In a office room high within the luxrious glass building known as the Ministry of education a white haired man , probably aged around fifty to sixty years old, just took a first sip of his coffe when suddenly the door of his office was slammed open
thuddd ....
"Sir i cannot belive you gave into the demands of that coward"
The door slammed open and a woman in her twenties with blonde hair entered the office ,her golden eyes flashed like struck metal ,she looked very angry. Anger sharpened her features but it didn't dull her beauty if anything it made it impossible to look away.
"Calm down Stella , take a breath"
The white haired man replied, without even the need to look at her, he already knew who she was and why was she here.
"Calm down how can you say that , do you even have an idea what have you done. Just becuse of your decision we are now enemies with the THC ( The Heroic Consortium ) , from now on all heroes will cut ties with all the educational institutes and becuse of this many investors might stop funding."
Ignoring the old man advise to calm down the blonde woman named Stella kept ranting.
Finally the old man kept the cup down and glanced at her.
"Listen Stella , whatever decisions i made was for the best interest of every student whose dream is to become a hero. Aren Vaylen is the second ranked hero he will be a great mentor for students"
Contradictory to Stella's tone the old man replied in a very calm voice.
"But he resigned yesterday you know that right , he is not a hero but an x hero even i heard from some higher ups that he did not resign but instead got suspended by the THC , they only said resigned becuse of the public and media. Today we got an official warning from the THC to not appoint Aren Vayne as the principal of the Astral Academy. We don't want to make the THC our enemies right sir?"
This time Stellas's tone changed from angered to a worried .
"Don't worry Stella , I will not let anything happen to any for our academy , about Aren i personally know him he is a good person , you will like him too. Just do your job and don't get intimidated by the THC , we have nothing to do with them tell them to focus on their job."
The old man replied in a reassuring tone.
"I am not intidimated , i am just worried"
Stella said in a very low voice.
"haha i know i know" the old man replied laughingly.
After that Stella left the room still a little worried but after hearing the reassuring words of the education minister she felt a less stressed about the whole situation.
...
The morning sun was shining softly through the windows. Golden light touched the walls of their small house, making everything look warm and calm. Birds were singing outside, and the soft sound of the wind moved the curtains. It was the day Ethan and Elara had waited for — the day they would leave for Astral Academy.
Their room was full of open bags and clothes everywhere. Elara was folding her dresses neatly, one by one, while Ethan was trying to fit his boots and training clothes into a small brown bag.
"Brother, you can't just throw your clothes like that," Elara said, frowning as she fixed his messy bag.
Ethan smiled a little. "It's fine, Elara. We'll wash them there anyway."
Elara sighed. "You say that every time."
The room smelled of soap and the morning air. On the table near the window, there was a glass of warm milk and two slices of bread. Ethan took a bite, then looked around the room.
Every corner felt full of memories — the small bed where they used to sit and talk, the shelf full of old books, the window where they used to watch the rain.
They were really leaving.
Elara folded the last piece of clothing and placed it in her pink bag. "Do you think Astral Academy will be scary?" she asked.
Ethan shook his head. "No. It's big and hard, but we'll be fine. You'll see."
After packing, Ethan turned on the TV that stood near the wall. The news was showing bright pictures and loud voices. The reporter spoke in a clear tone, and the words ran across the bottom of the screen:
"Breaking News: Aren Vaylen, the Second-Ranked Hero, Announces His Resignation from the hero Council."
The screen showed a tall man with semi-long black hair that just brushed his ears and calm blue eyes. He was standing on a stage, wearing a long black coat. Behind him, countless glowing fragments floated in the air — blue, gold, and white — shining like stars.
Ethan stared for a moment. "He's… leaving?" he said quietly.
Elara looked too. "Isn't he the one who could control millions and billions of fragments?"
"Yeah," Ethan said. "He's strong. I wonder why he's quitting."
Elara shrugged. "Maybe he's tired."
They didn't think much of it. Heroes came and went, and life kept moving. Still, there was something about the calm way Aren Vaylen smiled before walking off the stage that stayed in Ethan's mind for a moment.
He turned the TV off and zipped up his bag. "Alright. Let's go, Elara."
Elara nodded, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Wait, we forgot the lunch you packed!" she said, running to the kitchen.
Ethan laughed softly. "Right, how could I forget food?"
They checked the rooms once more, closing all the windows and turning off the lights. Finally, Ethan took the key and locked the door. He looked at the house one last time — the place that held every part of their old life.
Elara smiled beside him. "Ready?"
Ethan nodded. "Yeah. Ready."
The two of them walked down the quiet street, their bags on their backs, heading toward the bus stop under the soft morning sun — toward Astral Academy, and a brand new beginning.