Chapter 64: First Day of School
The bell rang with a long, resonant chime that echoed across the Royal Magic Academy’s sprawling campus. Its tone was deep and commanding, not unlike the sound of a warhorn softened by centuries of tradition. To the seasoned students, it signaled just another day of lessons. But to the newly admitted, it marked the beginning of something far more significant.
Inigo Velasquez adjusted the strap on his satchel as he crossed the courtyard toward the main lecture hall. The building loomed like a castle wing—arched windows, flying buttresses, and polished ivory stone that gleamed under the morning sun. Statues of the Seven Founding Magi lined the entrance, each immortalized in marble poses of power and contemplation.
A student in blue robes nearly collided with him, muttering an apology before dashing off. Others walked in groups, floating textbooks orbiting lazily above their heads. The place buzzed with life and layered conversation, most of it over his head—terms like "mana transmutation vectors," "elemental drift," and "sympathetic circle calibration." He might as well have stepped into an alchemy textbook.
He double-checked the parchment schedule given to him by the admissions clerk. His first class: Foundations of Magical Theory, Room 101, instructed by Professor Lenora Thorne.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let’s get this over with."
He walked into the hall and found Room 101 near the end of the corridor, its door marked with a symbol that shimmered when he touched it—an automatic ward that scanned his credentials and unlatched the door.
Inside, the room was shaped like a small amphitheater, with stone benches arranged in ascending rings around a central teaching platform. A chalkboard stretched across one wall, and above it, arcane runes shifted and danced like constellations.
Only a few students had arrived early, chatting softly or reviewing notes. Inigo picked a seat in the third row—far enough from the front to avoid scrutiny, but close enough to actually see the board.
Just as he sat down, the door clicked again.
He looked up—and there she was.
Serina.