As Le'garde left the stage, two people replaced them. A man and a woman, the former familiar to to Endyr and Sia. Jace had sharpened himself up, appearing dignified and stalwart like a mountain. The woman accompanying him had raven black hair and soft-yellow eyes that seemed sharper than a blade. She was slightly shorter than Raphaniel, though her figure was arguably superior. In fact, she was the most beautiful woman Endyr had ever seen, though the charm was ruined by her stone-cold and stern face. She looked like the type to castrate any suitor who coughed up the courage to confess rather than simply refuse.
Though Endyr had literally just met this woman, he subconsciously sat up straighter. This was an action not even Le'garde had invoked, though Endyr supposed he had purposely avoided doing so. According to Jace, Le'garde detested work and lived in languish despite his status as one of the strongest Ascenders on the Gaia Continent. So Le'garde simply wasn't bothered to give off any particular aura aside from his usual one, but this woman was clearly different. She had only been on stage for mere moments, but she immediately demanded attention and respect without even opening her mouth.
Once she and Jace had replaced Le'garde as the centres of attention, the woman spoke. "Greetings, first year students of Sky Cross Academy. I am Vera Quadreign, homeroom teacher of Class 1-A. Beside me is Mr Jace Abernathy, homeroom teacher for Class 2-B. Together, we have been chosen to lead the rest of this opening ceremony. I will first explain what being a student at Sky Cross Academy entails, with what is expect of and from you during your tutelage here. I insist that you pay attention here: these rules will only be told to you once, and any inquiries you have after must be figured out in your own time."
"The first thing you should know is how your life at Sky Cross will commence. For those with the granted privileges, you will be given accommodation on campus. For those without said privileges, you must find a place to stay within the greater Academy grounds. And on that note, you should know by now that this entire city is part of the Academy, and all rules that apply on campus apply out there too. All shops are run by school staff or vetted merchants, and most shops with a store in the city will have another on campus too. However, certain stores are available 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 on campus grounds, and those without special privileges will have to pay extra to access them or be barred access entirely."
"On that note, the currency of Sky Cross Academy. Here in the Academy, we use a specials type of currency called Credits. Apart from the name, they function the exact same as your standard currency. Credits can be used to buy things in the Academy, and you will be fined them for any rules you break. For those staying outside in the campus, you will have to pay a certain amount of Credits to retain your accommodation. Credits can be earned through good behaviour, tests and trading with other students. Sky Cross actively encourages you to explore and deepen your financial and commercial capabilities during your stay."
"Next is your time table. Classes will take place from Monday to Friday, with the weekend off. You will arrive at your Homeroom first every morning, where your homeroom teacher will begin the day. After this, you will traverse the campus and go to your different classes. You will have some classes every day of the week, while others will only take place once. In second year, you will have a choice to drop or pick up certain subjects, but that is a topic for much later on. For now, you will cover a wide range of lessons. There will be a break every three classes and seven classes a day. After all classes end, you can go to any clubs or retire to your accommodation for the day."
"There will be a wide selection of clubs available to you, most being linked to your classes. Joining a club is a great opportunity to earn Credits, through deepening your skill or winning competitions. In certain cases, you may even earn extra points in some classes by joining an associated club, though this is up to the discretion of the teacher themselves. As I mentioned, there are several tournaments and competitions that clubs put on during the school year, with the main prizes being Credits. These competitions are mainly managed by the clubs themselves rather than the Academy, so students like yourselves have an outlet to express yourselves."
"Finally, is the topic of the Student Council. AS the previous point may tell you, Sky Cross Academy places a certain emphasis on independence. As such, the Student Council was formed to serve as the main governing body of the students. New members are elected every six months and each student can be elected four times. Council members are tasked with managing disputes between students, grading tests and organising the aforementioned clubs. Thy also handle miscellaneous stuff, like paperwork and supplies. If you have any concerns, you should direct them towards the Council rather than the staff."
"In return for these responsibilities, Council members receive certain rights. They are all granted accommodation within the campus and do not have to pay for anything within the Academy up to a certain point. They can also skip otherwise compulsory tests without backlash, but again, only to a certain extent. Finally, Council members are given special Skills, Techniques and resources by the Academy, setting them up as the pillars of the current generation. Practically every Council member that graduates makes it big in the world, either in Churches, Noble Houses or other ventures."
After a long speech, Vera stepped back and allowed Jace to take her place. "Thank you for your time, Ms Quadreign. Greetings students, my name is Jace Abernathy and I am the homeroom teacher for Class 2-B. I am also a combat instructor for the other Junior Years, or any Class below Year 4. Another position I hold is the secondary Director of the Disciplinary Committee. This means I am closely tied to the rules and regulations of Sky Cross Academy and have years of experience in dealing with troublemakers."
"I will be frank: Sky Cross Academy does not tolerate baseless debauchery. Abuse of status is viewed as especially heinous here, and Le'garde has give the Disciplinary Committee-and by extension, me-full authority in dealing with it. Anyone caught participating in these acts will be punished severally. A second offence equals suspension, while a third act will cause you to be expelled. In Sky Cross Academy, everyone has on identity and one identity only: you are students. Discrimination based on Race, religion and birth has no place here in the Academy and I hope, for your own sakes you realise this here and now."
Jace paused as he looked over the countless students listening. His gaze met Endyr's and Sia's before it pulled away naturally. "However, I know from first-hand experience that some will never learn with witnessing it themselves. So I am sure I will be meeting come of you again very soon. And on the topic of expulsion, I must mention a very important thing. Apart from club competitions, the Academy hosts exams every six months. Those who do well are rewarded Credits, while those who fail have them deducted. This is where it is most important: should any student fail an exam and not have a certain amount of Credits, they will be expelled."
A murmur broke out amongst the crows of students, taken aback by the strictness of the Academy. Endyr bit his fingernail deep in thought, running through ands compiling everything that had been said at this assembly. 'Jace wasn't kidding, Le'garde runs a tight meritocracy. The strong live lavishly while the weak are publicly debased and kicked out. While he at least disallows nepotism and rampant abuse, Le'garde's system is hardly any better than the Imperialism or Theocracy. In the end, everyone falls under a different type of caste anyway...'
"One last thing my colleague forgot to mention was the existence of student rankings. Naturally, the 'special privileges' that have been consistently mentioned throughout this talk are earned through achieving a high rank. The top 15 students of each year are offered a position on the Student Council for said year. Let me make this clear now: while Vera said students are voted for Student Council spots, only the top 15 students are actually eligible for the position. There are five Classes per year with 30 students a Class, meaning there are roughly 150 students, though this sometimes varies. Only the top 50 of each year are given special privileges such as free accommodation and access."
"Ranking fluctuate every few months, and the bi-annual exams are purposely designed to shuffle the rankings. A student's rank can be checked any time on the public information board, though it will only be updated after certain significant events and a such, may not accurately represent the hierarchy within a Class in the present. Apart from the top 50 in every year, there is little difference in how lower ranked students are treated."
As Jace finished speaking, Vera Quadreign stood by his side once again "This marks the end of Sky Cross Academy's opening ceremony. I hope all of you have clearly remembered and noted out rules, and know what is expected of you. Classes will officially start tomorrow, so you can either explore the city or head to your assigned accommodation, if you have it. I hope that those in my Class are well-behaved and on time for my homeroom. That will be all."
Vera and Jace dismissed the children before them, walking off-stage. Endyr could barely make out the moving of their lips, but what they were discussing eluded him. As the auditorium was filled with the clamouring of chairs and bodies, he and Sia stood up. She took his hand and pulled him towards the left exit, trying to keep her balance against the jostle of the crowd. Endyr was more proactive, shoving anyone that go too close out of the way. This earned him a few glares, though most melted into confusion upon seeing the perpetrator was a 4 year old child. Before anyone had time to focus on this fact however, he and Sia were already past them.
Upon reaching the exit, Sia took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled at Endyr. "Well, I suppose Jace was right about the whole seating thing this time. Are you excited about starting school?" she asked eagerly. Endyr paused for a moment as he tried to decide. The thought of learning amongst the brightest and most ancient minds of the entire Gaia Continent and maybe beyond.... "Yes" he grinned. "I am very excited sister, so much I cant wait to start."
Sia laughed in response and moved towards the gate they originally entered the campus from. "Jace mentioned before we arrived to meet him at our hotel. He would collect us and bring us to our campus accommodation" she explained. Endyr tilted his head before asking, "We received accommodation? That means we are in the top 50 of first year right?". Sia nodded vigorously and clenched here first triumphantly. "We achieved our spots thanks to our ages. I have quite the potential amongst my age group and you....well, I've never heard of someone Blooming at such a young age like you did."
Despite Sia's happy tone while stating this, Endyr couldn't help but feel gloomy inside. 'I am going to attract a lot of attention because of this...what a fucking hassle' he complained. Endyr was no stranger to stigmatism: despite possessing no friends as a Denizen of Infinity, he had achieved a state close to omniscience, so of course he had knowledge about classic/cliché bullying in fantasy worlds. 'That reminds, I was reading a web novel before I died and reincarnated...what a strange and oddly time coincidence' he mused.
Any further contemplation was halted however, when Endyr felt a pair of eyes staring into his back. He turned around sharply, sensing killing intent aimed directly at him. By the entrance gate, he could see another student, around Sia's age, looking at him. He had sleek black hair that seemed almost feminine and bright, molten gold eyes that seemed to swirl. As Endyr made eye contact with him, a sense of impending doom made itself known. This boy...was more than capable of killing the current him where he stood.
After what felt like an eternity but was really only a few seconds, the boy smirked and looked away. He strolled off in a different direction, but not before looking over his shoulder at Endyr once more. His mouth moved, slowly and precisely pronouncing a single word.
"Abomination."
Endyr felt every hair stand on end and he subconsciously clenched Sia's hand tighter, making her cry out in startlement. Before she could say anything, he broke free from her grasp and bolted away, her confused calls falling on deaf ears. Endyr kept running until he had left both his sister and that strange boy behind, having left the campus and arrived somewhere in the town. He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, as the feeling of doom slowly subsided. Once he felt fine, he stood up and angrily clutched his head.
"System, what the fuck was that?!"
,