I rolled my eyes at Ezekiel's antics.
"And normal people don't ambush their friends in teleportation lines just to annoy them."
"Ambush? Please," Ezekiel scoffed, leaning against the wall with exaggerated casualness.
"I'm rely gracing you with my magnificent presence. You should be honored."
"Oh yes, truly blessed,"
"What would I do without your daily dose of irritation?"
Ezekiel clutched his chest.
"You wound , Julian. After all we've been through!"
"What are you even doing here? Don't you have Student Council duties to attend to? Or did they finally realize you're completely useless and kick you out?"
"Useless? I'll have you know I'm the most valuable mber of the council. I bring 'youthful energy' and 'fresh perspective' to their dusty old etings."
I swatted his hand away.
"The only thing you bring is chaos and inappropriate jokes."
"You love my jokes, plus I act like this because no one really knows like you do." he insisted, pushing my shoulder playfully.
I shoved him back, perhaps a bit harder than I intended.
"I tolerate your jokes. There's a difference."
Ezekiel stumbled backward dramatically, flailing his arms as if I'd pushed him off a cliff rather than rely nudged him.
In his theatrical backpedaling, he crashed right into , sending us both careening toward soone standing behind us in line.
"Watch out!" I called, but it was too late.
We collided with the unfortunate bystander, and I imdiately spun around to apologize, only to freeze when I recognized who it was.
Kyra Devereaux.
"Julian?" she said, her voice soft yet precise—exactly as I rembered it.
"Ah… shit." I replied, feeling an unexpected tightness in my throat.
"I... I'm sorry about that. Ezekiel has the coordination of a newborn giraffe."
"Hey…"
mories flooded back—the Royal 8 challenge ten years ago, before I'd beco... what I am now.
Thousands of talented young mages competing for recognition and opportunity.
Kyra had been brilliant even then, her analytical mind and precise spellcasting marking her as exceptional.
"It's been a while," I said, trying to sound casual despite the awkwardness between us.
"Yes," she agreed, her eyes darting away from mine to focus on a point just over my shoulder. "I heard you were admitted to Aethel Academy. Special admission, correct? That's... impressive."
There was sothing in her tone I couldn't quite place—not quite resentnt, not quite admiration. Perhaps both.
"It was unexpected," I admitted, which wasn't entirely a lie. In my previous life, Julian Uzziel had never received a special admission in the original story. That was a deviation I'd caused sohow.
"I saw your match," she continued, still avoiding direct eye contact.
"The Capture the Flag tournant. You survived an encounter with Marcel Dorn. Not many first-years could claim the sa."
I shrugged, downplaying it as I always did.
"Mostly luck and good timing."
"It wasn't luck," Kyra said firmly, though she still wouldn't et my eyes directly. "You've always been... capable."
The way she said 'capable' made it sound like an accusation rather than a complint.
"I don't know about that-"
"All first-year students for Summoning and Taming Arts, step onto the platform now! Final call!"
The portal officer, a stern-looking woman in the academy's staff uniform, gestured impatiently toward the glowing teleportation circle.
"That's us," I said, grateful for the interruption.
Kyra nodded, already moving toward the platform.
"Wait, you're taking Summoning too?" Ezekiel asked, following us.
"I thought you were on Student Council duty."
"I can do both," he replied with a grin.
"Special permission from the faculty. They couldn't bear to deprive the class of my brilliance."
I rolled my eyes as we stepped onto the platform together. "More likely they couldn't bear to deprive the Student Council of your absence."
The portal officer gave us one last impatient look. "Ready? Teleporting in three... two... one..."
The world dissolved around us in a flash of blue light. My stomach lurched as reality stretched and compressed, and then suddenly we were standing in an entirely different place.
A vast grassland spread out before us, golden and swaying in a gentle breeze.
The open space extended for what looked like miles in every direction, eventually eting a dense forest that ringed the entire area like a natural boundary. The sky above was impossibly blue, dotted with just a few wispy clouds.
"Whoa," Ezekiel breathed beside .
"This is definitely not your average classroom."
I had to agree. The academy's pocket dinsions were impressive, but this one was particularly breathtaking in its scale and detail.
As I scanned the grassland, I noticed we weren't alone.
Scattered across the vast field were other first-years, so I recognized imdiately.
The twin halven brothers, Raphi and Ravi, stood out with their unique appearances—one bearing the compact, muscular build of a dwarf, the other the willowy grace of an elf, yet their faces eerily similar despite their different heritage.
They were engaged in what appeared to be an intense debate.
Not far from them stood Aziel Elandria who was ticulously adjusting her pristine white gloves.
Beside her, looking thoroughly uncomfortable in such company, was Ruben Skye who was Kaelen's best friend and one of the greatest supports role casters in this novel's existence.
"Is that Umi Azura?" Ezekiel whispered, nodding toward a petite girl sitting cross-legged on the grass, eyes closed in ditation.
"Seems like we're in distinguished company," I murmured, noting the royal and noble presence in our small class.
No Kaelen in sight, which was probably for the best—less attention on our group ant more freedom to operate unnoticed.
"Quite the collection of royalty for a simple summoning class."
WHOOOSH!
A sudden shift in the air made look up.
Sothing was approaching—sothing large.
The sky darkened montarily as a massive winged creature soared overhead, its wingspan easily thirty feet across.
My eyes narrowed as I identified it imdiately.
"Is that a—" Ezekiel started.
"Silver-Crested Imperial Talon,"
"Native to the Northern Mountain ranges. Critically endangered."
Kyra gave a curious look. "How do you know that?"
I silently cursed my slip.
"I... read about them sowhere."
The Talon circled once, then began a controlled descent toward our group.
Atop its back sat a slender figure with a cascade of fiery red hair streaming behind them like a banner.
The rider guided the massive beast with subtle movents, bringing it down in a sweeping arc that sent ripples through the tall grass.
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