After lunch, Kael stood up and left the cafeteria, feeling somewhat empty, but also with a sense of purpose. His encounter with Selene Vallerian was still fresh in his mind, but he knew he couldn't let himself be distracted by her. His own goals, his wager with Violet, and the need to survive whatever would come next were much more pressing. What he really wanted now was to learn more about the portals.
With slow steps, he made his way through the halls of the Arcane Academy, where the sound of students' conversations still echoed off the walls. Most of the students seemed completely oblivious to his presence. Many still saw him as "the boy who defeated Adrian," but the world of the Academy would not stop because of that.
Kael was in a delicate position, and he knew it.
The wager with Violet still loomed on the horizon, and he needed to prepare.
He entered the classroom for his next lesson, Magical Knowledge. The professor for this class was an elderly man with long white hair and a serious demeanor, but there was a touch of wisdom that seemed to emanate from every word he spoke.
His name was Professor Orlan Crassus, a renowned scholar of magic who had dedicated his life to studying the Portals and the various magics that permeated the world.
Orlan was standing behind a large wooden desk, where several tomes and scrolls were scattered.
He looked at Kael as he entered the room, giving him a brief nod, before turning his attention back to the chalkboard, where he began writing a series of words Kael didn't immediately recognize.
When he looked at the board, he saw that the professor was explaining the fundamentals of magical portals.
"Good morning, class," began Professor Orlan, his voice deep and full of authority. "Today we will talk about the Portals. As you know, these mysterious phenomena have been appearing with increasing frequency in our world. But what are they, exactly? Where do they come from? And, most importantly, what can be found inside them?"
He paused for a moment, looking around the students as if waiting for someone to risk an answer. Kael, sitting in the last row, observed in silence. He knew the basics about portals – they were cracks in the fabric of reality, openings that connected different dimensions and worlds. But he wanted to learn more, especially about the portal he planned to face soon.
Orlan continued. "Portals arise for several reasons. They can be generated by magical disturbances, by powerful sorceries, or even by a natural manifestation of the arcane flows. However, the most powerful ones are those that appear due to the Celestial Tower, which, as many of you know, is located in the center of the world."
Kael frowned.
"The Celestial Tower," he thought, listening attentively as Orlan described the mythical tower at the heart of the empire. The tower was a massive structure, over a thousand stories tall, and its top had never been reached by anyone. The structure seemed to defy the laws of physics and magic, and many said it held the key to absolute power, but no one knew for certain what lay at the top.
"Each floor of the Tower is associated with a different type of magic, a kind of portal that leads to other worlds and dimensions. But not all portals are the same. Some are more dangerous, others more controllable. Some may even seem harmless, while others may be deadly traps," Orlan explained, his words sounding like an unquestionable truth.
Kael listened carefully, his interest beginning to grow. He knew that Violet had mentioned a portal he would need to face, a portal he had to pass through to prove something to her. But which portal was it? Which would be the hardest?
"Portals," Orlan continued, "are often classified based on their danger level and the nature of what lies inside them. Some portals may be small, like the cracks that appear in the mountains, or they may be enormous, like those that emerge in the farthest regions of the empire, where terrible creatures dwell. Others, however, are especially dangerous. And it's these we will talk about today."
Kael felt a tension in his chest. He knew he needed to learn more about the dangerous portals. He was determined to survive, and for that, he needed to prepare.
"Now," Orlan said, "does anyone have a question? Would anyone like to know more about a specific type of portal?"
A student in the front quickly raised her hand. She seemed eager, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Professor," she began, her voice loud and clear, "what is the most powerful and dangerous portal nearby? I've heard about a few, but I'd like to know more about what truly threatens us."
The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Professor Orlan. Kael also straightened in his seat. This was the question he wanted to ask. He knew that with his wager with Violet approaching, he would need to prepare to face a dangerous portal. And if there was a portal that stood out among the most dangerous, he needed to know everything about it.
Orlan looked at the student who asked the question, pondering for a moment before responding. "Ah, you're referring to the Bloody Portal."
Kael felt his body tense. The name echoed in his mind like a warning. Bloody Portal? He had never heard of it, but the way Orlan said the name was enough to send a chill down his spine.
"This portal," Orlan continued, "is one of the most feared in the region. It lies in an ancient crypt in the northern mountains, not far from here. The Bloody Portal is tied to an ancient demonic entity that ruled those lands centuries ago. It's said the portal was created by a blood ritual that corrupted the land around it. Those who enter the portal may encounter all sorts of monstrous creatures and deadly challenges, but more than that, the portal demands a sacrifice." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the room.
Kael felt a rush of adrenaline surge through his body. Sacrifice? This was not what he wanted to hear, but it was what he needed to know. He had to face a dangerous portal, and the Bloody Portal seemed like the kind of challenge he was looking for. The idea of sacrificing something was part of what he had already experienced in his past life, but this meant he would have to face something far beyond his comprehension.
Orlan looked at Kael for a moment before continuing, noticing the young man's renewed interest. "The Bloody Portal is a place of suffering. To survive there, you need not only strength but also intelligence. The sacrifice may be physical or even mental, something you would never know until you're inside. But one thing is certain: only the strongest can leave it alive."
Kael swallowed hard. He felt he had found the answer to his question. The Bloody Portal was what he would have to face, and he needed all the information he could get to survive. He didn't know exactly what awaited him, but he knew that if he were to enter this portal, it would be a matter of survival. He had no other choice.
The room was silent again, all the students absorbing Orlan's words. Kael, however, was somewhere else, already visualizing what he would have to face. His goal was clearer now. He needed to prepare, and for that, he would need to use all the resources at his disposal.
The Bloody Portal wasn't just a place. It was a death sentence for anyone who entered without proper preparation.
'Knowing that damn woman, I'm going to be sent to that hellhole,' Kael thought. "I knew she wouldn't leave me alone." He murmured mentally, a thread of frustration cutting through his thoughts.
"Violet… she's going to force me to go to that place." Not that Kael had any doubts about it. He already knew how much she liked to impose seemingly impossible challenges, especially after being dared. And worst of all, she seemed to have no remorse in doing so. For her, it was just a matter of seeing how far someone could go.
'Tsk…' He bit his tongue.
Professor Orlan continued explaining the Bloody Portal, his words dragging on to Kael, who was listening, but distantly.
The class went on, but Kael was lost in his thoughts. He imagined the bloody rift, the kinds of creatures that inhabited the place. Beasts distorted by dark magic, beings that waited for their prey until the portal finally closed again, leaving them forever in that dark world.
As the clock on the wall ticked on, the sound of voices and the hum of conversations began to invade his mind, as if suddenly everything was intensifying.
The professor then concluded the lesson with a nod. "So, as we can see, not every portal is a simple hunting ground or an adventure that can be solved with brute force."
Kael finally snapped back to reality and looked around. The class was over. The other students were getting up and leaving, chatting about what they had learned, as they always did. But Kael wasn't interested in their carefree conversations.
"I need to survive." The thought became clear in his mind.