After Ava dropped Feng and Maria near the South Wing Hall, a soft gust followed in her wake, stirring robes and whispers alike. The plaza ahead pulsed with first-years—some gathered in curious clusters, others trickling in along cobbled paths lined with floating lanterns and whispering banners.
The South Wing Hall itself loomed ahead like a relic from a legend—its walls of arcane stone shimmered subtly beneath shifting light, spires vanishing into a sky dotted with slow-moving clouds. It wasn't its size alone that gave it weight; it was the aura—the silence that thickened as you neared, the way leaves slowed midair, and birds curved their flight around its roof. It demanded reverence without asking.
"Okay... guys, see you at home later," Ava said, turning back to them. Her wings stretched out, pulsing with flickers of lightning, and she launched skyward—faster than any previous flight she'd shared with them.
Feng watched her vanish, a quiet thought echoing in his mind. Guess she was holding back because of us.
Beside him, Maria remained still, eyes trailing Ava's shrinking form. Then, sensing his gaze, she turned toward him and smiled—slightly brighter than usual, a change Feng had grown able to recognize after a month together.
"Okay... Let's go, Feng. A lot of people are already inside."
Feng nodded, matching her calm. "Yeah... sure."
They entered side by side. The hall swallowed them in a rush of cool, enchanted air. Inside, the atmosphere felt both sacred and charged—columns of carved dragonbone stretched high above, holding aloft a ceiling painted with ever-moving stars. Whispering lights hovered overhead, casting celestial patterns over hundreds of murmuring students.
Choosing seats on the right side, halfway up from the front, Feng and Maria settled in. Almost immediately, all heads turned. Whispers spread through the crowd like sparks on dry grass.
Feng—the top scorer from the entrance exams.
Maria and her team—second place.
But neither reacted. They had grown used to the attention. Calmly, they sat.
Then—
"HEY... MARIA! Guess finding you wasn't hard—I mean, everyone's staring at you guys and all."
Maria stood quickly. Her surprised look dissolved into a friendly smile. "Oh—hey, Rose. Good morning!"
She glanced at Feng, then back. "Oh, sorry. Rose, this is Feng. Feng, this is Rose."
Feng stood and offered a formal bow.
Rose, ever bold, gave a slight nod in return. With long silver-blue hair and a spear bound in violet string across her back, she stood tall with the proud aura of her bloodline—the Lightning-aligned werewolf clan, one of the Central Ten Great Families.
The three of them sat together just as the overhead lights dimmed again.
A weight fell across the hall.
The instructors had arrived.
A hush swept through the space as a towering figure stepped onto the stage. David Johnson, Head of Combat Classes, stood like a living wall—East-Middle European in appearance, built like a fortress, and standing nearly 2.7 meters tall.
He raised his hand—and released his Qi.
A shockwave of Natural Qi radiated from him. It wasn't loud or violent. It was heavy. It pressed down with the weight of battlefields, of training yards soaked in sweat and blood. Conversations ceased. Even the lanterns flickered as if bowing.
"Now that you're all ready to listen..." David's voice rumbled, deep and commanding. "I am David Johnson, Head of all Combat Classes."
He took a step forward, his presence still stretching outward.
"You will now be sorted into your classes—both Combat and Non-Combat—based on your entrance exam performance. From this point on, your instructors will guide your path. Your training, your survival, your future—it begins now."
Excitement bubbled under the students' silence. Every gaze locked onto David.
"We'll begin with the only Arcane Class this year," he continued. "When your name is called, proceed to the entrance. Your instructor, Miss Hareko, will be waiting."
He raised a hand as he read from a glowing scroll. "Feng, Maria, Loreto, Rose, Concor, Lucaa, Nick, Iris, and Chloé. Head to Miss Hareko."
Feng stood. So did Maria and Rose. The others followed quickly as whispers surged behind them. All eyes tracked them as they approached the front.
At the entrance, a short figure stood barefoot, her arms folded, white hair glowing faintly under the lanterns. Child-like in stature, with the sharp ears of an elf, Miss Hareko looked like she had walked out of a storybook.
"Okay... is everyone here?" she asked, scanning the group. Her eyes glinted with mischief.
She clapped her hands once.
With a flash of dark purple Qi—lightning-shaped and small as threads—they vanished. The teleportation circle activated mid-step for some, pulling them mid-stride.
The hall erupted in gasps. The only trace left was the fading shimmer of dark-purple light.
David, still calm, turned back to the crowd.
"Coming up next..."