It was an unusual sight in the Astral Academy. The usually silent halls of the academy were now filled with newly admitted students.
The once-empty corridors now buzzed with voices and footsteps. Students and staff both moved from one place to another — everyone seemed to have something to do.
In one of the offices, Ethan finally finished the submission of documents for him and Elara.
After getting his and Elara's dorm room cards, he left the office and went outside, where Elara was sitting on a bench.
"Got the keys for the dorm room, brother?"
Elara asked.
"No, unfortunately, I didn't get the keys," Ethan replied.
"What? Why?" Elara asked with concern.
"Because this is the Astral Academy — and the doors here are opened with smart cards," Ethan said jokingly.
Saying so, Ethan handed Elara her room card, on which her name, picture, rank, and dorm room number were written.
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------------ASTRAL ACADEMY----------------------
STUDENT SMART CARD
NAME: Elara Veylor
RANK: 1320 / 100501
STUDENT ID: AA001320SW
ROOM NUMBER: 320
DORM BUILDING: SKY WING
__________________________________________
---
In the Astral Academy, dorms were given to students based on their rank in the Astral Convergence. There was a ranking system for the dorms.
The dorms were divided into five ranks. On the top was Dawn Wing, for the top thousand students. It was the most luxurious and provided every facility — but the special part that made it the best was the Mind Forge, a psycho-technological virtual space that let the user choose any fragment and fight anyone, even legendary heroes.
Each legendary hero was an AI reconstruction. It wasn't just a simulator but a mental arena that synchronized with the user's consciousness. It was one of the most popular features of the Dawn Wing.
After Dawn Wing came the Sky Wing, for the next two thousand students — which meant both Ethan and Elara got Sky Wing. It had every facility similar to Dawn Wing, except for the Mind Forge.
Then came Flame Wing for ranks between three thousand and ten thousand, Light Wing for eleven thousand to twenty-five thousand, and lastly Ash Wing, from twenty-five thousand onward.
In Ethan's previous life, he had been in Ash Wing, as his rank in the Astral Convergence was 40102, and later stepped up to Light Wing in his senior years.
Ethan took a look at his smart card and felt a little emotional.
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-----------ASTRAL ACADEMY-----------------------
STUDENT SMART CARD
NAME: Ethan Veylor
RANK: 2239 / 100501
STUDENT ID: AA002239SW
ROOM NUMBER: 1239
DORM BUILDING: SKY WING
__________________________________________
---
After checking their smart cards, both Ethan and Elara went towards the Sky Wing dorm building. Thanks to his knowledge from his previous life, it didn't take long for Ethan to locate the Sky Wing Dorm.
Ethan and Elara stood in front of a grand structure that made them stop and stare — the Sky Wing Dormitory.
The building stretched high, almost touching the white clouds. Its surface shimmered in soft silver and light blue, like the sky itself had wrapped around it. Long glass windows reflected the world around, and small crystal lights floated near the entrance, glowing gently like fireflies. Above the tall gate, carved in shining silver letters, were the words:
"Sky Wing — Rise Beyond."
Students walked in and out — some laughing, some talking, all wearing their new academy uniforms: white shirts with blue collars and a silver wing crest on the chest. Guards stood by the gate, their uniforms dark and neat, each with a glowing rank badge that shimmered in faint golden light.
Ethan adjusted the strap of his bag, looking around quietly.
"So this is the second-ranked dorm," he said softly.
Elara smiled, her blonde hair shining under the light. "It's even prettier than I imagined."
They walked to the front gate where a machine stood. A guard nodded politely.
"Smart card, please."
Ethan and Elara handed over their cards. The guard scanned them and pointed at a sleek glass panel.
"Swipe here."
Ethan slid his card through the slot — a soft beep echoed, and the gate opened with a faint shimmer of blue light. Elara followed, her eyes full of wonder as they stepped through.
Inside, the air was cool and smelled faintly of lavender and polished wood. The floor was marble white with blue lines glowing faintly beneath. On both sides, tall pillars rose to the ceiling, decorated with silver vines and softly glowing stars.
At the far end, a large board displayed student names and room numbers. Elara checked hers quickly.
"Room 320," she said.
Ethan looked at his. "1239. That's… far."
She giggled. "You're at the top floors, huh?"
"Seems like it," Ethan replied with a small smile.
They walked together through the long corridor. Students passed by — some carrying boxes, others chatting loudly. The walls were lined with glowing signs showing directions and room numbers. The light was soft, gentle on the eyes, and the hum of machines filled the air.
At the third floor, Elara stopped.
"This is my room," she said, looking at the door with her name on a small glowing plate: Elara Veylor — 320.
Ethan helped her drop her bag. The room door opened with a light sound — inside, it was simple yet beautiful: a small bed, desk, soft blue curtains, and a window overlooking the green courtyard below.
"It's nice," she whispered, smiling.
"Yeah," Ethan said, looking around before stepping back. "Settle in. I'll go find mine."
Elara nodded. "Come back after, okay?"
"Of course."
Ethan turned and began walking down the hall again, taking the elevator to higher floors. The further he went, the quieter it got — fewer students, fewer voices, just the soft hum of the elevator and the faint glow of the walls.
Finally, he reached his room — 1239. The door opened to reveal a wide, clean space — bigger than he expected. A bed by the window, a sleek study table, a shelf, and a small glowing orb in the corner that filled the room with calm blue light.
He placed his bag on the bed and looked out the window. From there, the whole academy stretched below — shining towers, green courtyards, and the faint glimmer of other dorms in the distance.
Ethan smiled faintly.
"So this is where it begins," he whispered.
And with that, he sat on his bed, feeling both nervous and excited — ready for the days that were about to come.
...................
The Teachers' Building of Astral Academy stood apart from the rest of the campus — tall, glass-walled, and surrounded by silent gardens where silver-leaf trees shimmered under the morning sun. Inside, the top floor held a wide meeting hall, glowing softly with light from floating orbs. The teachers stood in neat rows, their uniforms dark blue with silver stripes, each showing their position and rank. A quiet tension filled the room. No one dared to speak.
The air felt thick with expectation.
A faint click echoed — the door opened. Everyone turned at once.
Walking in first was an old man with neatly combed white hair and a calm, serious face. His dark suit was perfectly pressed, and his gold-rimmed glasses shone faintly under the light. He carried the aura of authority — this was the Education Minister of the Southern Region, known to all.
Behind him came a young woman, his assistant, Stella. Her golden hair fell to her shoulders in soft waves, and her eyes were a clear sky blue. She wore a clean white blouse with a silver pin at her collar — simple, elegant, and confident.
Following them were two guards in black armor with shining shoulder crests — each bearing the mark of high-ranked fragment bearers. But it was the man walking between them who made every teacher's breath stop.
He was tall — easily over six feet — with jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes that carried both calm and strength. His body looked built like a warrior's, muscles outlined under his dark coat trimmed in silver. The air around him almost felt different — heavy yet calm, as if he carried the power of thousands within him.
Every teacher in the room recognized that face.
Aren Vaylen.
The Second Ranked Hero of the world. The man who could control billions of fragments. The same man who, just weeks ago, had resigned from the Heroes Council.
Whispers spread like wind through the crowd — quiet but fast.
"Why is he here…?"
"Could it be true…?"
The Education Minister stepped forward, raising his hand for silence. His voice was calm but strong.
"Good morning, teachers and staff. I'm sure most of you already recognize the man standing behind me."
Everyone's eyes fixed on Aren, who stood tall and expressionless.
The Minister continued, "As of today, Aren Vaylen will be taking position as the new Principal of Astral Academy."
The words hung in the air — shock, disbelief, awe.
Aren's blue eyes swept across the room slowly, and with a faint smile he said,
"It's an honor to guide the next generation."
Silence followed — the kind that came only when history had just changed.