We made it out of Ping's puked wagon and breathed in heavy breaths, trying to embrace the fresh air.
The sight before us was astounding. A titanic, luxurious academy stood before us, rising at least ten stories high. Its façade gleamed in pure white, decorated with streaks of gold. Two elegant fountains flanked the pathway leading to its entrance, while well-trimmed bushes shrouded the grounds, enhancing the academy's beauty.
The academy was surrounded by a Gate. 5 metres out, the gate was made of black metal or something, the trail leading to the gate from the grand door of the academy was made of silver brick trails.
The weather was sunny and clear, which helped accentuate the academy's already beautiful appearance.
The capital's enforcer looked in the wagon and just sighed as if it was a normal occurrence.
"Alright, boys, we'll part ways now, I must admit when I first saw you boys I did not expect you boys to have potential." the bald enforcer announced, then he continued, "Either way, I wish you the best in your new life, be proud you've been given a privilege known to less than 10 percent of humanity."
"Your tour guide should be here soon, he's quite unreliable but you'll figure a way, good luck."
He then entered his wagon and rode away with the rest of his squad following the trail, leaving the academy. They left us here stranded.
I don't really know what to think of that. Was he trying to apologize or insult us?
Soon after they left a man ran out screaming from the grand doors of the academy.
"Am I late!?"
He rushed down the stairs leading to the academy and ran in front of us and hurridly introduced himself.
"My name is Karl Maas, you can call me Professor Maas, I teach History. Welcome to the Academy of Droum."
He had the look of a man in his early thirties, black hair tied in a ponytail, and had a alright face.
"Now, let's get inside, shall we?"
He motioned us to follow him into the academy.
We climbed the steps leading up to it and saw inside the grand doors he opened.
Inside was a large space with students chattering away, rushing, all happening at once.
They were all dressed in a white and gold uniform a stark contrast of our collective rags.
I felt embarrassed being seen like this while everyone but Sid looked shocked at the grandness of the place.
I felt stares at the back of our heads and whispers. I tried my best to ignore it.
Professor Maas continued leading us and showing us around the classrooms, shower rooms, and taking measurements, which all took around an hour, and he ended the tour at the cafeteria with a speech.
"I hope you learn and grow during your time at the Academy of Droum. Do not take pride in simply making it this far—this is only the beginning. As our founder once said, 'Only fools rejoice at the first step.' If you become complacent or fail to take your studies seriously, you will end up exactly where you began.
The Academy of Droum boasts a thousand years of heritage and history. If you do not strive to your heart's content with the resources we provide, I suggest you leave before you waste everyone's time.
In this academy, we do not tolerate laziness. Above all, we do not excuse weakness; all can be forgiven except that."
He chuckled and said
"Im sorry, that's just a little speech we all have to give as tour guides, take some notes, but do recall the last saying, it describes this place best."
Hearing that speech gave me chills. Was that a warning?
"Also, all year groups are divided by rank of mana centres into A, B, and C." He carried on, "You boys will also be given time tables, of course, all C ranks are together, B ranks are together, and so on."
"Does that mean we won't be together?" Ping.
"Yes, it's to help maintain equality." Professor Maas clarified.
Ping looked pretty bummed out as he looked at Sid while Rui cracked a grin.
"Different grades have different dorms and towers for them." Professor Maas explained, "On the school's west, east, south. There are different towers. Within them are dorms for the students."
"The ones on the west are for C, the ones on the east are for Bs, and the ones on the south are for the rare As."
"You will get uniforms tomorrow after we take your measurements, and I think that's it, you guys get to your dorms now."
Then the professor walked away.
It seemed fate itself was insistent this time on seperating us as we went our seperate ways.
Ping and I went to the western tower, which had the same colour scheme as the academy. The roof was decorated with gold.
When we entered, we saw a young lady at the front desk who looked a little taken aback by our clothes.
"names?"
"Lou Zer and Ping Zer." I tried my best to give her my old charming smile
She squinted, then looked through the papers and told us.
"You're on the 7th floor, you're in room number 1, you're sharing with another boy."
Ping and I trudged up the stairs, step by step, until we finally reached our room on the seventh floor.
When we finally opened the door, gasping for breath, what met us was a cramped room with 3 separate mattresses on the floor.
On one of the mattresses, a boy waved at us and politely said.
"Oh, hey, nice to meet you, my name's Leon."
"Ping Zer and Lou Zer." I motioned.
He looked like a man straight out of a movie with brown auburn hair that glistened in the sunlight. Eyes that were brown and shiny, and a strong jawline that could cut steel.
But nothing compared to my past life. Now that I think about it, what do I look like?
Before I could continue my line of thought, Ping enthusiastically went over to the middle mattress and started jabbering to him.
I guess he's just shy around bullies and potentially getting in trouble?
I slumped down on the remaining mattress and joined the conversation.
Leon told us we were the second-to-last village to get recruited by the capital's enforcers, and sooner or later, the classes would start, the day progressed on as we chatted away eventually we fell asleep while talking due to exhaustion.
The next day, we got our uniforms and our timetables from the receptionist.
Officially, the academy will start tomorrow.
I decided to take a shower since I was so filthy, and I wanted to look my very best.
Ping invited himself and Leon as the pair joined me. It looks like it's normal in this world to shower together.
If I didn't owe Ping my life, I would've definitely refused definitely.
We both entered the shower room and got ready.
I grabbed a nearby bucket of water and screamed in terror.
I jumped and fell back, my eyes wide with shock and my mouth a gaping hole.
Ping ran over to me and anxiously inquired.
"What's wrong?"
I pointed at the bucket and murmured.
"There's somebody in the bucket!"
"WHAT??" Ping exclaimed.
Leon, the adult in the situation, walked over and examined it.
"DONT GO THERE, HE SAID THERE'S SOMEBODY IN THE BUCKET!"
Leon laughed heartily and said
"There's nothing wrong with it, see?"
He brought the bucket close to see in it was a sunken, lean, acne-filled face, eyes that were plainer than paper and hair that was dirty brown.
His eyebrows were bushy and his teeth were crooked; half his face looked like somebody splashed shit on a canvas and called it art.
Leon chuckled and asked.
"Did you get scared of your own reflection?"
Ping looked at me worriedly.
I touched my face with my hands trying to see if I could see if I could fix this abomination like a puzzle piece.
No, did I really walk around and talk to people with all that confidence with a face like this?
Am I this ugly?