Wolfe recovered soon after Nova had walked away, the shock of her last name lingering in the back of his mind. Many students passed by him and the two unconscious bodies, judging him with prying eyes instead of helping him out.
Wolfe reluctantly got up to his feet, craving rest rather than walking all the way to the Arena. His spine still ached and a numbness plagued his body, piercing pain following each movement he made. But he slugged along the footpath nonetheless. He knew Nova was waiting at the Arena, he wanted to meet her desperately and thank her for helping him out after he miserably failed earlier.
Eventually he reached the Arena, a vast expanse of emptiness lined only by large stone steps where a crowd of students talked amongst themselves. The grass enclosed by the 400 metre track was replaced by a large stone platform and multiple mirrors arranged at different angles. The centre was occupied with a giant rectangular white fabric held together by sturdy metal bars.
Wolfe reached the seats right before the event began, not noticing that his clothes were all muddied and tattered. Several students sat at a distance from him, staring with the same judgemental gaze. He did not understand why the students behaved this way, and it hurt him to think that this was just undeserved hatred because of their preconceived prejudices.
He sighed in frustration but held his head high, attempting to keep his composure as the thought of being isolated even at Zychs invaded his mind.
But Wolfe wasn't the only one facing such a crisis. All around him, in the massive pool of students, were those who were isolated by their peers. No one dared sit near them in fear of their popularity falling. They were determined to be the punching bags of the school even before it had begun.
Several flashes of bright strobing lights grabbed the students' attention away from the outcasts. An ensemble of instruments burst into music, livening up the atmosphere as the bright flashes of light made their way to the centre of the platform before disappearing. The music went silent for a few seconds as dark smoke rose into the air, obscuring the white cloth.
A few worried whispers ran across the Arena before the music exploded once again, the melodies more elegant than ever. The worry was immediately replaced by the crowd's energetic cheer.
The smoke slowly began to disappear, revealing a bright blue figure that wasn't present earlier. Confused chatter rose in place of the falling smoke as the figure previously cloaked by the thick fog was exposed in all its glory.
Standing magnificently tall in the middle of the Arena, placed gently on the white cloth was the image of the Founder, Xenos Vilio. As expected, many students, including both Ray and Wolfe, gasped at the illusion in front of them.
The Vilio family was one among few who could use Light magic. Ignacious Vilio was able to control the wave nature of light and accelerate himself to any speed he wished. This allowed him to gather information really quickly and his quickened reflexes allowed him to excel in combat.
Xenos Vilio, on the other hand, could control the particle nature of light, allowing him to create high energy beams to shoot his enemies away. Since light could also be reflected, he could create another image of himself to confuse the opponent.
Using the mirrors placed all over the Arena, Xenos was reflecting light multiple times in such a way that it ended up forming a giant image of himself against the white cloth.
"Greetings to all the first year students who have made it into Zychs." Scattered applause spread across the crowd as the renowned Xenos greeted them.
"Today marks the beginning of a four year long journey that all of you will embark on. Your time at Zychs is precious, so make sure to use it well.
"Though it is imperative that you all study seriously, having fun should not take a back seat. Here at Zychs we strive for a well-kept balance between our education and entertainment. We've created the perfect schedule for the students that would provide optimal time for their development as model-citizens, and let them have enough time to themselves.
"I built Zychs a long time ago, and I can tell that my, and my generation's, time is close to ending. My fighting days are long gone, so all I can do now is assist the next generation in building a brighter future. And that starts with all of you. You will be the heroes that pull Zodia out of any adversities it may face in the future. You will be the teachers that educate the citizens of the future. You will be the warriors that fight to protect the wellbeing of Zodia ."
Trumpets and trombones accompanied by strong percussion burst into a patriotic melody as Xenos' image faded from the Arena. The music continued playing as students rushed down to the buffet and grabbed something to eat.
An hour passed and the students were asked to be seated once again. The teachers were introduced individually along with the subject they would be teaching that year - Wolfe smiling excitedly at the mention of Richard Emblaze. The students were informed about the rules to be followed on campus at all times, many sighing in frustration at the compulsory 12:00 A.M. curfew.
Like all meals at Zychs, dinner too was optional. A majority of students decided to leave for the dormitories or stayed back at the Arena, while the others headed off to the Kitchen for dinner. Wolfe, who did not have a chance to grab refreshments earlier at the buffet, walked to the Kitchen, hoping to fill himself up after such a long day.
The kitchen was larger than all the rooms of the Servants Quarters combined, but miniscule compared to the overwhelming Vilhorm mansion. The insides of the giant circular building were decorated with flowers and portraits of old people Wolfe didn't know.
Steel tables donned with a red and black table-cloth were accurately placed all over, each housing enough space for 8 chairs. The food was all displayed at counters on the periphery of the kitchen, inviting the students to serve themselves.
Despite how crowded the Kitchen looked with all the tables and chairs, one couldn't help but feel an odd sense of isolation at the lack of people filling up the space. An eerie atmosphere hung over the kitchen at the lack of people to occupy those seats.
Wolfe could see a few students scattered all over the place, each of them eating alone and keeping to themselves. He did the same, gathering some food on his plate and sitting at an empty table all by himself.
Since this was the first day of the academic year, the kitchen staff had prepared an extravagant meal for all the students. But the numbers they were expecting were grossly overestimated, with only a fraction of the first years arriving. Many of the second, third and fourth year students had already come down to feast on the rarely provided delicacies.
Wolfe silently chewed on his desert, keeping to himself even as he heard a plate clatter onto the space next to him. He did not look at the person next to him, not out of ignorance, but because he was too tired to care.
"So that's how it's going to be huh?"
Wolfe turned in surprise as the voice next to him jokingly said. A nervous smile crossed Wolfe's face as he greeted a cheerful Nova Emblaze.