Oliver's jaw dropped when he stepped into the entrance hall. It was so big you could fit a small stadium in it. The bowl-shaped building gave him the feeling that he was standing in a large field with the sky meeting the Earth on the horizon. There was no gate or portal to speak of. The students appeared out of thin air in their respective house domains.
This puzzled Oliver. He clearly remembered he had walked up the stairs and then down a glossy corridor. Was it all an illusion? He wondered.
Niel's memories offered no explanation. Instead, it said the academy's architect had been kept secret.
However, there were speculations. The most acceptable was the wormhole theory.
It was published in Mindora, a school magazine published by a science club called 'The Doomsday Bunnies'.
According to Frank Jennings Tipler, the former president of the club, the academy had used artificial traversable wormholes in place of the gates of the entrance hall.
That was why no one really knew where the hell this hall was situated. According to Frank, it could be in another dimension or another city.
There were other elucidations by other science clubs or lone science geeks. For example, the Mind Files, a magazine released by Mind Hackers, a club of neuroscience students, claimed the academy was using visual illusions.
Mind Hackers even invented a device called 'Chimera' with its help; one could create such illusions. Unfortunately, the nerds couldn't achieve the claimed illusion when they demonstrated the device at the 6021st Nerdian Fest. They blamed the Doomsday bunnies for their embarrassing failure. As for how the notorious bunnies were responsible for it, it was another enigma of Vodia academy.
Oliver and Bufon took their seats along with the other five hundred sphinxes. A giant sphinx 3-D hologram was hovering above them.
On their right were sitting the azure dragons; Griffins were on their left.
Oliver could sense an invisible pressure from the two houses infamous for their rivalry and fiery nature.
He wasn't surprised to see Andrew sitting among dragons. After all, one's house in the academy reflected one's nature.
Oliver looked towards the staff sitting in high chairs placed on the round stage. They were seven in number, excluding three empty chairs.
Four heads of houses with their house-sigils pinned on their denim blue professor-gowns; Carl Linnaeus, the sorter in his signature single-breasted suit and bowl hat; Lupin de Roberto, the PET.
However, the one who piqued his interest was the ethereal figure as if condensed of moonshine. He was the mysterious principal of the academy and was called professor shadow.
As if sensing his gaze, his glassy eyes turned towards his house. Oliver hurriedly looked away, his heart hammering. He didn't know what made him so afraid. Maybe Niel's memories were affecting him.
"How many times do I have to warn you? Never stare at the ghost," Buffon warned him in a wary tone. He must have noticed Oliver gawking at the staff.
"They say he could feel stares, not to mention his uncanny ability to read minds looking into one's eyes,"
"Sorry!" Oliver mumbled. Niel's memory did have such details about this weird soulist.
"Don't sweat it! Let's see how many new nerds we've got this time," He said as Miss Marguerite escorted the nervous first years in.
"Welcome to your new home!" said the principal. Oliver didn't know why they called him shadow. To him, he seemed more like a glass man.
"Ah! I can hear your tummy roaring," He added with a light chuckle ", But worry not! The welcome feast will begin shortly. But I'm sure, just like me, you must want to know first which house Mr Carl Linnaeus has put you in. So let's satiate our anxious mind first and then our groaning tummies." He turned to the sorter," Mr Linnaeus, Please!"
The chubby sorter got up, adjusting his hat. In his pudgy hand was a tablet folded as a scroll. He beamed at the nervous student as if enjoying their fright.
"He must be thinking of himself as Rito," Buffon said, glaring at the sorter. Like every student who scored poorly in their CAPT ( Career Aptitude and Personality Test), George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon hated the sorter.
"Who is Rito?" asked Oliver.
"Ah! No one! Just a slip of the tongue!" Buffoon said, looking away. Oliver, who had long mastered the art of lying, couldn't help but take a note of this name. After all, in the VR games he had played on Earth, these subtle hints occasionally blurted by NPCs used to have deep meaning.
Mr Carl cleared his throat thrice, glanced over the worry fraught faces of freshers, and finally spoke.
"They say CAPT's result is not a world of Amor, but trust me, we rarely mistake a swan for a toad. Of course, you may have complaints about our decision, but believe me, we sorters know better than you where you belong,"
Nobody doubted his words. For years, CAPT sorted children according to their aptitudes, personalities, and innate talents. And apart from a few exceptions, no student had ever diverted from his predicted career path.
"But of course, if you feel we have made a mistake, you can file for a review. Our office is on the third floor of the Silver Tower." Mr Carl said with a smile.
"As if they care! " Buffon grumbled.
And he was not wrong. Though the child development ministry did say they would welcome any objection, the reality was different.
First, they had a lengthy mind-numbing procedure, and then there was no guarantee they would review your data seriously. Not to mention, when the result would come out, you would have already completed your trial period.
"I think I've made myself clear. Now It's time to tell you where you belong."
He unrolled his tablet and taped it twice as a 3-D hologram of a girl who appeared in a black uniform with a golden crow sigil pinned on her chest.
"Lise Meitner, House: Goldenraven, career path: Nuclear Physicist !" Mr Carl announced, his eyes staring at the nervous girl with red hair.
The ravens erupted into cheers as they welcomed their new members. Oliver felt envious. According to Niel's memory, it was one of the nine most respected career paths.
"Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, House: Phoenix, Career Path: Quantum Field"
Another genius!
The phoenixes welcomed the skinny lad with applauds and laurels.
"Arthur Eddington, House: Sphinx, Career Path: Mathematician"
Mr Carl announced a hundred names one by one. After a dozen or so names, Oliver's excitement ebbed away. He again felt depressed. Among 100 hundred newcomers, no one had a poorer aptitude than him.
He sighed and hoped the guild's reward might change his rotten fate.
Once the sorting was over. The professor's shadow got up again.
"Just a few parting words, and you can run for the cafeteria," he said. "Like always, you are not allowed to leave the academy campus alone. No funny experiments on fellow students, no loitering around in the restricted areas. "
"And no, these things!" A gruff voice interrupted him. Oliver knew who the insolent fellow was even without looking.
Tin-Tin walked in with two other rangers and the grumpy caretaker, Mr Fletcher. He was holding two white rats in his hands. The little creature squealed in fright. Oliver was sure they must have pissed by now.
"What the hell was he doing with these rats? " Oliver whispered.
Professor Shadow looked at him in silence.
"What's wrong with these lovely creatures, Delgado?" asked him in his ever calm voice.
"How do I know? I'm not an expert in these vitamins. Mr Fletcher says these rats are thieves. "
The entire hall giggled. Tin-Tin glared at them, and they hushed up.
"Ah! " Professor Shadow looked surprised. " Show them to Madam Abbie E. C. Lathrop." He said as he turned to the students.
"You all can leave!"
Oliver got up. And just like they had appeared in the hall out of thin air. Once again, they found themself in the cafeteria with steaming, mouth-watering dishes waiting for them.