Meanwhile, on the other side of the island.
On one part of the island, identical mansions stood in neat rows under the sky—clean white walls, sloped roofs, small front gardens blooming with the same flowers.
In one of the mansions, a girl around 16 years old said goodbye to her family and stepped outside.
Just as she closed the door behind her, she spotted a vehicle moving toward her with great speed.
In the blink of an eye, the vehicle—a sleek black bus—stopped right in front of her.
The doors slid open silently.
She stepped inside.
Just as the girl entered, the doors closed. The bus started heading in one direction, smooth and quiet.
Ruyi looked around. There was no driver. No driver seat. Only a holographic screen floating in the front, displaying simple messages in soft blue light: "Welcome aboard. Destination: Central Academy. Estimated time: 8 minutes."
Then she heard a voice.
"Ruyi, you came. Come here."
The voice belonged to a girl about the same age. She waved from a seat near the window, motioning for her to sit.
Ruyi's face lit up. It was her friend, Jina.
She moved quickly down the aisle and sat beside her.
Ruyi said excitedly, "Jina, I'm so happy you came. I was thinking I'd be bored in the new academy. Even though my father told me you'd come, I was still nervous. Thank God you came. Now it's okay."
Jina smiled back, just as happy.
"I'm happy too. You know this place is amazing. Houses, food, everything is good… Also, we'll go to the shop later at Central Mall. You have to come with me. Okay?"
Ruyi nodded eagerly.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll come. I heard the clothes there are very beautiful and unique. Almost all types are available. Not just clothes—even other things. And the prices aren't very high. I got points in my Ascendancy card from my parents—enough to shop comfortably."
Jina laughed.
"I got enough points too. We'll shop comfortably."
Then Jina leaned closer, voice dropping with excitement.
"Hey, Ruyi, have you played the game yet? I should tell you, the game is very good. Previously I hadn't played it even though my father works at their company. But now I saw the videos online and it was so good…"
Ruyi shook her head.
"Well, I hadn't tried it yet. I heard the news online and I was planning to play tonight. I'll surely play. Give me your new contact ID. I'll call you when I download the game."
Jina tapped her ring on her finger.
"Okay… hm… here."
After exchanging IDs, they began talking about other things—classes, friends, the strange beauty of the island, how quiet everything felt compared to their old city.
The bus glided on, carrying them toward Central Academy.
Behind them, the mansions faded into the distance.
Ahead, something new was waiting.
It wasn't that they had no connection or contact before. Ruyi and Jina were old friends—their parents had been close for years. They had each other's numbers long before coming to this place.
But their old phones didn't work here. No signal. No calls. No internet. Nothing from the outside world reached through.
Instead, their maids had given them a unique device when they first arrived. It looked like a simple black ring—sleek, light, almost weightless—slipped onto their slender fingers.
The moment they put it on, a soft holographic screen bloomed in front of their eyes, exactly like their old phones but sharper, more vivid. They could call, text, browse, watch videos—everything. And more.
The maids had given early warnings, voices low and serious.
"If you try to reveal this place's location or anything about it to relatives or friends outside, your messages will delete automatically. If you keep trying… you can be punished."
The girls had nodded quickly. They didn't want trouble. Not here.
The ring had many unique functions. It could be controlled by thought—open apps, type messages, scroll feeds—without lifting a finger. The screen was invisible to anyone else unless the user allowed it. Privacy was absolute.
Each device had a unique ID. They could use it anywhere on the island—shopping, buses, academy access, everything. The device can also connect with the Ascendancy card.
When calling relatives outside, the caller ID showed only "unknown number," but instead of digits, it displayed the user's name: "Jina" or "Ruyi."
No one outside would ever know where the call came from.
Nobody knew it yet, but every ring was quietly maintained by Sphera, the AI. She monitored, filtered, protected. Nothing slipped through.
The bus glided on.
The academy waited ahead.
And so did everything else.
***
The bus left all the students at the academy gates.
The students stepped off and immediately looked up, eyes wide with excitement.
Jina and Ruyi stood side by side, taking in the view. The Central Academy building rose before them—clean white stone walls with wide glass windows that reflected the soft light, curved roofs that gave it a gentle, welcoming shape, and courtyards filled with blooming flowers and small fountains. It felt alive, purposeful, and somehow… bigger on the inside than it looked.