Since both Kyle and Nine arrived a bit late, they ended up standing at the back of the crowd. While waiting for the Vice Principal, Kyle spotted Alec and his team standing closer to the platform.
He couldn't help but shake his head with a bittersweet smile. It was so easy to spot them in the crowd, with their extraordinary looks. It seemed like they were blessed by the heavens, not only with their appearance but also with their incredible talent that could make anyone envious.
Kyle blinked and recalled when he first entered the academy, he thought they were way out of his league. He knew what he could and couldn't achieve, but now, as he looked at them, his perspective had completely changed. Approaching them didn't seem so difficult anymore.
Maybe, without even realizing it, he was starting to think that one day he could even surpass them. It's such a contrast to his previous thoughts after he found out about his bloodline, where he only aimed to reach their level one day.
As he pondered all this, he didn't even notice how his once carefree thoughts were transforming. Was it all because of his brother's incident? Or was there something else at play?
Unfortunately, no one on the planet seemed capable enough to notice or explain it to him.
Interrupting Kyle from his thoughts was the Vice Principal's booming voice.
"Hello everyone, I know you've all been working hard and learning new things here at the Academy."
"First off, I want to apologize for gathering you all here without any prior notice. I know you're probably busy training or getting ready for the upcoming exams. But there's an important announcement I have to make today..."
Kyle glanced towards the platform where the Vice Principal stood. To his left stood Professor Liam, and behind him were four other Professors. He looked around, hoping to spot Professor Aliza, but she was nowhere to be found.
Finally, after some small talk, Vice Principal George got to the topic everyone had been eagerly waiting for.
He announced that the Tower of Opportunity, which opens every 20 years, will be opening next month. Just like last time, 100 spots have been allocated to each Kingdom in the East Continent.
Kingdom Escalante, like every other Kingdom, will also select 100 talented individuals from the younger generation. Out of those 100 spots, 14 have been given to the Royal Academy, as it is the top-ranked academy in the Kingdom.
George couldn't help but boast about the prestige of the Royal Academy and how lucky the students were to have the chance to enter.
Only when Professor Liam tapped him on the shoulder did he stop, but the Vice Principal's annoyed expression showed that he wanted to talk more about the academy.
George continued by explaining that 46 additional spots would be allocated to the other academies in the Kingdom based on their rankings. To ensure fairness, the remaining 40 spots will be open to the general public. Anyone living in the Kingdom can compete for those spots in a competition held in one of the cities on the west side of the Kingdom.
Afterward, he announced that all first and second-year students of the Royal Academy would have the opportunity to compete for the 14 available spots reserved for the academy.
However, third-year students were ineligible to participate due to the Tower's age restriction of 18 and older.
Upon hearing this, the first-year students became anxious, as they would have to compete against the second-year students for a spot. It had only been a month since the first-year students entered the Academy, and they felt it was unfair to face the already strong second-year students.
But then, George's next words brought relief to everyone. He explained that to ensure fairness, two separate competitions would be held within the academy after a week. One competition would be among the first-year students, and the other among the second-year students. Seven spots would be given to each year, and it was now up to all the students to prove themselves and secure a spot.
After sharing more information about the Tower, George looked around, recognizing the familiar faces of the students. His gaze landed on Alec, who stood at the front with Carcel, Lara, and Mia, and then on other students who had shown remarkable talent. Finally, his gaze settled on a face he hadn't seen in a while.
Surprisingly, the student in question was quite attentive and not lazy at all. Kyle, who stood at the back of the crowd, was directly focused on the Vice Principal, absorbing all the information related to the Tower.
At that moment, their gazes met, and the Vice Principal seemed a bit taken aback by Kyle's unwavering stare. Eventually, George was the first to break eye contact.
'This rascal, what's with his gaze? Has he figured out that I want to kick him out of the academy? And did I just feel a hint of anxiety when our eyes locked? No way, it must have been my imagination.'
George shook his head to clear his mind. He then instructed everyone to call it a day and head back to their dorms, as it was getting late.
The students dispersed, some heading to their dorms while others went for training.
Kyle and Nine also made their way to their dorms, as the past few days had been incredibly hectic for them, especially Kyle, who had been through a lot recently.
Upon reaching the dorms, Kyle bid farewell to Nine and entered his room. As soon as he stepped inside, he headed straight for the bed and plopped down, looking exhausted.
His eyes grew heavy since he hadn't slept a wink in the past few days.
Therefore, he decided to rest for the day, knowing that starting tomorrow, he would begin preparing for the biggest challenge of his life.
However, just as he was about to close his eyes, he noticed something gently trembling at his waist.
"Oh, I completely forgot about you."
Kyle untied the phoenix egg that was fastened to his waist. With so much going on lately, it slipped his mind.
After taking out the egg, he gazed at it for a moment before tucking it in with the blanket. Then, Kyle snuggled under the covers, tightly hugged the pillow, and closed his eyes to sleep.