By afternoon, the towering walls of Helgard, the capital city of Aethoria, came into view. Its gates loomed large, flanked by armored guards with sharp eyes and steel blades. The city beyond bustled with activity—colorful banners waved, merchant stalls buzzed, and nobles rode in sleek carriages pulled by majestic beasts.
As Rey and Zane approached the entrance, one of the guards stepped forward. His expression was firm, and his voice serious.
"Are you two lost?"
Rey instinctively slapped Zane on the back.
"You handle this," he whispered. "You're smarter."
Zane sighed. "Fine. I guess I'll use the same story."
He stepped forward, putting on a weary expression.
"You see, our carriage was attacked by bandits. Everything we had—our belongings, our ID passes—was stolen. Our parents... they were killed. We were on our way here when it happened. We managed to escape."
The guard narrowed his eyes, scanning the two boys carefully. "What are your parents' names?"
Zane and Rey froze. Then Rey stepped forward quickly.
"My father's name is Llyod Sawada. My mother's name is Mikasa Sawada."
Zane followed up. "My father's name is Zerald Yamamoto. My mother is Kasari Yamamoto."
The guard turned his eyes back to Zane. "You two claim to be traveling together, but your parents have different names. Why is that?"
Zane was quick to explain. "We grew up like brothers. Our families have been best friends for years. We always traveled together."
Rey nodded firmly in agreement. "He's right. We might as well be brothers."
The guard paused, then gave a short nod. "Alright. You may pass."
He turned to the others. "Open the gate!"
A nearby guard pulled a heavy lever, and the large wooden gate groaned open.
Rey and Zane exchanged a look of relief and stepped into the capital.
Helgard was breathtaking. Stone buildings with ivy-covered walls rose high on both sides of the street. Market stalls lined the cobblestone roads, filled with exotic foods, glowing crystals, and magical trinkets. Demi-humans and humans mingled freely, and knights in gleaming armor patrolled the streets.
Without wasting time, the two made their way to the Royal Academy of Helgard.
Zane stepped up to the academy's grand double doors, but when he tried the handle—
Click.
"It's locked," Zane frowned.
"What?" Rey asked, surprised.
"The academy's locked."
Disappointed, they turned back and decided to explore the city while waiting.
As they walked through a quieter district, admiring the architecture, Zane accidentally bumped into someone.
"Oof!" Zane stumbled back.
"You okay?" Rey asked, helping him up.
Zane nodded.
The person he bumped into was a boy roughly their age, maybe slightly older. He had spiky black hair and wore sleek dark robes with silver embroidery. Three others stood behind him.
The boy sneered. "Watch where you're going, weakling."
Rey stepped up, frowning. "You bumped into him. Maybe you're the one who needs to watch where you're going."
The boy clenched his fist. He looked like he was about to punch Zane—but then he stopped himself.
"Tch. Come on, guys. Let's not waste time with losers."
His group laughed and walked away.
Rey dusted off Zane's shoulder. "You think that jerk goes to the academy?"
Zane sighed. "Looks like it."
They kept walking until Zane spotted something posted on a notice board.
"Hey, look at this."
Rey leaned in. It was an official poster with a golden seal: "Royal Academy - Grand Opening Ceremony Tomorrow for New Students."
"So it opens tomorrow... makes sense now," Rey muttered. "The older students probably just graduated."
Zane nodded. "Looks that way."
Rey yawned. "Where are we going to sleep then?"
Zane looked around. "There's a bench under that tree. It's not much, but it'll have to do."
Rey nodded. "Yeah. Let's just rest there for tonight."
As the sun began to set and the sky turned shades of gold and purple, the two boys sat side by side on the bench, watching the city lights come alive.
Morning light bathed the capital of Helgard as Rey and Zane woke up, stretched their limbs, and headed to the Royal Academy. The grand gates of the school were already open, and the courtyard was packed with both new and returning students. Excitement and nervous chatter filled the air as hopeful mages stood shoulder to shoulder, eyes fixed on the looming structure of their future.
A teacher in a long navy cloak stepped forward to address the crowd. His voice boomed across the courtyard with authority.
"Alright, listen up, young ones! If you want to enter this academy, you'll need to pass three tests."
The students quieted instantly.
"First, your magic power must measure at 500 or more. If not, you're out. That's just the beginning. The second test will measure your ability to control your magic. You'll have five hours to train and prove your control. The final test is a combat-based challenge: you'll need to launch an accurate magic attack at a moving dummy or destroy it completely. Clear all three and you'll be officially accepted. Got it?"
"YES, SIR!" the students shouted in unison.
Rey nudged Zane and pointed.
"Look, it's that guy from yesterday—the jerk who bumped into you."
Zane followed his gaze and saw the familiar smug grin. The guy was wearing the academy's second-year uniform. He noticed their stare and smirked confidently.
"Guess he wasn't just bluffing," Zane muttered.
The first test began shortly afterward. The teacher held up a crystal orb.
"This is the Mana Crystal Sphere. It will glow in different colors depending on your magic level and type."
He began pointing to a chart.
"Gray means no magic—a complete fail. White is average, still a fail. Blue and Green mean you pass. Red is extremely rare. Only three students have ever made it glow red in the history of the academy."
Rey and Zane both gulped.
Students stepped forward one by one. Some failed, their crystals remaining dull gray or white. Others passed with blue or green glows. The tension in the air grew thick with every result.
Rey leaned closer to Zane. "You think we'll pass?"
Zane replied calmly, "I believe we will."
"But how do we release mana? We don't even know if we have any."
"Just believe," Zane said. "Remember all the Isekai anime we watched? Focus like they do."
Rey nodded, taking a deep breath.
Their names were called next.
Zane stepped forward, placing his hand on the orb. He closed his eyes, inhaled slowly, and concentrated. He tried to imagine a current flowing within him—energy rising from his core. The crystal glowed faintly—then pulsed violently.
CRACK!
The crystal shattered into pieces.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
The teacher's eyes widened. "That... must be a mistake. We'll try again."
Another crystal was brought forward. Zane calmly placed his hand again. The glow surged.
CRACK! The crystal shattered again.
The teacher looked stunned. "This… this is incredible. You pass."
Zane stepped back, smiling with quiet pride. He turned to Rey.
"You can do this. Just feel it."
Rey nodded. His heart pounded, but he stepped up. He placed his hand on the new orb, closed his eyes, and focused.
He imagined fire, wind, and a whirl of energy building inside him. He felt something deep within—a hum, a warmth, a force.
Then, just like Zane's, the orb exploded into shards.
The teachers were completely stunned.
One muttered, "How could those two boys break the crystal?"
Another responded, "I've never seen that happen twice in one day."
"Their mana levels must be off the charts," added a third.
As Rey and Zane stepped away from the platform, whispers followed them through the crowd. Some students looked at them with awe. Others, like the second-year student from before, watched them with narrowed eyes.
His friend leaned over and whispered, "Weren't they new?"
He clenched his jaw. "Yeah. And somehow, they just broke the magic test."
Meanwhile, Rey and Zane were too caught up in their excitement to notice.
They bumped fists and grinned.
"We did it," Zane said.
"We actually did it," Rey agreed.