I'm… excited.
It's strange. I don't even know why I'm this excited, but I am. Maybe it's because I got accepted into Prestige Horizon Academy. Maybe it's because this is my first time leaving home. Maybe… it's both.
I've never felt anything like this before. My heart's been beating faster ever since I boarded this bus.
As I sit quietly, staring out the window, watching the trees and houses blur past, my mind won't stop wandering. The nervousness is still there, but there's something else—anticipation, curiosity, something I can't name.
I wonder what the school will be like.
I've heard that Prestige Horizon is different. Their infrastructure, their curriculum—it's not like regular schools. That's what people say. But the strange thing is, when I tried looking it up on the internet, I found almost nothing. It was like the school didn't want to be known. Almost everything about it seemed… confidential.
The only solid information I could find was that the academy has thirty-seven branches spread across the Auroras, it's heavily funded by the government, and they use a unique, secretive selection process. Some people even call it a school for the noble and elite.
But no one knows who really runs it.
It's famous, yes. People whisper about it. But the way it's managed, the people behind it—it's all hidden. Isn't that strange? A school that's known by everyone, but known by no one at the same time.
But I guess I won't have to keep wondering for long. The bus slowly comes to a stop.
As I step off, I'm greeted by a massive open ground, stretching out in all directions. Right in front of me stand two towering buildings, tall and proud. From a distance, they must look like a single giant structure, but up close, I can see the truth—they are two completely separate buildings, divided by a tall, solid wall. It's like the academy is split in half, each side existing in its own world.
I tighten my grip on my bag and adjust the heavy luggage slung over my shoulder. With a small sigh, I walk towards the entrance and hand my temporary ID to the security guard. He barely glances at it before waving me through.
As I step inside, a man—probably in his forties—approaches me with a warm smile.
"Need help with your luggage?" he asks.
I nod quickly. "Uh, yes… thank you."
He carries most of my things, leading me to an apartment I've been assigned to. I thank him as he leaves, calling him uncle out of habit, like I would back home.
Then I step inside. And freeze.
Seriously? This is what student housing looks like here?
The apartment is way bigger than I ever expected. A clean living space, a comfortable bedroom, even a small study area and balcony. I had imagined cramped dorm rooms, shared facilities, and maybe bunk beds. But this… this feels more like a small home.
Is this really what the academy gives to its students?
This school is something else…
I wander around the apartment, running my hands along the smooth walls, peeking into every corner like I might find something hidden.
I'm going to live here. For four years.
Eventually, exhaustion catches up to me. I throw myself onto the soft bed, sinking into the mattress, staring at the plain white ceiling.
Tomorrow… my new school life begins.
What kind of people will I meet? What kind of things will I see?
A small, genuine smile creeps onto my face.
I don't know what's waiting for me. But for the first time in a long time, I'm looking forward to it.
The next morning, I woke up at 6:00 AM sharp. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous. I felt calm—more calm than I expected. There was no tight knot in my stomach, no racing heartbeat. Just… a quiet sort of excitement.
I made myself a cup of tea, savoring the warmth as I sat by the window, letting the early morning breeze settle me further. I took my time getting ready.
School officially starts at 7:00 AM, but today was special. Unlike most schools, Prestige Horizon Academy hadn't provided any information about a school uniform. It wasn't like I forgot to buy it, or that I was some kind of delinquent ignoring the rules. No, the academy simply didn't say anything about it.
I did receive an email last night though.
It was brief, just a single line:
"All students are to attend the first day in their usual attire."
That was it. No explanation.
Well, I didn't mind. Still, even though casual clothing was allowed, I liked dressing neatly. It felt right to me. I put on a simple pair of pants and a clean T-shirt—something comfortable but not too loose.
Even though my bag was completely empty, I slung it over my shoulder. Somehow, leaving without it felt incomplete.
The walk from the hostel to the main school building was about five minutes. As I approached the academy's entrance, I realized just how massive this place really was. The entire school campus stretched over five kilometers. It wasn't just classrooms and corridors—it was an open campus, like a miniature city.
I passed by malls, theatres, parks, playgrounds— everything you'd never expect inside a school. But oddly enough, something felt off.
For such a huge campus, there weren't many students around. I would have expected the paths to be crowded, but it was strangely quiet. The few students I did see seemed to be heading in different directions, as if each one had their own isolated route.
Shaking off the thought, I entered the academy through the main door. Right there in the lobby was a large campus map. I took out my phone and snapped a quick photo to keep it with me.
The map was interesting.
Each academic year was divided into four major buildings called Big Blocks. Every class section within that year was assigned to one building in the block. In total, there were four Big Blocks and twelve separate buildings. That's all the map showed. No extra details.
I made my way toward the building assigned to my section and eventually found my classroom.
When I stepped inside, the first thing I noticed was how modern it was. The classroom had advanced features—smart boards, automated desk locks, digital attendance panels. There were thirty desks in total, which meant the class size was probably capped at thirty students.
At that moment, I saw her.
There was only one girl in the classroom. She sat by the window, wearing casual clothes just like me. For a second, I thought about talking to her. After all, it was the first day—it wouldn't hurt to make a friend early.
But when I entered, she briefly looked at me, then immediately turned her gaze away, her expression tightening ever so slightly.
Did I just disturb her?
I wasn't sure. Maybe I was just imagining it, but something about her reaction felt cold, like she didn't particularly like my presence.
I quietly took a seat near the middle of the classroom, not too close to her but not isolated either. I set my empty bag on the desk and waited.
Minutes passed. More students slowly began to fill the room, until almost all the desks were occupied. The quiet chatter built up, but there was still a weird sense of restraint in the air—like everyone was trying to figure out the rules of this place before they fully relaxed.
Right on time, the bell rang—exactly at 7:00 AM.
The door slid open, and a female teacher entered the room, dressed in formal yet approachable attire. Two staff members followed her, each carefully carrying a sealed package.
The whole class went silent.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the packages.
What's in there?
No one asked, but you could feel the question hanging in the air. The packages weren't large, but they looked… important.
Something told me this wasn't going to be a normal first day.