The sun rose early from the window as Isshin slowly stirred. He rubbed his eyes, which were still bearing the tiredness of the last day's intense tests. Today was the first day at the Verdant Dragon Academy. As he stretched and prepared himself, the mix of excitement and nervousness stirred inside him. This was the beginning of his new life, and he had no idea what was in store for him.
After a quick breakfast, Isshin went to the main academy building. Walking through the corridors, he was awestruck by the magnificence of the environment. The building was giant, with giant pillars and intricate carvings that attested to the centuries-old history of the academy.
When Isshin arrived at the classroom, he was taken aback by the sheer number of students. There were 317 of them, crammed into the seats in the gigantic lecture hall. His mind was suddenly staggering, as he recalled that only 250 individuals were supposed to pass the entrance exam.
He glanced around, unsure what to do. Before he could dwell on it too much, Raijin's voice echoed in his mind.
"The academy is necessarily rotten through and through," Raijin declared, his tone even but with a hint of venom. "Many noble families pay off the academy to provide for their kids, even if they failed the test. It's the usual thing in a place like this."
Isshin frowned. "But. doesn't that make the test useless?"
Raijin laughed hard. "That's the way it works. Don't look for fairness. Here, it's power, connections, and influence that count. You'll find that out for yourself soon enough."
Isshin nodded, breathing deeply. He knew he would have to watch his step and carve out his own destiny.
The lecture then began a little while afterward. It was mostly elementary discourse on the grounds of cultivation: the cultivation process, the need to cultivate one's qi, and the need for balance between body, mind, and spirit. Most of the students listened attentively, though Isshin found it a bit too basic for his taste. He had already learned most of it from Raijin's training.
But then something caught Isshin's attention. The teacher began discussing immortality, and the entire class was brought to silence with a hushed tone.
"Immortality," the instructor started, "is not an easy idea. Not living forever, but gaining a degree of power so great that death becomes no longer possible. Throughout all of existence, there have existed no more than 10 billion immortals. These are creatures with so much power that they cannot be destroyed—not in the old-fashioned way."
The words of the teacher struck a chord in Isshin's mind, and he straightened up more, fascinated by the idea. He could see that the others around him were also interested.
"But," the teacher replied, "immortals can be sealed up. Frozen in time, so to speak. Seals can be broken, but the stronger the seal, the less it will happen. Immortals rule worlds. Some rule planets, some rule galaxies, and some even rule universes."
Isshin's eyes widened with the ramifications. He'd never even heard of that in his existence. Immortals—those who could shape the very fabric of reality itself—existed. It was a revelation.
After a moment of thought, Isshin's curiosity overcame him. He faced Raijin and questioned, "Are you an immortal too?"
Raijin's reply came virtually instantaneously, and his tone was unexpectedly level. "Yes, I am. But it is not as simple as you would imagine. The balance of the universe no longer exists, and there has not been one genuine ruler in a very, very long time. The god who used to rule over all of existence left the people of this world to rule themselves. He only rules over heaven, life, and death now. The so-called absolute ruler, the current sage, was meant to maintain that balance. But he's disappeared for trillions of years. I have not laid my eyes on him in all those years."
Isshin glared, going on. "The sage? Who is it? Why haven't we seen him for so long?"
Raijin had a brief pause in his tone, and then shifted topics. "It's not something to worry about today. The sage is a delicate situation, and I don't want to get you involved with that right now. Focus on your training."
Isshin nodded, though he could feel the weight of the unresolved questions. He was wondering about this missing sage, but for now, he understood that Raijin had his reasons for not revealing more.
"Reach out to other people," Raijin went on. "It will benefit you in the end."
As the lecture progressed, Isshin's thoughts wandered, but he listened to Raijin's words. He needed to deal with people and establish relationships. That's when he noticed a person who stood out from the rest of the students—a lone individual sitting away from the crowd.
The oddball was sporting a paper bag on his head, and his clothes were something Isshin had never witnessed. He was actually holding a toy gun in his hand, and Isshin couldn't help but question. Was this man another odd student or someone with an unusual sense of humor?
Isshin edged closer, not able to help but glance at the strange person. The person noticed him and, without warning, aimed the toy gun straight in Isshin's face. Isshin jumped back, surprised at how close they were, but before he could react, the stranger fired the gun.
The room was filled with a deafening squeak as a rubber toy the size of a walnut shot out of the gun, causing Isshin to jump. The man smiled softly, clearly enjoying the reaction.
"Wearing a mask?" Isshin asked, still a bit bewildered.
The man tilted his head to the side and replied, "Why are you wearing a mask?"
Isshin shrugged. "Security reasons."
"Same thing here," the man replied nonchalantly.
Isshin smiled, intrigued by this oddball's laid-back attitude. "What are your types of powers?" he asked, curious.
The guy smiled but said nothing, "You'll see later."
Isshin did not push it any further, intrigued by the mystery. "By the way, what do you go by?"
"Rune," the guy answered, waving lazily.
"I'm Isshin," Isshin stated, extending a hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you."
After a moment, Rune stood up. "Well, now that we're done here, what are we supposed to do?"
Isshin chuckled. "How would I know?"
Rune shrugged. "Exactly."
The two of them left the classroom together, wandering the academy's corridors. Rune's lack of concern allowed Isshin to feel at ease somehow. He didn't appear to care much about the structure of the academy or the future, but there was something in him that interested Isshin.
After taking a little while to stroll and converse—and though much of what they discussed was superficial and disjointed—they made it at last to the dorms. Isshin couldn't help but wonder about the academy's secrets, but Rune's free spirit appeared to calm him.
As both of them went to their respective rooms for the night, Isshin was enveloped in a sense of serenity. Tomorrow would be tough, but tonight he granted himself a much-needed reprieve.