There was nothing.
I was just hovering—floating—like I was submerged deep underwater.
Yet I was completely dry, and breathing still came naturally.
As far as my eyes could reach, I was the only thing that existed.
I spun, twisted, tried to orient myself, but I couldn’t tell what was up or down… or if those concepts even applied anymore. Sideways felt the same as forward. Time passed—how much, I couldn’t tell—until something inside that endless bckness shifted.
In the next instant, space bent and folded in on itself, violently ejecting me onto hard stone pavement.
“Ouch!”
I yelped as my face scraped painfully across the rough ground, momentum carrying me forward until I came to a sudden stop right in front of someone’s feet.
“BakingTray?”
A familiar voice spoke my name.
It was gentle—female—and there was a faint tremor in it, like someone trying very hard not to cry.
The sudden sunlight blinded me, but even so, I already knew who it was. Towering above me.
“Haha… Ellis, it’s good to see you. Really. You won’t believe what just happened.”
I pushed myself up and dusted myself off—just in time for a sharp pain to explode across my cheek.
Smack.
“Where were you?!”
The pink-haired girl cried out, her hand still glowing red from the sp she’d just delivered.
“What were you thinking, just running off like that?!”
She looked terrified. Angry. Maybe both. Probably both.
“I’m sorry—I was at the North Tower—”
I tried to expin while rubbing my throbbing cheek, but Miss Dingledongle gently stepped in, guiding Ellis—Pinky—aside.
“Why are you wearing Grandmaster Zindel’s garments?”
She asked, confusion and fear written clearly across her face.
“…An extra voiceline because of the items?”
I muttered to myself before looking back up at her.
“Zindel—the mage at the North Tower—gave them to me. He said something like, ‘You will change the world of magic.’ Or something along those lines.”
Sweat rolled down her face. She said nothing, only adjusting her gsses before turning away.
“Let’s get going, children,” she said, her voice firm despite the unmistakable sobs she tried to hide.
“This pce isn’t safe anymore.”
Only then did I finally look around.
And sure enough, we stood outside the academy.
The once-grand structure stretched across the mountains—massive, majestic…
And completely ruined.
Broken walls. Fmes. Crumbling towers.
It was a heartbreaking sight.
But unlike the other NPC children, I didn’t feel that deep ache in my chest. I had no real memories tied to this pce. My grief was shallow compared to theirs.
“I know it’s sad, BakingTray,” Ellis said softly, wiping tears from her cheeks as she gently took my hand, her fingers locking with mine.
“But there’s no time to dwell. We have to go.”
A bit much, honestly. This kind of thing always risked some gooners trying to marry her IRL again—like back then with that android idol.
Still… it was a good scene.
So I followed along as Miss Dingledongle led us down the mountain path.
“Did you really see him?” Ellis asked after a while, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“The Archmage, I mean!”
“You mean Zindel?” I replied. “Yeah. He cast this insane spell—summoned a massive whale made entirely of water.”
Ellis gasped, covering her mouth as she stared at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.
“You witnessed the great spirit Tidal?”
She leaned in closer, making sure none of the other apprentices could hear.
“Yeah, that was its name. It was huge. And the water was glowing.”
She inhaled sharply.
“You must be blessed by the gods.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Why? I mean, yeah, it was epic and all, but… it was just a water whale.”
I shrugged, kicking a small rock over the edge of the steep cliff beside us.
“Just a—”
She froze mid-sentence, csping her hands together and looking skyward.
“That is not just a water whale,” she whispered reverently.
“That was Tidal. It’s said that when a mage gazes upon its form, they gain enlightenment!”
Yeah. Definitely sounded like archmage cult propaganda.
“Mhh… I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t really feel enlightened.”
That just made her angrier.
“That’s because there’s nothing in your head to enlighten, you baboon!”
She bonked me lightly on the head—not enough to hurt, but enough to be annoying.
We continued down the mountain, through valleys and winding paths, until Miss Dingledongle suddenly came to a halt, raising her wand as it gleamed brightly.
“Listen up, children!”
She turned to face us.
“In about an hour, we’ll reach the capital. I’ll try to speak with the lordship there to secure us shelter, but…”
She stopped, wiping tears from her emerald-green eyes.
“This will be my st act as your teacher.”
Silence fell.
“The academy no longer exists. Therefore, you are no longer schors… and I am no longer your teacher.”
Without another word, she turned and continued walking.
She didn’t look back once.
I couldn’t help but respect how hard that must have been—to say something like that to children you’d cared for, taught, protected.
She must feel like she failed them.
The towering stone walls of the capital soon came into view, blocking out the sun entirely.
“Woah… those walls are huge!” Ellis gasped.
But my attention was fixed on Miss Dingledongle, now on her knees before the city gates, begging the guards to let us in.
Eventually, they relented.
We were escorted straight to the Lord’s Mansion.
We waited outside the massive wooden doors while voices echoed faintly from within.
“I—I have my life savings. Almost two million dimes,” Miss Dingledongle pleaded.
“This has to be enough. Please… I have thirty orphans outside.”
A long sigh followed.
“…Very well. I have a shabby mansion near the east wall. It’s not much, but it’s all I can provide.”
The voices fell silent.
Moments ter, Miss Dingledongle stepped outside.
A faint smile touched her lip
s—but it looked more forced than genuine.
Then the world went dark.
A single line of white text appeared before me.
Two Years ter.
End of act 1: The Tutorial