The morning at the academy was far busier than usual.
Soft sunlight fell over the massive white stone walls of Gaiacademy, making the entire place look both grand and solemn. Birds sang from the tall trees in the courtyard, their voices mixing with the sound of footsteps and quiet conversations as hundreds of students walked in from every road leading to the academy.
The main gate stood dozens of meters tall, made of black metal carved with complex patterns. On both sides were ancient stone statues of warriors, mages, and mysterious creatures.
Right in front of the gate, three boys stood still for quite a while.
Kai, Mike, and Duke.
Mike crossed his arms and stared at the giant gate.
"…You ready?" he asked.
Kai stood beside him, scratching his head as he looked up at the large words carved above the gate.
"I guess," Kai replied, his voice slightly distracted.
The two of them stood there like statues causing a few students walking past glanced at them with curiously.
Then suddenly
Smack.
Both of them got hit on the head.
"Ah!"
Kai turned around quickly.
"Hey, what's your problem!?"
Duke stood behind them, his hand still raised.
He sighed.
"Move already, idiots."
He pointed toward the gate where students kept walking through.
"You're standing here like fools. People are staring at you like you're some kind of weird creatures."
Mike looked around.
Sure enough, a few people were watching them.
"Ah… right…"
Kai cleared his throat.
"Let's go."
The three of them joined the crowd and walked through the gate.
Inside the academy, it was even more crowded.
Students in all kinds of outfits walked everywhere. Some were talking excitedly while others looked nervous.
Suddenly, loud shouting came from behind.
"AAAA!"
"It's them!"
"Look over there!"
Mike turned around.
"Hey… that's…"
Kai cut him off immediately.
"I know."
He sighed.
"Not surprising. You can tell just from the noise."
Duke shrugged.
"Just keep walking."
"Don't bother."
The three continued toward the main courtyard.
Behind them, a crowd had gathered around three other students.
Hajime, Daniel, and Chad.
Despite the hype, They simply smiled politely and nodded at the people around them
After a while, almost all the students gathered at the central courtyard.
The space was so large it looked more like a plaza.
In the center stood a large stone platform with steps leading up.
Voices filled the air.
"I wonder what's happening today…"
"I'm so nervous…"
Then suddenly
Footsteps echoed.
A group of people in black robes walked out from the main building.
Their outfits were the same as those who appeared on the first day of the test.
The atmosphere instantly became quiet.
One of them stepped forward, holding a long scroll.
He opened it and spoke clearly.
"Welcome, new students of Class 333, to Gaiacademy."
A few scattered claps followed.
"And welcome… to the Day of Blessing."
Whispers spread immediately.
"Day of Blessing?"
"What is that?"
"Sounds like some kind of ritual…"
Kai frowned slightly.
"A blessing…?"
Duke spoke quietly beside him.
"Listen carefully."
"There might be something important."
The man continued.
"For certain reasons, Lady Sopharie will not be present today."
More whispers coming out from the crowd
"Instead…" the man raised his voice
"Her assistant will represent her."
Mike frowned.
"Assistant?"
The man took a breath.
"Please welcome the Head Professor, Albert Haden."
The crowd grew louder.
"The headmaster!?"
"That's him?"
"He look really young for someone who is a head professor…" Kai muttered softly.
"The head professor himself…" Mike studied him.
"This guy… doesn't look much better than that witch." Duke lowered his voice "He looks just as scheming."
Albert Haden did not react to the whispers.
He simply smiled.
"First…"
"Allow me to guide you through the academy."
He turned "Please follow me."
Hundreds of students began moving at once.
The first place they entered was the main hall.
The massive doors opened, revealing a huge interior space.
The ceiling was so high it was hard to see clearly, supported by ancient carved stone pillars.
At the center stood a giant tree growing straight through the stone floor.
Its trunk was so wide that more than ten people would be needed to wrap around it.
Branches spread across the ceiling, covered in green leaves.
At the base of the tree stood a long stone counter where several staff members waited.
Albert spoke.
"This is the main hall of the academy."
"The central point connecting all floors and areas."
He pointed at the counter.
"And also the reception desk."
Mike widened his eyes.
"It's huge…"
Kai looked around.
"Way bigger than I thought."
They continued walking.
Next was the dining hall
A large space filled with long wooden tables.
Plants and vines decorated both sides of the room.
The smell of food floated in the air.
"This is the dining hall," Albert said. "A place for students to eat and rest."
Then they moved to the garden.
Stone doors opened to reveal a wide green space.
A small stream flowed quietly.
The peaceful atmosphere made many students relax without noticing.
"This is the academy garden," Albert said. "A place for rest and training."
Finally, they stopped in front of a row of classrooms.
The rooms were large but simple, with neatly arranged desks.
"This is where you will study," Albert said.
Compared to the other areas, the classrooms looked ordinary.
Albert turned to face everyone.
"I would like to show you the entire academy," he said.
"But that would take too long."
He smiled slightly.
"So…"
"Let us proceed to today's main purpose."
He pointed toward a large building in the distance.
"Please head to the library."
His expression became more serious.
"So the Blessing Ceremony can begin."
After some time, all the students stood before a massive door covered in intricate patterns and strange symbols.
The giant doors slowly opened.
Inside was a space so vast that many students stopped without realizing it.
No one spoke.
Only quiet breaths and wide eyes filled with awe.
This was not a normal library.
Instead of shelves, the entire space was formed around a giant tree.
Its trunk was so massive no one could see where it began. Branches spread everywhere like a web, reaching up to the high ceiling.
On each branch, bookshelves had formed naturally.
The wood twisted and curved into layers, holding thousands of books as if they had always belonged there.
Soft light from glowing stones above gave the entire place a faint green glow.
Students stood still, looking up.
"It's beautiful…"
"It feels like a dream…"
"Is this even real…"
Albert stepped forward "Welcome…"
he smiled slightly
"…to the Grand Library of Yggdrasil."
Whispers spread again.
"Yggdrasil…?"
Albert continued, his voice slow like telling an ancient story.
"As you can see, this library was not built."
He pointed at the giant tree.
"What you are standing inside… is part of Yggdrasil, the sacred tree of Mother Saint Gaia."
Some students frowned.
Others exchanged looks.
"Mother Saint?"
"Gaia?"
Albert smiled lightly.
"Do not worry."
"You will learn more about her after you begin your studies here." He paused.
Then his tone became serious.
"But for now…"
"Let us move to the main purpose of today."
He raised his hand.
Snap.
The ground trembled slightly.
Students stepped back as six small sprouts grew from the stone floor.
They grew quickly, stopping at chest height.
Each one opened into a wooden hand.
In each palm rested a perfect white sphere.
The spheres gave off a soft glow.
Albert turned to the students.
"These…"
"…are what will grant you your blessing."
The crowd murmured.
"These spheres are made from a very rare crystal," he explained.
He touched one gently.
"That crystal… called the tear of Gaia."
Some students gasped softly.
"These crystals can evaluate a person's nature," he continued.
"Your mind, your body, soul, will, ambition… even your deepest thoughts."
Everyone listened closely.
"After the evaluation, the crystal will grant a blessing based on the result."
More whispers.
"A blessing based on that?"
Albert raised his hand for silence.
"Blessings are divided into six levels."
"White is the lowest."
"Gold is the rarest."
The library fell silent.
"In 332 previous classes…"
"…we've only witnessed 13 people have ever received a gold blessing."
The crowd exploded.
"What!?"
"So few!?"
Kai turned to Duke "That low?"
Duke nodded.
"It's the rarest one for a reason."
Albert continued.
"Those who receive gold…"
"…are considered chosen by Gaia for a greater purpose"
He looked at everyone.
"Individuals with the potential to shake the entire continent of Solarpunk."
The atmosphere grew tense.
Albert smiled faintly "Now…"
"No more delays."
He gestured toward the spheres.
"Please line up."
"The future is in a palm of your hands"
Students quickly formed lines.
One by one, they stepped forward.
They touched the spheres.
Lights appeared.
"Green!"
"Purple!"
"Red!"
Voices of excitement and disappointment filled the library.
Time passed, Dozens, then hundreds, But no gold appeared.
Finally, only six people remained.
Albert looked at them "It seems… the last six."
They stepped forward.
Each stood before a sphere.
Kai took a breath.
He placed his hand on it, following next is duke and mike then a small light coming out from three spheres, it was blue
"It….blue" kai said then he turn his head to duke and mike, they don't say anything but he can tell that they're having the same feeling as him, little disappointed
Then suddenly, A burst of light exploded from the other side.
Students shouted.
"Gold!"
"Oh my god!"
Across from them, a brightening light of gold busted out cover the whole library
The crowd fell into chaos, The entire space froze.
Three golden lights
Students stood in shock.
"That's impossible…" others said in shock
Even Albert could not hide his surprise.
"All three…?"