There wasn't even time to blink.
It all happened before he could complete his last thought.
All he felt was a twist in his stomach twisted. His mind barely even registered the sensation before everything stilled.
By the time he became aware of his surroundings again, the castle was gone.
Below them was an entirely different landscape. A large compound spread across the area, structured with multiple buildings. Some had tall, glossy designs, while others were domed, their curved rooftops glowing under the morning sun.
As they descended, the details sharpened.
Students moved around in matching blue and white uniforms, some engaged in conversations, others walking hurriedly across the grounds.
From above, it looked like a well-organized, living blueprint of a school—except this was far bigger than any school Levi had ever imagined.
High school, middle school, and elementary students all within the same space. Levi could tell, even in an advanced world like this, his current environment was above your average school.
His brain tried to process it all, but before he could, his feet hit the ground.
Levi immediately stumbled away from Zenon, falling onto his knees as he gasped for breath.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, his arms slightly shaking from the sheer force of their landing.
"When? How? What kinda movement..." His voice came out strained. He looked up at Zenon, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Didn't he say it was fifteen miles?" He thought. "I don't know how far that is, but isn't that pretty far???"
Zenon, ever composed, said nothing.
"How did—"
Levi's words finally came out again, but he trailed off as he noticed something.
People were staring.
Groups of students had paused mid-conversation, their eyes locked onto him. Whispers spread like wildfire, a wave of murmurs rippling through the crowd.
His muscles tensed and his breathing grew uneven.
A long time had passed since he'd been in an environment similar to this. School had never been his favorite place. And crowds? He wasn't exactly great with those either.
The weight of their gazes pressed against him, crawling over his skin like invisible fingers.
"Little by little... I'm beginning to regret my decision..." He sighed heavily.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a deep voice, different from Zenon's. Quite older.
"To what do I owe this once-in-a-year pleasure, Captain Zenon?"
Drawn toward the deep voice that had just spoken, Levi turned his head.
There was an older man who looked like he was perhaps in his fifties walking towards them with a gentle yet commanding presence.
He was wearing a perfectly tailored suit which fit his broad frame with precision. And though his graying hair was neatly combed back, the sharpness in his golden eyes was anything but aged.
A faint crease formed between his brows as he studied Zenon.
"Captain Zenon?" he muttered, as if confirming what he was seeing.
Zenon inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "I apologize for the uninformed visit, Professor Valtorix." His tone was steady, composed. Then, shifting his gaze to Levi, he added, "The situation came up all of a sudden."
Valtorix's eyes settled on Levi. His expression gave nothing away as he examined him, then looked back at Zenon.
Then, he did it again.
A slow glance at Levi, then back at Zenon.
And then—he chuckled.
"Well, this is quite surprising, Captain Zenon." There was a teasing note in his voice. "Who would've thought you'd eventually pick a spouse… and even raise a child in secret?"
Levi's brain froze for a second. Spouse? Child? What was Valtorix talking about?
"Exactly how old does this man think I am... 10?"
Before he could even react, Zenon responded, his voice calm and soothing as usual
"He's my brother, Professor."
The amusement in Valtorix's face didn't disappear entirely, but there was a brief pause as he looked at Levi again, blinking once.
"This is… still quite interesting," he said.
Zenon exhaled slightly. "Oh, and please, you can just call me Zenon, Professor."
Valtorix shook his head. "Nonsense. Respect should be given to who deserves it."
"Anyway," he continued. "I think I understand the situation now." He gestured with a slight nod. "Follow me."
Levi hesitated for a fraction of a second before exchanging a glance with Zenon.
Then, without another word, he fell into step behind them.
As they walked, the conversation between Zenon and Valtorix took on a more casual tone.
"How's Captain Emilia doing these days?" Valtorix asked, hands casually tucked into his coat pockets.
Zenon kept his gaze ahead. "Same as ever. Busy."
Valtorix chuckled. "That young woman never slows down. I suppose that's expected from the second best. And the rest of Squad One?"
"They're all fine."
Valtorix nodded. "Good, good." A few steps later, he glanced at Zenon again. "What grade would you like me to place him in?"
"Twelve," Zenon replied without hesitation.
Valtorix arched a brow. "Are you sure about that?"
Levi, meanwhile, had already tuned out most of their conversation. Not intentionally, he just got lost following half of what they were talking about.
He was still pondering the quest the system greeted him with earlier. He was now aware of what a Bearer was, but test?
Did this quest have something to do with him enrolling here?
And the there was his surroundings. The more of this place he saw, the more unreal it felt. Wide open courtyards and hovering transport pods gliding silently along invisible tracks.
He had seen Metreona, but this? Everything looked far beyond his mental image of a school in Astrovia.
It all looked like something out of a science fiction movie.
Exactly how much would it take to send a child here?
Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice that they had come to a stop.
His steps continued forward and he bumped right into Zenon's back.
Levi blinked as he stumbled slightly, his mind snapping back into focus. He quickly stepped back, rubbing his nose. "S... Sorry."
Zenon remained silent, simply tilting his head toward the structure in front of them.
Levi followed his gaze—and finally noticed the building.
It was three storeys tall, with an exterior that reflected the sky in distorted patterns. Instead of a standard rectangular shape, the structure curved inwards at its center, giving it an almost hourglass-like silhouette.
The entrance—if it could even be called that—was an open archway, rimmed with what appeared to be liquid metal.
Levi swallowed hard as he took in the image. "Yeah... I really should've gone out more this past year..."
***
The smooth walls of Layla's office was covered with floating display screens overflowing with streams of data.
There was a large curved desk at the center, its surface clear except for a single, holographic interface projecting various documents.
Seated behind the desk, Layla leaned back in her floating chair, one leg crossed over the other.
Her short, deep-blue hair framed her face, and the suit she wore hugged her curvy figure in a way that was both professional and effortlessly elegant.
A sudden knock at the door made her pause. She spun her chair around to face it, brows slightly furrowed. "I don't recall expecting any visitors today…"
A voice answered from the other side. "Sorry to bother you, Layla, but something quite... unexpected came up."
Layla immediately recognized it. It was Valtorix. Her expression relaxed. "Oh, Professor. Please, come in."
The door clicked open, and her eyes widened slightly as two figures stepped inside.
Valtorix which she already expected, and Zenon whose presence she didn't even sense.
She straightened in her seat surprise written all over her face. "Captain Zenon?"
Her gaze shifted between them before she leaned back again, a small smirk forming. "Professor Valtorix and Captain Zenon in my office… How deadly is the situation?"
"I understand Zenon, but am I also that much of an August visitor?" Valtorix chuckled.
Zenon stepped forward. "It's really nothing big, there's just a student I'd like to place under your care."
Layla's smirk faltered. "A student?" She queried.
Zenon and Valtorix stepped aside, revealing Levi who was standing behind them.
Valtorix gestured toward him. "This is Captain Zenon's younger brother, Levi."
The look on Layla's face suddenly went grim. She remained silent about it, but the moment she set her eyes on Levi stepped, she felt something.
Something she couldn't describe.
It wasn't terrifying but it was overwhelming. It felt like a force capable of crushing anything whenever it decided to. But at the same time it's presence was faint.
She couldn't tell if it was malicious or angelic. But she could tell one thing.
The source of that force came from Levi.