaving the forest and stepping foot onto a path, Athen hesitated for a moment as a gigantic stage alongside hundreds...no thousands of sitting students came into view.

 Name Choosing

    "Did I miss it..?"


    Shifting his gaze away from the students, Athen eventually spotted the empty stage, letting out a sigh of relief.


    If he had been officially late and the school decided to punish him, he could have been very well caught on the first day by some teacher.


    After all...his current identity wasn''t even his, so with a bit of investigation, the truth might come out.


    Wearing a nonchalant expression, Athen sauntered down the path and toward the entrance of the square-shaped plaza where the stage and students were located.


    Nearing the end of the path, Athen spotted a figure with glasses waiting with a clipboard in his hands.


    Not noticing Athen, the teacher tiredly stared at the clipboard in his hands, aching from last night''s work of setting up the massive event.


    Now that Athen was officially in the academy, he had two options.


    He could act as one of those nobles who donated to the poor and performed community service to better their academy.


    Those chummy protagonist-like characters with an outgoing personality and always a nice smile


    Or...he could be one of those arrogant assholes who believed that the world was supposed to bend to their and only their will.


    The choice was quite clear.


    Of course, this was all an act.


    The second someone called him out and asked to fight, Athen would have no choice but to fold.


    After all, he had never even touched a wand, or magic for that matter, while the other students here had most likely come from prestigious schools where they were exposed to spells on the daily.


    Or did he...?


    Athen was sure that his time-stopping ability would allow him to win against most students their first time fighting, no matter the other person''s capabilities or experience.


    For all he cared, the other person could be the best student in the school, but his time-stopping ability would most definitely prevail.


    Unlike teleportation spells, there was no way to tell if someone was using Athen''s ability.


    He would simply disappear and reappear without any delay behind the person.


    This would only work one duel, though, as once the others figured he had a teleportion-like ability, they would find counters.


    So, all he had to do was set one precedent.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    A precedent so horrific that no one would dare question his ability.


    Now that he was in the academy, Athen was no longer afraid of attracting attention...actually, he welcomed it.


    If he was just some no-name, the academy wouldn''t hesitate to punish him for sneaking in and stealing the diamond when they found out.


    However, if he was a well-known figure, there would be a whole scandal and controversy surrounding the academy if he was caught, so the academy wouldn''t be able to boot him out as easily.


    Wearing a smug expression, Athen let out a dry cough, causing the tired teacher to glance upward from his clipboard.


    Reaching under his glasses and rubbing his bloodshot-red eyes, the teacher sighed before finally asking.


    "Name?"


    While Athen did have plenty of reasons to come at this teacher, such as his slacking off work to sleep or clear unprofessionalism, he decided to just be civil.


    After all, these were teachers who could discipline, punish, and make his life hell for simply disrespecting them.


    "Kai."


    Hearing Athen''s response, the teacher seemed to write something down on his clipboard for gesturing forward.


    "Seat #4"


    "Thank you, sir!"


    Suddenly, as Athen began walking away, the teacher''s eyes widened, and his glasses nearly fell off of his face.


    "Wait...Kai, as i-"


    Leaving the muttering teacher behind, he continued forward, not trying to hide the nametag on his shirt.


    Athen had thought about the teacher''s question a lot and, in the end, decided to use Kai''s name for this event as he had the collared shirt already.


    After that, though...Athen would have to find the name of the diamond''s original recipient.


    The two men he had stolen the diamond from had gone straight from his hometown to the academy on the flying ship, so there was no way they could have noticed their mistake yet.


    But...it was only a matter of time before someone within the school noticed.


    Then, his whole act as a Celestial Academy student would be done...finished and over.


    He had until then to establish himself within the school.


    And what better place to start than this orientation, where every student and teacher was gathered?


    Glancing at the seats right before the stage, Athen spotted the nametag "Kai #4" alongside two familiar faces.


    Beside Kai''s chair, which was surprisingly empty, were both Alice and Delphi, who were both intentfully gazing at the stage.


    "Well...guess I can''t sit there."


    In contrast to the other student''s plain uniforms, their blazers were adorned with countless golden buttons and other various symbols that Athen couldn''t comprehend.


    Anyway, Athen decided not to stare too long and immediately began walking to the seats furthest away from the stage, hoping to find an empty one.


    The orientation almost seemed like a cult gathering.


    Every student in front of him was wearing the same pitch-black jeans and shirt with a single symbol attached to their collar and their name next to it.


    Well...who was he to complain? He had risked his life to join this cult!


    However, before Athen could even reach the back row of seats, a tight force suddenly gripped his shoulder.


    Then, before he could react, his entire body was pulled forward and into the row of seats he was closest to.


    Finding himself sitting on an empty seat, Athen confusedly stared around for a second before finally hearing a voice sound from his right.


    "Where the hell have you been!? I''ve been waiting for you for at least two hours now!"


    Did some random student mistake him for someone else?


    If so...now was the perfect time to begin his arrogant master act.


    First impressions were critical, so Athen had to make this perfect.


    As his first victim, this student would have to be the one to begin spreading rumors about Athen''s terrible and violent behavior.


    "Who the hell do you t-"


    However, as Athen looked at the owner of the voice, he suddenly stopped.


    "..?"


    Trying to salvage the situation, Athen smiled and patted the boy on the back before saying.


    "Kai...my friend!"


    Either ignoring or not caring about Athen''s rude first words, Kai returned a smile before leaning in and placing his mouth to Athen''s ears.


    "I assume you used my name to enter this event?"

 Faceless

    Seeing Athen''s expression immediately turn grim, Kai began frantically waving his hands before continuing.


    "Don''t worry...Ren, I used your name as well! I''ll admit it was a bit hard to find it, though. I had to wait until every student besides us two entered and then find the only name left unchecked beside mine."


    "Trust me...awkwardly waiting by the teacher for over two hours while watching countless students pass by you is not the play."


    Nodding his head sympathetically, Athen returned a smile and noted the name that Kai had called him by.


    Then, before Kai could continue garnering sympathy from him, Athen interrupted.


    "I go by Athen now...and thanks for waiting, but why?"


    Although Athen''s memory of yesterday was foggy due to his experience in the pitch-black void, he could vaguely recall being told by a girl that Kai was some sort of celebrity.


    Shouldn''t it be the other way around?


    That''s when Athen saw it.


    On the collar of Kai''s shirt was a nametag that read, "Ren."


    How had he managed to sew that name onto his shirt so fast...?


    Letting out a dry cough, Kai anxiously glanced around for a second, making sure nobody was listening, before finally replying.


    "Ah, Athen, I was wondering if we could switch places for the day...!"


    When Athen saw Kai''s empty seat before the stage, he had considered the option as it would get him some attention, but his memory wasn''t hazy enough to forget what had happened with Alice.


    He would surely be caught by Alice, if not by someone else when he tried impersonation again.


    Ignoring Kai''s desperate gaze, Athen glanced upwards at Kai''s assigned seat, spotting Alice, Delphi, and a couple of other students alongside numbers behind each of their seats.


    All of them had their chins up high, perfect posture, luxurious accessories like necklaces and rings, and flawless, well-groomed facial features.


    In other words, they were the opposite of Athen.


    Vehemently shaking his head, Athen turned back to face Kai and pointed ahead with one figure and at himself with the other.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Really? You want me to go up there?"


    Masking his laughter with a clearly fake cough, Kai took a second to regain his composure before also pointing ahead.


    "Look at him; you guys are pretty similar!"


    Following Kai''s finger, Athen spotted a boy much taller than him with spiky-brown hair and a friendly expression sitting on the seat marked #2.


    Despite their differences in physique...Athen did see Kai''s point somewhat.


    The boy clearly stood out from the other top-ranked students sitting next to him.


    His posture was clearly forced, with his back trembling, and while the others wore emotionless expressions, his eyes were sparkling with excitement.


    He wasn''t a noble or from a wealthy background; that much, Athen could figure out.


    Snapping back to reality, Athen grabbed Kai''s hand and redirected it at the figures sitting next to the boy.


    According to his memories, those top-ranked students had already gone to dinner with Kai, so his disguise would easily be seen through.


    "If I go up there, it''ll be obvious to everyone I''m not Kai. Look, I''m grateful you let me borrow your uniform, but I''m not trying to get expelled on the first day."


    Putting down his hand, Kai sighed before gesturing for Athen to lean downwards and whispering.


    "No, I''m faceless."


    "..?"


    "No, I literally am; no one has ever seen my face...besides you and, of course, my family. Even at the dinner party before orientation with everyone, I wore a mask the entire time! I''m being serious!"


    "And when I was a child, my family shielded me from the public, so I have never left my house without any form of protection to shield my identity...not that I left my house often."


    "Wait...you really don''t know who I am!? I thought you were trying to act like you didn''t so you could get me to trust you...which kinda worked?"


    "I mean, it was either you being the only person to know my face or every student in the academy knowing it when I came to orientation as Kai."


    "That''s why I was relying on you to...you know, switch places with me for a bit."


    "Well, you might not know me...but you definitely know my family name, right? Valorian, you must know my father, right?"


    As Kai continued to ramble on, Athen suddenly clutched his head, feeling a sharp pain envelope his head.


    "...faceless?"


    Completely tuning out the sounds around him, Athen fell to the ground, unable to withstand the sudden surge of pain.


    Kai''s first words repeated over and over into Athen''s head...until finally they were distorted to form a new word.


    Timeless.


    And when that single word echoed in his consciousness, the pain abruptly ceased.


    It felt as though the last puzzle piece had clicked into place in Athen''s head, completing the picture at last.


    His mind was so clear...and his worries began to fade away, letting a calm and serene sensation spread throughout his head.


    Then, a sudden thought possessed him.


    ''I should do as he says.''


    It was like someone had whispered directly into his brain...


    However, nothing else was said.


    His body didn''t force him to follow the instructions, and his mind became silent as if waiting for his decision.


    "..."


    The voice, sounding the exact same as his own, had given a piece of advice, and Athen had no reason to refuse it.


    In reality, he was planning to listen to Kai''s words anyway...just in a different way.


    Shaking his head, Athen dusted his pants off and stood up, seeing Kai silent and staring at him with a confused expression.


    Reaching out his hand, Athen smiled and said.


    "The Valorant family...of course, I know them!"


    Brightening up, Kai took Athen''s hand before responding.


    "So...are you willing to switch? I can''t tell you exactly why I''ve been trying to hide my face...but I''d be willing to help you in another way...as long as it doesn''t involve my family."


    Nodding his head, Athen turned around and began walking forward...without letting go of Kai''s hand.

 Fitting In

    Sure, the other ranked people in the front row might mistake Athen for Kai, but for a fact, Athen knew that two people could identify Kai correctly.


    Dragging Kai out of the aisle and walking towards the stage, Athen quietly asked.


    "If you''re so sure you''ve hidden your face, why can I name more than one person who knows what you look like?"


    "...? No one should be able to..."


    Hearing Kai''s genuine tone, Athen sighed and concluded that the two girls must have seen Kai''s face or something like that without him knowing.


    Seeing Athen not reply to his question, Kai stared ahead confusedly, allowing himself to be dragged by the hand, and asked.


    "Wait...two people besides you know my face?"


    Not bothering to look back, Athen braced himself as he reached the front of the stage and replied.


    "Two people know that I''m not you. I believe I already mentioned one to you...Alice. The other is a white-haired girl named Delphi."


    Arriving at the first row of seats, Athen glanced down the aisle, easily spotting the only empty seat that belonged to Kai.


    However, blocking his way to his seat, a familiar figure was standing in the middle of the walkway while talking to the boy from earlier, who was ranked number two.


    With a nametag that read "Percy," the sitting boy awkwardly tried to move his head around to look at the stage; however, the figure standing before him completely blocked his vision.


    Obstructing Percy''s vision, a boy with pure-blonde hair and teal eyes stood with his back facing the stage.


    His eyes were locked onto Percy as he proudly displayed his collared shirt, which bore the name "Hybris."


    Athen easily recognized the boy as the person on the flying ship who had been bragging about his top-ten ranking to the fan club of students around him.


    Looking down at Percy with eyes filled with disgust and...joy, Hybris said, not minding the many spectators around him.


    " *tsk* I guess this is what they call the DEI program. Some admission officers must have wanted the school to look pure and morally correct by ranking some poor-ass commoner at the number two rank. You''re just a pity selection."


    Deeping his voice, Hybris continued, perfectly mimicking the voice of an adult.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Oh, our school is so diverse; we even accept commoners!"


    As Athen entered the walkway and walked towards the two, Kai leaned downwards and attempted to hide his face with the back of Athen''s collared shirt.


    After finishing his rant, Hybris expectantly stared downwards at Percy, looking for any reaction whatsoever.


    However, Percy remained perfectly calm, to the shock of the students in hearing distance, and responded back.


    "So what? I''m a pity vote, what about it? I''m still ranked hi-"


    Standing right next to the two boys in front of Kai''s seat, Athen grinned before glancing around and seeing all the people tuned into the argument.


    Now was his time.


    To Kai''s dismay and confusion, Athen raised his hand and rushed it forward right into Hybris''s back.


    Shocked by the sudden pressure, Hybris lost his balance and staggered forward, falling right into Percy''s lap.


    "..."


    Pure silence emerged amongst the spectators as the scene of Hybris on top of Percy came into view.


    Stepping over Hybris''s legs, Athen turned around and looked at the two from over his shoulder.


    Giving them a disdainful glance, he said in an exhausted voice.


    "Can you two just fuck off already? No one wants to hear you two argue about your romantic relationship. Either break up or make out already."


    A blank expression appeared on Percy''s face as he gazed at Hybris, who had grasped onto his shirt to regain his balance.


    Not daring to make eye contact with anyone, Kai awkwardly followed after Athen, staying completely silent and still hiding his face.


    After a moment, Hyrbris used Percy''s stomach to stand back up and regain his balance before slowly shifting his gaze toward Athen.


    "What...the hell did you just say?"


    Turning back around, Athen arrived at his seat and replied, not even looking at Hybris.


    "Braindead and deaf? Maybe you''re the DEI hire."


    Taking a seat on the chair marked "Kai #4," Athen made sure that Alice and Delphi were looking at him before finally turning to Kai, who was awkwardly standing in front of him.


    "Come."


    Seeing Kai confusedly look at him since there was no chair to sit on, Athen turned around and looked at the people in the row behind him.


    "You won''t mind if I borrow a chair, will you?"


    Having heard the conversation from earlier and seeing the rank on his chair, two boys from the row simultaneously stood up to avoid any trouble and nodded their heads.


    His act had worked.


    Chuckling, Athen reached his hand over the back of his chair and grabbed one of the boy''s chairs.


    Although it was painful and took up most of his strength and willpower, Athen managed to maintain a nonchalant expression while lifting up the chair.


    Bringing the chair over his head, he clenched his teeth before carefully placing it on his left side.


    Turning to face the girl next to him with the number three ranked chair, Athen said.


    "You won''t mind if a friend of mine sits here, will you?"


    Clearly not scared or intimidated in the slightest, the girl with pink hair and dark purple eyes simply shrugged her shoulders before returning his gaze to the stage.


    Taking the hint, Kai obediently sat down before turning to Athen and muttering just loud enough so that Alice and some others around could hear.


    "That dinner you sent me to was...amazing!"


    Nodding his head, Athen looked out of the corner of his eye to his right, where Alice sat, making sure she hadn''t done anything.


    Thankfully, besides a disgusted gaze, she was normal.


    At that moment, Athen suddenly recalled why he had gone searching for a pair of clothes in the first place.


    "...well, me ditching her on the lower deck and looking homeless does play into my character, I guess..."


    As Athen shifted his eyes toward the stage, he was unsurprised to find a very familiar figure walking past him with a sharp gaze.

 Trapped

    Having regained his confidence and composure, Hybris calmly walked past Athen and Kai while staring at them.


    Stopping right in front of Alice''s seat, which was marked #5, Hybris stood still for a moment before finally saying.


    "Where was this fake-thug act during the dinner? Did you go from some face-hiding loser to this? I mean, I understand why you want to hide your face now."


    Confused, Athen stayed silent and slowly turned his head to Kai.


    Wasn''t Kai supposed to hail from a prosperous Valorian family?


    The hierarchical structure of this world could be described as a family tree.


    The higher up your last name was on the tree, the more power and influence you held over the world.


    At the very top, of course, was the emperor and his family with the surname De''lor.


    Branching out below from the emperor''s family were the four grand dukes.


    The emperor did not actually rule over any specific part of the land but, instead, saw over the entire human continent.


    On the other hand, the grand dukes were specially assigned pieces of the empire to supervise and govern.


    Kai''s family, the Valorian, was one of these grand duke families.


    His father and the other grand dukes were among the heroes who defended the human realm from mass destruction years ago when demonic monsters first appeared.


    Knowing for his aggressive and devasting magical sword art, Cronus de Valorian wielded duel swords while simultaneously imbuing them with mana to cast spells with them.


    While most preferred to choose a sword or a wand, not both, to fight, Cronus pioneered the art of using them together.


    Wands allowed for more efficient spell-casting and mana conservation, as their internal structure and material allowed mana to flow seamlessly out of the user''s body and into the wand.


    Thus, most preferred them.


    On the other hand, swords used cold and hard materials like metal instead of more elegant and smooth mediums like wood.


    The wood material used to create wands kept mana that entered the wand trapped inside, so there was no net mana loss during the transfer from the human body to the wand.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    However, metal was the complete opposite, as mana was constantly depleted every second it was held in a sword.


    That meant swords were practically impossible to use with magic unless one had perfect control over the mana in their body.


    But that wasn''t the only requirement.


    One had to also master the art of wielding a sword.


    To put mana from one''s body into a sword is one thing, but taking that mana in that sword and creating a spell is a completely different thing.


    Mana is an extremely unstable and uncooperative substance, so one wrong move with mana in your sword could cause your sword to explode, possibly killing you and also destroying the sword.


    Controlling the flow of mana in your sword and redirecting it to the sword''s tip to fire off a spell requires flawless knowledge of the sword arts.


    Unlike the wand, which has a uniform structure, the form of a sword changes widely.


    One has to lead the mana through the hilt of the sword and then into the blade, which gets thinner and thinner as you go on.


    Cronus was one of the few who successfully transferred mana out of their body and into the material of a sword and then used that mana to conjure spells.


    These people were called magical sword masters.


    Cronus de Valorian was actually the exact opposite of his gentle and caring son, Kai.


    Even Athen, who had lived on the outskirts of the kingdom for his entire life, had heard terrifying tales of Cronus wiping out thousands of demonic monsters...at the cost of all the land and infrastructure in a hundred-mile radius.


    There was even a popular saying that Cronus caused more damage to the kingdom than the demonic monsters actually did.


    Of course, no one dared to repeat that phrase to the grand duke himself.


    All in all, Kai''s family was a powerful and fearsome clan that no one would dare to disrespect.


    So...who was this person calling Kai a loser?


    Seeing Athen''s questioning expression, Kai sighed before whispering.


    "We''re the same status..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Unable to hold himself back, Athen ignored Hybris, who was still standing in front of Alice and staring at him, and furiously whispered back.


    "You didn''t think to tell me that before I called him a dumbass with no brain cells!?"


    Athen wanted to create a name for himself...but he also wanted to survive!


    One breath from a grand duke and a beggar like him would be wiped off the face of the Earth.


    Returning his gaze to the stage, Kai sighed before saying.


    "Remember, you''re also a grand duke''s son right now, so you have nothing to fear."


    "..."


    He was trapped.


    If it came out that Athen was a fake and not actually Kai, then no matter his circumstances, he would be dead, killed by the family of Hybris.


    "So much for only using Kai''s name for the event..."


    Although Athen wanted to scream at the top of his lungs at Kai, he held himself back and carefully shifted his gaze forward.


    And, to his surprise, Hybris was nowhere to be seen.


    Before Athen could even question his disappearance, a sudden and loud voice echoed from right in front of him.


    "Welcome to your official Celestial Academy Orientation, students!"


    Looking up at the stage, Athen spotted a figure he recognized slowly walking onto the stage with a pleasant expression.


    It was the person who had appeared on his diamond when he clicked the switch.


    "I''m Principal Artemis...but please just call me Art."


    Pausing for a moment as she reached the front of the stage, Principal Art stared at the thousands of students in front of her.


    "First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for being here and choosing to accept our Academy invitation letter out of every institution in the world."


    Then, the principal paused mid-speech and looked down at the stage.


    "However, that doesn''t mean we have chosen you...just yet."

 Entrance Exam

    As those words came out of the principal''s mouth and echoed throughout the massive plaza full of students, the tone noticeably changed.


    Before, students were visibly optimistic and excited as their legs bounced up and down, unable to contain their excitement.


    Some students even dared to whisper amongst themselves at the back, already planning what to do after orientation.


    "Let''s head to the cafeteria! I heard the food there is top-notch!"


    "No, wait, let''s go to the dorm common area and play roulette or poker. My parents just gave me my entire allowance for the year early...AND I''M PUTTING IT ALL ON RED!"


    "Wait, guys...we should go the gym instead of sl-"


    " *PFFT* Good one, man. I think I''d rather jump off the astronomy tower with no parachute."


    The academy''s facilities were endless, and students were ecstatic that there were no adults to tell them what to do with their free time.


    However, as the principal''s bold words entered the ears of the kingdom''s future warriors and magicians, all talking ceased.


    Before the students could even voice their shock out loud, the principal raised her microphone and continued speaking.


    "By the end of the second week, there are two things you must do to remain in the academy. If you are still here after the second week, I will officially welcome you into Aetherhelm Academy."


    Pausing mid-speech, the white-haired principal smiled and glanced at the crowd of students in front of her.


    Which of them would remain in two weeks'' time?


    Turning around so that her long white hair was facing the crowd of students, Principal Artemis raised her hand and pointed at the banner hanging from atop the stage.


    "However...if you fail to complete the requirements, you will be removed from the school with no chance of reapplication."


    Following the principal''s finger, Athen blinked repeatedly as he noticed the banner had been changed.


    It was now a timer.


    [336:00:00]


    336 hours.


    Beside Athen, Kai and Alice incredulously looked up at the countdown, no signs of worry apparent on their faces.


    Shocking the three of them out of their trance, the principal''s smooth and soft voice sounded once again.


    "As most of you should know, your major selection will be at the start of your second year. Thus, many of you should be confused as to how there are only two universal prerequisites."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Questions like ''How can sword and magic users have the same entry requirements?'' or ''Shouldn''t there be different requirements for different people depending on their intended major?'' should be surfacing in your head."


    Bewildered and perplexed, Athen glanced to his side and behind him, examining the expressions of his fellow students.


    He didn''t know about anybody else...but not a single damn question related to that was inside his head.


    Athen just wanted to know when the hell he''d learn how to use magic.


    His time in the academy was limited and, therefore, precious. He didn''t have time to waste meeting some stupid set of requirements!


    Seeing the other students'' gazes locked onto the stage, Athen leaned back in his chair with a sigh and continued listening.


    *BANG*


    At that moment, a gigantic fireball, the size of a house back in Athen''s hometown, appeared right above the principal.


    Jumping forward in his chair, Athen stared at the fireball, entranced by its sheer size and sudden appearance.


    There was no noise...or any signs of the temperature rising.


    The principal didn''t even lift a finger.


    "Did she just...non-verbal cast...?"


    "But how...she was talking to us this entire time."


    "T-that can''t be possible..."


    From Athen''s right side, a small murmur sounded.


    "Did she mix the incantation into her speech...?"


    Happy that she had gathered everyone''s attention, Principal Artemis smirked before clapping her hands.


    And, just as fast as it had come, it left.


    At the very second Principal Artermis''s hands met each other, the fireball immediately disappeared.


    "The first requirement is....to receive a professor''s approval."


    "Starting tomorrow, multiple professors will be dispersed around the academy. Each of them will have a different test ready for you students."


    "If you pass the test given, you will receive a letter stamped with the teacher''s emblem, which you can hand in at your dorms."


    "However, be aware that there is a cooldown period of one day. If you fail one professor''s test, then you must wait a day before challenging the same or another professor."


    "And, finally, each teacher can only hold out twenty letters."


    Hearing the principal''s words, Athen glanced toward the edges of the plaza, scrutinizing each of the standing professors.


    From their appearance alone, it was easy to determine their preferred fighting styles, as some had sheaths tied to their waist while others held wands in their hands.


    Sighing, Athen shook his head.


    On the outside, there seemed to be plenty of ways to cheat this requirement.


    One was just to watch another student take the exam and then just prepare accordingly based on that.


    But...this was the best academy in the world.


    They definitely had prepared for such things.


    Perhaps all the exams were combat-based and, thus, dependent on the student and teacher.


    Snapping Athen back to reality, Principal Artemis let out a dry cough, attempting to regain the students'' attention.


    "And, the second requirement."


    "It is quite simple."


    "All you have to do is...survive."


    "Each day, a different 1/14 of you all will be selected. This means every single one of you will undergo this one time."


    "These selected students will all be transferred to an artificial habitat at the start of the day."


    "If selected, for this day, you will have to survive...not just the artificial monsters lurking around but your fellow classmates."


    "In this habitat, there are no rules, so you may attack anyone at your own discretion without any warnings."


    "If a student is rendered wounded enough by the exam overseers, they will be eliminated. And, if another student dealt that damage to the eliminated student, they will receive a point."


    "Additionally, if you defeat a monster roaming around, you will also receive a point. The student with the most points in your 1/14th group will be awarded a special prize."


    "Please note that you will be transferred with only the clothes on you when you are sleeping."


    "At the end of the day, all of the selected students will be transferred back...except those who are eliminated."


    "If you are eliminated, no matter if you already have a professor''s approval or not, you will fail the test and be immediately kicked out of the academy."

 Attention!

    Taking a deep breath after voicing the second requirement, Principal Artemis sighed without looking back at the students.


    Hearing absolute silence behind her, Art pointed at the timer once again before saying her last words.


    "For these two weeks, there will be no classes or required activities that you must attend. That means, for this time, you can do whatever you want."


    "There are only two rules."


    "You cannot leave the grounds of Aetherhelm Academy at any time during this challenge."


    "And, you may not attack any of your fellow students on campus...unless it is allowed because of a professor''s challenge."


    "If any of these rules are broken, you automatically fail the entrance test and will be kicked out."


    "Of course, this excludes the artificial habitat requirement. In there, there are no rules...anything goes."


    With that, Art walked down the stairs of the stage and promptly disappeared from the sight of the students.


    The first requirement was...doable.


    Athen could spot at least twenty professors in the plaza, so he did not doubt his ability to pass one of their exams.


    But, the second requirement was...easy and hard.


    Letting out a dry cough, Athen glanced to his side, immediately making eye contact with Hybris, who was still glaring at him with a fierce expression.


    Yeah...hiding sounded like a good idea.


    However, the exam wasn''t entirely bad news.


    For the two weeks of the entrance exam, every professor had to always be on campus to assign tests to students.


    That meant that, for the time being, there was no way the student Athen had stolen the diamond invitation from could be notified and arrive.


    The teachers would be far too busy with their tests to realize the admission mistake, and even if they did, they wouldn''t be able to leave the campus to notify the student.


    And...even if the other student arrived after, it would be too late for him to partake in the entrance admission test, complicating the entire situation even more.


    If Athen passed this admission test and simultaneously made a name for himself, he would be in the clear for a while.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Snapping out of his thoughts, Athen glanced upwards at the banner, which still read "[336:00:00]."


    The test and timer would begin tomorrow, so today was essentially a free day.


    First and foremost, Athen wanted to discuss his situation with Kai and find his dorm so he wouldn''t waste time during the admission test.


    Seeing Athen stand up from his chair, Kai followed suit, trying his best to ignore Alice''s gaze, which was locked onto his figure.


    Paying no mind to the ranked students ahead, Athen strolled through the aisle with his head up and eyes looking directly forward.


    However, just as Kai exited the aisle behind him, Athen heard a sudden voice from behind him.


    "Wait, please!"


    For some reason, Kai instantly sped up and stepped in front of Athen upon hearing the voice, attempting to hide behind him.


    Shaking his head at Kai''s antics, Athen ignored the voice and continued forward, being amongst the first students to exit the plaza.


    Before he attracted any more attention, Athen needed to discuss his current identity crisis with Kai.


    The name "Kai" shouldn''t be the one getting attention...it should be "Athen."


    As the other hundreds of students sitting down regained their composure and began to leave their seats, Athen and Kai quickened their pace, not wanting to get stuck in a crowd.


    Kai was a celebrity, so if the nametag on Athen''s shirt was spotted, there would surely be problems leaving the plaza.


    But, just as Athen stepped foot onto the path leading out of the plaza and into the forest, he felt something suddenly grip his right hand.


    The pressure gripping his hand wasn''t tight at all, as Athen could easily continue walking and force his hand out.


    It was gentle...and delicate.


    Surprised, Athen immediately turned back and opened his mouth in shock.


    However, no words came out.


    In front of Athen stood a familiar silver-haired figure who was gasping for breath while holding onto his hand.


    Her silver-colored pupils trembled and raced around her eyes as she looked up at Athen, attempting to make eye contact with him.


    Regaining his composure, Athen stood still and stared at the girl, softening his expression.


    He had already made an enemy out of two people, Alice and Hybris, in the top ten ranked students.


    Maybe...it was time to make some allies.


    Seeing Athen staring back at her, Delphi immediately let go of his hand as a rose-red tone colored her cheeks.


    Shifting her gaze down at the floor, Delphi stammered some nonsense for a couple of seconds before finally saying something discernible.


    "a-ah, I just had a question."


    Staring at the girl in front of him, Athen slowly nodded his head, prompting Delphi to continue.


    "What is your name...? I didn''t quite catch it back on the cruise ship."


    Hearing those words, Athen and Kai grimaced as they briefly made eye contact.


    Seeing Kai nod his head as if he understood his internal thoughts, Athen immediately grabbed Kai''s shoulder and yanked him toward Delphi.


    "This is my friend...Ren, and I''m K-kai."


    Hearing Athen''s response, Delphi confusedly cocked her head to the right and questioned.


    "So...Kai, you didn''t attend the dinner party, but your friend, Ren, did instead of you?"


    As Athen nodded his head in approval and prepared to turn back around as other students headed toward them, he suddenly felt the temperature around him suddenly decrease.


    Shivering despite wearing the heavy academy blazer, Athen glanced up at the sky, noticing a single snowflake falling from the light blue sky above.


    How was the sun...not melting it!?


    Despite being completely visible to the bright yellow sun, it had not dissolved a bit and maintained the perfect snowflake formation.


    At that moment, a sudden voice, softer and more elegant than ever, sounded from below him.


    "Athen...what a pleasant name...does it by any chance belong to you?"


    Before Athen could even react to those words, he felt a sudden force grip the back of his collar and drag him forward.


    "We have to go now, or your nametag will be spotted, and we''ll all be screwed."