For Asdras, some moments were meant to be surreal. From being rescued out of the middle of nowhere, to finding out about his curse, and to receiving a glimpse of hope about his life, which in turn prompted him to enroll in the academy.
"Chapters," he murmured to himself.
He liked that word. He enjoyed the idea of each turning point of his life being a chapter; be it bad or good, the next one would be a new opportunity. Yet he didn't particularly enjoy the concept of being tormented about the riddles of his past and the occasional lack of ink to continue the words of his so-called chapter.
He blamed these frustrations on his curse. Not because he truly believed it was the cause, but because he needed something to direct his anger and bad thoughts. That alone was enough for him.
Another thing that Asdras enjoyed was the thrill of novelty. In his mind, it signaled that he was on the right path. And one of the sources of his feelings was right beside him.
The name "Lisandra Noctis" clung to his mind like a tight vine, winding its way through the ifs-and-else of his thoughts. It was a name he hoped would help him purely by instinct.
Ever since they left the courtyard, the site of the enrollment ceremony, and boarded the Jumper heading towards the academy, he found himself sketching her name in thin air. He whispered it like a secret mantra and carved it into the fringes of his thoughts, teetering on the edge between being incorrect, paranoid, or simply afraid of being so close yet so far from piercing the blankness of his memories.
Only when they reached their destination did he cease. The sight of the academy, larger than any structure he'd ever seen before, made him halt in awe. Joe had described it to him, but seeing it firsthand was a different experience altogether.
"So strange," he said.
"Big!" Joah studied each part.
"Finally, my time," Lisandra smiled.
The structure was an enigma, devoid of any semblance of beauty or charm. Its dull, octagonal form loomed large, dwarfing everything in its vicinity. The three distinct edifices were arranged in a perfect triangle, as if adhering to some ancient geometric principle.
The structure had no windows or decorations; the only thing that interrupted its uniformity was the emblem. The entrance was a huge door so large that Asdras believed even the walls of Baurous would be less than a third of its size.
Yet what made them excited was the subterranean architecture. Even Lisandra, who had knowledge of it but never ventured there, was full of expectation.
"Let's go," Cactus said.
They entered the middle tower, and what met them was a spacious room, whose only decoration was the snow particles and scratches marking the passage of time in the stones that made the walls and ground.
Elvira gestured towards a door unlike any they had seen before. It lacked a handle and was not made of wood or clay, materials that Asdras and John knew well.
The door was constructed entirely from dark stones. Its identification as a door was only because it bore the inscription 'door', as even its frame deviated from the usual with an elliptical shape.
A glowing line marked an area around the door. Edsel urged them to stand within this boundary as Elvira pressed her palm against the heart of the doorway. As she did, plumes of white smoke erupted, wrapping them in a spectral embrace before they dissolved into nothingness.
"What happe—"
"Amazing!"
"Then it was like this..."
When they opened their eyes, their minds struggled to work with clarity to understand what happened and where they were. The only familiar sound was the laughter of students, but even that seemed out of place. But by judging from it, only Lisandra felt clarity, since her mind had an easier time matching what her family told her and what she experienced.
Joah felt it like the time he saw the ghost children — not the dreadful feeling but the unexpected and out of the world for him. He was pragmatic and skeptical. For him, practically rules over imaginary, yet it didn't make it easier for him to accept what happened; as such, reasoning for his own peace, he attributed his confusion to the effects of a painkiller he had taken earlier.
Asdras kept his eyes shut tight as he tried to recall how it felt when the smoke touched him. The state of being in one place and suddenly being in another made his cursed hand feel warmer than usual.
As if he didn't already have enough on his mind, he thought he heard a voice calling his name. It grew louder and higher-pitched until a sharp pain in his forehead forced him to open his eyes. He first saw an irritated Elvira shouting at him before taking in their new environment.
The tunnels were carved in an uneven but polished set of stones and wood. In the ceilings, cables were fixed, illuminating their path.
They couldn't help but notice the peculiar formation of the tunnels as they trailed behind the students. Some passages were shorter, others seemed to ascend in height, while a few appeared diagonal before revealing themselves as semi-elliptical paths.
After about five minutes of trekking through this labyrinth, the sound of footsteps echoing off the walls and the hum of electricity coursing through the cables helped them adapt to their new surroundings and adjust their breathing to match the unfamiliar air quality.
"Wow!"
They held their breaths as their steps opened towards one of the academy's main squares. It was a vast area, a nexus of staircases and platforms that burrowed deep into the earth. Massive chains anchored it in place, securing it in the heart of the surrounding void.
The interior was more ornate than the exterior. Energy cables snaked across walls, lamps swung from durable lines, and life thrived. Plants, flowers, and trees that had adapted to grow without sunlight were an unusual sight at these depths. They grew downward instead of upward, their size and branches making them difficult to identify as trees.
The square teemed with people around their age. Some sat cross-legged on the ground while others engaged in conversation. A few even tried to strike up a chat with students near the square's edge.
Asdras felt out of place for reasons he couldn't put his finger on. He heard Cactus mutter something about being on time, so he figured these people must have arrived before them.
"Go there and wait."
The group acted as per the instructions given, even though it was slightly uncomfortable for them. The dynamics of their fellowship were a little skewed. Asdras wasn't familiar with the other two, Joah and Lisandra. Joah's face was a mask, his emotions hidden from view, while Lisandra seemed to be overanalyzing the situation.
Nevertheless, they stuck together, moving closer to each other as they navigated towards the heart of the square. They followed Lisandra mainly because Asdras felt obligated to do so, and Joah didn't bother to question it.
As the hours slipped by, the academy's head, Stencil, felt as if only minutes had passed. He was dressed in the official vestments — a dark blue robe with white vertical stripes and a central emblem. His face was clean-shaven, save for his glasses and a small scar on his lip. On his shoulder rested a golden emblem bearing his name.
With a quick adjustment of his glasses and an indistinct mutter, he disappeared, only to materialize in the main square. His sudden appearance startled those nearby.
"Greetings," he said, surveying the unfamiliar faces before turning to his left to ask, "Am I punctual?"
At the same moment Stencil appeared, two others also materialized. To his left stood an elderly man clad in an identical robe but topped with a hat that concealed his eyes; only his lengthy beard was visible. To Stencil's right was a short woman whose size made her robe seem ill-fitted. However, her stern gaze made Stencil turn away from her and towards the obscured eyes of the vice director.
"I think it is about time to start."
Stencil, with an air of nonchalance, brushed aside the nagging voice of his assistant, which echoed his supposed irresponsibility. He raised a hand in a slow and deliberate motion that seemed to draw in all the sound around him, leaving an eerie silence hanging in the air. It was as if he had created an invisible vacuum that sucked in every noise, every whisper, and every breath. The sudden stillness drew all eyes to him.
The silence fell heavily on those around him. It was so deep that some claimed they could hear their own hearts beating louder with each passing moment. Then Stencil shattered it suddenly; he opened his clenched fist, and a wave of energy burst out from him. The minute particles of dirt floating in the air around them appeared to obey his command, gathering into markers spread evenly across the square.
With his other hand, Stencil gestured downward, stretching out his fingers as far as they would go before snapping them shut again with startling speed. The ground beneath him responded instantly; it trembled and shook before rising up to form an altar-like platform beneath him, his assistant, and the vice director. As they ascended high above the square below them, they were left with a bird's-eye view of their surroundings.
He couldn't help but flash a cheeky grin, feeling the weight of all the eyes in the room fixed on him. Then he began to speak.
"Welcome, brave hearts and bright minds, to the North's Academy. Tonight, we're here to cheer for you, the future heroes of the North," he paused, a twinkle in his eye. "Or shed a tear for those who gave it their best shot but fell short. As your Headmaster, Stencil by name and stencil by nature, I pronounce this awakening open!"