Hero's Return 38 A New Home

When they had been teleported back Rhea had quickly adapted to the current situation and was ready to move along with the candidates entrance into the school. Sora and the others didn't really know the last system but the thoughts of more battles excited them so they just followed Rhea. At the same door they came through Rhea and the candidates were preparing to leave.

Rh: "Okay everyone, it's been a confusing day so far but I will now direct you to your rooms, they will be your permanent rooms for the entire duration you are in this school and will be your responsibility to look after"

All the candidates gave off a nod of agreement. Rhea opened the door and they all walked out, to their surprise when they walked out the completely empty corridor that they had seen before had now been filled with students, walking through the corridor on the ground or streaking through the air in groups on flying machines, mounts, animals or simply using their own magic. The large corridor was completely filled from the ground to the very top of the archway.

All the candidates were shocked as the students whizzed past them like streaks of light, the students walking on the ground were a mix of different people. From diligent looking students looking at books, groups of friends walking or flying together slowly talking about random things. Girls and boys with their pets and students that were just rus.h.i.+ng past seemingly late for something, it was a completely chaotic scene but it seemed to be somewhat controlled as no one was b.u.mping into each other or even being an inconvinence, even those that were looking down at books seemed to be fully aware of their surroundings, it was a spectacle to see.

So: "Woah! Is this what this place looks like with the curse on us removed?!"

Re: "Does that mean they can b.u.mp into us now too?"

Rh: "Yes it does, now that you can see them physically you can also physically touch them too"

So: "Is this done through Time and s.p.a.ce Magic by the headmaster?"

Rh: "Of course it is, but probably not in the way that you think"

Del looked very interested in how this worked.

D: "Miss Rhea, can you tell us how this works?"

Rh: "Of course, this isn't actually a single corrider"

Joe and Indy began to take interest too.

J: "Hm? What do you mean?"

Rh: "The corridor you were in before we entered and the one we are in now are completely separate from each other, these two separate dimensions are constantly kept in check by the headmaster himself and he chooses who goes into which one and who doesn't. When I said earlier that you are walking past people and cannot touch them I was kind of exaggerating, whilst the two s.p.a.ces are exactly the same they are two separate ent.i.ties, the 'curse' is just the headmaster not deeming you as a teacher, student or important guest"

I: "What was the point of telling us otherwise?"

Rh: "Well whilst the two 's.p.a.ces' are separate, there is truly only one of them. The headmaster just used spatial magic to copy it and place it in his own separate dimension, the reason I tell you this is because there are many rooms in this school that have two versions of itself, some places because only people who are worthy are deemed entry and others even I do not know"

So: "Running spatial magic for such a huge place... I guess only a Legend can do that..."

Re: "He's real cool!"

Sora smiled and looked towards Rez.

So: "You said it"

J: "The way it runs though is pretty confusing... let's just leave it at two rooms for each place we go in... makes it much simpler to think about..."

I: "Yeah, it is pretty interesting though, this guy can use spatial magic at a level I don't think I'll ever reach - we can get alot out of just inspecting these rooms"

J: "Hmmm... yeah, you're right"

Rin was looking at the amount of pets zooming past in the corridor, growing slightly nervous at all ones that were much stronger than her. Sora noticed this and began rubbing the underside of her chin while she rested on his shoulder.

So: "It's fine Rin, we'll get much stronger than we are now, just look at them as goals instead of obstacles okay?"

Rin purred and suppressed her nerves. Lux and Garoda also had a similar experience but they, too quickly got over it and got more excited than intimidated. Rhea, satisfied with her explanation, closed her eyes and began focusing, a green circle appeared below all the candidates as they all slowly began to get lifted into the air. The green circle below them was transparent but also completely solid and didn't feel awkward to stand on, the circle began floating higher and higher into the air, now placing the candidates in the middle of the air, all the students flying past swiftly dodging out of the way of them without even slowing down. The green circle then shot out towards a single direction at a fast speed, not faster than most of the students whizzing past but for the fact that there were over 30 people on this 'platform' it was an impressive speed. Rhea was standing at the front, her eyes still closed whilst the candidates were using their own methods to resist falling off, Sora was on one knee with his free arm holding Rin at his stomach. In terms of size they didn't fill up that much of the corridor due to how large the corridor really was.

Rh: "We are now heading to the accomodation section of the school!"

Due to the high wind pressure Rhea had to shout for the others to even hear her, this was how it was both ways.

De: "Are we in separate rooms?!"

Rh: "It depends on you!"

De: "What?!"

Rh: "If you want your own room the spatial teachers will form your room to house one person! If you want to have a room with someone else then just tell me now!!!"

Del thought about it for a second then began blus.h.i.+ng, keeping her mouth shut.

Re: "Hey Miss Rhea!!!"

Rh: "Yes?!"

Re: "Can I room up with Del?!"

Del blushed and was about to argue against it but slowly thought that it would be fine.

Re: "Oh! And Sora too!"

Del inwardly thought "Oh", then hid her face under her hand in embarra.s.sment for jumping to a conclusion. Sora looked towards her and Rez.

So: "Nah, I think I'll room up on my own! I got Rin with me, plus you two are a duo so I think you guys would probably be better just rooming together!"

Rez looked towards him.

Re: "Really? Well it's really up to you, alright! Miss Rhea can me and Del room up!"

Rh: "That's fine!"

Lu: "Hey! I'll room up on my own with Garoda!!!"

Jo: "I'll take a separate room!"

In: "Same!!!"

More and more candidates started giving their requests, and they trusted that Rhea would remember it all, she was a powerful mage after all, this should have been nothing to her. The wind circle kept speeding past and the amount of students didn't seem to decrease and they had been flying for quite a while now. The circle began slowing down, more and more to the point where the students no longer had to try and resist against the wind pressure, the students below and around as well as above them were still pa.s.sing by at the same speeds. The 'platform' holding them began slowly descending, moving towards a towering openng door to the left of the ma.s.sive corridor with students going in and out.

The 'platform' had descended to a point where the candidates were only a tiny distance away from the ground, Rhea dispersed the magical circle and all of the candidates quickly caught their balance and landed with little to no awkward movement.

Rh: "Alright, we're here. Through this door is the accommodation area where you will be living for your entire time here at the school, I will lead you through the initial process then you will be on your own from there"

Rhea gave off the same calming smile that she had when the candidates first met her.

Through the door was a completely different area from the ma.s.sive corridor they had just been in, unlike the s.p.a.ce-like arching corridor that towered extremely high, this was a much smaller s.p.a.ce that was fully white, with multiple dark portals situated towards the left and to the right in very small intervals, the room seemed to extend infinitely with students populating the entire area, the candidates couldn't even see the end from where they were standing near the entrance.

So: "What is this place?"

Rh: "This is the rooming section, see, rooms don't work here like other schools. Because of the amount of spatial magic users here we can just make rooms in separate s.p.a.ces in pocket dimensions made by the headmaster - when you enter through the portal for the first time you will be immediately teleported to a black s.p.a.ce, the spatial magic users have partners that mentally bind them to a teacher - I still remember all your requests so don't worry, if you're partnering up with someone go into a portal together with them, this is probably the last time you'll see me unless you are a wind specialist, it's been a pleasure welcoming you"

Rhea bowed elegantly. The candidates thanked her then after a few parting words began going through the portals themselves, with Rhea closing her eyes and seemingly having a conversation with someone else for every candidate or group of candidates that went through. More and more went through until there were really only a few candidates left outside of Sora's group, Del and Rez looked towards him first.

Re: "Well, seems like this is it. The big start to getting stronger"

So: "Yeah"

Del was looking around the place.

De: "This place is interesting, I was always curious about the outside but to have this be the first place we've ever went to outside the village... it's so different"

So: "But it's different in a good way right?"

De: "I guess... it's just... there's so much magic here. I didn't think such systems could be set up using just magic, even if it is run by people in the background"

Re: "Yeah, coming here from the village is real surprising of how big the world really is, Sora?"

So: "Huh? Yeah, sorry. For some reason it just doesn't seem that surprising to me"

Re: "Really? But you've never left the village either right? Well, outside of hunts that is"

So: "Yeah, I feel like I should be but for some reason I'm just... not..."

De: "You feeling sick or something?"

So: "Nah... well... maybe I'm just tired"

Re: "Well, take care of yourself, at least I got Del with me"

Rez smiled and looked towards Del who, hesitating at first, smiled back.

So: "You're making it seem like we're not gonna see each other again"

Sora was confused.

De: "Well we don't know what the cla.s.ses we're gonna be in. Even with that new system they're apparently using we don't know how big the cla.s.ses are, looks like they just made it so that different power users can fight and study with each other. But that doesn't confirm our placement into the same cla.s.s"

So: "Oh, I didn't really think about it that way. Well... it's not like we can't hang out right? We're not gonna be split forever just cause we're in different cla.s.ses"

Sora smiled and held his fist out towards the both of them, Del and Rez smiled and they all b.u.mped each others fists as Del and Rez entered the portal together.

Re: "Good luck man!"

De: "Let's hope we're in the same cla.s.s!"

With those pa.s.sing words, the two disappeared, leaving Sora and Rin to be the only one's left from the village. He felt a fist slightly push him on his shoulder, turning around it was Joe, with Indy behind him.

Jo: "We'll see you later aswell, me and this guy're gonna become way stronger"

In: "Yeah, if we aren't in the same cla.s.s, next time we meet you you better be way stronger, cause we ain't waiting on you to catch up"

Sora smiled.

So: "No way, I'll leave you guys behind before that happens"

The trio had a short laugh, before Joe and Indy too disappeared into the portals separately. Lux and Garoda were raring to go, but before they entered into the portal they looked towards Sora.

Lu: "Oi"

So: "Hm?"

Lu: "Good luck, I'm looking forward to an actual rematch"

Lux smiled, Garoda made an expression towards Rin that seemed to send the same message.

So: "Me too man, next time we'll have an actual fight, not held back by other people"

They both smiled at each other as Lux and Garoda turned to the portal and disappeared into it. Sora sighed, he was the last one. He was curious about one thing though, looking around to the other candidates he found what he was looking for, a lone, small blue-haired girl that seemed to be missing the two people she came here with. Before going through the portal he walked up to her.

So: "Where are those two other guys?"

Iona looked up at him?

Io: "Hm? Oh, my friends?"

So: "Yeah, why are you here alone? Have they already went through?"

Io: "Oh, they had some business to take care of and left for a faraway place, it's fine though, I'm strong enough by myself"

Iona let out a carefree smile that also made Sora smile unconsciously.

So: "Really? Oh man I wanted to spar with them at least once"

Sora chuckled with Iona chuckling with him, to Iona's surprise a tear started flowing down Sora's eye. Iona quickly informed him of it.
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So: "Huh?"

Sora put his finger to his cheek and caught the tear.

So: "Why?"

The girl in front of him seemed confused.

Io: "Are you okay?"

So: "Yeah, I- I don't know why..."

Sora looked towards the confused girl below him and brushed it off.

So: "Maybe I'm just really tired or something... well... I guess I'll see you later"

Rin was also feeling what Sora was feeling, but she didn't know why either, she just felt a sudden surge of sadness. Sora smiled again as he ran towards the portal, going straight through it. As he ran he felt sadness indside his heart, maybe it was meeting and actually having a conversation with that girl that made him feel sadness. But no matter how hard he tried to think, he couldn't find a reason why...

Running through the portal he found himself in a completely pitch black s.p.a.ce, like the one that he would enter whenever he visited his predecessors, but materials began appearing around him, slowly forming a room that was much bigger than the one at his village until a well lit, wooden room appeared around him.He took off his shoes and looked around, it felt familiar to him, like it was just a bigger version of his old one. Just as Sora was thinking this a small ball of darkness appeared directly next to him.

?: "Well we did model it after what you thought home would look like"

So: "Gah!"

Sora jumped back, Rin jumping onto the ground in a battle ready stance.

?: "What? Did I do something?"

So: "Who are you?!"

?: "Me? I'm a spatial sprite, made to constantly manage your room, did they not tell you about us?"

Sora calmed down after confirming this ball wasn't a threat, Rin, seeing this, also calmed down and jumped back up on Sora's shoulder.

So: "No, they didn't tell me anything about you"

?: "Man, those teachers, always forgetting to mention us, well, all you need to know is I'm the one that created your room, those mages that send psychic messages to your teachers send the same messages to us, except we're linked to your minds, so we structure every room differently for each person, we can also permanently read your minds!"

So: "That's.... unsettling..."

?: "Don't worry about it, we can usually do it but we respect privacy so I'll only really be monitoring your mind for about 60% of your time in this room at any given point"

So: "That's still alot... and how do you know how long I'll be staying..."

?: "I don't! I just guess!"

So: "Great... so... what do I call you?"

?: "Hm? Oh you can call me whatever you want, I'll take it in, we are only made to serve as a room manager after all"

So: "Oh... dang it I'm really bad with names... ummmmmm"

After a long while Sora snapped his fingers.

So: "How about Mana?"

M: "Mana? Alright, how'd you come up with that one?"

So: "Well your the manager and your made out of mana I think, so 'Mana'"

M: "Huh... well I guess it doesn't really matter, I'll take it, alright. So, now that you know what I'm here for I guess I should start telling you some details about the school, you're first day is in about 2 days time, during that time you can ask me to make a training ground for you to train in or just relax, you could also leave and explore the school a bit. I'm not really supplied by an infinite amount of magic by someone so I do need to rest up, I won't be up all the time but if you really need me then I'll constantly be floating around here, just wake me up. So, any questions?"

Sora looked at the floating ball and suddenly felt a surge of exhaustion, he had been ignoring it until now but today had been extremely tiring for him, having to go through a series of tests then being summoned to the grand hall, seeing the Legend at the top of the school in person then immediately being taken to his new home.

So: "Nah... I think I'll just go to sleep. Thanks Mana"

M: "Alright, wake me up if you need me"

The dark ball of energy condensed into a smaller ball about half the size, and instead of floating in place the ball began to float slowly towards multiple directions bouncing off the walls and ground, but due to how small it was it wasn't really an inconvinience. Sora found his way to his bed and noticed a small bed beneath his own for Rin.

So: "Oh that's cool. Rin you have your own bed now"

Rin jumped down and lay down on it, looking at Sora before falling asleep. Sora chuckled and jumped onto his own bed. Looking towards the roof of his room. Thinking about his journey until now, this offer came completely out of nowhere after one of the biggest fights he had ever had, putting his life on the line. His mentality as a fighter had increased so much since then, before he had always just suddenly gained a surge of strength, but the first time his life had been actually threatened, he awakened to more power than before.

So: "I will get stronger..."

As Sora looked towards the roof he felt movement on his bed, as he looked to the side he saw Rin walking towards him and sleeping right next to him. Sora smiled.

So: "We'll get stronger..."

With that final thought he closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.