Chương 3: THE RIFT SANCTUARY

"You actually made it!!"Morris said right after Kaelen approached him with a bright smile on his face.

"Yeah..." Kaelen replied with a weak smile on his face. But right at that moment, Nathan suddenly spoke up in an indifferent tone.

"Just with a stroke of luck"

"Hu–" Morris spoke up before Kaelen quickly extended his hands to shut Morris up. When Morris saw what Kaelen did, he slowly calmed down but still whispered to Kaelen in an angry tone.

"Why did you signify me to stop? You do know he was referring to you right?"

"I know and it's ok, he is a senior after all" Kaelen said with a calm smile on his face.

"So? That isn't a reason he will insult you that way" Morris replied with a more intense anger on his face.

"It's fine Morris. Am not bothered by it so you shouldn't be" Kaelen said with a convincing tone this time. When Morris heard him, he did a low humph before he fell silent. After Morris fell silent, Kaelen finally shifted his attention towards the Mana Sphere.

Right at this moment, it is only one person who remains to go through the first phase of the internal students entrance examination.

This boy has a distinct gothic style, seamlessly blending with the school's uniform. His black blazer, adorned with blue piping, fit snugly over a crisp white shirt and black tie with thin blue stripes. He had customized his uniform subtly but distinctively which is the blazer's silver buttons were replaced with ones shaped like tiny skulls, and a dark, lace-edged handkerchief peeked out from his breast pocket beneath the embroidered school emblem.

His jet-black hair, long and slightly tousled, framed his pale face, contrasting sharply with his dark, expressive eyes lined with kohl. His lips, often set in a pensive line, were a deep shade of burgundy, adding to his dramatic appearance. Rings with gothic motifs adorned his fingers, and a thin, silver chain with a small, intricately designed pendant hung around his neck, often hidden beneath his shirt collar. Despite the conformity of the uniform, The boy's presence was unmistakably unique, a fusion of traditional elegance and dark, gothic flair.

'What a strange one' The Headmaster thought as he watched the gothic looking boy placed his hands on the Mana Sphere. But that thought quickly dashed away after he witnessed what happened next.

Right as when the gothic boy placed his hands on the Mana Sphere, the orb instantly became jet black while it began to emanate an ominous aura that made even Nathan and the mysterious girl to have grim looks on their faces.

"Stop" Not even a minute went by from when the gothic boy placed his hands on the Mana Sphere before the Headmaster suddenly spoke up with an intense look in his face.

"Yes Headmaster" The gothic boy replied with a light smirk on his face as he let go of the Mana Sphere. And as soon as he did, the orb instantly went back to normal.

"Woah.... What in the world was that?"

"Why did a sudden chill ran down my spine when I looked at the orb during the time that kid places his hands on it?"

"Who is that kid anyway?"

While the students who were either qualified or disqualified were having a discussion amongst themselves, the Headmaster quietly looked at the gothic boy with a serious look on his face.

'What sort of mana is that?' Kaelen thought with a curious look on his face as he suddenly whispered to Morris in a curious tone.

"Do you know who he is?"

"I have no clue. This is the first time I am laying my sights on such a person" Morris answered with a curious look on his face.

"You passed" But right when Kaelen could speak up again, the Headmaster suddenly said with a serious look still on his face.

"Headmaster!!?" Both Nathan and the mysterious girl called out in shock but the Headmaster paid them no heed.

"Ok Headmaster" The gothic boy replied with a light smirk still on his face before he turn towards where Nathan stood and began to walk there.

'Huh? Did he just look at me?' Kaelen thought with a confused look on his face when he noticed the gothic boy gave him a glance. But he quickly cast that thought aside while he said to himself...

"I must be seeing things..."

"Now that everyone who is willing to participate in the internal students entrance has gone through the first phase, we will now move on to the second phase" The Headmaster said with a calm now on his face before he turned towards where the disqualified students stood and said.

"Unfortunately for you all, but you have been disqualified to participate in the second phase of the entrance examination, please leave this place"

"Well just as I expected"

"Sob* Sob* My hardwork still wasn't enough Sob* Sob*"

"Seems like I have no choice but to drop out"

As soon as they heard what the Headmaster said, they began to talk in a sour mood as they dejectedly began to walk out of that area.

'I could have been amongst those people if not for luck' Kaelen thought with a solemn expression on his face while he watch the disqualified students leave the place.

"Now then, the rest of you should follow me"The Headmaster said to Kaelen and the rest before he suddenly turned and walked into the building.

Not wasting anymore time, Kaelen and the rest quickly followed the Headmaster, Nathan and the mysterious girl into the building.

"Woah..." Morris muttered in awe when his sights landed on the interior part of the building. Not only him, but even the others had the same expression on their faces.

'This Academy won't fail to marvel me time after time' Kaelen thought with an impressed look on his face.

"Welcome to the hall of the Rift Sanctuary" The Headmaster said with a calm look on his face.

The Hall of the Rift Sanctuary was an awe-inspiring chamber within Pacesetter Academy, dedicated to the entrance of the Rift Sanctuary pocket dimension. The walls, made of polished obsidian, gleamed with an eerie, reflective sheen, giving the space a sense of endless depth. Glowing blue runes, inscribed in an ancient language, snaked across the walls, pulsing gently as if alive, casting a mystical light that danced across the floor.

At the far end of the hall stood a grand archway, intricately carved from a single piece of black marble. This archway, adorned with shimmering blue crystals, served as the portal to the Rift Sanctuary. The air around it seemed to ripple, a faint hum resonating from its depths, hinting at the powerful magic contained within.

"You see that statue that is standing beside the portal entrance? That is actually the statue of the founder of the academy" Morris suddenly said as he pointed towards the statue that stood right next to the entrance of the pocket dimension.

"What? How sure are you that's the statue of the founder of this Academy?" Kaelen asked with a skeptical look on his face.

"I saw his picture in a book I was reading in the school's library. And oh his name is apparently Eldritch" Morris answered with a smug look on his face.

"Eldritch huh....?" Kaelen muttered as he shifted his gaze towards the statue.

Beside the archway, the statue of the Creator loomed, a towering figure carved from pure white marble. The Creator, depicted as a robed and hooded figure, held an orb in one hand, from which trails of stone magic seemed to spill and intertwine with the runes on the walls. The statue's eyes, set with deep blue sapphires, seemed to watch over the hall with a serene, yet commanding presence.

The floor beneath the statue and the archway was a mosaic of dark and light stones, forming intricate patterns that converged at the portal's base. Torches along the walls flickered with an unnatural, blue flame, adding to the otherworldly atmosphere of the hall. The Hall of Passage was a place of reverence and power, a gateway to realms beyond, safeguarded by the watchful gaze of the Creator.

"Now then, the rules of this second phase is simple. All you have to do is to survive for a day at the place this portal will transport you to. Once you have survived for the day, a portal will appear right in front of you which should bring you back here, got it?" The Headmaster said with a serious look on his face.

"Yes Headmaster!" The qualified students exclaimed in a passionate tone. With a satisfied look on his face, the Headmaster continued.

"And of cause, their will be a ranking in the phase to see who had the greatest achievement during this stage. The top five in the rankings will recieve a bountiful rewards from the school"

"Woah!!"

"A ranking system!!?"

"Am definitely going to reach the top five!!"

As soon as the students who are participating in the internal students exam heard what the Headmaster said, an uproar erupted amongst them as they began to burn brightly in their fighting spirit.

'i doubt I will survive in that pocket dimension for a day not to talk off entering the rankings' Kaelen thought with a wry smile on his face. But right at that moment, his eyes suddenly bumped into the mysterious girl's eyes.

"Hmph!" As soon as the mysterious girl saw that Kaelen is looking at her, she quickly did a cold humph before she shifted her gaze away from him in anger.

'Seems like she is still angry at me' Kaelen thought with a helpless smile on his face. But everyone else didn't notice this scene at all as the Headmaster quickly announced in a tone full of spirit.

"Without further a do, go in their and shine for the Pacesetters Academy!!"