Elyas had long ago accepted that magic didn't exactly like him. It had a way of leading him places—usually face-first into a wall, a barrel of flour, or a bathhouse full of grumpy old ladies. But this time? Oh, this time it had really outdone itself.
When Elyas finally emerged from his latest teleportation disaster, expecting to see the quaint streets of Faldore and maybe a couple of chickens still chasing him, he instead found himself standing in the middle of the wrong city. Not just any wrong city, either.
"This…this isn't Faldore," Elyas muttered, eyes wide as he took in the scene.
Around him stretched the vast and bustling capital of Arcanis. The streets were lined with gleaming magical street lamps, archways adorned with glowing runes, and towering spires of glass and marble that reached so high into the sky they practically disappeared into the clouds. Carriages zipped by, some pulled by actual horses, others hovering a few feet off the ground, powered by magic. Wizards of all shapes, sizes, and eccentricities strutted around, their robes fluttering dramatically in the enchanted breeze.
For a moment, Elyas just stood there, slack-jawed, his mind struggling to compute how he had gone from a sleepy little village to the magical equivalent of Times Square on potion steroids.
A wizard in lavender robes, clearly having the time of his life judging by the smirk on his face, strolled by and stopped to take a look at Elyas. The poor boy was still covered in traces of flour from the carriage incident and looked like he'd just stepped out of a bakery after a very violent explosion.
"First time in Arcanis, huh?" the wizard asked, barely hiding his amusement.
Elyas nodded, too confused to answer with anything resembling words.
"Ahh, no worries," the wizard said, giving him a slap on the back that nearly sent Elyas sprawling. "You must be one of the new students at Arcanis Academy, right? Better hurry—orientation's starting soon!"
Elyas blinked, panic beginning to set in. Arcanis Academy? The Arcanis Academy? The most prestigious, high-end, hoity-toity magic school in the entire kingdom? The one with the entrance exam that was so hard, some people's hair turned white just trying to pass it?
Elyas (thinking): Oh no, oh no, oh no...
The wizard gave Elyas one last wink before sauntering off, leaving him standing in the middle of the busy street like a statue made of equal parts flour, sweat, and sheer panic.
Elyas (muttering to himself): "Arcanis Academy... how in the world did I end up here? I was supposed to go to Faldore! They were going to teach me simple things, like 'how not to turn the family cat into a teapot.' Not... whatever this place is!"
But, as always, Elyas's magic had its own plans. He glanced around and saw no other option. He couldn't just stand here and wait for someone to figure out that he didn't belong. Besides, how bad could it be? Maybe—just maybe—this was the fresh start he needed. A chance to prove he wasn't a complete magical disaster.
Spoiler alert: he was absolutely still a complete magical disaster.
Elyas found himself awkwardly tagging along with a group of fresh-faced students as they made their way toward what could only be described as the most terrifyingly impressive building he'd ever seen. The Arcanis Academy stood at the heart of the city, a massive, glittering structure that seemed to hum with magic. The walls were made of a material that shifted colors depending on how the light hit it—sometimes deep blue, sometimes emerald green, and occasionally a shade of pink that Elyas found oddly comforting.
As they entered the grand hall, Elyas realized that this place was far, far above his skill level. The students were already practicing spells in the foyer, casually levitating books, summoning miniature storms, and one girl had even conjured a dragon the size of a kitten, which she cradled in her arms like a purring cat.
Elyas, on the other hand, had a unique magical talent for causing absolute chaos. His last "harmless" spell had resulted in his parents' kitchen cupboards growing legs and staging a rebellion. Now, here he was, surrounded by people who looked like they could probably turn him into a frog and back before lunch.
Feeling the weight of impending doom, Elyas shuffled into line with the rest of the new students. At the front of the hall, a tall, regal-looking wizard in deep blue robes was addressing the crowd. His voice boomed through the room with the kind of authority that made people instinctively sit up straighter.
"Welcome, new students, to Arcanis Academy! You have all been selected because of your immense magical potential…"
Elyas (thinking): Immense potential? Ha! They must've made a mistake. The only thing I'm immensely good at is making things worse.
"…and we expect great things from each and every one of you!"
At that exact moment, the magical kitten-dragon decided it had had enough of being cute and let out a surprisingly loud roar, which caused half the students to jump. Elyas was one of them. Unfortunately, his nervous jump triggered a small burst of his own wild magic, and a nearby statue of some long-dead wizard suddenly came to life.
The stone figure blinked in surprise, flexed its arms, and then proceeded to do the absolute last thing anyone would have expected: it started dancing. Specifically, it began doing a very enthusiastic jig, its stone feet clattering noisily on the marble floor.
Elyas (horrified, whispering to himself): "No, no, no, please stop..."
But the statue was clearly in the mood for a party. It spun around in circles, clapping its hands and stomping its feet, gathering the attention of the entire hall. The regal-looking headmaster paused mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the spectacle.
Headmaster (sternly): "Who—did—this?"
The students were all staring at Elyas now. Even the kitten-dragon gave him a judgmental look. Elyas swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead.
Elyas (sheepishly): "Uh... it was an accident?"
The headmaster sighed deeply, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Of course it was," he muttered under his breath, clearly already regretting his life choices.
With a flick of the headmaster's wrist, the dancing statue returned to its original, non-dancing, non-embarrassing state. He gave Elyas a long, tired look, the kind of look that suggested he had seen this sort of thing far too many times.
"Well," the headmaster said, his voice dripping with reluctant acceptance, "I suppose there's always one. Welcome to Arcanis Academy... whoever you are."
As the rest of the students stared at Elyas, a mixture of amusement and horror on their faces, he realized that once again, his magic had led him into a situation that he was entirely unprepared for.
Elyas (thinking): So much for a fresh start.
But, despite everything, there was a small part of him—a very small part—that felt a tiny flicker of excitement. Maybe this was where he was meant to be after all. Or maybe it was just the fear talking.
As Elyas followed the others deeper into the academy, the stone statue gave one last, tiny jig behind him.
Elyas (muttering to himself): "Yep, definitely still a disaster."