When Julian came to, he found himself standing in the middle of a vast grassy field. Around him, about a hundred people were gathered in loose rows, all wearing the same confused expressions. Some were crying, others shouting in panic—but to Julian's surprise, many had already begun to calm down.
He stood near the back of the crowd and looked toward the front, where a raised stone platform jutted out of the earth like a stage.
"Hey, kid. What do you think is going to happen?"
Julian turned to his left and saw a man in his forties, balding, with dust-stained clothes and lines of wear on his face.
"I guess someone will give us an orientation," Julian replied, brushing the dirt off his clothes and attempting to smooth his unruly hair. "There's a stage, so maybe we'll finally get some answers."
From his right came another voice, this one lighter and clearly female.
"Whatever it is, I hope they give us some food. I haven't eaten all day." She offered a tired smile. "I'm Lisa, by the way."
The man on the left nodded. "Oh, I'm sorry. Name's Tom. Tom Brandy."
"Julian Cross," he replied, glancing at the two of them. Despite the strange situation, it felt good to speak to someone.
Suddenly, a ripple of murmurs passed through the crowd. Julian looked forward and saw three figures stepping onto the platform—two men and one woman. They were dressed in pale blue robes, their long hair neatly tied back. The woman's hair was the shortest, just brushing her shoulders. All three looked calm, composed—completely unlike the crowd before them.
One of the men stepped forward and began to speak.
"Welcome to Agate Academy. While it is unfortunate what happened to your planet, the hundred of you standing here are considered lucky. Who knows where the rest of the refugees have ended up. This is Planet Urus. In a week, you'll be thanking His Majesty for giving you this opportunity."
He spoke in an alien tongue—but somehow, Julian understood every word. A glance around told him he wasn't alone; the others were listening with equal focus. It wasn't English, but it felt like English.
The woman stepped forward next. "Welcome," she said with a nod. "I am Aria, one of the professors here at Agate Academy. I know you have many questions. I don't have time to explain everything now, but in short—your planet has come into contact with mana."
"As mana touches a new world, it transforms both the planet and the life upon it, adapting them to its power. But the process is… cruel. Few planets survive the transition. In fact, none have done so successfully in the past fifty eons. That's why the Human Emperor intervened—he saved the surviving humans and sent them to worlds like ours, worlds that endured the transition long ago."
The final man, who looked rather uninterested until now, finally spoke. "Your bodies have already adapted to mana. The pain you felt—it was part of that transformation. Unpleasant, yes, but you'll come to see that it was worth it. From this moment on, you are external students of Agate Academy."
He stretched lazily before continuing, "You'll rest today. Tomorrow, your real education begins. Someone will take you to your assigned residences."
And with that, the strange trio descended from the platform, leaving the crowd in tension.
****
About an hour later, Julian and the others were led to a cluster of old buildings on the outskirts of the academy grounds. The structures looked like they hadn't seen regular use in years. Though the walls were clean, nature was slowly reclaiming them—vines curled up the sides, and roots from the overgrown gardens had begun snaking their way toward the windows. Wildflowers bloomed in the cracks of the stone pathways, and moss coated the bases of the columns near the entrances.
The person leading the group, a stern-looking man in a gray uniform, paused in front of each building and assigned four people per structure. His tone was clipped and efficient, clearly not open to negotiation.
By the time Julian's name was called, he was drenched in sweat and his legs ached from the long walk under the sun of Planet Urus. The moment his group was assigned, the four of them exchanged tired nods before rushing forward, eager to escape the heat and the tangle of creeping roots at the entrance.
The inside of the building was cool and dim. The first floor held several wide rooms—each filled with strange-looking equipment, though dusty and unused.
"There's no place to sleep here," someone muttered.
Without wasting time, they climbed a spiraling staircase to the second floor. This level was more promising: a long hallway lined with doors. They opened them one by one until they found four small, sparsely furnished bedrooms.
Julian didn't bother inspecting the room too closely. He stumbled inside, dropped his dusty bag by the door, and collapsed face-first onto the bed.
His entire body screamed with exhaustion. His muscles ached, his head buzzed with questions, and his thoughts were scattered between the alien sky and the pain he had only just escaped.
"I guess I'll save the introductions and all the thinking for tomorrow…" he muttered into the thin pillow.
With a heavy sigh, he let his eyes close—and within moments, sleep claimed him.