Arrival at the Sage Realm
The train began slowing long before it reached the station.
At first, no one noticed.
The conversations continued, quiet laughter mixing with the soft metallic sound of the tracks beneath them. But gradually, the rhythm changed. The vibrations weakened. The motion became smoother.
And outside the window—
lights began to appear.
Not scattered lights.
A city.
---
Auren lifted his gaze slightly, his attention moving toward the glass as the train passed between towering structures built from dark stone and silver metal. The closer they got, the stranger the city looked.
It wasn't fully modern.
But it wasn't ancient either.
---
It felt like two different eras had somehow learned to exist together.
Old archways stretched between buildings lined with glowing signs. Stone towers stood beside sleek glass structures reflecting the city lights. Narrow streets crossed beneath elevated walkways, and lantern-like lights hung beside digital screens displaying announcements and moving symbols.
Nothing clashed.
Everything fit together strangely well.
---
"…woah."
Someone near the back of the train whispered it without thinking.
And honestly—
Auren understood why.
---
The city was alive.
Not loudly.
Not chaotically.
But constantly.
People moved through the streets below in endless motion. Some wore formal uniforms, others simple dark clothing. Shops still glowed despite the late hour, and distant music drifted faintly through the air whenever the train passed open sections of the station.
Even from inside—
the atmosphere reached them.
---
Kiran leaned closer to the window beside him.
"…okay, I'll admit it," he muttered.
"This place looks insane."
---
Auren's eyes moved slowly across the city again.
The lights reflected against the glass, mixing with his own reflection.
---
"…it doesn't feel real."
---
The train finally entered the station fully.
The platform outside was massive, stretching farther than Auren could immediately see. Multiple trains rested along different sides while people crossed overhead walkways connecting sections of the station together.
Announcements echoed softly from somewhere above.
The scent of food drifted faintly through the air.
Somewhere nearby, people were arguing over prices.
Further away, someone laughed loudly.
---
It felt normal.
Surprisingly normal.
---
And somehow—
that made Auren more alert.
---
The train doors opened with a soft mechanical sound.
Students began stepping out almost immediately, their earlier tension fading slightly now that they were surrounded by actual people again.
---
"…finally," Kiran breathed as he stretched his arms.
"I thought the Sage Realm was going to be some creepy dead zone."
---
Auren stepped onto the platform beside him.
The cold air from earlier was gone.
Here, the air felt warmer. Lighter.
The station buzzed with movement and energy, people crossing around them without paying much attention to the newly arrived students.
---
"…doesn't really feel like a military academy city," someone commented nearby.
---
"Maybe that's intentional," another replied.
---
Auren stayed quiet.
His gaze moved carefully through the crowd instead.
Because despite how lively the station felt—
something still felt controlled.
---
Then he noticed them.
People standing near the far end of the platform.
Waiting.
---
Unlike everyone else in the station, they weren't moving.
They wore dark uniforms marked with a silver emblem near the collar, and while they looked young enough to be students, something about them felt different from the newcomers.
More composed.
More aware.
---
One of them stepped forward.
A woman with short dark hair tied neatly behind her head glanced over the arriving group before speaking calmly.
"All first-year recruits, gather near Gate Three."
---
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it carried easily through the noise.
---
Almost instantly, students began moving.
---
"…recruits?" Kiran muttered quietly as they walked.
"That sounds way more serious than 'students.'"
---
"Probably because it is," Auren replied.
---
The closer they got, the more Auren noticed the people in uniform observing them carefully. Not rudely. Not aggressively.
Just—
watching.
As if trying to understand what kind of people had arrived this year.
---
Near the gate, several buses waited in a neat line.
Dark-colored.
Minimal design.
The silver emblem appeared on them too.
---
"Oh, thank god," one student sighed.
"I thought we were walking."
---
A few people laughed softly, and for the first time since arriving, the atmosphere relaxed a little.
---
A tall guy standing near the buses looked over the group lazily before speaking.
"Each bus has assigned seating. Don't switch tags later unless you want paperwork problems."
---
"…already sounds annoying," Kiran muttered.
---
Another uniformed student approached them holding a small device.
"Name?"
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"Auren."
---
The device lit up faintly.
A small black tag slid out from the side.
---
"Dorm section D. Bus Two."
---
Auren took it quietly.
The tag was smooth and surprisingly cold against his fingers. A silver number glowed faintly near the bottom.
---
Kiran received his moments later.
"Section B? Seriously?" he complained immediately.
"We're already getting separated?"
---
"Looks like it," Auren replied calmly.
---
"Wow. Betrayal."
---
Auren almost smiled.
Almost.
---
The buses eventually began moving.
And as they left the station behind—
the city opened up around them fully.
---
Auren rested his head lightly against the window, watching the lights pass outside.
The streets were beautiful at night.
Not flashy.
Just alive.
Restaurants glowed warmly along narrow roads while elevated bridges crossed overhead like threads connecting different parts of the city together. Some areas looked old enough to belong in history books, lit by golden lanterns and lined with stone pathways.
Others looked almost futuristic.
Clean glass buildings rose above the older structures without ruining the atmosphere.
---
It felt balanced.
Like the city had evolved without abandoning itself.
---
"…I kinda expected something colder," Kiran admitted from across the aisle.
---
"Same," another student replied.
"For a place training fighters and all that war stuff… this city feels weirdly peaceful."
---
Peaceful.
Auren looked outside again.
At the people walking beneath the lights.
At small cafés still open despite the hour.
At musicians playing near crowded corners.
---
"…maybe this is the part they protect," he said quietly.
---
The bus grew quieter after that.
---
The academy itself appeared nearly forty minutes later.
And unlike the city—
it immediately felt different.
---
The atmosphere shifted the second the gates came into view.
Massive black iron gates stood open before a towering structure built deep into the mountainside itself. Lights glowed from within the academy grounds, but far less brightly than the city behind them.
The architecture here leaned older.
Sharper.
More imposing.
---
"…okay," Kiran muttered softly.
"There's the creepy part."
---
No one laughed this time.
Because the academy truly did feel different.
---
The buses entered slowly.
Students grew quieter as they passed training grounds, towering stone buildings, and long elevated pathways connecting different sections of the campus.
Everything looked enormous.
Precise.
Disciplined.
---
By the time they stepped out again, several upper-year students were already waiting near the entrance hall.
Unlike the instructors earlier, these students looked more approachable.
At least slightly.
---
A tall girl holding a clipboard glanced over the newcomers before sighing softly.
"…great. Another year of confused first-years."
---
Several nearby students snorted quietly.
---
"Relax," another senior said lazily.
"They only look terrified because of the gates."
---
"We did too," someone added.
---
That actually eased the atmosphere a little.
---
The seniors began dividing them into smaller groups, each responsible for guiding a few newcomers through the dorm sections.
---
A dark-haired senior stopped in front of Auren and two others.
"Section D?" he asked.
---
Auren held up his tag.
---
"Alright. Follow me."
---
Unlike the instructors from before, this senior walked casually, one hand in his pocket as he led them through the academy halls.
---
"You'll get the official rules the day after tomorrow," he explained without looking back.
"Tomorrow's mostly orientation and basic evaluations."
---
"…evaluations already?" one of the students beside Auren asked nervously.
---
The senior shrugged.
"Gets worse after that."
---
"…comforting."
---
A faint laugh escaped the senior at that.
---
"You'll survive. Probably."
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"…probably?"
---
"That's the spirit."
---
The halls of the academy were quieter than the city outside, but not empty. Students passed occasionally through the corridors, some carrying books, others dressed in training uniforms. A few glanced toward the newcomers briefly before continuing on without much interest.
---
Auren noticed something quickly.
Everyone here walked with purpose.
No wasted movement.
No loud conversations.
Even the relaxed students felt… aware.
---
"…interesting."
---
Eventually, they reached the dormitory section.
The senior stopped outside a long corridor lined with dark wooden doors.
"Your room tags will unlock the doors automatically," he explained.
"Curfew starts at midnight. Don't wander around unless you enjoy paperwork or getting yelled at."
---
"…noted," someone muttered immediately.
---
The senior looked at them for a moment before adding more quietly—
"And one more thing."
---
His tone shifted slightly.
Enough for Auren to notice.
---
"If someone tells you to avoid a place in this academy…"
A pause.
---
"…listen."
---
The hallway suddenly felt quieter.
---
Before anyone could ask what he meant, the senior straightened again.
"Anyway, welcome to the Sage Realm."
---
Then he walked away.
Leaving the newcomers standing there—
a little more curious than before.