"Have I reached the heavens?"
Kaia gripped the man's hand and hoisted himself up. He patted the dust off his shoulder, eyes flicking up to inspect the stranger. The man stood tall, a calm grin stretching across his lips—like someone plotting ten steps ahead.
His thick ginger hair was intricately braided, flung over one shoulder like a proud banner. He looked oddly serene, but there was something behind that smile that screamed mischief.
Kaia raised a brow, silently prompting him to speak.
"I am Kaveh Noxvar," the man said smoothly, finally opening his eyes.
A shimmer of green, laced with an eerie flicker of white, stared back at Kaia. They were... unnerving, yet hypnotic.
"A professor here," Kaveh continued, "I teach Monumental and Architectural Sorcery."
Kaia hesitated.
"My name..." he thought. It fits the male body, sure, but if I run into someone who knows me... It'd be obvious. I need a name that keeps me hidden.
"Kyros," he said aloud, the name slipping from his tongue like a half-remembered dream. I've heard it before… but where? Ah, never mind. It'll do.[1]
"Kyros?" Kaveh repeated, a brow arching.
"Just Kyros. I don't have a surname."
Kaveh paused, eyes narrowing slightly—but whatever thought crossed his mind, he didn't voice it.
"Come with me, then," he said instead.
He turned and strolled toward a circle of massive floating quartz rings, suspended mid-air like divine relics. Arcs glimmered between them, humming with barely-contained magic.
"The Halo of Ascension," Kaveh gestured. "The gateway to Altarian. It repels monsters and users tainted with black mana."
As he spoke, a cloud materialized beneath his feet—and another beneath Kaia's. They lifted gently into the air.
Kaia's pupils widened as they passed through the Halo. Beyond it, the full grandeur of Altarian revealed itself.
A colossal statue of an angel loomed ahead, one he had glimpsed during his fall—but from up close, it radiated an ethereal beauty that sent chills down his spine. The clouds floated down onto the courtyard, dispersing like mist across the grass.
The courtyard was straight out of a dream—bushes carved into spirals, glowing magical ornaments floating like snowflakes, and faint trails of sparkles in the air.
This… this is beyond anything I ever imagined. Kaia's feet stumbled slightly, his eyes too busy drinking in the scenery.
"You're free to explore the courtyard," Kaveh said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll send a student to guide you shortly. Don't wander elsewhere until they arrive, alright?"
He gave a casual wave and disappeared into the distance, his smile still lingering.
Something's off about that guy, Kaia thought, watching him go.
The courtyard buzzed with life—students laughing, reading, showing off magical tricks in small groups. Kaia had no intention of joining them.
Instead, he slipped away and sat near a staircase leading into a corridor, quietly observing.
And then—Bzzzzt. His phone vibrated.
Kiki.
He answered.
***
Present Time....
[Altarian, The Courtyard of Wings]
It had only been a few days since Kaia skipped university — thanks to all that chaos.
Now here she was, sitting stiffly in the middle of a crowded hallway, eyes dark with dread.Kiki's going to disguise herself as me…Which means—
Before she could finish that terrifying thought, the atmosphere shifted.
A swarm of students appeared out of nowhere. Practically all of them were guys, and every single one of them suddenly looked like they'd stepped into a dreamland. Their faces flushed as a figure strode through the corridor like a deity descending.
"She's here."
"What?"
"Hey, move! Move aside!"
The crowd parted like she was Moses and the hallway was the Red Sea. All eyes slowly turned toward Kaia.
No way…A horrible guess clawed at Kaia's stomach.
The footsteps halted right behind him. A voice snapped, sharp and arrogant, "Hey, are you the new student?"
Kaia slowly turned his head. And… yeah. Just as feared.
The girl in front of her looked like a bossy princess straight out of a drama. Same uniform style, but green instead of red — different house. Two neat ginger braids fell over her shoulders, pink rose clips decorating her hair like she was about to attend a royal ball.
And her eyes. They were the same as that professor's.
"Hello? Are you deaf or something?" she barked, making Kaia's eye twitch.
"I'm not deaf." Kaia stood up, bored out of his mind, eyes dragging over the girl. What's the appeal here? Why does everyone always like the one I find completely uninteresting?
The girl narrowed her eyes. "What are you looking at? Don't stare too much, you creep—"
Kaia didn't even flinch. He stepped forward until their eyes met and said, voice low and sharp, "You're loud."
For a second, the hallway fell silent.
Then—
The girl grabbed him by the collar, yanking him forward like some cartoon villain. "Listen here, bastard. You don't get to talk to me like that. You're new. Wanna get bullied on your first day?"
Kaia's eyes dimmed into steel. He slapped her hand off his collar like swatting a fly.
The girl's eyes widened. Gasps erupted around them.
"Hey, you! How dare you hurt her?"
"Who the hell do you think you are?!"
The boys boiled over like soda cans in a microwave.
Kaia didn't say a word. He just turned toward them… and casually flipped them the middle finger. Oops....the usual habit. Kaia knew it wasn't a good idea.
The entire hallway went silent for a split second.
Then—"WHAT?!""YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!"
The angry mob roared.
Kaia sighed, turning back to the girl, whose hand was still frozen mid-air from where he'd slapped it away.
He leaned in dangerously close, his voice barely a whisper. "Stay away from me."
It wasn't just a warning — it was a threat wrapped in velvet.
Her cheeks flushed. Whether from embarrassment or fury, even she didn't know. Did this loser just humiliate me in front of the entire school?!
Kaia straightened like nothing happened. "Show me around," he said flatly, already turning away.
The girl stood there, frozen. Wait... what?! Did he just… order me?
"W-What's your name?!" she shouted after him, cheeks still blazing red.
He glanced back with a raised brow. "Kyros."
"I-I'm Shirin!" she yelled — then blinked. Wait, why am I introducing myself?!
"Then show me around, Shirin." He walked on like the main character in a movie — completely unbothered.
Shirin gawked at his back for a second before storming past him, leading the way. Her fists clenched at her sides.
I swear… I will take revenge for this humiliation.
[1] Kaia usually knows him as Chameleon, so it’s understandable that she doesn’t remember his real name. She doesn’t even recall his fake name, ‘Zero.’ She had only heard the name Kyros a few times from Thalia or others.