Quill pulled the hood over his face as he walked through the gates.

  One thing about the Meldhide Cloak was its strange ability to distort the part of the brain that handled the sense of familiarity.

  “Fenith Cranfether.” Quill registered his exact name to the academy guard. The guard, in turn, checked over the list in his hand, going through blacklisted names before he then nodded to Quill, handing him a wooden badge with a number carved on it before letting him inside.

  Quill sighed in relief. He was sure his name was right there in the records the guard was holding, but instead of the guard catching on and reporting him to the City Watch, he let him walk by right into the academy grounds.

  The Meldhide Cloak’s ability was simple. As long as you wear it and don't draw attention to yourself, you and your entire presence will be overlooked by the people around you. It wasn't like cloaks that grant complete invisibility, and it was only a simple trick that made your presence blend with the crowd.

  The guard heard his name, but the Cloak made it nearly impossible for him to discern his name from all the other names.

  “You were too obvious.” Rhena followed right behind him. “One stutter from you and they would've caught on real quick. You were stiff as a rock.”

  “We made it, didn't we?” Quill said.

  “It won't happen next time.”

  “Well, there won't be a next time.” Quill sauntered forward as he breathed in the fresh air of Gilhem Academy.

  Quill and Rhena rode through the crowd through the academy grounds, passing by trimmed trees and shrubs along the path. It was already autumn, and through the canopy, the crimson leaves were reflecting the Azure and Amber suns. One dead leaf fell over Quill's head, and Rhena was quick to make fun of him for it.

  The trees slowly parted, leading them to a large garden with a fountain at its center. The fountain was glistening with crystal water, and shrubbery was placed along the garden’s winding path that led to flanking buildings. As they walked, there were Adept mages of the academy sitting by the benches, waving a quick wave to the horde of aspiring Initiates passing by.

  Quill was blind to the pleasantries. He could feel the eyes of passersby as he walked past them, but they didn't have any malicious intent, as far as he could tell. It was more like the eyes of competition, and he only ignored them before a looming shadow drowned his eyes.

  He turned his gaze up, finding a castle right in front of them. It pierced the sky like a giant's hand, the entire structure looming over the garden behind like a wall. Whitestone bricks made up the outside, cracked and beaten from age, but the building itself still stood, as if to defy the many decades and centuries ahead of it.

  Quill had a soft spot for old and ancient buildings. It reminded him of himself, in a way.

  “You look like a stray dog,” Rhena smiled. “Staring up at a food stall in a market.”

  “What does that mean?” Quill ignored her taunts as they followed the wave of Initiates inside and out onto the other side.

  A courtyard greeted them on the other side of the castle. The field was a full hectare wide, flanked on all sides by the Whitestone walls, providing shade from the rising suns. The Initiates crowded the very center of the grass field, whispering and staring at the authorities standing on top of the wooden scaffold of the stage.

  And one of them was a man Quill had met before.

  He was a middle-aged human wrapped in a regal academy uniform, adorned with a golden sash that honored his titles. He was sitting on top of the stage. It had been many decades since Quill last saw his face, but he couldn't mistake the rotted scar he had given him on his cheek.

  It was the Void mage, Emerald-rank, Kael Goldfinger of the Human Empire. He was the only mage aside from Pormor, Edith, and Jack that could stand toe-to-toe against Quill in the past.

  Quill’s face contorted into a smile. The sense of fire in that human’s eyes was as strong as it had burned long ago, the last time they met on the battlefield. He was a Circle mage, but Quill had respected his skills.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  When the last of the Initiates entered the field, Kael surveyed the edges of the crowd before he then stood up from his chair. He then started towards the center of the stage, nodding to the rest of the authorities before he took the lectern. The moment he did, all of the crowd hushed into whispers.

  “Welcome to Gilhem Academy, young Initiates.” He said in the Common Language. His voice was as strong as before. “I am the current Chancellor of the academy, Kael Goldfinger, and I’m very happy to see you all here. Before we begin, there are a few things I would…”

  Quill was as surprised as the next person. He’d never expected a human of all people to have taken the reins of the academy right here in the very capital of the Elven Empire, and it was all the more surprising that it was someone he met before.

  The speech went on in the background of Quill's meandering thoughts. It wasn’t as if he particularly cared, but it seemed like the Circle was needlessly fanning a conflict between the humans and elves, and he couldn't wrap his head around why. By the end of it, he was brought back to reality with a nudge.

  “You’re spacing out again.” Rhena snapped his fingers in front of Quill's face, almost as if trying to shake him from a trance he wasn't in.

  “I know.” Quill blinked before he turned to the stage, and Kael was already starting back to his chair with the end of his speech. Claps resounded inside the crowd, and he wouldn't have noticed. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about something.”

  “When are you not?” Rhena tittered a laugh before the authorities on the stage then climbed down from the scaffold.

  There were orders to form a line for each group, dividing the crowd of Initiates present in the field into ten groups corresponding with the letter on each Initiate’s badge. Quill stared at the wooden badge he had with him. He was in group A.

  “I’ll see you later, then.” Rhena pat Quill's shoulder before flashing her badge. She was in group D. She waved him goodbye before bleeding into the rush of oncoming traffic, her figure lost past the crowd.

  “Don't fail, now.” Quill muttered before he turned in the opposite direction. Rhena was a good mage, and there was no point in underestimating her now. He dived headfirst into the wave of Initiates, squeezing past bulky dwarves and tall giants before he arrived at Group A’s banner.

  Past the heads of the crowd, there was an old woman wearing the same uniform as the academy guards. She was standing right below the banner, and around her chest, a sash marked her as the overseer for Group A.

  She was so old, but she was undoubtedly a strong mage. It came as no surprise that almost everyone here was one.

  Quill had to get used to the constant presence of mages now.

  The old woman ordered the group to form a line. Quill and the others promptly followed. He found himself at the very end, wondering what this was all for, before the old woman then brought out a black orb. There was a glowing Forgemaster symbol right on the surface of the sphere. It was a Scaler.

  Quill couldn't see that far ahead in front of him, but with the slow and steady forward movement of the Initiates in line, he determined that the first test had already started. The first mages in line stepped up before placing their hands on the Scaler, and within a few seconds, the overseer would nod or shake her head, approving or rejecting the Initiate.

  The first test was as simple as it seemed. It was a test to see raw magic ability.

  A Scaler was a device that calculated a mage’s magic power through numbers, factoring in Attributes and Spells. It was an unreliable way to gauge the combat strength of a mage, especially strong mages, but for new Initiates, it was going to filter out the promising from the lackluster well enough.

  The line had already halved in a couple of minutes, bringing Quill closer and closer to the Scaler. Several Initiates had frowns drawn all over their faces as soon as they saw their magic ability displayed on the Binding item. A few others threw out curses before leaving the courtyard entirely in a fit of rage. In both cases, it was clear that they didn't pass.

  A wood elf was next, her hand shaking with her branching horns before she then placed it on the Scaler. From a distance, Quill could faintly make out the number ‘fifty-one’ before the overseer then stared and nodded, prompting from the wood elf an awkward nod.

  Another step closer. After a few more Initiates came and passed, the next in line was the same giant Quill had seen in the streets. His tall figure was enough to bend necks, but his blue skin was all the more eye-catching. The giant walked over to the overseer with an uncertain gait, a doubtful look present in his eyes.

  He placed his hand on the Scaler, and the number ‘seventy-five’ glimmered to life. The giant sighed a deep rumble of relief, a childish smile growing on his face before he then stuttered in place and pumped his chest with a fist. The giants were tribal societies, and their customs may seem strangely barbaric, but this certain giant was different from the rest.

  It was now Quill's turn.

  He took a step forward, nodding to the overseer beside before he then turned down at the Scaler. He then raised his hand before resting it on top of the black orb, and when he did, he pushed his White mana on instinct right into the device.

  The Scaler stirred and vibrated before absorbing the mana. It returned a faint warm feeling on his palm, elven numbers carving themselves right on the surface. They shimmered with a faint light.

  “Eighty-five” Quill muttered under his breath.

  “Oh?” The old woman raised her brows. “Finally, a talent among the crowd of sheep.”

  Thanks for reading!