The tower was impressive with a very elegant circular hall.
White stone walls surrounded the area and large red carpets covered the floor.
There were no stairs to reach the upper floors.
Instead, several circular platforms made of glowing glass floated near the center.
These magic lifts moved up and down silently using mana.
A silver key was handed over before stepping onto one of the platforms.
The lift moved smoothly to the private suite.
The room was much larger than expected.
A massive king-size bed stood in the center with silk blankets.
The kitchen area looked modern and had a beautiful black marble table.
High-tech appliances sat on the counters and worked with pure mana.
Inside the bathroom, a luxury shower was made of transparent glass and gold details.
The old stone walls had digital screens to control the lights and the heat.
A dark wood desk stood in the corner with a lamp made of glowing blue crystals.
The bag dropped onto the wooden floor as the quiet atmosphere filled the space.
Energy was low after the long journey and the many emotions of the day.
It didn't seem necessary to explore the rest of the castle tonight.
The magical lights of the castle flickered slowly through the large window.
Tomorrow would be the real beginning of a new life.
Sleep came almost immediately.
Morning arrived quickly.
Sleep ended quite early.
6:30.
A quick shower helped to wake up.
The green uniform was inside the closet and it was time to put it on.
The reflection in the bathroom mirror looked good for a few seconds.
I nodded to myself.
Eric handed over a small white bracelet the day before.
This bracelet was useful for many things like access to the buildings or getting food in the cafeteria.
Finally, it served as the student identification.
The Exas Institute had a ranking system from rank 1 to rank 500.
The bracelet showed a small screen above it.
RAIN DI GLACIEL
RANK 198
Most students had to pass several entrance exams before being accepted by the Exas Institute.
There was no need for that in this case.
One call from father was enough and everything was done.
Rank 198 was not bad considering there were 500 students in the first year.
It was almost 7:30.
I left the room as the sunlight began to light up the castle.
I walked toward a large building inside the castle that looked like a theater.
The number of students increased while getting closer to the structure.
I noticed some familiar faces but I didn't want to attract attention.
I entered through the large open doors and sat in one of the back seats.
Minutes passed and the empty seats filled up quickly.
Suddenly the lights went out.
A spotlight pointed toward the stage where a woman with long red hair and amber eyes was standing.
She looked about twenty-five years old but the reality was very different.
Beatrix Aloren, the vice principal of the institute.
She was a mage who lived for more than two hundred years.
She was one of the 12 SS-rank people in the Council of Protectors.
Beatrix looked at the crowd in silence for a few seconds.
Her gaze was heavy and cold.
The entire hall became silent because everyone felt her power.
She didn't use a microphone but her voice reached every corner of the room.
"Welcome to Exas Institute," she said.
"Most of you are here because you think you are special."
"You come from rich families and you have high ranks but here your name means nothing."
"Only your strength and your will matter in these walls."
Suddenly the air in the room became very heavy.
A red aura started to glow around her body.
"If you are weak you will fail."
"If you are lazy you will die in the dungeons."
"This academy exists to create protectors for the empire. We don't need children who cry for help."
"We need soldiers who can fight monsters."
Many students started to sweat because of the mana pressure.
Some of them looked like they wanted to run away.
Rain stayed in his seat and didn't move.
He felt the pressure but he used his own mana to stay calm.
Beatrix smiled slightly when she saw that some students were still looking at her.
"Those who cannot reach the top will be sent home."
Her gaze stayed on the students for a few more seconds.
"Welcome to Exas Institute."
Silence filled the hall and then the applause started.
All students stood up and clapped for the speech.
Some were struggling to stand because of the pressure but everyone kept clapping.
After a while the students started to leave.
I tried to avoid attention and walked toward the exit.
However a voice made me stop.
"Look who is here." I heard a dynamic voice from behind.
A girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes stood there.
She wore the same uniform but she had a skirt instead of pants.
Elizabeth Crane, the only daughter of the Crane Guild owner.
It was the second strongest guild in the empire.
Her beauty was incredible and every step she took was calculated.
Her face was perfect.
Strong emotions emerged inside me like hate, disgust, and disappointment.
I pushed them away like they were just air.
"What is it, Elizabeth?" I said with a casual and questioning tone while I stopped.
Her smile twitched slightly as she noticed my indifference.
"I didn't think the Glaciel trash would show up after everything that happened." Elizabeth replied with a voice full of contempt.
In her mind, I was the only one to blame for the accident.
They told her a version of the story that made me look like a monster.
She didn't know the truth because she chose to believe them.
This misunderstanding was the reason why she looked at me with so much hate.
In the past, Rain tried to explain the truth to her many times.
Rain liked her and he wanted her to trust me.
But she always turned away and refused to listen.
Now, I looked at her and I didn't feel the need to explain anymore.
"Believe what you want, Elizabeth," I said with a cold and calm voice.
"I am not going to waste my breath trying to change your mind."
Her eyes widened for a second because she expected me to beg for her trust again.
She was used to a Rain who cried and pleaded for her to understand.
My coldness made her feel strange and confused.
"How can you be so arrogant after what you did?" she asked with a trembling voice.
The guilt of the accident was heavy on her, even if she didn't realize it was built on a lie.
"I didn't do anything." I replied while taking a step forward.
I walked past her and the smell of her perfume didn't make my heart race anymore.
I left her standing there in the middle of the hallway.
She was trapped in a lie, but I was finally free.
The classroom was waiting for me and I didn't look back.
I entered a large room with big windows that allowed the sunlight to enter.
Some students were already sitting and waiting for the beginning of the lessons.
Their eyes stayed on me for a few seconds before several whispers started to spread through the classroom.
"Is that the failure of the Glaciel family?"
"I didn't think he had the courage to show his face here."
"Look at him. He is still rank F but he walks like a prince."
"His father probably bought that rank 198 with a mountain of gold."
"He is just a waste of space in this academy."
I ignored the whispers and I went to sit in one of the seats at the back of the room.
Other students entered the classroom one after another.
"Hey can I sit here?" a voice emerged next to me.
I turned to see a thin boy with black hair and black eyes.
His gaze looked friendly and a big smile was on his face.
"Go ahead." I replied with no interest.
The boy sat down quickly in the chair.
"I am Dylan." he said while offering his hand.
"Rain." I replied while shaking his hand.
"Hey friend your hand is really cold." Dylan said while jumping a little and exaggerating his reaction in a funny way.
I looked at him with a tired expression.
Dylan was still shaking his hand like he touched a piece of ice.
His energy was too high for a Monday morning.
I sighed and leaned back in my chair.
"It is just a side effect of my magic." I said while looking at the window.
I was too tired to deal with a talkative seatmate.
"Don't worry," I added with a bored tone.
"I am not going to freeze you."
Dylan laughed and started to organize his notebooks on the desk.
He didn't seem to care about my cold attitude or the whispers of the other students.
I closed my eyes for a moment to find some peace.
The air in the room was full of tension but Dylan was in his own world.
I just hoped the teacher would arrive soon.