Alex stared at the gates of the Red Tower like a man standing in front of a beast he'd been told was mostly tame. It was his first day of school ever.
Not the first day back. Not first year.
First. Day. Of. School. Period.
He adjusted the uniform Haku had forced onto him; the sleeves that fit perfectly yesterday seemed too long to him for some reason today, and the collar was already uncomfortable. The color didn't suit him either. In his mind, he looked like a background character in a rich kid's play.
He took a breath and walked through the gates.
Inside, the air buzzed with noise. Too many voices. Too many polished boots. Too many people were moving like they knew exactly where they were going. He did not.
A student bumped into him. Didn't apologize. Just gave him a weird look, like Alex had stepped in from the wrong story.
Which, fair.
He followed the crowd, pretending to know what he was doing.
Orientation for the new transfers was exactly what he expected: confusing and loud. Professor Elena, who looked like she hated children and sunlight in equal measure, went through rules like she was casting curses. Alex caught maybe three words: "uniform," "punctuality," and something about frogs. He made a note to ask later. Or not.
When it was his turn for roll call, she narrowed her eyes at the list. "Alex... Last name?"
He hesitated. "Just Alex."
Her lips thinned. "Age?"
"Eighteen-ish."
"Previous institution?"
He blinked. "None."
"None?"
"I worked. Before."
That earned him some raised brows from the students nearby. Elena didn't seem impressed.
"Worked where, exactly?"
Alex shrugged. "In a bar. With Haku."
A pause.
"Figures," she muttered, and moved on.
Classes were what he expected: painfully slow for someone who'd spent most his life living in a church.
First up: Basic Channeling. Everyone was trying to light candles without setting their sleeves on fire. Most failed. One kid fainted.
When it was Alex's turn, he just stared at the candle and tried to follow along he was able to feel mana after he tried it countles times at home with the help of the theorie books and Hakus help and advice about the periodic table giving him a leg up since he got those lessons none stop at home. A flame sparked up. Calm. Controlled.
The professor looked mildly startled. "You've done this before?"
"Sort of."
Second class: History of the Arcane World. The professor droned on about mage dynasties and noble lineages, something-something bloody civil war.
Alex tried to take notes but ended up drawing a tiny dagger stabbing a stack of textbooks. Niko, the kid sitting next to him, leaned over with wide eyes and whispered, "You're the transfer, right? I heard you worked in a bar. That's so cool."
Alex shrugged. "It was mostly cleaning up after drunk people and dodging knives, but those were thrown by my colleague."
Niko nodded like that was the coolest thing anyone had ever said.
"I'm Niko. My dad's an enchanter. I'm not great at anything yet, but I make a mean exploding apple."
'What do people have with explosions? Haku also talks about using them at some point.'
Alex blinked. "That... sounds dangerous."
"Only if you bite it."
Lunch was chaos.
Students shouted over floating trays. Food hovered in weird formations. A roast chicken was caught in a slow-motion explosion at one table. Alex scanned the room for an empty corner and found one near a window.
He sat, unpacked his food, some strange purple root stew, and tried not to look like a lost dog.
Of course, Niko found him again.
"So," Niko said between mouthfuls, "you lived with Professor Haku? What's he like outside of class?"
Alex sipped his water. "Slightly more drunk."
"Awesome."
Alex nodded. "Sure."
Afternoon classes included Practical Magic Safety, which was ironic since half the students looked ready to ignite themselves. One girl tried to summon water and drenched her partner. Another summoned a rock and dropped it on her foot.
Alex managed to create a small gust of wind and direct it toward the practice target. The professor raised an eyebrow.
"Haku's kid?"
"Employee," Alex corrected.
He nodded. "Figures." But this time it seemed more like a compliment for his skill.
By the time the day was done, Alex's brain felt like it had been wrung out and left in the sun. He made it to his dorm room shared with Niko, of course, he threw off the uniform and cloak, and collapsed onto the bed.
Niko was still talking, somewhere in the background, about how he accidentally enchanted a spoon to scream when stirred.
Alex stared at the ceiling, hands behind his head.
No one had tried to kill him. No detention. No fireballs to the face.
Day one: survived.
That was enough.
For now.
As the day ended, the dorm room was finally silent. Niko had finally stopped his tales of enchantment, and Alex was not sure if those were accidents or planned, allowing Alex some form of peace to reflect on today's events. Despite the hard lessons, a feeling of accomplishment came over him. Today had not broken him; instead, it gave him courage if he could master the sword and magic someday, maybe his dream could come true.
Alex let out a strong sigh, thoughts in his mind slowly resting. The image of Haku's always-seeming knowledgeable smile flashed as the last thing in his mind; it reassured him. In this academy of magic and explosions, where every student seemed to be somewhat crazy.
Tomorrow would be another day of new lessons, and undoubtedly, new chances for him to learn and become strong. As he closed his eyes in his new dorm room, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. For amid uncertainty and unfamiliarity, Alex knew one thing for certain: he was exactly where he was meant to be.
Meanwhile, Haku and Yue felt the silence in the house
"Haku, do you think he is doing okay?" Yue asked with a somewhat worried look.
"Don't worry, I will check up on him soon, but Alex is a smart kid. You saw how fast he picked up while studying. I heard normally it takes years to learn even basic magic, they soon will see his worth, and if he can make friends with you, he can befriend anyone haha" Haku chuckled.
"Hmpf, what is that supposed to mean?" As the banterers hid their worries, the day finally came to an end for all.