The following morning, Julius felt his body being violently shaken, jolting him awake. He took a moment to dispel his drowsiness in annoyance before gazing at the culprit. Next to his bed, his big brother was impatiently looking at him.


    He turned to the side, only to notice with a frown that the sun hadn''t risen yet. "Why did you wake me up so early? Did you even sleep?" Julius asked with a mix of curiosity and concern in his voice.


    In response, Adam looked at him with an intense and burning gaze. Wisps of light blue mana emanated from his luminous eyes, showcasing his unstable emotional state.


    "We finally reached this day..." Adam left his words to linger in a grave and serious voice, scaring Julius about what was happening today. He focused on Adam''s posture, only to see him with his fingers crossed before his lowered and frowning face. Julius'' heart raced with anticipation, uncertain about what awaited them on this momentous day.


    "Today..." Julius gulped as his big brother started his next sentence, "We''ll finally learn alchemy properly!" He said, raising his hands in triumph.


    Upon hearing his words, Julius fell from his bed to the floor with a loud noise. Why all the seriousness to say something he, for one, already knew and, for two, was positive? He had even been scared for a second, thinking that his brother may have had another crazy idea.


    As he picked himself up from the ground, Julius heard the annoyingughter his brother used to mock him after his pranks with a smile. With everything that happened and his brother''s sudden month of exile, he hadn''t heard it for a while.


    He missed those moments when his brother''s shenanigans and strange reactions made him lively.


    Sadly, ever since they reached the city, Julius felt something weighed on his brother''s mind, making him increasingly distant.


    Shaking his head to dispel his negative thoughts, Julius replied, reminiscing everything he had discovered from his departure from the Belloria kingdom to his exploration of the City of Alkemia Al-Nur with bright eyes. "The journey was filled with twists and turns, but we eventually made it."


    The boy and the ghost kept chatting as the sun rose, casting its golden and warm light over the beautiful city. The house''s inhabitants slowly woke up and gathered in the dining room for thest breakfast they would have in this ce for a long time. After all, they would soon be assigned dormitories on the college''s premises.


    Arun and Asha seemed to be as impatient as his big brother to begin their college life. They quickly gobbled their food under Vikram''s amused gaze while Louise was unsure about how she should feel. After all, she was already seventeen and would share sses with much younger kids.


    After Julius boasted the whole evening about the incredible sword he received, the group decided to spend theirst night here and forgive Vikram for his brutal interrogation. Furthermore, they learned that Arun''s father would be staying at the college as a teacher for a month.


    Once done with their breakfast, the group quickly left the house under the morning sun. They ran through the few streets separating the house from the college with expressions of joy, startling the denizens.


    As Adam and Julius reached the college''s gate for the first time, they couldn''t help but gawk in awe at howrge and mighty the golden walls were.


    Curious about the interior, Julius ignored the other youths lining to enter and walked towards the entrance to get a glimpse of what was inside before being halted by Arun.


    "Take this," his friend said, giving him a sleek metallic card engraved with shimmering runes. "It''s your student card. You can''t pass through the college''s barrier without it."


    Then, Arun exined that they forgot to give it to him after yesterday''s events and that the card was of vital importance for the college''s students without entering into the details since the schoolmittee would do it soon enough.


    With everything needed to enter, Julius swiftly made his way to the entrance under the amused gazes of the older students. After all, they once were in Julius'' shoes and shared the same curiosity.


    As Julius passed through the light blue veil covering the gate without issue, thanks to his card, he finally took in what was on the other side.


    A huge central building surrounded by beautiful gardens and smaller buildings greeted his eyes. Two tall towers spewed mana without rest, increasing its density inside the protective dome of the college. This ce starkly contrasted with the surrounding desert it was built in.


    The rest of the group soon joined him and chuckled after seeing their dependable friend so shocked, unaware that Adam was as stunned as Julius.


    "Alright, kids. That''s where I leave you." Vikram chuckled, making a ciao gesture with his right hand, "Head to the central building to assist at the entrance ceremony." He advised before leaving them with a smile.


    After spending some time with Julius, he was satisfied by the boy''s straightforward and honest attitude, clearing any remaining suspicion he had.


    Following Vikram''s advice, the group walked through the beautiful gardens and reached the central building, where groups of students of simr age already formed.


    Upon seeing them approach, the handsome registrar, who helped Arun and Asha enrol, said with a bright and enchanting smile, making the hearts of some of the older girls flutter. "New students, gather here. The ceremony will begin shortly."


    Julius nodded politely at the man before walking towards him. He felt something familiaring from him, especially after looking at his gem-like green eyes. However, he was sure it was the first they met.


    As he reached the group, he put aside his thoughts about the man. Instead, he focused on the other freshmen. Including his group of four, they were thirty youths in total. Most of them were around his age, except Louise.


    Noticing the stark difference between their clothing, he couldn''t help but marvel at the numerous cultures he still had to discover.


    However, amidst his astonishment and joy at such novel experiences, he failed to remark that his big brother''s gaze was fixed on a young girl.


    Like Julius with the registrar, Adam found the short, red-haired girl extremely familiar. However, unlike the boy, his instinct disallowed him to overlook the weird feeling.