The Forsaken Heir's Ascension-Chapter 49: A New Beginning: Elemental Academy and the Harsh Truth

Chapter 49: A New Beginning: Elemental Academy and the Harsh Truth

As Alex entered the hall, he silently moved to a distant corner, away from the crowd. Shadows clung to him like a second skin, veiling his presence completely. Unless someone looked carefully—very carefully—they wouldn't even notice he was there.

Click-clack.

With elegant strides in black high heels, Emilia Aurelwyn came on stage, with white hair bound in a ponytail, a little lock falling on her face, making her elegant look more charming. She was wearing black pants hugging her well-developed thighs and a white shirt tucked under the pant, sleeves rolled up to the elbow, making her professional look much more attractive. There was no comparison between her father's look and hers.

With an authoritative and loud voice, she asked, "Is everyone here?"

A loud chorus reply came, "YES!"

She nodded her head without any expression and said in a neutral voice, "Let's go."

She turned around and went toward the big wooden door near the stage leading to another circular hall. She opened the door with a sleek silver card and entered, and all the students followed her like little ducklings following a mother duck—

Alex waited until all the other students had gone ahead, then quietly followed in after them.

When Alex reached the hall, he saw patterns in circular fashion inscribed on the floor with purple light coming out from them. All students were gathered together in the center of it. He also joined them.

Emilia Aurelwyn said in a loud voice, "Is everyone ready?"

Then again, the sound came in chorus, "YES."

Emilia nodded and said in a slightly lower voice, "Let's go."

Purple light flashed. Everyone vanished. The hall became empty once again.

On the far side of the earth, where an endless sea stretches beyond the horizon and no map dares to mark its center, an island rose from the heart of the deep. One side of the island was cloaked in an ancient, dense forest—so thick that even sunlight struggled to slip through the tangled canopy. The other side was guarded by towering mountains, their jagged peaks locked in an eternal clash with the roaring waves that battered their stone flanks.

Upon one of the tallest hills on the island stood a solitary tower. Its base was vast, capable of sheltering more than five hundred souls, but it climbed relentlessly skyward, tapering into a spire that disappeared into the mist and clouds above.

In its basement-like circular hall, a purple flash appeared, and several students appeared in the middle of the hall out of nowhere. Immediately, excited chatters broke out among the students looking around the hall.

The hall was wide, with dark grey walls and torches burning all around. There were no windows, giving it an ancient look. There were three doors made of metal, the same color as the walls. Doors on the east and west were larger, and two people stood guard in emerald green uniforms with golden letters EEA etched on the left chest, swords bound to their waists in golden-colored scabbards. The door on the left side was half the size of those doors.

Emilia went toward the east side door and greeted the guards and showed them something. The guards immediately bowed and opened the door toward a wide staircase. She looked back at the still-chattering students and said in a normal but authoritative tone, "Follow me."

Somehow, her voice reached every student's ear and felt like thunder.

Every student followed suit. Alex tried to cover his ears because of the intense sound near his ears, but nothing happened.

"Why is she so loud?" he muttered. Hati on his shoulder also nodded, trying to scratch his ears with his paws.

Alex moved up the stairs behind everyone. Someone nearby started telling his companion, "Do you know what this is?"

Before the other person could reply, he said, "This is the Isles of Sages, surrounded by storms. No one can come here without using the teleportation we used. They say the storms protecting this island were created by The Great Sage of Wind and The Great Sage of Water."

His companion just nodded, but before he could stop him from talking further, they reached outside into the dimly lit sky covered by dark clouds.

Cold wind pricked Alex's skin. Hati whimpered, got close to Alex's neck, and tried to get a little warmth. Alex looked forward along a colossal stone bridge, broad and awe-inspiring. It arched high over jagged cliffs and raging, storm-tossed waters. The bridge led to a larger hill, crowned by a majestic castle. Its snow-capped spires stretched so high they seemed to touch the heavens, and from afar, the fortress appeared not as a building but as a mountain born of ice and stone.

To the right of the bridge, the vast blue sea stretched endlessly, meeting the sky at the distant horizon. And on the left of the bridge, steep cliffs—sharp like knives—rose above the shallow waters, spreading out toward an island in the distance.

When the students arrived at the end of the bridge, they stood before a colossal gate carved between two towering hills—like a mountain torn in half to make way for it. Massive, imposing, and forged of sleek, black metal that shimmered darkly under the light. In the center of that gate, etched in glowing golden italics, were three letters: EEA.

Emilia just put a hand on it, and some white elemental power went into the gate.

Boom!

The gate slid back into the hills, revealing a cobblestone pathway that wound through lush greenery. After another half hour of walking, the students arrived at the castle entrance, where a slightly raised, stage-like structure stood before it.

In front of them stood a tall, lanky man with a bald head and a messy black beard that trailed past his chin in wiry tangles. Dressed entirely in black—from his shirt and trousers to the long, flowing robe that brushed the ground with every step.

His eyes were deep brown but shaped so sharply it felt like a predator was constantly sizing you up—

In a cheery voice, clapping his hands, the tall, lanky man beamed at the students.

"Hello everyone! I'm Jasper Farrow, your Vice Principal!" he announced with a grin that stretched beneath his wiry black beard."I welcome you on behalf of every faculty member in our esteemed academy. I hope you enjoy the best three years of your life here!"

He stepped aside with theatrical flair, gesturing toward a regal woman nearby.

"And this," he continued, "is our new instructor, Emilia Aurelwyn—the one and only person in a century to reach the Eighth Circle at the age of 20years and become a Pseudo Saint. She'll be your homeroom teacher and guide from this point onward."

The students murmured with awe and curiosity as they turned to the legendary mage.

"If you need anything," Jasper added with a wink, "don't hesitate to drop by my office."

He turned to leave, his black robe swirling around his ankles—

—but then suddenly paused mid-step, spinning back toward the stunned crowd with that same goofy smile.

"Oh right! I almost forgot the most important thing..." He leaned forward conspiratorially.

"Your gold coins? Yeah, they don't work here."

Silence fell over.

"You have to earn credits to eat food and live."

The silence shattered.

"What?! That's absurd!"

"We nobles don't work!"

"Is this a joke?"

Chaos erupted as shocked students started clamoring in protest.

Jasper leaned toward Emilia, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"I quite like telling them this part," he whispered with a chuckle and left.

Emilia sighed. The Vice Principal hadn't changed a bit—still acting like a child.

Clearing her throat, she raised her voice, loud and commanding.

"QUIET!"

A pin-drop silence fell over the crowd.

With a victorious smile, Emilia continued in a calm, firm voice.

"I am your homeroom teacher. You'll address me as Teacher. I will not tolerate anything else."

She ended her sentence with a fierce look, letting it linger long enough to make her presence clear.

"You—all 233 of you—have been assigned ranks based on your score in the first test. You will receive a bracelet linked to your elemental power. It will display your rank, your class schedule, and any bonus credits you have."

She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.

"Bonus credits are a one-time gift. After that, you'll have to earn every single credit on your own. Meals will cost you 2 credits each—no exceptions."

"You will be provided with a roof over your head and a room with a washroom. If you want better living conditions, you'll need to pay for the upgrade with credits."

She smiled sweetly, almost mockingly.

"You are not allowed to take missions for the first three months. And if you want to go home for the holidays, you must have 1,000 credits in your account to access the teleportation system."

She spread her arms wide, voice ringing-

"Welcome to Elemental Excellence Academy."