Chapter 5: The Arrival at the Living Academy

After rising into the sky, I lingered for a few seconds longer, gazing down at the village below. The land was still soaked in death—corpses strewn across the ground, their final screams echoing in the threads of mana around me. The boy's silence weighed heavier than the others'.

From above, I called softly—out of courtesy, not necessity.

"Sebastian," I said, eyes fixed on my shadow. "Gather a few undead. Prepare graves for the bodies. Once finished, return to me."

"As you command, my Lord," came your calm reply, your figure dissolving into mist before touching the soil.

With that, I drifted away from the village, slowly gliding over the treetops until the forest gave way to open land—lush, vibrant, quiet. For a brief moment, I thought, How peaceful...

I moved north, my path smooth and uninterrupted, floating through the sky as a ghost wrapped in white. Along the way, I observed strange beasts grazing below, studied plants that shimmered with unnatural properties, and spent several days conducting experiments mid-flight.

Then, on what seemed like an ordinary day, I felt it—a shift.

Something in the sky above did not belong. A law broken? A realm bent? I ascended higher.

As I rose, I saw it—a distortion in the heavens. It mimicked sky, but not convincingly enough. My eyes narrowed.

"Interesting..." I muttered.

I extended a finger toward the illusion, and whispered in an ancient tongue:

"Fractura."

The false sky shattered like glass, and behind it—

—a portal. Not one I made. Not stable, but real. A portal tethered to this world, yet not bound by its laws. A convergence.

I smiled.

Curiosity... such a faithful companion.

Without hesitation, I entered.

Within a second, I emerged in an open courtyard. People surrounded me—young students, teachers, armored knights, robed mages—all frozen in sudden disbelief. The air was thick with tension.

I observed the towering stone walls, the banners, the mana lines woven into the ground. A fortress? No. An academy.

I already knew what would come next.

Before panic could take root, I raised a hand and whispered:

"Paralysis Massiva."

A shimmer of arcane light pulsed outward, and silence fell. Every living form halted, trapped in stasis.

I cleared my throat, not out of necessity, but for their comfort.

"Let me begin with clarity," I said. "This spell is temporary. I mean you no harm. I arrived here through a reality breach—an unstable portal."

I turned my gaze toward the high tower looming above us.

"Some among you are already working to counter my magic. To them, I say—consider this a gesture of respect."

With a slight nod, I snapped my fingers. The paralysis faded.

I bowed.

"My name is Zagor Mariell. I ask only for patience. What follows depends on your willingness to understand."