Footsteps wandered through the abyss, their movement echoing endlessly as a single individual limped through a vast expanse. While there was not a single visual clue as to their destination, they knew exactly where they were going. In the void they traversed, the confidence of their steps seeking to crush their own doubtful gait. All noise ceased upon a halted step, the traveller having reached their destination.

"Tomorrow it begins.", an ancient yet feeble voice would speak into the darkness, emanating from the limping wanderer.

"So it would seem.", a voice from within the darkness would respond, powerful yet complacent.

"And you would do nothing? Ha. How cruel.", the wanderer would respond with a smug chuckle, followed by hacking and wheezing from overexertion.

While not seen, their body would be heard collapsing to an invisible floor moments later, inhaling and exhaling desperately.

"And you would continue on your path despite all that it has cost you? So foolish. Ignorant. Your youth blinded you to the truth, and now even in your elder years you would continue on a path not fit for this world. A path that all who have tried have eventually failed.", the powerful voice would retort, looking down upon the ailing wanderer in a world in which only the pair could view one another.

"If you would bring me results - some form of proof that your labors are not in vain - then I may yet assist you more than I already have."

"Vain, hm? Heheheh. Yeah, you've certainly always been that as long as I've known you.", the wanderer responded with defiant glee through coughs.

Moments later after a silence fit to last an eternity, the wanderer shrieked out in pain as the sound of metal against flesh rung out. Falling fully to the floor, the wanderer became inconsolable.

"Do not presume to know me closely enough to jest. If you would bring me results, then do so. I do not permit you to remain in my presence any longer for today. Begone."

"...As you wish...!", the feeble voice would cry out in desperation one last time, still groaning in pain and coughing as if a plague had befallen them.

And with that the void disappeared, giving way to bright sunlight. From within dense forestry a figure wreathed in darkness emerged, their lungs clearing with the fresh Spring air.

---

It was the first day of a new year for the students of Mortalion Academy. With orientation beginning at 9:00 AM, the gates of the school were just opening. As a hapless janitor let loose the last binding holding the gate back, students from all walks of life and from all sorts of bizarre origins burst through. The shining sun paired with the cool breeze above served to lighten the moods of all the ambitious freshmen, who raced to explore the campus. Many seniors were slower to approach, having been through this process year after year. The janitor, on the other hand, was firmly shoved aside the moment his task was completed and was now sleepily sitting on the freshly cut grass within the campus grounds.

Some others who lagged behind seemed unsure of where to go or what to do, and those people mainly seemed to follow the seniors. Other than the students and the janitor, no one else was in sight within the campus. The doors were locked, and not a single staff other than the janitor was in sight. Some surprised freshmen tried banging on the door or turning the handles of the front entrance to see if the main building was well and truly locked.

Any who had researched the academy beforehand would know that Mortalion Academy was particularly harsh with its rules towards being on time: in particular, those who were late or who didn't attend orientation for any reason were immediately expelled. With this dilemma fresh on the mind and showing no signs of changing any time soon, students began forming into groups to brainstorm reasons for the situation and potential solutions to fix it if something bad had truly happened.

It was about ten minutes in that an envelope magically appeared in the hands of every student. Upon opening it, the letter within would read, "All students must report to the gymnasium for orientation. Find your way there within the hour, or else face expulsion."

Thus began the school's first test, and for some students, its last.

Following the gold gliding through the air, Cadence followed it with eyes glowing from violet to gold pointed towards the sky. Cadence never had much attention for most things, but he'd been born blessed a little differently than his sisters. While their gazes could mesmerize mortals, their stares hold back light, or blind those who looked upon them, Cadence instead got these two eyes. Briefly ever settling for either color, and giving the softest shine in the dark, they also had one primary function.

Fun!

Well, technically, it was more a rare & personalized prophetic sight which manifested in real-time when of importance. Sometimes it was an empirical light descending from the sky like a beacon, others it was a bright sparkle dusting whatever or whoever it was meant for. Then there were times like these where an almost liquid gold twisted through the air like a ribbons pointing in the due direction of where it wants to lead him. That's the other thing, his Starry Eyes manifested when it wanted to. It had a personality. Cadence named it Ophé. Which was no matter, for since the day he's been born till today it has never always led to pleasantries & good. Even when it didn't look like it first, if he just had fai-

Cadence tripped and fell on his face.

The taste of grass still in his mouth, Cadence paid no mind to the fact he'd arrived at Mortalion, but rather where had Ophé gone this time? Sitting himeself up, he looked to the sky above as before, but it was not to be seen for now. He shrugged. Picking the glass blades off his shirt quickly became a little game of its own, but it'd be more fun if there weren't pained groaning in front of him.

Oh!

There was another person this whole time. This was really a surprise to Cadence. He just assumed he got lucky when what he stumbled on was soft. Crawling over to the man, Cadence stopped just shy of a comfortable space apart and stuck out a hand to the man.

"Cadence Venus Hesperus Vesper Atlantides. Is there any way I can help stop your groaning?" His voice was genuinely warm.

If a problem could be solved with violence, Askefye would solve it with violence. That wasn’t to say that the red-haired girl with animal ears had all-encompassing destructive magic that could absolutely flatten any obstacle before her, but that she simply itched to have a reason to use it. Never mind that she could only cast four spells a day or anything like that. If she ran out, she could always just stab the problem, after all.

With a mindset like that, and a door to the school that was locked shut, Askefye really only had one option: blow it to bits.

A cute boy helped up a fallen janitor, a couple students still tried the doors, and more people had formed groups amongst themselves, discussing this all like a puzzle. Maybe it was, but the cat-eared Fiend would rather roll up her sleeves and blast the door open with brute force instead. Swinging out her staff from behind her back, Askefye tapped the magical amplifier a couple times against the ground, before calling out cheerfully, “Excuse me, everyone, but could you all be darlings and move away from the door? I’d like to try something real fast…”

She didn’t wait, of course. Her ears were already twitching with excitement as she pulled out her ritual dagger with her other hand, drawing the razor edge against her forearm. A shallow cut, but enough to vent out blood that immediately combusted when exposed to air. A line of flame seared out from the wound, and with that same arm, Askefye smiled, a smile like a merciful mother forgiving the slights of her wayward child.

“Firebolt~!”

Beads of incandescent light swirled and converged into the center of her palm, forming a blazing sphere, before the splaying of her fingers caused the ball to rocket outwards. It scattered against the center of the door and detonated in a fiery, dramatic flash, a burst of hot wind blowing out from the epicenter of the explosion.

Only afterwards did it occur to Askefye that maybe the Mortalion Academy had a gymnasium that was separate from the main building.

Oops, oh well!

Caelis walked through the gates for the first time as a student and not as a supplier. While he wasn't gawking at the sight since it was somewhat familiar... he couldn't say with confidence where this gymnasium was. Usually, someone had guided them and showed them where to drop off the delivery. This was a little bit different. Though it was odd that it wasn't clear where the gymnasium was. Was it a bit of a test, or... was the school not that concerned about guiding the students on their first day and expected them to rely on upperclassmen?

Caelis didn't know the answer, but it never hurt to ask around rather than blindly walk around and trip over the janitor or blast a locked door open indiscriminately. Caelis wondered if the school fined students for property damage. Still, looking around, it was kinda clear who was a freshman and who wasn't. The freshmen were seemingly causing all sorts of commotion while the upperclassmen were a bit more relaxed about the whole fiasco and took their time to walk.

Caelis looked around for a friendly looking upperclassman and once he spotted one he approached them, asking "Hi, sorry to interrupt. I'm Caelis, a new student to the Academy. Do you know where the gymnasium is? This all seems kinda disorganized. Unless we're supposed to try and find the place by ourselves, but then again... some people might not even know what the letter says since they're from another world or illiterate due to unfortunate circumstances."