Springs advice wasn't ominous at all. No, not one bit... it didn't help that my next class seems to be quite a distance to travel. Luckily the Academy gives you ample time between classes. Ample time to stew in my own worry.

Another look at my medallion didn't instil any confidence. The coming Mark was slowly creeping up on me. I have plenty of time. I take a deep breath and continue walking in what I assume is the right direction.

The little label under the Mark seems to convey more information than you'd expect. Perhaps this is another case of translation magi at work? I could somehow tell when a sign indicated the correct direction towards my next class. But it was subtle. Not something I could have picked up on the first day. Perhaps it's because I've learnt more? Or maybe it's because I'm growing used to translation magic. What ever it was I was making progress toward my destination.

Yet I still can't get that niggling feeling that I'm going to be late. The thought of walking in late to a class full of senior students sends an uncomfortable shiver down my spine. Which proceeds to travel down my tail, puffing out the fur and petals on it. My minds eye conjures an image of their judging eyes settling on the interloper in their midst. I'll have to make sure that premonition doesn't come to pass. I would much rather stay in the background unnoticed.

I wonder what differences the senior students will have. More confidence? Perhaps they won't be so stuck up if they're used to mixed culture? Or perhaps they're more ingrained in their ways. Having formed cliques of similar mindsets. I feel a little impatient, the sooner I get to class the sooner I'll find out where I stand. But I still had quite the distance to travel.

I begin to leave the busy central hub. The Academy grows quiet and lonely. Many rooms left to become husks of the activity they once had. Dust and grim built up over the period of disuse. It looks rather sad to be honest.

A class room which at one point must have been filled with students was now an echoey space with little more than dust and forgotten memories. But the sequence of empty spaces is broken up by the occasional small hive of activity. Small classes occur between the lonely halls. Unfortunately I can't seem to make out what the lecture is about. The translation magic is either disabled or actively working against me when I pass through. No cheesing free lectures then.

I feel like the imaginary tether connecting me to the central hub slowly stretches beyond the limits I've ever travelled. A peek down the corridor I've come down is filled with longing to go back to familiar sights. But I need this class, if any class could solve my issues on Earth, it would be this one. I soldier on.

Why does the Academy have so many open spaces? There were too many classrooms which could serve the same purpose, and not enough students to fill them. It could only mean that there were more students in the past.

Does the number of students just need to increase after their last move? Or is it a sign of something more ominous. My thoughts turn to the missing teacher I wished I could meet. Stepping stones. There seemed to be more to this story than what lay on the surface. An ominous premonition hung at the corner of my mind. What if the wider cosmos isn't as rosy as the Academy...

The Academy has been welcoming so far. Apart from the odd stuck up individual. There has been no out right hostility. Well, no violence at least. Thinking of a couple of individuals. It's been more politics and talk. Nothing unusual for an active community where everyone wants something different and goals clash.

But the wider cosmos? A complete mystery to me. Filled with promise and awe. But also the same hidden terror the deep ocean elicits. But it can't be that bad if students regularly go on away trips...

Just as the thought occurs to me I pass round a corner. I find myself back in a hive of activity. But it's the student I have to arc around that catches my attention. As he passes me the waft of blood tickles my senses. A grizzly wound curls their lip into a sneer on their reptilian face.

There clothes are also not the generic robes of the Academy. His pock marked leather armour has scratches and stains from goodness knows what on it.

He gives me a sideways glance that has me whip my head back in the direction I was walking. I feel his stare as I continue on my way. Oh god. That answeres some of my questions. Cosmos not safe? I think that's a reasonable conclusion. Unless he just came back from a training class. Doesn't the Academy rebuild you every cycle? Or does it simply store your organs in another dimension while you wait for another class?

I'd never seen another student with so much as a small scar, never mind such a fresh wound. They always seem perfectly healthy. As much as an alien tentacle monster can seem healthy.

As I get close to my destination I begin to notice more and more students mixed into the hubbub of activity not wearing the robes and instead opting for more sturdy clothes. The surroundings also take on a more utilitarian feel. A lot more of the equipment seems bodged together and pieces of the academy are made from a patchwork of materials. The Academy has never seemed so run down.

I pass by a few students carrying weapons. Swords, axes, bows and more. The sight sets me on edge coming from a culture where openly wearing weaponry is a thing of the past. Although the translation magic informs me they feel more exhausted than bloodthirsty. I honestly don't know what to expect. I keep my distance anyway. Taking small peeks as I travel further and further into the territory of upperclassmen.

I'm also noticing what I can only assume is the beginnings of aura's amongst the students. Small hints at their personality proceed them. Like fuzzy moods that settle around them. In no way are they as stable as those of the teachers or as far extending. But they certainly exist. I'm beginning to feel out of place.

I double check the signs on the wall. But rather than lead me away from this section of the Academy they only seem to lead me deeper. I start to see the pattern. The nearer I get the more the medallion matches the signs around me. My destination isn't far now.

While dodging well armed students as they barrel past and weaving through the rustic corridors of the Academy I notice a large door ahead. Far from the ornate versions in the central Academy this door is a huge wooden construct with cross bars and rivets. Not the sort of thing you want holding back the vacuum of space with. Yet they lay open. And beyond these open doors lays a fantastical sight.

I get close enough to gaze out of the door. Standing to one side as the bustle passes me. I gawp at the sight.

Absolute void. Impenetrable and domineering. Not black, but nonexistence. Clouds of which float just beyond the reaches of the Academy walls. Through which peeks sights of various worlds.

I see stars and space. I see contorted lands that stretch and warp beyond sight. Planet which pack together like marbles in a jar. Twisting columns of land covered in greenery, lakes and mountains. These are not Earth like worlds. They're alien in geometry and form.

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But everything is swallowed by those billowing clouds of nothingness. It's not just black, it's void. It sends shivers down my spine at the promise of oblivion they bring. If I were to reach out and touch them, I would be unmade. And the door leads right outside onto the outer surface of the Academy.

I give a glance to the nearest sign post and groan as I find my destination leads beyond those very doors. Seriously? Please don't tell me my class is off the Academy grounds or something? Or perhaps floating in the void?

I approach the door, but feel like I'll develop vertigo if I walk outside. Seriously, this has got to be against health and safety. Getting closer I can see the remains of a wall at the edge of the space. I get the impression there was once more to the Academy, but something happened. What could even cause so much damage? The earlier patchwork of halls makes more sense now. Collateral damage from what ever caused this gap.

I wonder whether it's even safe to cross this space, but countless students are already coming back and forth. Buck up Mel. It's only a void between universes in a crumbling Academy. Should be fine...

After a couple of deep breaths I force my feet forward. The sight that unfolds above is astonishing. Many worlds stretch out in the dome above me. Like the difference between looking up at the stars in the nights sky as opposed to seeing them on a computer screen.

I have to occasionally look at my feet to avoid tripping over but the sight above drags my gaze upward. Twisted versions of various scenic vistas pop into view only to be obscured again. I can't help thinking that I may never see a particular world again even if I stared for hours. It makes me a little sad to think that. As if I should keep my eyes peeled to capture every world that flicker into view, or risk never knowing it existed. Even if the void between makes my stomach churn.

That isn't the only sight that catches my view though. The blocky construction of the Academy is plain to see. Cubes aligned and intersecting stretch out and pass behind those clouds of void. But the parts I can see are immense. How far does the Academy stretch? How small a portion have I seen? The nearest sections show the scars of what ever happened here but further afield block after block shine with scattered windows and odd magical circles. The only word I can think of to describe it all is awe-inspiring.

I peel my eyes away, conscious that getting lost on the open surface of the Academy isn't a good idea. The poor tattered remains of the walls are home to yet more non-euclidean shenanigans. Yet this time they require a bodge of materials to serve their full purpose. A rope bridge hangs at a 90 degree tilt from the normal. My eyes travel the length to look at the free floating wall repurposed for other uses.

A large magic circle sits on the wall. Glowing in a plethora of colours. Inviting yet unnerving at the same time. I spot a group of students gather on the centre of the circle. My feet stop as I watch the events unfold.

Another person, probably a teacher, approaches a pedestal off to the side. Fumbling through crystals of various shapes and sizes they arrange them in some esoteric pattern on the pedestal. The formation reminds me of the infusion array from alchemy class. As he finishes he nods to the students.

They nod back in acknowledgement. Forming a tight group inside a smaller circle which forms part of the larger array, they grasp each others limbs. One of them seems a little put off as they grasp the slimy tentacle of their neighbour but don't dare refuse the action. The teacher slots an orb into the centre of the pedestal.

My breath catches as the air hums to life. The entire array solidifies it's form and colour. A resounding thump travels through the space. Many of the students passing by turn to have a look at the platform. Curious but not surprised, like this event happens on the regular.

I turn as I spot a change in the corner of my vision. The billowing clouds of void shift. Swirling into a spiral a hole yawns open. Beyond which I glimpse another world. Like a cracked soap bubble it surrounds a star in the centre. A translucent land sits on it's surface with crystal towers and cities. It's breathtakingly beautiful. But alien. How would you even sleep when everything was illuminated from below?

A deep whomp thuds in my chest as a pulse of light travels down the path that was created. And then all too soon the void encroaches once more. Covering the view of the crystal cities from my sight. Aww. I can't help but feel a pang of disappointment. A quick glance back at the platform shows the empty circle. They've left, gone on some adventure in another world. I may never get to see those places myself. Other worlds will most likely always be out of reach. Like a temptation that I know exists but will never taste.

But my eyes fall on the wreckage of the Academy scattered around. Many important instruments seem cobbled back together. What would this have all looked like in it's prime? I can't help shudder when I wonder who or what could have caused this disaster. The fact that the damage is centred around the teleportation array is rather suggestive. I can only assume that whatever the cause it was most likely an outside threat. Something that came to the Academy from outside.

That thought dampens my enthusiasm to travel out of the Academy. Nope, I'm just fine watching from here thanks! I'll put that desire in the same camp as sky diving and bungee jumping. Interesting to watch others do it but no desire to do it myself...

I search around for another sign. My destination can't be far now. Almost the entirety of the sign matches my class designation. Though, as my eyes wander while I walk I spot something unusual yet again. Out beyond one of the cracks in the Academy floats a person. Oh god, are they OK?

A quick glance around reveals a small path through the gap. I scrabble through the gap and approach carefully. Hoping I don't trigger some strange gravity anomaly. As I shuffle my feet dust billows up and floats out into the void. OK, this is as far as I can go...

As I approach I get a closer look. He looks peaceful. Simply spinning slowly in place. In no hurry to help himself or call out to others.

He's some sort of yeti man, or maybe a little like 'cousins it' from a certain family. A pair of bottle bottom glasses float along side him and his eyes are completely hidden behind his shaggy fur. But I can see as he breathes out and blows the fur away from his mouth, or is it his nostrils?

"You need anything little flower?" He calls out.

Wha! I did not expect him to notice me. "...eh, no, I just. You were floating..."

I watch as a billow of void approaches perilously close but never seems to reach him. The sight sets me on edge, like waiting for the inevitable disaster that never occurs. He chuckles.

"You seem a little lost little flower." His voice is distant and echoey. As if he's talking to himself. But he's clearly addressing me.

"Ah, no, I'm quite close to my next class."

He lazily waves a hand dismissively as his body turns away from me in his slow spin. "I mean your goals, your aim, your truth. Something is blocking your path but you resist the flow that will take you forward..."

What? I feel like I've walked into a fortunetellers tent. Next he'll be plucking taro cards out of a deck and telling my love fortunes. Actually that may be a thing, be careful what you wish for.

"I'm not sure I understand?" I respond hesitantly.

"Some times it's better to follow fate than fight against it. Let yourself go~... Zzzzz" He says, tailing off into a snore. You fell asleep!!

I withhold a grumble. He's fine, he doesn't need my help. I scramble back through the gap and make my way to the next lecture. Thankfully the signs lead back into the Academy and into a class room in the side of the wall. Time to meet my senior classmates. Good luck me. I push the door open and put the strange floating fortuneteller out of mind.

------

Some time later after Mel had left, the 'yeti' stirs from their nap. Stretching out his muscles and extending his aura once more he enters the waking world. Hmm, that was a good nap... wait I was sure I was meditating just now? Or was I talking to someone? Vague recollection of the past few Marks return to his mind but they were merely a jumble of thoughts. Time would be needed to parse them.

Oh shit. An especially close billow of void almost brushes right past him. Flailing about he knocks his glasses away with an open palm.

Right, I should haul myself back in. His arm snakes out to grab the tether he always ties while meditating. Only to grasp empty air. Hmm? Where's my tether? Looking back he spots a spool of rope bundled on the nearby platform. Em, did I undo that in my meditation?

Behind thick shaggy fur his eyes grow wide. Help? Anyone?