Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Alena heard a strange sound and looked around, then glanced down at her feet. A small crack had appeared in the ground, and unusual patterns began to form. The crack widened slightly, and the intricate designs seemed to pulse, as if they were alive.

“What is that?”

Alena unconsciously took a step back. At the same time, the movements being drawn on the ground stopped. Alena’s face was totally covered by her hood, and no one could see her face as she bent down to inspect it. She could vaguely see something resembling branches, but it wasn’t clear.

“I haven’t even touched it yet… Could it be, like with that child, a cave is about to appear?”

It was then that Alena tried to gather her courage to step forward. Suddenly, she heard the voices of children from behind. Turning around, she saw children walking briskly, their capes of Arcanum fluttering behind them. No other adults or families were in sight.

The boy walking at the front had his hood pulled low, so his face was difficult to see.

The faces of the children walking behind him were visible, and they all looked lovely and beautiful, like angels stepped out of a painting.

Three girls and three boys.

The children had different colored hair and eyes, features that could not be found in the human world.

“Blue... Wow! I’ve never seen green hair before.”

The girls chattered among themselves as they walked, but the moment they noticed Alena, their voices trailed off into silence. Some of them frowned, trying to place her, but her face was hidden in the shadow of her hood. The boy leading the group passed by without a single glance, as though she were invisible to him.

Although he wore a hood, Alena was certain that just from his jawline and mouth, he must have been quite handsome. As she stood there staring at the boy’s receding figure, a loud rumbling sound suddenly echoed. The cliff collapsed with a tremendous noise. Or, at least, it seemed as though it had collapsed.

“Ah?!”

Alena screamed in shock. The cliff had vanished, replaced by two towering statues—one of a man, the other of a woman—each holding a massive, round sphere engraved with stars. The statues were so immense that they seemed to stretch endlessly, flanking a wide road that led toward a dense forest, wide enough for hundreds to walk through.

It happened so quickly that it seemed as if the cliff had turned into statues, hurriedly making way for the children to keep walking without slowing down. Alena stared blankly at the statues and the wide road.

For a moment, Alena hesitated, wondering if what she had witnessed was real. The rumble of the earth had felt so powerful, yet everything was now eerily still. Her heart pounded in her chest as she scanned the newly formed statues, trying to make sense of it all.

The boy walking at the back of the group suddenly stopped, turned around, and spoke.

“Are you going to keep standing there? It’ll be night soon.”

Alena, unsure if the comment was directed at her, turned around. Seeing that no one was behind her, she looked ahead again, and now, all the children had stopped walking and were looking at her. Some of them smiled slightly at Alena’s clumsy behavior.

“Ah… I’m coming.”

A bit embarrassed, Alena hurriedly passed by the giant statues. The sunset was nearly gone, and the children were walking faster than she had anticipated. Flustered, Alena glanced back briefly. The statues, the cliff—none of them were there anymore.

Behind her, only a dense forest stretched into the darkness. Feeling scared of being left alone, Alena quickly chased after the children. The path gradually narrowed and turned into a quiet forest trail. Now that it was dark, Alena, feeling scared of the forest, unknowingly walked closely behind the children. The boy who had spoken to her earlier seemed to notice, and deliberately slowed his pace.

The boy, with his blond hair and deep forest-green eyes, was the tallest among them. Touched by his silent consideration, Alena smiled.

“Noel. Stay in position.”

A blue hair boy spoke coldly without turning around.

Upon hearing that the considerate boy’s name was Noel, the others picked up their pace. The path suddenly ended. At the end of the seemingly endless forest trail, a massive stone wall appeared between the trees. The children who had gone ahead were already there, chatting in front of a closed castle gate.

Alena carefully moved past the children and stepped forward. The thick vegetation made it hard to gauge the size or height of the castle wall. Mesmerized by the size of the stones, Alena didn’t notice that the children who had arrived first were quietly stepping back as they saw her approach.

The castle gate suddenly appeared in the stone wall. As if being pushed from behind, a series of steps began to emerge beneath the massive gate. The heavy gate slowly began to open, but the inside was too dark to see. Curious, the children stepped onto the half-formed steps, peering inside, even stumbling a little.

Eventually, a tall female mage appeared from inside the gate. Her long platinum blond hair was loosely braided and draped over one shoulder, reaching down to her waist. Her white dress, with no embroidery or decoration, reminded Alena of the saintess statues she had seen in the church. Most striking was her flawless, translucent skin that seemed to glow.

No, she’s really glowing!

Though not as bright as Orion, the darkening forest had certainly brightened with her presence. The mage, Celyn Ridan, who had come out to greet the newcomers, slowly scanned the children with her eyes. Then, she stopped at one boy, lowered herself, and greeted him respectfully.

“Noble Lord, I greet Lord Lucian Evergale.”

Alena, startled by Celyn’s sudden greeting, turned to see the boy, who had still been wearing his hood up until then. All the children present, even the five who had come with him, bowed in respect to Lucian Evergale. Flustered, Alena also lowered her body slightly, though a little late. Though she felt Lucian’s gaze, she assumed it was just her imagination. After everyone had bowed, Lucian Evergale removed the hood he had worn tightly.

“Everyone, rise.”

At his command, the children stood and stared at Lucian Evergale. It was clear they were seeing him up close for the first time, their faces flushing as they marveled at his handsome features, exchanging looks of admiration.

When Alena saw his face for the first time, she was momentarily taken aback, but her gaze gradually shifted to Celyn, seemingly unfazed and lost in thought. After all, she had grown accustomed to beauty, having been raised by a mother whose allure outshone even the most captivating of men.

“My name is Celyn Ridan. I have long overseen Arcanum.”

Thanks to Celyn’s voice, as soft as a harp, Alena snapped back to attention, blinking her eyes.

“From now until graduation, Arcanum will be your home, and all those who serve in Arcanum will be your guardians. Arcanum is independent of any political interests and conflicts between families, following the will of the great mages who created the magic realm.”

Celyn looked at the children listening quietly, then continued.

“Once you step through that door, nothing that happens inside Arcanum is to be shared outside.”

With that, Celyn extended a polite hand gesture toward Lucian. The children, as if in agreement, stepped aside, making way for him. The five children who had come with Lucian walked through the gate first, as if it were only natural. Only after they entered did the other children begin to climb the steps. This time, Alena didn’t follow immediately. She quietly stepped back and stood at the rear.

When they reached the top of the stairs and entered through the gate, they found themselves in a long tunnel-like path made of stones that emitted faint light, casting soft shadows along the walls like a cave. The air was cool and still, and a sense of quiet mystery filled the atmosphere as the children moved forward, their footsteps echoing softly in the dim corridor. They silently walked toward the light at the other end, drawn by its light.

Once the last child had passed through, Celyn confirmed that no one remained behind. With a swift motion, she pulled the iron ring on the large castle door. At that moment, the gate and steps vanished, as if shadows met light, leaving only the towering castle walls standing in their place.

Turning to catch up with the children ahead, Celyn saw Alena staring at her, mouth agape.

Excited by the magic realm she was experiencing for the first time, Alena clasped her hands together and stared in wonder. Celyn watched Alena for a moment, then gestured for her to go on. Finally snapped back to reality, Alena turned and began walking down the passage. The sound of children’s footsteps on the stone floor calmed her.

"This is such an amazing place."

Walking with dozens of children, Alena started imagining her time at Arcanum. She would make so many friends. Like the children in the human world, she would share food and tell secret stories. What would the professors say about her magic?

Lost in these thoughts, she soon reached the end of the long tunnel. Suddenly, a vast meadow unfolded before her, so large that she almost thought she had arrived at a vast plain, if not for the large castle visible in the distance.

Celyn, who had been at the back, moved ahead.

“Follow me closely. This grass holds the power of protection, and anyone who does not follow the guide will be treated as an intruder and immediately captured. Once captured, you will never be able to escape, so remember that.”

The children exchanged uneasy glances at Celyn’s stern warning. Some shifted nervously, while others tightened their grip on their cloaks, their expressions revealing a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The weight of her words hung heavily in the air, and for the first time since their arrival, a faint sense of caution seemed to settle over the group. 

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