The room grew quieter as the teacher, a young man with piercing midnight blue eyes and sharp features, stepped forward. "Ah, the student has arrived," he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

Si-Woo immediately recognized the teacher as Minho, the guard who had found them in the ruins of their old world. Minho's eyes landed on them. "Go on, find your seat now."

He motioned for them to take their seats; his expression unreadable.

Their classmates, a mix of children with dark and light-skinned Fae with pointed ears, turned to look at the newcomer with a mix of curiosity and something else Si-Woo couldn't quite place. As he made his way to the seat that Minho had indicated, he noticed that some of the other kids were giving him envious looks. It was subtle, but the way their eyes lingered on his uniform and the way they whispered to each other was unmistakable, the same look Jung-Ho used to give him.

Mai took the seat next to him, her cheeks still flushed. "Everyone," Minho announced, his voice resonating through the room. "This is Si-Woo, he's from another world, and he's going to be joining us in our class. Be kind and help him out, okay?"

The room was filled with nods and murmurs of assent, though Si-Woo couldn't help but feel the weight of their stares. The desks were arranged in a large circle, with each group of three or four students sitting at a round table. The walls were adorned with maps and diagrams that depicted the complexities of the serein and its properties.

"Now, as I was saying," Minho continued, his gaze sweeping over the room. "With me being your o so great homeroom teacher, I will brief you on our Academia. Our academy is divided into 24 classrooms and six homeroom classrooms where the beginning of each day you will go to prepare, and the classrooms caters to a different age group. After every year depending on how your performance is, you move up a level to gain even more knowledge and intelligence. In all, there are seven levels. Every level is paired together in an academy besides lv1,2, and 3s, which are in one. So in all, there are three academies. The youngest, our level ones, are the bright-eyed explorers of the world, eager to learn the basics of serein. They're the ones who just turned six, seven, and eight."

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Mai leaned in, her voice low. "You're in luck," she whispered to Si-Woo. "We're level twos. That means we can help each other."

Minho's gaze settled on Si-Woo as he spoke. "As you know, you 9- and 10-year-olds are level two students," he said, gesturing to the class. " A bit older and wiser than the level ones, but not quite ready for the challenges of the higher levels. This is where we learn the finer points of serein manipulation and the history of our world."

The children around Si-Woo nodded solemnly, their young faces a mix of excitement and concentration. They were all dressed in the same black uniforms, but the silver emblems on their chests varied in design, some depicting mythical creatures, others showcasing intricate patterns of swirling serein. It was clear that each one was a symbol of their own family personal journey and abilities.

Minho's voice grew softer as he spoke of the higher levels. "The level three students, at the tender ages of eleven and twelve, are like the young leaves of the serein tree, just beginning to learn the art of bending the very fabric of our world to their will," he said, his eyes shining with pride. "They're being educated on how to use serein internally and externally."

He paused, allowing the class to absorb the information. "The level four students, our burgeoning teenagers of thirteen and fourteen, have moved beyond learning the basics. They're just learning to harness the raw power of the serein to manipulate the serein projectivity themselves. Imagine, if you will, being able to control the serein in the air we breathe." he said, his hand drawing an arc in the air as if to conjure a breeze.

A gasp went up from the class, and Si-Woo felt his heart race at the thought. "But that's not all," Minho continued, his voice growing more solemn. "The level five students, are either, fifteen or sixteen or have 'awakened', you cannot be a level 5 or higher if you haven't awakened or you're not at least 15 years old.

"Awakened?" Si-Woo whispered to Mai, his eyes wide.

Mai leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's when your maturing body completely combines and becomes one with serein," she explained. "It's like... coming into your full potential. Although I'm not sure about your kind."

Minho's gaze shifted to her, "Indeed," he said, his voice a bit distant. "The 'Awakening' is a pivotal moment for all Ondurian youths. It's when you discover what you're truly capable of, and how you can serve our world. You can awaken as early as 13, but most awaken at about 15, and as late as 20 or 21, but all in all it happens to all of us."

The room grew quiet, the students looking at each other with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Si-Woo felt his heart racing at the thought of such power, his mind swirling with questions.