Remaining two days passed by in a flash. In the meantime, several unfamiliar faces had joined the academy. Rooms were filled, several footsteps kept echoing through the halls, the once empty floors were now filled with new arrivals.
Over the past two days, Zeill had wandered around the campus trying to take in every detail of his new surrounding. In the meanwhile he became acquainted with a few more batchmates and even some of the guards of the university.
By the end of sixth day a considerable number of students had already gathered in the dorm. Instead of receiving food boxes, they were escorted by the dorm warden to the mess, nearly a hundred meters from their dorm. Mess III, the sign read, thus bringing an end to their newcomer's benefit.
Except for spending his time with Matt, Galen and Avrin. Zeill spent his days either wandering around the campus or reading some books he had brought with him.
Well, reading did help him, as he also gave a read to the University guide, the one he had received packed inside the box.
From the guide he came to know about the divisions in the academy. It was divided into 3 sections. Zone I, II and III.
ZoneI was for the new admissions and the students interested in pursuing non combat studies.
Zone II was meant for students who had successfully resonated with aether, usually the freshers were transferred there, after their veil forge ceremony.
Zone III was reserved for the senior alumni.
At present they were in Zone I, but the dream of becoming a Luminer soon, had now started to stir his excitement. Lost in all this, the past couple of days flew by.
The sky outside had brightened up and the long awaited day had finally arrived. Today was their first day of the academy.
The scheduling for the day had already been posted on a digital notice board on the ground floor. They were asked to reach the auditorium by 8:00, and post event they would be given a campus tour and then shown to their classes.
There wasn't a mirror inside Zeill's room and he didn't care enough to have brought one with him. He had to go towards the central part of the hall where a mirror was attached on the outside wall.
Yesterday some students tried to break it but it didn't show any signs of shattering. Well, it was aether infused, nearly impossible to break, especially by their hands.
Galen was also standing near the mirror, a bit on the side, waiting for his turn. A couple more guys were also checking their uniforms. Saying 'hi' to them, he moved closer to Galen and stood for his turn.
A few seconds later he caught a glimpse of his reflection on the mirror, 'finally' and observed his pristine appearance. He wasn't the greatest of lookers, but he had his own charms.
His ivory skin, unblemished and radiant, shimmered under the sun's rays, his lush hair, deep black like the abyss, fell at just the right length, perfectly framing his face. His irises, deep as darkest of nights, held a mysterious charm.
His nose went straight, neither narrow nor broad. A bit unassuming but firm.
His lips were thin, slightly uneven, yet set in a firm line unwavering. They weren't particularly striking but provided his face with a look of calm...calculated they seemed, as if rarely curving without purpose.
He wasn't broad framed. Standing at 170 cm, he was on the skinnier side of the spectrum, although skinny, yet his clothes fit him perfectly, subtly enhancing his appearance.
Giving one final look to his well fitted deep blue pants and blazer, he felt confident, the embedded golden lines adding on to his noble poise.
"Seen enough?" Galen commented from the side, his smile threatening to turn into a laugh. "Let's go."
"Yeah."
They met Avrin and Matt, who were already waiting downstairs.
Exchanging a quick greeting, the group of four moved towards the auditorium. It lay at roughly four to five hundred meters from their dorm. Crossing the small bridge, they turned left, and the first building on the right was the auditorium.
It was a shaped like a reverse trapezoid, with the back standing at ninety degrees, while the front was sloped at an incline. Big, was the only word they could think of. The sides were built of bricks while the front was predominantly glass.
Upon entering the auditorium they took their seats near the center of the base level. It was a three-tiered hall with the bottom level being the largest, holding roughly three to four hundred seats.
The base level was divided into twenty rows, with each extending back approximately fifteen seats. The upper tier balcony was relatively smaller, being a row of eighteen with ten seats a row, and the top tier was a row of sixteen with eight seats a row.
Being a trapezoid structure, the upper levels of the hall extended a bit towards the back, creating a tiered, receding structure. At front, stood a grand stage shaped as a semi circular arch with a podium positioned at its center.
The hall was already partially filled with students, with a bunch of girls occupying the left side of the base tier. They could occasionally find some familiar faces spread around in the auditorium.
With a little time left for the start of the event, the students had started swarming in with growing numbers.
"More than fifty" said Matt.
"We are nearly hundred, didn't you see the dorm has been filled?" said Zeill casting a look at Matt that wordlessly asked where are you living?
"Girls."
"Huh?"
"They are more than fifty."
Listening to their conversation from the side Avrin threw a judgemental look at Matt. "Come on man, Seriously?"
Matt, giving a wry laughter ignored the two.
Seconds turned to minutes and at last, the time finally arrived. Clock struck 8:00 and immediately the lights of the auditorium dimmed down. A beam of light struck at the center of the semi circular arch, focusing on the podium.
From one side of the stage, a man started to stride towards the podium.
He appeared to be in his late forties, with grey streaked hair, greying beard, and specs sitting on his face. He was dressed in a creamish brown suit. Even though he appeared to be in his forties, his posture was upright and keen, highlighting his sharp poise. There was an enchantment woven into his stride, it seemed somewhat magical as he was moved forward by some unseen forces.
What seemed to be a moment felt like an eternity, as if eternity has woven itself along with mere seconds. A dance of infinity and nullness.
In an instant the entire auditorium was filled by silence, surprisingly the steps made no noise to deter the state of calm, as if ingraining itself in nothingness.
Settling himself behind the podium and giving a brief glance to the faces sitting across the hall, he finally chose to break the silence. His voice seemed to be laced with a sense of elusiveness, as if his words contained some hidden depth. It felt smooth, very soothing to ears.
But it felt different at the same time, like something inside their minds was tempting them to focus their attention towards the speaker.
The man felt mysterious, but Zeill felt something he hadn't felt for a long time, 'danger'. Although he didn't know the man, his body knew the feeling, it was screaming at him to get afraid, to feel fear, to not meet eyes with the man. He felt suppressed, but more so, he felt eager to hold such power.
"I welcome you all, to the land where destinies are forged, and you become the wielder of your own fates." said the man said, his voice carrying a magical resonance.
"I welcome you all...to The Veylan Academy."