The orientation ceremony began when a man entered the stage, his face scholarly and his body slim, draped in thick, elaborate robes. This was Azure Julius, the chairman of the Hoxrrary Academy of Arcane. Known to others as "Weather Judgement," his reputation stemmed from his formidable achievements in storm magic. He had once withstood an army of 10000 soldiers by himself for three days and nights.
"So that's the person I need to beware of the most," Ashura thought, his gaze fixed on the man, remembering his task at the academy.
"Little Kanon, you must be careful with Lord Azure. We don't know if he's with the council or not," Empress Rozaria reminded Ashura. Feeling Lord Azure's piercing gaze like that of a wolf, Ashura quickly withdrew his eyes.
"It's my pleasure to welcome you all, the talented and gifted children of Rozastar, to Hoxrrary Academy," Chairman Azure spoke brightly and loudly from the stage.
With a full smile, he continued, "Before we move on, I must express my gratitude to all of you for coming to learn and improve yourselves so that our empire may shine brighter into the future." Then, he added, "Now, let's move on to the honourable student speech," before returning to his seat among the other professors.
The next person to enter the stage was none other than this year's honourable student, Ferris Rafael. This boy had gained quite a reputation amongst the nobility as the "prodigy of the sky" due to his control over wind magic, a feat that amazed even the royal knights—and all this at just ten years of age. While the academy required students to be at least twelve, many had offered him early admission, but surprisingly, Ferris declined those offers, determined to enter the academy alongside his peers.
"It's my honour to be on this stage in the great hall that has been graced by many outstanding individuals before me," Ferris began, speaking with admiration and formality that entranced many of the students—except for Ashura, who thought, *Damn it, does he think this is a freakin' speech competition? Why is he talking for so long? Just how many paragraphs does he have?!*
As time dragged on, feeling like an eternity, Ferris finally finished his speech. Ashura's patience wore thin, ready to escape the hall when the president of students, Mers Astra, arrived and climbed onto the stage. "Don't worry, it will not take long," he said as he began his turn.
After what felt like two long hours, Ashura was exasperated. "Damn that lizard face," he grumbled under his breath, feeling tired as if he had just engaged in an exhausting spar. Ashura entered the dorm he had been assigned with little luggage, unlike the other kids who carried luggage as if they were moving to another kingdom.
The room revealed beautiful sculptured walls, with a bed on the right side and a study table on the left. "Not bad at all, as expected from Hoxrrary Academy; even their dorms are comfortable," Ashura said softly, placing his things on the floor and snuggling into the bed.
But then, a wave of melancholy washed over him. "Quite cruel of him to not even bother to visit me," he murmured, his tone tinged with sadness and a hint of resentment. "Well, of course, he wouldn't want to meet someone like me, born from god-knows-where." With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes, succumbing to the weight of exhaustion and the longing for connection in this new, intimidating environment. As the chill of the night enveloped the academy, Ashura drifted off,