Great walls of white marble towered above the carriages as they trundled through the open gates of Luminex City.
The light of the sun reflected off the stones, bathing the city in an ethereal glow that seemed to transcend reality. Large yellow crystals floated in the air above the buildings, absorbing the excess light and using it to fuel the modern amenities in a city with a population well into the millions.
Luminex Castle stood above the city on a hill with another set of white walls proudly standing around it.
The streets were full of citizens going in every direction, their clothes somewhat different from those worn in Guestinore.
Here white and gold were the prevalent colors, whereas back home any color could be worn.
Women strutted with dresses enchanted to clean themselves, their long tails effortlessly gliding behind them. The men had tailored suits that highlighted their frame.
Those that had bonded to elemental gems had embellished markings to designate the primary element classification their gem fell into.
The streets were cleared as their group approached.
Guards ran forward and directed traffic around the main caravan, allowing them to pass unimposed. Most citizens cheered as they drove by.
The new year of Academy students signaled the future mages of the kingdom, mages that were their greatest defense against the Beasts.
Over seven thousand mages would enter the Academy every year, and only half that would graduate. This was due to two main factors: Dropping out, and death.
The first was less common as most families could not afford, or would not allow, their children to return as failures. There was a cultural sensitivity to failing to serve the nation in the endless war, and being a quitter made you nothing more than a coward in the eyes of society.
A far more common cause of student loss was dying in the Student Incursions into the Beast Glades.
The Academies of the world were all geared towards producing combat mages, and so they would send their students to fight the Beasts dozens of times during their time studying, hoping to find the best of the best.
For their first year, they would have only a few months of training and preparation before they had to take on their first Incursion. It would last a week and be heavily moderated. Deaths were rare during the first one due to the oversight, but did sometimes happen.
Looking out the window, Ojero saw a large fountain at the end of the road, the rest of the carriages having stopped around it.
Five statues stood around the fountain facing towards it, each one holding something different.
The first statue wielded a large sword and wore strong armor, his sword pointed towards and a smile on his face.
The second carried a tome in her hands and wore a robe. The sculptor somehow managed to capture a look of hope and love in her stone eyes.
The third was a large man covered from head to toe in massive plate armor, two long-swords in his hands.
The fourth was another woman, this time with a serrated dagger. Her face was hidden in a cloak, and her posture made her look ready to pounce.
The fifth was the newest and depicted a scholarly old man with a long gnarled staff.
Ojero focused on the last one longer than the rest, recognition in his eyes.
He had seen a similar old man in the paintings in his family's estate. In the paintings, he was usually depicted in the middle of a battle, his staff spewing waves of light.
That was because they were, in fact, the same person.
The statue depicted his family's ancient ancestor, Quasar Guestino, the Arch Magos of Light.
Although not one of the founders of the kingdom, his contributions later in the nation's formation led to his family being risen to the status of dukes, and his likeness being carved into stone and placed around the other great Arch Magos' of Riotian history.
Their carriage soon stopped by the feet of the cloaked woman brandishing a wicked dagger, and Roger and Ojero stepped out onto the paved road.
The light of Luminex City instantly made him feel warm, a pleasant heat that he enjoyed.
Orphams carriage stopped at the feet of their family ancestor, and the twin exited his transport followed closely by the large form of Jason.
Noticing Ojero, Orpham sent him a beaming smile before placing his hands on his hips and looking up at the face of the statue.
Emotions passed through his brother's eyes. Ojero thought he noticed pride, hope, and something similar to ambition appear, but he couldn't be sure.
He had always tried to read people through their eyes, but it was not a very trustworthy science.
Over at the other end of the loop, Ojero noticed Anastasia, who gave him a polite nod before turning away to continue talking to her new friends.
The students were all soon ushered down the road towards a very large building made of marble with a domed roof.
Ojero had seen this in paintings, too.
It was the Academy Reception Hall where all new students were initiated into their new home.
After today, they would all officially be students at the Riotian Academy for Magi.
Well-equipped guards flanked either side of the road, their fists over their hearts in a salute to the passing teenagers. Some of the noble-born students held their heads high in derision, while other more commoner teens seemed shy and unsure of what to do.
Regardless of how they reacted, they all approached the same destination.
At the top of the great steps leading to the hall, multiple robed figures stood. They smiled warmly at the incoming students, offering them handshakes and wisened advice as they entered through the large doorway.
Ojero found himself swept up in the excitement, moving quickly and chuckling at all the festivities. At some point, trumpets started to sound, and drums beat in a cadence that brought out the citizens of Luminex City in dancing and celebration.
When it was his turn to enter, he shook the hands of multiple of his future professors, hearing advice like "Never stop training!" and "Make sure to enjoy your time here! It will fly by!"
Near the door, he attempted to shake the hand of a man wearing a light blue robe with snowflakes covering it, but the professor did not return the gesture, staring at him with cold blue eyes. Ojero felt the air chill when he looked at them.
The feeling was immediately pushed aside by the incoming flood of students, forcing him into the palatial building.
Inside, they all gathered in a large atrium, windows circling the walls to let in more light.
Large mosaics depicting the Academy and some of its more notable alumni surrounded them all sides, with a stage connected to one of the walls.
Caught in the crowd with little space to move, Ojero craned his head to look for his friends, but couldn't spot any of them in the sea of heads.
A few students who already had their elements began to float above the others, clearly disliking the packed room.
One such student was an unremarkable boy with brown hair who was standing beside Ojero. Without a word, the teenager rose into the air, leaving the crowd to the astonishment of those near him.
Taking a risk, Ojero reached out lightly touched the boy's leg, and activated [Echo of Abilities].
Using the new ability, he felt himself lift off the ground. To his surprise, he did not have to orient himself, and rose straight into the air, stopping a few feet above the ground.
He felt the strange mana coursing through his veins and calmed his mind to try and identify it. It took him a few seconds, but the distortion the mana caused felt linked to Gravity, one of the rarer elements.
'Wow, I am really lucky to have been forced so close to a Gravity mage! This ability is awesome!'
His eyes widened and he suddenly began admonishing himself.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid! What would have happened if [Echo of Chaos] had caused you to shoot into the sky? Or force everyone else around you to float instead of yourself! What did it even do to an ability like this?'
Fear filled him as he began to focus on the specific effects of the mana, and let out a sigh of relief when he realized that [Echo of Chaos] didn't seem to do anything.
'I hadn't expected that! So it only modifies certain abilities? Or does it not know how to change a simple floatation ability? Gods damn it, there are too many secrets with this gem!'
A staff pounded on the stage a single time, and everything in the hall was rendered mute. Even the celebrations outside vanished.
An elderly woman had appeared on the stage at some point, and every gaze was locked on her.
She was hunched over with silver hair and wrinkled skin, a tender smile on her face. Her robes were brown and plain, not a single embellishment on any of them. She held an old staff in her hand, but it could easily be mistaken for a random tree branch.
If Ojero had not just witnessed her display of power, he would have assumed she was a beggar!
The woman smacked her dry lips a few times before speaking, her voice washing over the crowd like a wave.
"Welcome citizens of our great kingdom! I am Headmistress Ria, but you may all call me Grandma! Gods know I'm old enough to be your great grandmother's grandma…"
She seemed to lose focus for a moment, her eyes wandering before snapping back to the crowd.
"Ah, as I was saying! Welcome to the Academy, and may mana fill your lives with glory and strength!"
With that simple statement, she turned around and waddled off of the stage.
A minute later, sound returned to the crowded atrium, but no one spoke.