Roy opened his eyes to a village that looked peaceful.

  Children ran through streets, laughing as they chased one another between small houses. Shopkeepers stood calling out prices. The sound of footsteps, voices, and life filled the air. The sky above was clear blue.

  For a moment, Roy was confused.

  This wasn't how his dreams usually went.

  But it wasn't bad.

  Then he blinked.

  And the village was burning.

  Flames erupted as if the ground itself had ignited. Fire swallowed the streets, racing faster than thought. The same children who had been laughing only moments ago were still running, but now it was for their lives. Their laughter had turned into desperate screams.

  The cheerful calls of shopkeepers twisted into cries of terror.

  People stumbled through smoke so thick it clawed at the lungs. Parents grabbed at children with shaking hands. Some fell. Some didn't get back up.

  The smell hit him next.

  The smell of burning flesh.

  Above the village, rising through the smoke like a nightmare given shape, stood a black silhouette. It had wings like a demon's, wide and jagged, blotting out what little sky remained. It didn't move.

  It just watched the destruction beneath it.

  Roy tried to move.

  He couldn't.

  The alarm went off.

  Roy's eyes flew open. His hand slapped the alarm down hard, silencing the sound. His chest rose and fell rapidly, air burning through his lungs.

  He took his phone and looked at it.

  Sunday.

  It's today.

  He sat up slowly, staring at the wall.

  He swung his legs over the bed and stood.

  His bags were already packed.

  Everything was ready.

  He went to the bathroom, finished his morning routine, and got dressed.

  Roy stepped into the hallway and found his parents standing near the door, waiting. His mother moved first, pulling him into a hug without a word. He returned it quietly.

  His father had his work clothes on.

  "I'll drive you to the airport."

  Roy nodded.

  "Okay."

  The car ride was quiet at first. The city was already awake, traffic steady but not yet heavy. His father kept his eyes on the road.

  "So... you're really going to Silvergate," his father said at last.

  "I've heard it's difficult."

  "Yeah," Roy replied, looking at the street from the window.

  "I hope it isn't too hard. I don't plan on trying that hard."

  Silence settled again between them.

  After a few moments, his father spoke once more.

  "Roy."

  Roy turned his head.

  "Just know two things. Whatever happens, you can always come back to us. And second, after what happened, I didn't think you would reach the point where you're going to one of the best academies in the world. So know I'm always proud of you. And if something happens you can't deal with, just call and I'll find a way. Okay?"

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  "...Okay," Roy said.

  They reached the airport.

  Roy opened the car door.

  "You didn't have to say all that. I'll come back."

  With that, he closed the door and walked inside without looking back.

  Inside the airport, he found Marie and Omar among the crowd of students. Together with the others, they passed through security, ID checks, and finally boarded the aircraft.

  It wasn't a normal plane.

  The seats were wider, reinforced. Business and first-class only, no economy section. The seatbelts were industrial-grade, designed to restrain people who could accidentally break through steel. Even the windows looked thicker than standard glass

  Roy was assigned to business class.

  Omar and Marie got first.

  After the flight attendant finished her welcome announcement, the engines roared.

  The plane lifted from the runway. The city shrank beneath them, buildings compressing into neat blocks. From the narrow window beside him, Cairo stretched endlessly, familiar and distant at the same time.

  Omar leaned forward in his seat, his face almost pressed flat against the glass.

  Marie sat across from him, arms folded, posture straight. Calm on the outside. But her fingers kept tightening and loosening against her sleeves.

  The plane climbed higher.

  Clouds swallowed the city.

  Light dimmed.

  It wasn't long before food appeared.

  The flight attendant asked Roy if he wanted anything. He refused and covered his nose with his hands. The smell of meat reminded him of the dream.

  The flight continued normally.

  Then the sky changed.

  The blue faded into dark gray. Thick clouds rolled past the windows like slow-moving walls. The brightness vanished, replaced by a muted, suffocating gloom.

  A low rumble echoed outside.

  Omar glanced around.

  "...That was thunder, right?"

  No one answered.

  The seatbelt sign lit up red.

  Anyone who didn't already have their belt on now snapped it into place.

  The turbulence began.

  The plane jolted violently to the side.

  Students gasped. A few screamed. Overhead compartments rattled like they might tear free. The engines howled louder as the aircraft fought against the wind.

  Roy felt his heart speed up.

  Lightning tore across the sky, blinding white for a split second. The thunder that followed felt close enough to strike the plane itself.

  Marie's seat jerked sharply. She clenched her jaw, eyes locked forward. Frost flickered faintly along her fingertips on instinct.

  Omar swallowed hard.

  "This is... still normal, right?"

  The plane dropped.

  Screams erupted through the cabin.

  Roy's stomach lurched as gravity vanished for a heartbeat before slamming back into place. The lights flickered.

  For one brief moment, Roy thought about using his power.

  The voice stirred.

  'This is fun. Imagine if it crashes and everyone except you dies. Would it be better to die right away, or survive the crash just to die later?'

  "Not now," Roy whispered under his breath.

  The pilot's voice crackled through the speakers, strained but steady.

  "Remain seated. We are close to exiting the storm barrier."

  The plane surged forward.

  Wind screamed against metal. Rain struck the hull like thousands of bullets. The world outside blurred into streaks of dark and white. The only source of light was lightning.

  Marie braced both feet against the floor.

  Omar squeezed his eyes shut.

  Roy didn't move.

  Then...

  Silence.

  The shaking stopped all at once.

  The rain vanished.

  The clouds thinned.

  Light flooded the cabin.

  One by one, students slowly lifted their heads.

  Omar opened one eye.

  "...Are we dead?"

  Roy turned toward the window.

  And froze.

  Behind them stretched a massive wall of black cloud, lightning still tearing through it like something alive. And then, without warning, it vanished completely, as if it had never been there at all.

  Ahead lay an island.

  It rose from the ocean like a titan's crown. Jagged cliffs circled its base, waterfalls spilling endlessly. At its center stood the Academy.

  White towers.

  Silver rooftops.

  Massive training fields visible even from this height.

  The city-sized fortress shimmered beneath the sunlight like something unreal.

  Roy stared out the window. He saw other airplanes appear beside them.

  Minutes later, the planes landed.

  Students from all around the world poured out onto the island runway. Some of them looked more shaken than others from what had just happened. Workers guided each group into separate vehicles and drove them toward the main gate of Silvergate.

  The moment they stepped out of the cars, all of them froze.

  Before them stood the Academy.

  The giant gate towered above them, its surface shining faintly like silver beneath the sun. Behind it, tall buildings stretched upward toward the clouds, glass windows reflecting the sky like mirrors. Students moved in every direction: some chatting, others running, others flying.

  The air itself seemed to hum with mana.