Soon all the people in the orientation building ceased their chatter and were neatly seated in rows of chairs facing a slightly elevated stage with a lectern situated in the middle. The room had excellent acoustics; even whispers seemed to carry unnaturally well through the circular chamber.
There were only about twenty-five students in Arthur's group, so there wasn't much of a crowd, but nonetheless, they all remained quiet, waiting in anticipation for the speaker to appear. Arthur had chosen a seat near the back, away from everyone else, especially the blue-haired boy who now sat confidently in the front row.
Their anticipation was soon met when an older man with short, grayed hair and a disconnected goatee arrived behind the lectern. He wore a crisp black suit that seemed tailored to perfection, giving him an air of authority that commanded respect. His eyes appeared naturally squinted as he peered into the small audience with a measured smile that didn't quite reach those eyes.
"Hello, prospective Chosen," his voice resonated through the room with a practiced ease. "It's so very nice to meet you all... I am Dean Woodall, and today I'm going to be telling you everything you need to know about our prestigious school and what to expect for the next couple of months of your stay here!"
He paused, letting his words sink in before clearing his throat and continuing. His hands rested lightly on either side of the lectern, occasionally lifting to emphasize a point.
"In about two months' time—for some a little sooner and some slightly later—you will all be individually transported against your will to the Second Realm upon the completion of your Realm Core. You will be sent somewhere random in that realm." His tone grew more serious, the practiced smile fading. "Then, you will have to find your way to the core of that realm to get back home."
The dean's eyes swept across the room, making brief contact with each student.
"The problem is," he continued, "many things will stand in your way. Creatures beyond your imagination. Terrain that defies our world's physics. Even the very air can be hostile in certain regions."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to emphasize his next point. "That is what we are for. You will attend classes during your stay here—each helping you learn to survive, to fight, and general learnings of the realms and how traversing them works."
He paused again, and soon after, people in the small group began to whisper among themselves. Some looked excited, others terrified. The blonde girl from earlier sat three rows ahead of Arthur, her posture still perfect, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Arthur sat there silent and keeping to himself. He already knew about most of what the dean had just told them—in fact, everyone here must have known the basics. It was common knowledge that the Second Realm was dangerous. The mortality rate for unprepared Chosen was talked about in hushed tones on news broadcasts. But nonetheless, excited and nervous chatter persisted until finally, the dean cleared his throat loudly, using the sound to silence the room and drive attention back toward him.
After this, he spoke for a while more, telling them about the campus, their new schedules, and where their dorms were located, along with various campus rules. There were curfews, restricted areas, mandatory attendance policies—all designed to maximize their chances of survival once transported.
It was a lot to remember, and soon Arthur found himself tuning out, his mind drifting to what his life had become in just twenty-four hours. From a hospital bed to an elite academy for the supernaturally gifted—it was surreal.
He was only snapped back to reality when someone walked in front of where he was seated. Arthur quickly looked around to see everyone getting up and leaving, the sound of chairs scraping against the floor filling the room.
'The orientation must be over already,' he thought.
Arthur stood himself up and looked around for a moment before consulting the map he had been given of the campus. According to the orientation packet, today was a "free day" for new students to acclimate to the grounds before classes began tomorrow.
'It's a free day today. What should I do?' he wondered, looking at the map carefully until his eyes landed on a building marked with a fork and knife icon. 'A good hot meal would be nice,' he thought as he pocketed the map and made his way toward the cafeteria.
He walked through the campus feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything. It was huge and always bustling with activity. A class was sparring with wooden swords in the grass field to his left, their instructor calling out corrections and praise. Hordes of students passed by him on the walkway, many engaged in animated conversations about realm theory, combat techniques, or the latest gossip.
It was almost as if people had a hard time noticing him as he kept having to dodge people who weren't paying attention. One student nearly collided with him while describing some elaborate spell theory to his friend. Another group brushed past him without so much as an "excuse me."
Arthur grunted frustratingly and thought back to the blue-haired boy from before and that weird presence he emitted—the way people naturally made space for him, acknowledged him.
'I wish I had something like that,' Arthur thought enviously as he finally made his way to the cafeteria.
The dining hall was massive, with high ceilings and enormous windows that bathed the space in natural light. Dozens of tables littered the huge open area, many already occupied by students chatting over their meals. The cafeteria hummed with activity—laughter, conversation, the clinking of silverware against plates.
At the back wall, he could see several medium-sized lines formed by serving stations with open windows, each offering different cuisine options. The aromas wafting through the air made Arthur's mouth water—it had been ages since he'd had a proper meal.
'That must be where I can get some food,' feeling his stomach start to grumble he improved his pace as he headed for the shortest line, drawn by the smell of something savory and rich that he couldn't quite identify.
As he walked, he couldn't help but notice the blonde girl from orientation sitting alone at a corner table, a book propped open beside her tray. And a few tables over, the blue-haired boy was already surrounded by a small group, gesturing animatedly as they laughed at something he'd said.
Arthur sighed. 'Some people just naturally fit in anywhere, I guess.'
He turned his attention back to the food line, determined to at least enjoy a decent meal even if social connection seemed as distant as ever.