Ever Been to Heaven? 2

“What a pain...” I muttered upon seeing the large group that had already gathered in front of solid metal gates, which stood at least 50 feet tall. Through the many bars, you could already see how lively the campus looked.

Waves gently crashed as the sea-filled breeze brushed against my cheek. Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to turn around and gaze out to sea. The next shoreline was nowhere in sight, which is strange considering I was able to see this exact island from the mainland.

However, before I could even think up a logical reason, a sudden movement immediately grabbed my attention as a mature woman stood ahead of us on the campus just beyond the gates. Her wide-brimmed hat shielded her from the sun, casting a dull shadow over her face.

As she walked forward, the gates opened toward the school, her lily-white dress fluttering in the air like butterflies aimlessly. Unable to see any other facial features besides her lips, she continued strutting forward with an ornate umbrella in hand.

With each sway of her dress, she mesmerized students, including me, as she stopped right in the middle of the gate. Due to this dazzling display, a few students began chattering amongst themselves, especially the two males ahead of me.

“I swear, she’s so cute,” One of them said in a hushed tone.

The other craned his neck to peek at a girl standing roughly six people ahead.

“I swear after this, I’m going to talk to her.”

“Yeah, right, you wuss.”

“Shut u—Muh muh.”

His words were immediately muffled as the woman lightly tapped the tip of her umbrella once on the ground. With that lone action, several gags made up of translucent orange energy instantaneously appeared over the mouths of each talkative student.

The effect was immediate, as an eerie quietness descended upon the crowd.

Pleased by this, the brim-hat woman’s lips curled into a smile.

“Much better, and welcome students. Behind me is the academy of your hopes and dreams, a place where you shall learn and grow every day to become contributing Auralite Mages to our society.”

Her tone was firm but strangely melodic.

Still, there was barely any reaction as those words left her lips.

Due to her prior actions, everyone seemed a bit on edge; even the gagged students stood at attention and didn’t waste their energy struggling.

The stranger swiftly picked up on it, laughing.

“Oh my? It seems that I almost forgot. Ungag.”

The coverings on the several students’ mouths instantly disintegrated as the two males in front of me immediately began touching their faces in sweet relief.

Upon this sight, her lips curved into a smile once more.

“Aren’t you a strange batch of first-years? Last year’s group practically deafened me with their applause and cheers when I uttered those lines. How depressing, I thought I was onto something there.”

I could barely make heads or tails of her, and it seemed other people felt the same way.

“Who are you supposed to be?” One person asked as people murmured; obviously, that was one of the burning questions on everyone’s minds.

“Yeah, who are you?” Another person piled on.

She disappointedly shook her head.

“How thoughtless of me. I shall introduce myself now.”

She gave a graceful curtsy, her wide-brimmed hat dipping slightly as she spoke.

“Sayuri Itsuno, assistant to the headmaster, who is away on duty as of this moment.”

The headmaster’s assistant was surprisingly pleasant, not that I knew what to expect.

Itsuno-sensei raised her ornate umbrella and swiped the ferrule mere centimeters from the ground, prompting a line of Auralite to slowly pulsate on the floor, much to everyone’s surprise.

As the slash continued to palpitate, Itsuno-sensei tapped the ferrule on the ground.

“Now, please take a step forward beyond this line and onto the academy grounds. However, be warned that if you do, you will be unable to leave until the end of the semester. Furthermore, your safety may not be guaranteed during your enrollment.”

A gust of unease rippled through the crowd as the last word rolled off her tongue.

“What?”

“Huhhhh?”

The girl who glared at me at the café kept her cool demeanor as if that announcement meant absolutely nothing. For a brief, unsettling moment, I thought we could have been twins.

Skepticism etched itself across several faces, the unspoken questions almost tangible in the air until they finally boiled over.

“Wait, our safety can’t be guaranteed?”

“What kind of school is this?” Another joined in, angrier this time.

“We can’t leave? And we’re not safe?”

Itsuno-sensei’s smile morphed into a smirk.

“Our academy, our rules. If you don’t like it, then by all means, leave.”

That statement sparked a fresh wave of whispering as a chill ran down my spine.

Her tone sharpened with each word, ever so slightly.

“Though I’m certain your parents or caretakers, who would cut off an arm and a leg just to get you here, will be thrilled to hear you’ve given up this opportunity. You children truly have no idea the privilege you’ve been granted.”

A male student ran his fingers through his rainbow-colored hair and laughed.

“Maybe father was right? This school might be worth it.”

A furious growl came from somewhere near the front.

She continued.

“Now then, if you wish to stay, step forward within the next few seconds. If you don’t…” Itsuno-sensei said, her voice carrying across the now silent crowd.

Her smile widened, though her words stayed cold.

“You’ll be immediately sent back home, and it will count as a willing withdrawal. End of story.”

Anxiety was now thick in the air.

“Three.”

Itsuno-sensei began her count, tone crisp and final.

Several students immediately shuffled forward, including the calm girl beside me and the crazy-haired giant who’d stomped that poor ant colony into oblivion. comfortably strolled across the line.

“Two.”

More movement followed as panic set in, and even the gagged boys from before hurried forward, along with the brave girl who had stood up for the half-mage servers.

“One.”

My body refused to move until the very last moment.

An anxious-looking girl shuffled forward hesitantly, her posture small and fragile, and for reasons I couldn’t explain, I found myself matching her pace. Reluctance weighed heavily in my steps, like my feet were sinking into quicksand. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced back and saw that everyone had chosen to cross the threshold; no one had risked being outside after the count.

Behind us, the towering metal gates slammed shut with a deafening clang. The sound wasn’t just loud; it was a stark reminder that there was no going back.

The moment the gates locked, the sky above darkened unnaturally, as if someone had flipped a cosmic switch. Gasps rippled through the crowd as the last traces of daylight vanished, leaving only a bleak, blank sky canvas.

Fwoom!

A massive, glowing display quickly ignited in the air, its light so stark and white it was almost blinding. Letters unfurled and extended as a sentence was quickly being formed. The illuminated display compelled everyone to look upwards, where the complete message rested in the air:

“WELCOME FIRST-YEARS. PLEASE PROCEED TO THE MAIN BUILDING FOR YOUR ENTRANCE CEREMONY.”

Itsuno-sensei clapped once.

“That will be all.

The glowing message disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. In an instant, the sky brightened again, and just as suddenly, she vanished into thin air — leaving us to find our way, with me scratching the back of my head in confusion.