"How am I supposed to get to the magic school?" he asked himself, standing in front of the large mirror in his room, checking his appearance after putting on his new school uniform. It wasn't far from what he had always imagined a magic school uniform to look like light gray formal pants, a dark gray vest, and a long black robe that felt quite unsuitable for a magic school in a tropical country, which was usually hot and humid.
"What is the point of this robe? Is it just for show?" he wondered aloud as he examined the inside of the wide sleeves at the wrists. He was hoping to find a hidden pocket or a magical compartment, but there was nothing, and that disappointed him.
Could this be the answer to the prayers he had always directed to God? His confidence began to soar. He was certain that in this new life, he would no longer be bullied and could be more self-assured because he now possessed extraordinary hidden powers.
Just thinking about it made him proudly adjust his robe collar and lift his head high. Today, he would leave behind his sad fate and become an admirable wizard. He was even ready to boast to all those who had bullied him before, even to the classmate who had rejected his confession of love.
"Yosh! Yosh! Yosh! I'm so excited. Thank you, God," he said happily, clenching his fists and jumping several times to express his joy. If he had known it would be like this, he should have told his father about his situation a long time ago.
BRUK BRUK BRUK. There was a loud banging on the door from his older brother. "Don't waste my time, idiot! I need to get to campus."
With a discouraged step that indicated his spirit was dampened, he grabbed his bag and approached Casugraha. The two of them got into the car, and the journey to Ihatra's new world began.
As he watched the scenery pass by outside the window, he mustered the courage to ask his always-serious-looking older brother, "Brother, are we going to a station and passing through a wall or doing something magical like that?"
Casugraha replied, "The magical world in our lives is something that runs parallel to the real world. It's easier to imagine if the magical world is like the neighbor's backyard that you can never enter because the owner is fierce."
Hearing that response, Ihatra eagerly asked, "Do the wizards know that rumors about Galsonmejer Academy are spreading widely among ordinary humans? Aren't they trying to hide it? What will happen if ordinary humans find out about this reality?"
"Thinking about that is not important for us to worry about," Casugraha answered while turning the car onto a road leading to the edge of the city forest, "Wizards have a crucial role in supporting the lives of normal humans."
"You mean like superheroes? Secret protectors with superpowers? Are you like that too, Brother?" Ihatra asked enthusiastically, his eyes wide open.
"Think of it however you want. The point is, when you find out you're a wizard, you must not use your powers to harm ordinary humans," Casugraha explained while resting his chin on his hand near the window.
"Brother, is there a special term for referring to ordinary humans and wizards? Like in the movies," Ihatra asked again.
Fiuuhh. Casugraha sighed, annoyed by his useless little brother's continuous questions. "You'll learn all about that at the place we're going to. Don't waste my energy and be quiet," he requested softly.
Glukh. Ihatra swallowed hard. His excitement returned. His heart was pounding rapidly. In his mind, he envisioned various fun and extraordinary fantasy adventures that he had only been able to imagine before.
"I will be reborn as someone extraordinary," he whispered.
*
Zreek. Casugraha's car stopped at the last part of the forest that could be accessed by car. Ihatra was confused because this was not what he had imagined at all. Where was the magic? Where was the wonder? The station? The magical creatures?
"Brother, are you planning to abandon me in the middle of this forest?" Ihatra asked, looking around at nothing but plants.
Meanwhile, his brother on the other side of the car ignored him and continued walking into the dense forest ahead of them. And he disappeared just like that. Panicked, Ihatra followed in the direction his brother went, and to an ordinary human's eyes, he too would have disappeared.
After traversing the forest without a path or directions, they arrived at the base of a large and towering gate that seemed to reach the sky. Ihatra couldn't blink as he beheld it.
"Casugraha, it's been a long time," greeted a man who suddenly appeared near them. He was wearing a black uniform with a cape-like accent at the back.
"I'm only here to drop off my brother. I hope he won't be too troublesome."
The man patted Casugraha's back and replied, "Don't worry. This school exists to fix all the troublesome things." He then patted Ihatra's back, who was too stunned to say anything. "See you later."
Ihatra could feel himself disappearing. For a fraction of a second, he couldn't feel or remember anything. And then...
"Welcome to Galsonmejer Academy of Radiant Exemplars," the man said as their bodies reappeared in another part of the forest.
"I don't see anything but forest here," Ihatra said, looking around. "Is Galsonmejer Academy, which is rumored to have beautiful buildings, actually just some kind of school in the wilderness?" he joked a little.
"Of course," the friendly man, whose hair was neatly combed back, replied. He spread his arms wide. "This forest is the first test for prospective students of the Galsonmejer Academy of Radiant Exemplars. If you can find where it is located, then you deserve to be a part of it."
Buugh. Ihatra dropped the suitcase he was carrying in his left hand. "And if I can't?" he asked.
"There are many wild animals in this forest. If you can't find the school even though you can enter the gate, you'd better die."
He shrieked in disbelief, "WHAT??!!!"
What now? Could what he had once considered a blessing turn out to be just another form of trouble?
Welcome to a new world!