Kael slowly rose from the couch, stretching as the comfort of home finally settled into his muscles. As he moved toward the kitchen for a drink, a soft hum caught his attention. He turned his head toward the wall-mounted futuristic indoor mailbox, a sleek obelisk-shaped device built into the side of the living room wall. A glowing rune blinked red new mail received.
Curious, Kael approached.
With a wave of his hand, the holographic interface opened and a white flash of light surged from the portal. From thin air, a long black case and a neatly stacked set of boxes materialized and lowered gently to the floor.
Kael blinked. "Already?"
He crouched down and opened the letter resting on top of the stack.
"Dear Kael Vernier,
We are pleased to hear of your acceptance into Aetherion Academy. Enclosed is your official student uniform, training gear, and general necessities for life on campus."
He opened the main box and pulled out the Aetherion Academy uniform a white three-piece suit lined with subtle gold edges. It looked tailored for comfort and mobility despite its elegant design. On the left chest was the insignia of the country, and just beneath it, the Aetherion crest a silver phoenix wrapping around a crystal sword.
He ran a hand along the material. "Fancy, but practical."
In the following boxes were his training uniform, recreational outfits, and one more thing that made him pause.
A long, black rectangular case.
Kael opened it slowly, revealing a clean, sharp B-Rank sword. Sleek, modern in design, and balanced. A good, solid blade.
He gave a dry chuckle. "Just in time… Since I may or may not have broken sis' A-Rank sword."
He glanced at his arm the Vanta Edge mark resting dormant beneath his skin. He knew better than to pull out an SSS+ rank sword at an academy full of powerful individuals.
Low profile first. Power later.
With the gear unpacked, he made his way to the bathroom. Warm water poured from the rainfall-style shower as he stepped in, letting the tension wash away.
After drying off, Kael stood in front of the mirror. His white hair was longer now almost reaching his back and though he had grown fond of it, he knew it was time to shift appearances.
He picked up the scissors and calmly cut his hair until it settled just around his neck, still soft and wild, framing his sharp features and glowing eyes.
He looked into the mirror.
Aetherion Academy… here I come.