WELCOME TO CAMELOT PART 1

I walked aimlessly through the hospital hall.

I saw an old man in his room, playing chess.

I had heard he was a war veteran.

"You back again, young man?"

I sat with the old man and we started to play chess. I was white; he was black.

"You’re really good at this," I said.

"Yeah, there are benefits to being stuck in a hospital all my life."

"But your tone says differently."

"It’s just... why me? Why couldn’t I have a normal life?"

"Maybe there are benefits to you being here."

"Yeah, right. What benefit is there for a kid like me being stuck here for three years? If I were outside, I could be doing all sorts of things. Heck, I could even help people."

He chuckled as I pouted.

"Are you sure you could? Can you really make that kind of promise, kid? To be kind and help others—not for selfish reasons?"

"Yes. I promise."

I blinked—and found myself aboard a blimp filled with teens around my age.

A dream.

I stretched a bit.

That was the first time I’d dreamt of my previous life.

I’ve now turned fifteen.

My appearance has changed—medium-length, spiky red hair with white streaks, blue eyes, and a short stature.

And for the first time in my life, I’m leaving Dragonia behind.

The blimp hummed quietly beneath my feet, its massive wings cutting through the clouds as we soared toward the Kingdom of Atlas—home of Camelot Institute, the most prestigious and oldest Guardian academy in all of Novaterra.

My eyes drifted to the screen embedded in the wall of the passenger cabin.

A serious-looking anchor was reporting:

"Tensions rose during yesterday’s rally in the Kingdom of Solara when members of the radical group known as The Silver Claws attempted to assassinate President Ryuu during the Parliament Party. The President and his team have not yet commented on the incident."

Suddenly, the newsfeed flickered and faded, replaced by the image of a figure.

"Welcome, Initiates. I am Orion Vey, the Headmaster of Camelot Institute," he said. "Being a Guardian is no easy task. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Guardians, it is your duty to uphold it. You must demonstrate the courage required to protect our world."

His image faded.

I stared out the window and saw Camelot Institute in all its glory.

"Wow," I whispered in awe.

Several ships carrying students began docking at the school’s entrance.

I joined the crowd of students walking out of the ship and down the paved path to the front of the school.

There stood a massive statue of a man holding a sword high above his head.

Lionel Grail.

The Founder of Camelot.

Among the students, I noticed a lot of steampunk-style weapons—Magiktech. Four years ago, VULKRONE TECH introduced it to Novaterra, primarily for military use. But one key feature Baron Ardan added was mana storage.

Think of it like a phone—you can choose spells like apps and just recharge it daily.

Although Baron Ardan revolutionized Novaterra’s technology, his vast political influence still worries me. I can’t forget Leonhart’s warning.

Suddenly, I heard a crash and turned to see a silver-haired boy, around my age, sprawled on the ground, having tripped over a luggage cart.

A girl with dark blue hair stormed over.

"What are you doing?!" she shouted.

"Uh, sorry!" the boy said, scrambling to his feet.

"Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could’ve caused?"

I noticed she was holding a red container—Aetherune.

Unlike standard Aether, Aetherune which is the dust version of Aether founded by CRYSTALIS INC. is primarily used for vehicles because of its longer lifespan.

Before I could think more, a loud engine roar cut through the air.

A purple motorcycle was heading straight toward me.

I jumped out of the way just in time.

The rider removed her helmet, revealing wild, black-and-purple hair. One violet eye. One black.

She smirked. "Whoops. Almost ran you over, huh? I do have that effect on people."

Still catching my breath, I blinked.

She leaned on the handlebars, giving me a playful look. "Don’t worry, cutie—I only hit people on purpose."

I dusted myself off, trying to look unfazed. "Good to know. Be careful next time."

Who was I kidding?

I kinda wanted to smack her for almost hitting me… but she was kinda hot, which was its own crime.

The motorcycle then folded into a compact luggage case as she walked away.

Suddenly—BOOM!—a burst of flame erupted behind me.

I turned to see the silver-haired boy had accidentally triggered an Aetherune by sneezing.

As their conversation ended, I started heading toward the entrance but stopped when I saw him looking down.

I walked over and held out my hand.

"Hey, you okay?"

He looked up, surprised, then took my hand and stood.

"Thank you. My name’s Hyoudou Taiga. Nice to meet you."

"You can call me Caelum. Come on—don’t want to be late for your first class."

We entered the auditorium, packed with people.

After finding our seats, the man I’d seen earlier—Orion Vey—walked onstage. His auburn beard, long overcoat, and green shirt made him instantly recognizable. His assistant stood beside him.

"Welcome to Camelot Institute," Orion said, his voice echoing.

"Many of you came here with dreams—dreams of becoming Guardians, becoming legends. But understand this: to be a Guardian is to stand when no one else will. To be a flame when hope runs dry. You will be tested. You will fall. But as long as you can stand again, you have not lost.

Tomorrow, you’ll be put to the challenge to prove yourselves. Be ready. Be brave. And above all—be kind.

May your light be your guide."

Later that night, students were spread out in sleeping bags.

I laid down in mine, wearing my usual sleeveless shirt, reminiscing about how far I’d come.

My thoughts stopped when I noticed Taiga writing in his notebook.

"What’s that?" I asked.

"A letter to my childhood friend back home. I promised I’d tell them all about Camelot and how things are going," he said.

"Aw, that’s so cuuuute!" I teased, grinning.

A pillow smacked me in the face.

"Shut up," he muttered, but smiled.

I chuckled and turned toward him. "Why’d you choose to become a Guardian, anyway?"

He paused, his fingers resting on his notebook.

"There’s this comic my dad used to read to me before bed. It’s called The Tales of the Last Emerald."

I raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of it."

"It’s old," he shrugged. "It’s about the last surviving Arcadian escaping his planet being swallowed by darkness and finding refuge on Earth."

His voice softened.

"Even though Earth is a place where darkness spreads easily… he still chooses to protect it. He never gives up—on the people, or the planet. He believes there’s still good in them. And I guess… I want to believe that too."

He gave a sheepish smile.

"That’s why I want to be a Guardian. Not to be the strongest. But to be the kind of person who still believes—even when it’s easier not to."

That hit something in me.

There was a quiet moment.

"I know it’s silly," he whispered.

"No…" I shook my head. "I get it. Stories like that feel impossible, maybe even dumb sometimes. But somehow, when you read them, you start to believe you can be impossible too."

Then he asked, "What about you? Why did you become a Guardian?"

I looked down at my necklace.

Our conversation was interrupted.

"You!" shouted a familiar voice.

Taiga quickly ducked behind me.

We stood as the dark blue-haired girl from before approached.

"You’re lucky we weren’t blown off the side of the cliff! And only one Aetherune was damaged!"

"I understand your anger, but please don’t shout in my face," I said, then pulled Taiga in front of me.

"It was an accident! I’m sorry, please don’t kill me," Taiga pleaded.

She held up a pamphlet.

CRYSTALIS INC. Aetherune Guide for Dummies.

"What’s this?"

"CRYSTALIS INC. is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a CRYSTALIS INC. product," she recited. "Although not mandatory, CRYSTALIS INC. encourages customers to read and understand this guide."

"Uuhhh…?"

"Translation, she thinks you’re dumb," I said, which made Taiga flinch.

"Read this. And don’t ever speak to me again," she snapped.

"Look, maybe you two got off on the wrong foot. Why not start over and try to be friends?" I said, clearly exhausted and wanting to sleep.

"Please. I have standards. Do you even know who I am?"

Then a girl in a black hoodie stepped forward.

"Evelyn Crystalis, the princess of CRYSTALIS INC.—one of Novaterra’s largest vehicle manufacturer companies."

"Thank you," Evelyn said smugly.

"Who is also disturbing people trying to sleep," the hooded girl added.

Evelyn blinked, stunned.

We all went our separate ways.

"This has trouble written all over it," I muttered, then finally went to sleep.