"Wake up, son! Breakfast is ready!" William's father called out. William changed into his brand new uniform.
A delicious aroma filled their house as his mother prepared their breakfast. William recognised the smell; it was his favourite—baked potatoes.
He ran downstairs excitedly and sat down at the dinner table.
"I'm coming, dad!"
"Goodbye, dad, mom!" William said as he headed outside after finishing his breakfast. "Good luck, son!" Said his parents.
On his way to what might become his new school, William said hello to his neighbours.
As though it came naturally to them, they were incorporating magic into their everyday existence. David, one of his neighbours, saw him.
"Hello, kid! It is your first day, huh? Best of luck—you will require it!"
"Thank you, Mr. David!"
William lived in a small and humble village not too far away, which made it easy for him to travel and eventually he arrived at a massive structure that resembled a castle.
In front of it, a big banner with the words "Astral Academy of Magic" was being hung. The atmosphere was lively, with lots of young people coming through the school's enormous front gates while chatting with each other.
William entered as well, following suit. He joined a large group of people in a spacious hall, having followed some of the students.
After around 10 minutes, the hall's lights dimmed, and a seemingly important figure went up the stage. He picked up the microphone, making a faint sound.
The students in the hallway were still chit-chatting. He sighed and cleared his throat, as if to show his disappointment.
"Ahem!"
Immediately, everyone halted their discussions to focus on him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to Astral Academy, a school that is among the finest in the country of Celoria! We look forward to seeing some rising stars! Today, we shall commence the 50th annual Astral Exams (Entrance Examinations of Astral Academy)!"
When he concluded his speech, the audience enthusiastically applauded. A few teachers moved into the hallway, dividing the students into ten groups.
After William was placed in the seventh group, the youthful teacher wearing a blue shirt welcomed them.
"Hey folks! My name is Alan Frostwhisper, but feel free to address me as Mr. Alan or any other name you like."
"Here, sit down." Alan instructed the students to sit on the floor.
"Hello, students," a female teacher who appeared to be about Alan's age and was dressed in red approached them. "I am Ember Crimsonshade."
"It appears that I am group 8's instructor, which is next to yours. What a coincidence, huh?"
She teased Alan, and returned to her group of students after exchanging some words with him.
"As I mentioned earlier, everyone present will be taking part in the Astral Exams. Only 2% of applicants will be accepted each year, so it will be difficult, but good luck. Alright, that's enough talk from me. So, why don't you introduce yourselves? You may be cooperating to get through some trials as a group later."
While Alan called on each student individually and they introduced themselves, William caught sight of a lone man and sensed something was unusual.
"William? William?"
William did not notice Alan's call because he was preoccupied with the strange figure. He was slightly taller than himself and had blonde hair.
"Is William Fateborne here?"
William snapped out of it and immediately raised his hand. "Yes, that's me, William."
By then, everyone in their group was staring at him as he continued to introduce himself. "I love baked potatoes and watching anime!"
Then a couple more people had a chance to introduce themselves, but the mysterious person's turn was still pending.
William went back to thinking about potatoes, magic, and his future school life.
"Yeah, that is me." With a lack of enthusiasm, the blonde raised his hand a little.
"I don't really have any preferences or hobbies..."
I missed his name...
"That concludes the introductions."
Alan shut his little notepad.
"Could everyone please wait here for a bit?"
Alan got together with the other nine teachers, and they had a discussion. The instructors returned to their separate groups after about an hour.
"Are all of you ready? We will conduct your first exam shortly."