Crossing the colossal walls, Northern's eyes widened in awe as he beheld not a mere school, but an entire city.
Towering glass buildings stretched into the sky, piercing it with their spectacular beauty.
Each structure was intricately and magnificently crafted, their sharp edges and sickening twists spiraling like an embrace into the clouds.
Lush, radiant greenery filled some areas, carpeting the ground, while others were paved with pristine white marble, fit for monarchs and lords.
People strolled along these marble paths, some lounging on benches amidst the verdant foliage, others gathered beneath the pink-blossomed trees, their movements aimless yet purposeful.
What united them were their prestigious white and blue uniforms, as ancient robes were fashioned into a modern style; consisting of V-neck shirts tucked neatly into long white trousers that were adorned with blue stripes along the sides.
Knee-high boots or sleek shoes were a matter of personal preference, while the V-neck shirts were worn as coats over the ensemble, either tucked in or allowed to flow freely.
Some uniquely tied belts around their waists, creating a dashing blend of ancient Eastern and modern aesthetics.
For the young women, the attire mirrored the men's, save for the flared skirts that barely grazed their knees.
Northern observed everything keenly as the glass elevator carried him and other students down the wall and onto the grounds.
Upon reaching the bottom, they were ushered into another office, where stern security officers took their rank cards and issued temporary school IDs.
Afterward, they were led eastward, away from the main compound.
Within minutes, they arrived at a deserted area, beautiful and magnificent, yet pale in comparison to the grandeur of the central academy.
Devoid of bustling students, it felt like a ghostly field.
The students exchanged apprehensive glances as they silently followed the grim-faced officer leading them.
Northern scanned the area, searching for Gilbert and the others, but they were nowhere to be seen.
'They must have been led elsewhere... perhaps to meet the academy officials,' he mused. 'I wonder why we were brought here, too...'
Pushing aside his thoughts, Northern consciously followed the winding path.
The eastern region was segregated by a large wall, not as tall as the academy's outer fortifications, but formidable nonetheless.
Unlike the academy's brownish hue, this wall was stark white, with jagged spikes adorning its top.
Beyond the walls were an array of smaller buildings, their architecture fine but insignificant compared to the main structures they had witnessed.
They entered a building at the edge, nestled among the others, and found themselves in a broad, cozy yet chilly wooden hall.
As everyone filed in, murmurs rose, then slowly died down as the officer strode to the platform. He tapped the microphone twice, eliciting a deafening screech that commanded silence.
"Attention, entrants."
His voice was rough and curt, his presence demanding obedience and fear.
"Welcome to the academy. I understand most of you have not undergone the second awakening. Except for the nobles, I doubt any of you are equipped with the knowledge of rifts or drifters."
He unfolded his arms and clasped them behind his back.
"But that should be of no concern. The reason you are in this academy is to prevent you from 'walking,' no matter how much you try. There are walls around to ensure you cannot walk into a rift."
He pressed his lips for a moment, then continued, addressing them solemnly.
"However, there will be a breakpoint. No matter how much you resist the call, you will eventually have to heed it, or you will go mad. Your incomplete soul core will break, and you'll become a being worse than even monsters… a Soulless."
The entrants' voices rose in a clamor of murmurs, quickly quieting as the officer's stony gaze swept over them.
"Of course, I am well aware that most of you are probably full-blown drifters. However, there are still some rookies in your ranks. You are in the academy to be equipped with the knowledge and training required for your second awakening. With two weeks of rigorous preparation, you will be armed with everything you need to know about rifts and finally thread into the realms of darkness to receive the true extent of your powers. May Ul guide and bless you."
With that, he marched off the stage, leaving the students to themselves.
For the first few seconds, confusion reigned.
"What? That's it?"
"Wait? Are we supposed to..."
"Won't we be allocated our rooms?"
"This is so weird... is it even okay for him to leave like that?"
"Who are our instructors? This place is deserted!"
Several more voices were lost in the ocean of confused murmurs that spread through the hall.
Meanwhile, Northern stood silently in a corner, observing everyone.
Within a little time, people had already gathered in groups, talking as if they had completely forgotten why they were there. That is, for the second awakening and to become full-fledged students of the academy.
Seeing them brought to mind how comfortable humans could become with anything.
But what bothered him the most were the academy's intentions and the instructor's abrupt departure.
Minutes passed into hours, and no one came.
The students had already settled on the ground, conversing about various topics.
Rich nobles were being filtered out, their lower-class counterparts frolicking around them, the divide painfully obvious from their actions.
Northern would have loved to gather more information, but he wasn't interested at the moment.
Something about the current situation felt unsettling.
Or was he overthinking it?
'Maybe they just wanted to give everyone time to get accustomed to each other,' he thought to himself, leaning against the wall and slowly closing his eyes.
At that moment, a sudden tremor shook the entire place.
Northern's heart trembled with fear, unsure if it was merely the shock of how abruptly it happened or the fact that his intuition had been correct.
The students sitting on the ground looked around, some immediately standing up with caution etched on their faces.
Something was undoubtedly amiss.
Northern lowered his head and noticed a glinting white circle spreading across the wooden floor of the hall.
His eyes widened as he traced its perimeter, first walking, then running toward the platform as the white circle began to glow brighter.
Somehow, it reminded him of a certain teleportation spell that had been used on him before.
"Teleportation?" He muttered, squinting at the circle.
As the word left his lips, a bright light shot forth, bathing the hall in an ethereal glow.
By the time its radiance faded, no one remained. Absolutely no one.