"Are you a new student?" the professor asked, fixing her gaze on me.
"Yes," I replied.
Without another word, she made her way to the podium and stood there, waiting for the other students to arrive.
The atmosphere in the room was awkward, and it seemed that the other students were not going to show up any time soon.
Luckily, I was not one to be easily embarrassed or made to feel awkward.
We waited for what seemed like an hour, until the other students finally arrived. There were only seven of them, all with varying degrees of injuries, looking worn out and distraught.
Cassius, the student escort, showed them to the orientation room before returning to his post.
The other students were surprised to see that I had no injuries, but were too tired to ask any questions. They silently took their seats and looked up at the professor on the podium.
She scanned each student's expression before beginning, "Good job on arriving here successfully. I am your professor for this year. By professor, I mean your only professor. The system here is different from what you may be used to, as teachers are assigned based on years, not subjects. All necessary information about this academy has already been sent to your watches. Class will begin tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. and will last for two hours. You may now proceed to your dorm rooms."
"Does anyone have any questions?" She looked around the room, but the other students just filed out of the door, as allowed.
After the other students left the room, I stood up and asked, "Where is the training facility for psychics?"
"There is one in this building, and another in the laboratory complex. Come, I will take you to the training facility in the laboratory complex," she said.
"Thank you, Professor. I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name is Niramay Saraswatula."
"I already know who you are. After all, a 14-year-old psychic isn't something you hear of in these ages," the professor replied with a small smile.
' If she already knew me,then why did she ask me if I was a new student',I thought curiously, another caught my curiosity.
"What do you mean? Were there others like me?" I asked.
"Yes, there are written records of them in the library," she said, as we made our way into the laboratory complex.
As I walked through the white corridor with Professor Margret, my anticipation grew as we approached the training room. Inside, I could see other students training with warrior robots to improve their fighting skills, testing their strength on big blocks made of various materials. It was clear that this room was only one of many.
Curiosity got the better of me and I asked the professor about the other training rooms. She explained that those were reserved for senior students and professors.
" What stage of level 3 are you on?" She asked me.
" Late stage, but I don't know how to advance to level 4," I replied.
" Don't worry, it seems like you can join the second year class. You won't be taught how to advance to level 4 in your first year," she informed me.
I was relieved but still worried about potentially wasting a year without improving my level.
" What do I have to do to join the second year class?" I asked anxiously.
" Our rules are flexible. You can join the second year class after passing a written exam, and you already have the necessary psychic level," she explained.
" Can I take the exam now?" I asked eagerly.
" Sure, let's go," she replied, and we made our way to the faculty building, without testing the equipments here, there was something more important to do.
As we entered the traditional wooden door, we found Professor Shakti sitting on his chair. He offered us seats and asked what brought us there.
Professor Margret introduced me, and before she could finish, he cut her off and said, " So he wants to join the second-year class. Well, no problem. I will prepare a question paper for you, and you can take the exam in an hour. You can prepare for it until then."
I was grateful for his help and thanked him sincerely.
" You will be taking the exam here. Don't be late," Professor Shakti said with a smile on his face.
We left his office and I asked Professor Margret about the permission required from the principal or other faculty members.
" No, we have enough authority to do this. This university is funded by the government, and except for the professors, only high-ranking government officials can influence the decisions made by us and also there is no position of principal in this university nor the board of trustees and we are not bounded by the rules of department of education," she replied.
" Now, go to you dorm room and prepare for your exam and don't be late. I will be returning to my duty." She said before taking off. I was tempted to ask what was her duty except for teaching but didn't and did as she advised, went to my dorm room and prepared for my exam.
At night.
With the exam successfully passed, I could now take the second-year classes without having to waste a year for the first-year curriculum. It was a tiring day, taking three exams in one day, but the excitement of exploring new things and experiencing changes kept me going.
The thought of exploring the river Nagvinashak, the main reason I joined this university, gave me a newfound energy. Professor Shakti had advised me to finish my first-year curriculum thoroughly, and I planned to do just that before sleeping.