A few days before the opening of the academy admissions, Jonathan called Adam for a talk in his study. He had seen how his son had become dedicated to studying and doing all sorts of experiments around the house.
And to no surprise of his, Adam managed to make flames. His control had been poor at the start, nearly burning his eyebrows off, but he quickly got the hang of it. What really shocked him was how he took his orange flames all the way to blue flames in days.
The flames burned so hot that Jon had to stop Adam from practising in the training hall, lest he burn down the entire house. Regardless, Jon couldn’t be more proud of his son.
"You won’t be attending any of the academies in the city, Adam." Jon laid out his thoughts.
"What?! Why?!" Adam shot to his feet. He didn’t take it well, as he had been so excited to go.
"Calm down and let me finish," Jon gestured for Adam to sit back down. "With your current talents and abilities, the academies around won’t be able to do much for you."
Hearing his father’s explanation, Adam sat down to ponder. Although he didn’t really know the strength of the academies around, he trusted his father.
"I pulled a few strings to get you into the best academy in the region," Jon added, calmly studying Adam’s expression.
"You don’t mean..." Adam’s eyes slowly widened as a certain academy came to mind.
"Yes," Jon nodded and added. "You’ll be attending North Star Academy."
"North Star Academy..." Adam muttered the name softly, his expression thoughtful. He did not know how his father pulled it off, but he did.
He knew a few things about the academy. For one, it was the best and largest in the Northern Federation, as it was known for producing the greatest geniuses in their part of the region.
Adam had never thought of going there. Even with his newly awakened status as a genius in his own right, it never crossed his mind. Thinking about it now, it made a lot of sense.
’Why didn’t I think about this before?’
Adam thought silently, realising his focus had entirely been on creating a flame-based ability to satisfy his multi-elemental affinity lie.
’Wait. That would mean all the plans I made with my friends will be for nought.’ Realising this, Adam frowned slightly.
Jon, who had been studying his son’s expression, could tell what he was thinking. "It’s unfortunate, but you’ll be going alone. But that does not mean you’re leaving them behind. Paths naturally diverge as we grow."
Adam nodded but said nothing else. He understood what his father meant, but that did not mean he wasn’t feeling bad. They had made plans for when they got to the academy. But now...
"One more thing..." Jon added before Adam’s thoughts could spiral. "...We’ll be leaving for Academic City in two days. You’ll have to justify your inclusion into the academy."
Adam wasn’t too surprised. This much he knew. Unlike the academies in their city, Academic City, as its name suggested, was a city built around the North Star Academy. They were known for their stringent and unorthodox teaching methods, and as such, had high criteria for admitting students.
That was why Adam and his friends did not even consider that Academy. It was the only academy in the Northern Federation where student death rates were the highest. The academy was brutal on all the years’ groups.
The only exceptions were to those whose sole desire was to learn the sciences.
"Understood." Adam acknowledged with a nod and got up. "I’ll begin packing my things."
Jonathan watched as Adam left the study, knowing Adam felt bad for leaving his friends behind.
***
Two days went by in a flash.
Adam had informed his friends about his academy change. And as he expected, they were disappointed but happy for him. They made him promise to stay in touch once he made it in. Their friendship did not have to end simply because he was moving to another city.
Once the father and son duo bid farewell to Jenny, the two hopped into a sleek, black SUV and sped off, a ride he thought his father had rented. The journey would take half a day to a full day, as the city was two cities away from theirs.
Adam spent that time learning as much as he could on his phone, knowing every bit he absorbed increased his strength and understanding of the world around him.
The Northern Federation was composed of several city-states spanning thousands of kilometres, each city having populations in the tens of millions.
As the sun began setting over the horizon, Jonathan and Adam arrived in Academic City. Having already booked a hotel near the academy, Jon drove directly to their destination with the assistance of the car’s navigation system.
Stepping out of the car, Adam looked up, taking in the sleek-looking building. At a glance, the hotel boasted over sixty floors. Though impressive, it was nothing compared to the other buildings around.
"Come on."
Jon gestured for him to follow. They quickly checked in and made their way to the elevator. In the lobby, Adam spotted several people, realising they were not the only ones here for the academy admissions.
Some were clustered in groups, their attire pointing out their status as rich and wealthy. Adam made a few eye contacts with some of the teenagers, their bearing beyond pompous.
Unimpressed, Adam turned his gaze away. This was to be expected. They were all at the stage where they couldn’t help but show off their superiority.
Arriving in the allotted room on the 25th floor, Adam took in the room and then moved towards the floor-to-ceiling window. The room had two single beds and an adjoining bathroom; a standard room package.
Jonathan set Adam’s luggage aside as he observed his son. The view might not be too impressive, but they could see the academy from the window.
Surrounding the academy was a massive wall tens of meters high, with almost no end in sight. Adam could not even see what lay beyond the academy.
Below, the city sprawled across the landscape as lights bathed it in their glow, giving it a magical feel. Vehicles moved through the city layouts in droves.
"How are you feeling?" Jon asked as he came to join his son in appreciating the view.
"I’m a bit nervous, but I’ll be fine," he replied.
"I’ve seen how dedicated you’ve been these past few weeks," Jon stated as he patted Adam on the shoulder. "You’ll do just fine. Just remember to hold back."
"Mm."
Adam acknowledged, his fists clenching softly. The exams would commence the next day, and despite not knowing what to expect, he was more than ready to take it on.
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