Chapter 15: Reality

The shadow of night soon took over the orange sky. This strange world still had a day-and-night cycle. It had been such a weird and rough day, especially for Emery, that most of them still needed to rest in their private rooms and reflect on today's events.

Emery sat on his bed, gazing through the window. If he looked above, thousands of stars covered the canvas of the night sky, and he wished that his father was one of the stars. If he looked below, the clouds were rich and fluffy. He lay his head on the pillow, which was softer than anything he had ever rested on.

Staring at the ceiling, various thoughts entered Emery's mind. The events that transpired today were too real to hope that everything was just a dream. His first thoughts were of the day's exam on elemental affinities and spirit aptitude in this magical world. Klea, Julian, Thrax, Chumo, and Gwen came next, followed by memories of the freezing river, the burning of his father's estate, and lastly, his father. The death of his father was just starting to sink in.

Tears began to well up in his eyes again, but Emery quickly wiped them away. He shouldn't be such a crybaby, he thought to himself.

He turned to the side, staring at the night sky with his eyes urging him to shut. Then the faces of those marauders appeared in his mind, along with the word "chrutin." He had to know what that meant and honor his father by not letting his death be in vain. He had to do something; avenging his father would be the way. His fists clenched as the final moments of his father replayed in his mind over and over until he finally fell asleep.

Suddenly, there was a series of knocks on the door, waking Emery up.

"...Em... Emery! Wake up!"

The sweet voice belonged to a girl. He grunted, but the soft, comfortable bed felt like a spell, making him want to sleep a bit longer.

"Emery!"

Emery muttered, "Gwenn?"

Then the door hissed open, and footsteps got closer to his bed. The bed sheet was pulled from his grasp, and the sweet voice turned sharp as she said, "What did you say my name was? Get up! We have to get ready. The acolytes need to gather in the assembly."

"Acolyte?" Emery half-opened his eyes, confused. It took him a moment to figure out where he was, who this girl was, and what the word "acolyte" meant. He was still in that strange world. If so, then everything that had happened was real, and this was his reality.

Emery shook his head, trying to shake off his half-asleep state. He stretched his stiff muscles, and as he turned to the window, it transformed to reveal the beautiful blue sky and the rich clouds below.

Standing before the window, he reflected on last night's thoughts, realizing that to accomplish what he needed to do, he first needed to become stronger here and pass the test.

Emery exited his room, and the rest of the boys were also getting ready. Klea, on the other hand, had already put on her uniform.

"Who is Gwen?" she asked, resting her chin on her palms.

"Uhmmm..."

"Hoo hoo, my cutie here already has a lover, I see. So, is that why you're keeping your distance from me?" teased Klea as she leaned closer to Emery.

"Oh no! I... we are not lovers; we are just f—" Emery stopped, remembering that night in the garden when Gwen had given him a complicated look and remarked that they couldn't be friends anymore.

"You know, I don't really mind that," said the charming girl, playfully tapping his nose before leaving him to his thoughts.

Emery didn't understand what she meant, so he pushed it to the back of his mind. After taking a bath in another room, Emery went to their common area and found something to eat. The food on the table was colorful but bean-sized. Surprisingly, eating just a few filled his hunger.

After that, Emery put on his uniform and headed straight to the plaza where the fountain was, along with his four friends.

They talked on the way, and Emery decided to go with Julian to check out the Earth Element Institute. As for the others, Klea would be visiting the Wind Element Institute, Thrax the Fire Element Institute, and Chumo the Darkness Element Institute.

The assembly in the main plaza was just a greeting, and the acolytes were then permitted to go wherever they wanted. Since Emery and Julian already had a plan, the two entered a portal with yellow rings around it, along with dozens of other young people.

They passed through the gate, and what welcomed them first was the wind's breeze, carrying grains of sand that hit their faces.

Emery looked around; this was the first time he had seen a place like this. The sand beneath his feet felt reminiscent of a beach, but no bodies of water could be seen.

"In our world, this is called a desert," said Julian.