After the class ended, Eleanor made her way to the Departnt of ntal Arts to enrol in the Fundantals of Psionics course. The departnt occupied a separate building, a do-shaped structure with a semi-circular silhouette.
Inside, she found the place barren, almost devoid of life. Only a single desk stood in the hall, marked with a small sign that read Reception.
She glanced around, reaching out with her senses, but felt nothing. "Hello? Anybody here? I ca to register!" she called, her voice echoing through the empty chamber.
Silence answered her.
A few minutes later, when her hope had nearly worn thin and she resolved to return another ti, a woman stepped through a side door. She was strikingly beautiful, walking towards the exit as though she had not even noticed Eleanor standing in the centre of the hall.
The indigo robe she wore marked her as a professor. Eleanor straightened at once and said respectfully, "Professor, I ca to enrol in this departnt. But I couldn’t find anyone. Could you help , please?"
The professor turned her head, seemingly startled by the interruption. Her eyes narrowed, as though she were studying Eleanor for the first ti. She said nothing.
"Am I not supposed to co? The academy offered this course... then why such a cold reception?" Eleanor thought.
Steadying her mind, she spoke again, "Professor, I ca to enrol in Fundantals of Psionics. The academy has offered this course, and I intend to take it."
This ti the professor seed to hear her clearly. "I know nothing of any cadet being permitted to join this departnt in their primary term," she said curtly. "The course you ntion belongs to the Interdiate Term. In truth, our departnt is nearly closed. Wait here. I will speak with the head of departnt."
Without another word, she turned and walked back down the corridor she had co from. The door shut slowly behind her, leaving Eleanor alone in the silent hall.
She sighed, gazing at the closed door. "It seems the people of the Departnt of ntal Arts are... eccentric. I shall have to deal with them in future, but still... how is this place even functioning?"
"This reception hall was sealed off on all sides, no windows, no sign of life. The clashing neon pink walls beside acid green ones set her nerves on edge. It’s as if they designed this room to irritate or drive visitors away. Aside from the lonely desk, there was not a single piece of furniture. Is this how they treat their guests?"
Fortunately for Eleanor, her mind was among the toughest to unsettle. The oppressive colours, the emptiness, the silence... none of it shook her resolve.
While Eleanor was still lost in thought, the professor returned... this ti with a radiant smile. "Girl! You carry the Mind Reaver bloodline... why didn’t you say that earlier? We have a policy: anyone who has awakened the Mind Reaver line may enter our departnt at any ti. Co here."
She walked briskly to the reception desk and pulled a docunt from the drawer. Eleanor followed, noting with so amusent the professor’s complete transformation... her coldness replaced with cheer, her face practically glowing. It was a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.
"Doesn’t this departnt have an official to handle enrolnt procedures?" Eleanor asked curiously.
The professor replied lightly, "Yes, of course. But as this is only the primary term, we weren’t expecting any new cadets. The clerks are on vacation. Don’t worry... I’ll handle it. It’s super easy. By the way, I am Professor Seren Rhosyn Starglimr, a fairy. You may call Professor Seren. And you, girl... what’s your na?"
Finally, Eleanor could relax into a semblance of normal conversation with this whimsical fairy. "I am Eleanor Elizabeth Raynor."
"Oh! You’re a Raynor? That explains your power." Seren’s eyes twinkled. "Tell , who is Fiona to you?"
"She is my grandmother. Do you know her?" Eleanor asked.
"Of course I do!" Seren bead. "She was my student... the brightest I ever taught. A marvellous mind. I hope you can live up to her reputation." She slid the docunt across the desk. "Now, read this contract. It states that whatever you learn in this departnt will remain with you. You may use our spells, you may develop them... but you may not share or teach them to anyone outside, not even your family. Only professors of this departnt are allowed to discuss them with you."
Eleanor’s brow furrowed in puzzlent.
Seren explained with a knowing smile, "Ah, naturally... you don’t yet understand. Spellcasters everywhere are notorious hoarders of knowledge. They guard their secrets jealously, sharing only scraps. That is why the ancient elental families remain so powerful... they hoard thousands of years of spells, passing them only within their bloodlines."
"The academy has tried to counter this... creating widely accessible spells for basic training, preserving knowledge in libraries, even making high-grade spells available for sale under legal fraworks. And yet... elentals still die with priceless knowledge locked away, taking it to their graves. That is why so many of their departnts are stagnant, with barely any truly effective high-grade spells."
Her voice softened, almost conspiratorial. "But we are different. In this departnt, we share everything we possess with our cadets. Every scrap of wisdom, every spell, every secret. The only restriction is this... you must not spread our knowledge to outsiders. Not because we are greedy... but because once others learn how our powers work, they will devise counterasures against us. Do you understand now?"
Eleanor nodded. "Yes, I understand." She took the docunt from the professor and read it within seconds. It was exactly as the professor had described, only expressed in more legal and exacting terms.
The professor said, "Signing the contract is simple. You need only drop a single drop of blood on the paper and it will be sealed. This contract is authorised by Lord Yggdrasil himself, so if you ever try to void it, the Lord’s power will punish your soul. Believe ... death is a far better fate than betraying this bond."
Eleanor did not hesitate. She pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall upon the parchnt. At once, a suffocating pressure enveloped her, crushing her chest for the briefest mont. Then it vanished, replaced by a cleansing rush, a refreshing energy that coursed through her body like cool spring water.
The professor smiled, retrieving the docunt. She tucked it neatly into the drawer and brought out a laptop. After tapping rapidly for a few monts, she closed the device and placed it back in the drawer. Looking up, she said, "That is all. You are now officially a student of this departnt. Check your academy status and confirm."
Eleanor touched the device on her wrist, and a screen blood into view.
[Course Selection: Primary Term]
Mandatory Course:
1. Basics of Cultivation
2. Introduction to Supernatural Ethics & Law
Major Course:
1. Departnt of Combat (School of Mixed Martial Arts)
Optional Course:
1. Fundantals of Psionics
Please select any one within four days:
1. Introduction to Alchemy
2. Basics of Forge
3. Cultivation History and Paths Healing Arts
4. Introduction to Formation and Arrays
5. Wilderness Survival
6. Magical Botany & Herbology
7. Music of the Spheres
8. Familiar Handling & Care
Instruction: Contact relevant departnts for further inquiries. Your academic profile will now be accessible on this screen.
Note: Library options are now available. Do you wish to enter the library? Y/N
[Tap the blue button to open or close the screen.]
Without thinking, Eleanor gave the ntal command to enter the library. She wasn’t sure how it worked, but to her delight, the command succeeded... the screen shifted.
[Virtual Library: For Cadet 10156659]
Select any book you wish to read.
The Architecture of Thought
The Unobserved Mind: A Beginner’s Field Guide
Logic’s Razor: Trimming the Unnecessary
Layers of the Ga: Seeing the Board Others Miss
The Gambit of the Mirror King
Probability and Perception: Calculating the Unknowable
The Mask and The chanism: A Prir on Persona
Emotional Alchemy: Transforming Feeling into Fuel
The Silent Language: Reading Microexpressions
Influence and Its Counterasures
Lateral Thinking
Puzzles for the Aspiring Adept
A Brief History of Thought: From Oracles to Algorithms
A Field Guide to Cognitive Distortions
Rituals for Focus: Preparing the Mind for Work
The Ascendant Mind
[Tap the blue button to close the screen.]
Just as Eleanor was wondering how she might read these books from the interface, Nora’s voice chid in her mind. "Master, you are ant to read them from here. But I’ve already located the server that hosts these books... and many more. I can download them to your laptop later."
"Thank you, Nora," Eleanor replied inwardly, closing the screen.
Professor Seren was watching her intently. When Eleanor’s focus returned, the fairy said, "I am the only professor available to guide you this term, aside from the head of the departnt. You now have access to fifteen introductory texts in your library. Read them all and report to here in three days. Your device will act as a key to open all doors of this departnt, except for the personal rooms. Enter through that door..." she pointed towards the corridor from which she had earlier erged. "My room is at the very end. My na is written clearly on the door, so you won’t mistake it. I have other matters to attend to. We will et again soon."
With that, she swept out of the reception hall. Left with nothing further to do, Eleanor followed her into the daylight and made her way toward the Combat Departnt.
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