After welcoming Mark into the Academy again, Carter waited on the side with a nervous Mark and Li's group. Mark knew that everything would be alright now that Sapphire went to fetch his sister but he was still worried.
Luckily, it didn't take Sapphire more than a few minutes to come back, easing the nervous wreckage called Mark. Holding her arm was a small child about 10-13 year old with ebony colored hair and brown lifeless eyes.
Only when the girl's eyes landed on Mark did they brighten as she left Sapphire's hand and rushed to the now crouching Mark crashing on his chest. Tears streamed down her face as it crumbled from being expressionless and lifeless into one of happiness and confusion.
"B-big brother? W-what's happening h-here?" the little girl peaked her small head and muttered between sniffs and chokes.
"What did you do to the little girl to make her cry this much Sapphire," Carter half jokingly-half seriously asked.
"You…" Sapphire looked truly angry at the accusation for some reason. Her face flushed red while she stared at Carter with vicious eyes which made him back off.
[Don't joke about that! Haven't you seen the girl's body!] Sapphire transmitted with anger.
Carter stopped joking as he focused his eyes on the little girl and inspected her. At first he didn't pay attention to her as Sapphire didn't say anything but now that he looked Carter knew that he messed up with his choice of words.
Marks' little sister had disheveled hair and tired eyes. Her hands had calluses as many old scars filled them. The girl's clothes although looked wearable they seemed uncomfortable and scratch inducing, Carter figured that it was because they were the lowest kinds of material and probably even worse than sackcloth.
Carter knew that it was best to let the matter die and not let the little girl remember whatever horrible things the environment she lived in showed her and shut up. 'I will apologize later to both of them,' he thought in severeness.
"Is everyone ready?"
Sapphire asked everyone. Mark was explaining things to his sister while the others were just standing there looking at the situation with curious and sad eyes. 'They must have figured out what happened.'
After getting a nod from everyone and Mark on behalf of him and his sister, she ordered, "I will teleport us to the Academy now, close your eyes."
SWOOSH
Following Sapphire's words everyone felt themselves move and the next second they felt themselves in another place. The feeling was both weird and exhilarating at the same time; they didn't know how to describe it.
"You can open your eyes now."
Xuan Li and the others slowly opened their eyes and scrutinized their surroundings, not long after that a gasp left one of the other new freshmans' mouth as he stared at his front with wide eyes.
"Wow," he muttered expressing what he and the others felt.
Sapphire and Carter stared at how in awe the new students were and exchanged happy glances filled with giggles.
"I remember having the same expression when I joined."
"Of course, our Academy is too beautiful," Sapphire retorted smilingly.
"Are these trees made of crystals?"
Iris curiously asked pointing at the three enormous trees that looked like crystals.
When they opened their eyes, everyone saw a large sign with great and confident strokes made of calligraphy that read 'The Ascension Academy' and behind it was a huge purple colored metallic door with various Arrays interconnected on it.
But even without entering, the already opened door, the three gigantic trees in the middle of their view stole all the attention. They looked like white-ish crystals in the shape of trees.
"That's a secret," Carter said slyly and took strides entering the Academy.
Keeping up with him, the students looked around them admiring their new home for who knows how long.
Carter stopped a kilometer after walking and pointed at a huge archaic looking building to his left, "that there is the Ascension Academy's grand library. It houses scrolls, cultivation techniques, martial arts, and magic books in all kinds of fields and various levels."
"Of course it also depends on the tier of the class you will join or what grade you are to check some of its contents," Sapphire glared at Carter for withholding information.
Like that just as the students felt excitement surge in them it deflated. But, one of the more observing ones that wore grey rimless glasses raised his hand and fixed his loose glasses on his nose and asked, "pardon me, but I believe you said grades and class tiers? Can you elaborate on that?"
"You catch on fast, I see," Carter clapped with a grin. "In the Ascension Academy, talent, prowess, and other abilities are checked through the trials and the observers rate the students' performance and classify them into different tiers of classes."
"The tiers go by wood, bronze, silver, gold, diamond, and clasp. Wood is the lowest level of class while clasp is highest. By the way you have already been rated, you will be given your tier of class later."
At Carter's surprising words many students panicked as they started doubting what tier they entered. But some others already realized that it was too late to worry about things that happened and continued paying attention to the tour Sapphire and Carter gave them.
Carter continued walking and explained what other structures the Academy had and what functions they have such as the Magic Experiment building, the arenas where students settle fight and death battle in, and even sparring fields for small scuffles.
After showing them around the Academy for four hours and explaining the functions of things and what they could and couldn't use, Carter took the newbies to the center of the Academy near the crystal trees.
There existed a huge infrastructure made of gold that had countless kids the students' ages scurrying around and going around it. The label on the building cleared the students of what building that is as it read, 'First Year Dormitories.'
Carter entered the golden building and in practiced manner neared the receptionist, it was a young looking woman in her twenties with crimson hair and mature face that was behind the desk.
"Hi, Olivia," Sapphire greeted with a smile.
The woman smiled back and stood up and bowed. "It's been a while teacher Sapphire, teacher Carter. Have you been well?"
"Ah yes, we have. How about you?"
Carter asked with a small smile that hid some sympathy that only few noticed.
"I have, thank you for asking. It seems you have got a new batch this year?" Olivia asked looking behind Carter at the freshman with a small smile.
"Welcome to the Ascension Academy. I am Olivia, a third year student and the receptionist to the first year dorms." She showed a bright smile entrancing many with her aura. "I will now show you to your rooms, please line up," she told them and sat back down on her desk.