Seeing how the Teleportation Building was isolated from any other structure, the students were collected by a passing airship and dropped off at a large courtyard in front of the ‘gate’. It was large, only a few sizes smaller than the main gate to the Laeon Federation. Considering the difference in scale between the two locations, that was quite amazing.

      “I didn’t say much before because the time wasn’t right. But now that you are wearing our uniform and standing in our academy, I would just like to say that from this day on, you are students of Cheiss Academy!”

Kaine had stood upon a small podium addressing the new blood of the academy. There was a multitude of emotions swirling around: excitement, anticipation, eagerness, anxiety, terror, apathy, determination and so many more. 

      “Every action, every word… you are representing the academy and its values. Be proud of the uniform you wear, be proud of what you represent and don’t be shy to flaunt it.”

Students were encouraged to be prideful; act as if you are strong, even if you are not. ‘That is what it means to be part of Cheiss Academy’, some said. Others advocated ideals like ‘survival of the fittest’, clashing against opposing teaching methodologies. However, that didn’t cause any chaos in the academy. In fact, it was appreciated by the senior instructors and staff. Instead of being narrow-minded and focusing on one path, it was better to leave all avenues open, to accommodate those who were not compatible with others.

      Another process of selection and name-calling ensued as students were once again separated. This time, it was into dorm rooms. As the academy was a literal flying city, students weren’t able to go back to their homes and ‘commute’ to school as one would normally. Instead, many chose to stay in the academy for all of the 6 years they stayed there before graduating. Why?

      That was because it was impossible for the academy to float over cities and towns without causing an international incident. Teleportation was out of the question, or rather, mass teleportation because it was too expensive for personal use. To use Space-Time Magic without the aptitude for it was too difficult and mages of the element were as rare as it could get.

      It was due to this that the academy invested a lot in its divination network which reached all over the world. To prevent homesickness and psychological problems with students, they made sure that they could connect to their family, friends and loved ones. After all, it wasn’t healthy to stay cooped up in the academy for so long without any contact with the outside world.

      Cheiss Academy was like a traveller, aimlessly wandering across the continents and seas. They floated above vibrant forests, barren deserts and oceans spanning many hundreds of kilometres, casting a great shadow over all of it. Cordelia secretly marvelled at the mere image of it all. It was so fantasy, screaming ‘fairy tale’. She could see an inkling of what Chloe saw. 

      Dorm rooms were quickly divided and Cordelia could only lament her terrible luck as she managed to land herself in the same room as Ichika. It seemed as if fate was against the poor ravenette, placing her in close proximity to the strange eastern girl each and every time. This problem was amplified by that fact that the rooms were only for pairs so there would be no other roommates to buffer her behaviour.

      Finding herself admiring the archaic yet mesmerising architecture of Cheiss Academy, she also took notes on their different structures. To be specific, how they functioned as a self-sufficient city. Floating in the sky was an advantage and disadvantage at the same time mostly due to the fact that teleportation was too costly, too mana-intensive and too much hassle. Imports were rare because of that. The academy, or rather, city, relied on imports carried by the airships and different facilities in the city itself. 

      Cordelia thought her eyes had mistaken her when she saw farms in the far corners of the floating city with a small forest next to it, complete with a clear lake and stream. If someone told her that a piece of the earth’s surface had been taken and made to float, she would’ve believed them.

      There were 2 dorm buildings for the entire student body. With one for each gender, these buildings were then segregated into year groups with 6 storeys for each year. 1st Years were placed at the top while 6th Years were at the bottom. Those who didn’t graduate even after their last year would then stay in the staff building, being personally groomed by instructors so that they could be pushed out even faster. If it was ever discovered that someone deliberately failed their final examination, they would be memory-wiped for the last 6 years and immediately expelled.

      These were just a few tidbits of information that Cordelia had gathered from the 1st Year Guidebook which the academy had provided them with. Stored on paperback, she flipped through the pages, her eyes racing over each page for seconds before turning over. Her Perfect Memory did everything for her.

      She had never questioned why she had this skill since birth, nor why it was at the level of infinite. It had always just been there. In a way, it was a method of torture. Every scene of that day had been burned into her retina, making her unable to forget. Many times a week, she would unintentionally witness it all over again in such vivid clarity that she wished she could claw her own eyes out. It’s really disgusting.

      “Cordelia? How are you reading so fast? Are you even reading properly?”

She paused in her page-flipping and looked up to see Ichika who was sorting out all of her luggage in the side of her room. It was rather large, larger than what was necessary for 2 people but the academy could afford insignificant things like that for the sake of their students’ comfort. Decorated nicely with a bedside table sandwiched in between the two beds and vases with plants, Cordelia was satisfied with the living conditions. It was not dirty by any means but she had expected a high standard of hygiene. On the other hand, the taste of the room was much to her taste, being straightforward and simple.

      Cordelia, with her pragmatic nature, had brought along very little belongings. Along with the excuse that she could just buy everything at the academy, Cordelia had even left behind a few items that some girls would consider essential.

      “It’s a skill.”

She replied curtly and continued with her activity, making it her goal to finish the entire guidebook by sunset. Subconsciously wondering how Kuro and the rest of her… 

…

Friends? She didn’t know what to call them. Companions? The instructors had called Chloe so and she didn’t mind but… the rest? Her mouth tipped downwards in contemplation, marring her features with a tiny, tiny frown. 

      “Is it perhaps a memorisation skill? Ah, how useful that would be…”

Ichika sighed regretfully, her palm resting on her cheek which leaned on to it. From the outside, the noble girl looked to be thinking over something important but Cordelia knew otherwise. Her words distracted the girl from her line of thoughts. Now unable to even focus anymore, she put down the guidebook and left the dorm, a katana in hand.

❈ ❈ ❈

12th of April, the Year 1202
15:11
Unknown, Cheiss Academy

❈ 

She had trained for hours now, taking small breaks in between. Jogging 15 kilometres had her blood moving so she had moved on to honing her Kumia Combat Arts. The sword was not her only method of attack as she was at least somewhat proficient in other weapons such as the bō staff or daggers. However, what she excelled at were hand-to-hand martial arts. 

      Although second to her swordsmanship, Cordelia didn’t find martial arts any less powerful than to it. She loved the way one’s body changed into a dynamic fighting machine, leaping from one place to another as their limbs flailed and whipped out. Fists and feet struck their enemies in vital spots, delivering crushing damage to their internal organs from the shock and impact.

      Truly, she found it as beautiful as swordsmanship. There was also the fact that were she to ever not have a weapon on hand, this skill would always be useful. 

“Hah! Huah! Huk!”

Twirling in midair, she executing a devastating spinning kick, causing winds to rustle the trees around her. Her lungs expanded to their limits, oxygen filling her starved blood vessels as her muscles ripped and ached. The air in the academy was naturally low due to the high altitudes but nothing was done to fix it, the academy chalking it off as ‘training’ for students. That was Cordelia’s hypothesis anyway.

      Her replacement katana rested on the trunk of the tree, neglected by Cordelia who was now favouring her other skills. The practical exam taught her many things, such as the fact that her current equipment was unreliable. Namely, her katana. It had broken in such a crucial moment, something that could’ve caused her death and nobody would have known about it. Her corpse and treasures would’ve been left behind, the only proof that she and Chloe had been walking on the surface of these lands at one point.

      That thought gave Cordelia small chills. Small, they were still chills. And that annoyed her. Why am I so unreasonably attached to this little girl? She had noticed. Her bond to Chloe was unlike anyone else’s, something that could only be rivalled in profoundness by her family. When she had agreed to search for that girl’s butler that day, it had started a chain of events. Maybe, I should’ve just left her alone. But for some reason, those words made her feel pain. Pain. Pain, like pain when you feel hollow. When someone suddenly leaves you.

      “Big Sister! I knew I’d find you somewhere like this!”

Speak of the devil… Cordelia released her martial stance, turning to face Chloe who was cutely waddling her way to her. She then glomped her sweating big sister who was taken aback. Close contact was still rare for Cordelia. It was something she only allowed for her closest family members, like Kuro and Walker. But I don’t feel adverse to her… 

      She soundlessly stared down at the blonde who was literally attached to her hip, babbling some nonsense about how Soleil was a ‘big meanie’ or that Abelard had bought her sweets. She didn’t realise Cordelia wasn’t even listening to her rambling, only studying her features carefully.

      It wasn’t just her either. Eldrich, Abelard, Mareike, Soleil, Abelard… even Ichika. Cordelia found herself gravitating towards them. Slowly. So slowly that she hadn’t felt it until now. It was so gradual that she wouldn’t have realised until it was too late. Cordelia was lucky that she was careful. To be sucked into that hole of bonds and friendship… 

      It hadn’t just been those two who died, after all…

❈ ❈ ❈

13th of April, the Year 1202
6:45
Unknown, Cheiss Academy

❈ 

The first day had passed by rather uneventfully. Nothing of note had occurred, apart from a small skirmish between the 1st Years and 2nd Years in the canteen where they had been arguing over a single table until it got physical. Cordelia only moved away in slight annoyance, her presence so fleeting that it wasn’t dissimilar to that of a phantom.

      The tension between the 2 year groups was now palpable each time students passed by each other in the hallways. Glares were exchanged, whispers flowing from one ear to another. Gossip and tasteless rumours were already popping up, the freshmen too drunk on their entrance into the academy to see the looming threat. 

      As yesterday was the first day, there had been no lessons. Freshmen were advised to familiarise themselves with the academy, its system and buildings since many in the past had gotten lost because they were too careless. This was no problem for Cordelia though.

      She had woken up earlier today, wanting to traverse the small and peaceful woodlands a bit more. They were uncharted so she could only make a mental map by running around, also doubling as her warmup run. Feeling the early sun rays landing on her pale skin, Cordelia breathed out and wiped her forehead.

      Lessons were early, starting at 8:00 in the morning. However, the whispers of her seniors told her that it was always better to be early. The instructors of Cheiss Academy were erratic and often had questionable habits. Deciding to limit herself to a small 30 minutes of training, she ran herself ragged.

      Sprinting for 20 minutes straight caused her to collapse. Chests heaving up and down, the forest was filled with the sound of her panting. This continued for 10 minutes straight as the girl revelled in the feeling of energy returning to her limbs. 

      Most likely, it’s already time to go. I need to get up. Reluctantly, Cordelia pushed her heavy body up and shuffled uneasily towards the academy building. It was time for her first lessons.

❈ ❈ ❈

vaexis

Updates are getting a bit sparse so I'm trying to figure out a schedule for you guys. I promised to get this story to at least 100k words so I'll follow that through, even if it takes me a year. I'm thinking about a 2 or 3 per week which sounds viable to me.

      Have a nice day.