At the end of the week, Alexander was lying on his bed, watching some movies on the holographic screen when suddenly, an announcement was made:
"Hello? Hello! This is the captain speaking. All students are to immediately gather on the deck. We are about to arrive at our destination. Please leave behind your luggage, everything will be taken care of by our staff."
The loud rough voice of the captain resonated through Alexander's room.
"Geez, he could have at least put a ringtone or something before. There is no need to shout when making an announcement. At least, the journey is finally over!"
Alexander grabbed the jacket folded on his desk and carelessly put it on. It was the only uniform of the academy. Everything he would need from now on would be provided by the academy, including his clothes but fortunately, the academy was not strict and the only compulsory piece of clothing during any school-related events was that jacket.
"Alright, let's have a look outside."
...
On the deck, several rows of students were perfectly aligned, facing a group of stern instructors. Alexander stood calmly among his peers and stared at the distance. He knew why they were called there. In just a few minutes, the Earth Academy would come into view.
"Everyone, this is what you have all been waiting for. Only a select few would have the opportunity to ever witness what you are about to see. From now on, you are officially students of the academy. Regardless of what happens, even if you fail the induction, you will spend the next three years of your lives as our students. I wish you the best of luck."
When he finished speaking, the lead instructor slightly turned to his right and stared at in the distance. Instinctively, many students followed his line of sight and could not help but widen their eyes.
"Wow! How is that possible?"
"How did this island suddenly appear?"
Compared to his fellow students, Alexander was not impressed. "Probably an illusion array that hides anything within a certain radius. Very effective against humans but not against the Xals..." said Alexander to himself.
In his past life, Alexander definitely stood among those clueless students witnessing the power of magic for the first time. It was not every day that one could see a giant island suddenly appear in the middle of the ocean but with magic, it was an easy task.
The island was massive and was, in fact, an artificial one. Despite its harmless appearance, the island was actually one of the most powerful military bases of humanity. It was one of the few infrastructures placed directly under the command of the UN. When all of humanity actually pooled their resources together, they could without a doubt achieve incredible feats and this island was one of the rare fruits of human collaboration.
On the side of the island, one could see the signs of human colonization. It was the final destination of the trip: the Earth Academy.
...
"Welcome, welcome. Boys, please follow this officer. He will lead you through the security processes and you will be guided to your room. Girls, please follow this lady right here, you also have to go through some security checks!" exclaimed the soldier.
'As expected of a military zone. I forgot that we had to do some many security checks. Well, those will all become irrelevant in the future when we become second years,' said Alexander to himself.
Alexander quietly followed the other students and began a series of tests to check his identity and medical condition. The Earth Academy was one of the most protected areas on Earth as the main institution whose goal was to nurture mages, it could not risk being infiltrated easily.
As a result, the Earth Academy was built on the world's most secured island. Although it sounded irresponsible to set up a university right next to a military compound, joining the Earth Academy was not very different from joining the military.
The contract they signed stipulated that they would work for the UN for a minimum period of five years after they graduated. The only difference was that instead of fighting people, they would focus their attention on other existences.
Seeing the long queue of students, Alexander complained internally. 'These tests are such a waste of time. I did not remember them taking so long. Eye scan, blood test and urine test. I wonder how just how long it is going to take.'
After what seemed like an eternity, Alexander was finally given the green light and allowed to finally enter the island. Just outside the security checks, a few instructors were waiting for the students to give them their room keys.
"Here you go, young man. The Colony, room A166. There are several maps scattered through the city. If you ever get lost, just ask someone for directions. You are free for today but report tomorrow at twelve for the awakening ceremony," said the instructor.
Alexander nodded and quietly walked out of the room. As soon as he exited the stuffy building, Alexander felt a breath of fresh air blowing against his face. "Ahh, it has been so long since I've been here. So nostalgic..."
He looked around him, reminiscing his past life. "UNEA looks exactly how I remembered it. The barbecue seller is even there," said Alexander as his nostrils quickly detected a waft of grilled meat.
UNEA was the name of this city; it simply stood for United Nations Earth Academy. As the academy also acted as a university, the governments decided to not completely isolate the students from civilization. The island was divided into two major parts: the military compound and UNEA.
While Alexander complained about the security checks to enter the island, if he wanted to go to the military compound, he would have to go through an even more severe procedure.
UNEA was a city built explicitly for the academy. There, the students could find various means of entertainment and purchase a large variety of items. As for the academy, its main offices were located right in the middle of the city while the rest of the departments were scattered around the city.
"I miss this place. It's just too bad I can't buy anything yet," said Alexander with disappointment before quietly making his way toward the Colony.
Alexander walked through the familiar streets with confidence. He already knew the general area where the Colony was located and as he walked down the streets, after a quick look at the map, he quickly remembered its exact location.
Along the way, Alexander saw several groups of students, wearing the academy's jacket, strolling around and enjoying themselves. The academic year was about to start and most students were enjoying the few days of carefreeness they had left.
After walking for a few minutes, the Colony building finally got into view. Alexander smiled as he looked through the glass of the reception.
"Hello, I would like to sign in today. My name is Alexander Vagras, I have been allocated room A166."
"Hello, sir and welcome to the Colony. Please sign this document and I will call someone to lead you to your room," said the receptionist with a warm smile. He placed a tablet in front of Alexander, indicating him to sign with the electronic pen. At the same time, the receptionist looked behind him and signaled one of the students there to come and help.
"Hey man, I am Damien, nice to meet you." The student quickly approached Alexander. When he saw that Alexander had finished signing the entry form, he smiled and introduced himself.
"Hey, I'm Alexander."
"Cool, let's go, I'll show you the way to your room. Follow me."
Damien and Alexander walked through a series of corridors while chatting. Damien was a second-year student who was currently residing at the Colony; he was one of the few volunteers who were happy to show the new students around.
They chatted briefly and Damien did not forget to show the building's facilities like the laundry and the gym. He also explained the basic safety measures and emergency protocols.
The Colony was one of the many apartment complexes scattered around the city. It was specially designed to accommodate students and would not lose to any modern hotels. Alexander remembered how amazed he had been the first time he walked through those clean white corridors but now, he remained unfazed.
...
Alexander closed the door behind him and let out a sigh of relief. "Ouf, Damien is very nice and friendly but he can be a little too chatty. Well, I can't blame him..."
"Good afternoon sir!" A robotic voice sounded.
"Hello Alpha, I would like to take a nap for the rest of the day but please set another alarm for tomorrow..." Alexander looked at the small android waiting patiently next to the desk.
"The alarm has been set."
Alexander smiled as he briefly looked at his room. He would spend the rest of the year here. The room was rather spacious and clean; it was an en-suite and looked like any modern hotel rooms and even had a small balcony. The room was equipped with both an air-conditioner and a heater for the comfort of the students and even had a huge TV screen embedded inside the wall. In the corner of the room, Alexander's two large suitcases were neatly arranged, just waiting to be unpacked.
However, Alexander was not interested in doing so yet. Instead, he walked to the desk where he found what he was looking for. It was a smartphone. To be more specific, it was a special type of smartphone, the X-Driver; it was designed for the Earth Academy's student. When passing through the security checks, the students were required to give up their current smartphones as a new one was waiting for them in their room. All their electronics had to be submitted for inspection but in exchange, the students were also provided with a laptop.
Nobody complained about this procedure as the X-Driver was far more powerful than any other phones on the market. Furthermore, an X-Driver was an absolute necessity in UNEA as it was the only way to make payments there.
Alexander briefly looked at the X-Driver before tossing it on the bed. He quietly took off his shoes and jacket. He gently patted the small Android Alpha like a pet before jumping onto his bed to take a nap.
"I guess I have become lazy after all these years of doing nothing. I will need to change that but it can wait for tomorrow. The awakening ceremony should not be a problem and we'll have a lot of free time for the rest of the day for our body to adapt but coincidentally, tomorrow will be a full moon. It will be ideal for me to test that out."