005 Northstar House - Mark’s POV

ESPer Academy wasn’t just an academy—it was a city.

Built on a massive artificial island, the academy was backed by numerous Kingdoms, the Empire, and various global powers. It functioned as a training ground for the world’s strongest ESPers, a proving ground for elites, and a neutral zone where politics took a backseat to raw talent. Even though it was called an "academy," it had its own infrastructure, governance, and economy.

From above, I could see it all: towering skyscrapers, sprawling districts, training grounds the size of stadiums, and entire zones dedicated to research and development. It was an entire metropolis built to raise ESPers and integrate them into society.

The island itself was divided into several key areas. The Central District housed the administration buildings, libraries, and main lecture halls. The Combat Zones were where students engaged in sparring matches, cryptid hunts, and mock battles. The Residential Quarters stretched across different districts, each catering to students of varying ranks and affiliations. Some dorms looked like high-end hotels, while others resembled military barracks. There were even entire streets dedicated to entertainment—cafés, shops, and arcades where students could unwind between their grueling training.

All of this… just to train people to harness their ESP.

I stood by the deck, gripping the railing as the airship approached one of the high-rise docking towers. The sheer scale of the academy was overwhelming, even for me. Mom had drilled countless facts about this place into my head, but experiencing it firsthand was different.

The airship slowed as we neared the docking station, a massive platform connected to a towering structure that extended high into the sky. Other airships were already docked, their passengers disembarking. Staff members, upperclassmen, and visitors waited by the terminals—some greeting relatives, others just loitering around.

"Whoa~ a lot of freshmen."

"The academy really is thriving."

"Hopefully, someone puts the rankers in their place this year."

I listened to the scattered conversations as I activated Nth Person.

The moment the airship settled and the doors hissed open, I walked forward, letting my ability shroud me in cognitive invisibility. Nobody reacted as I slipped past them, moving smoothly through the crowd.

The best part of Nth Person wasn’t just being overlooked—it was being forgotten. Anyone who briefly noticed me would dismiss me the moment I was out of sight. It wasn’t true invisibility, but it was close enough.

Stepping off the ramp, I took my first official step onto ESPer Academy’s grounds.

I secured my backpack, feeling its weight settle against my shoulders. Even after all these years of training, old habits lingered. I always packed light but made sure to carry essentials—just in case.

Pulling my hoodie over my uniform, I adjusted it for comfort. The air was unexpectedly chilly here, despite the warm climate I'd read about. Maybe it was just the altitude or the island’s strange microclimate, but either way, I preferred the extra layer.

The giant elevator leading down into the main city was already crowded when I stepped in. Packed shoulder to shoulder, the space felt suffocating, but I ignored it. Most people were too focused on their own things to bother me. I pulled out my smartphone, flicking through the academy’s map.

Dormitory… Dormitory… There it was. I traced the route with my thumb, memorizing the path before slipping my phone back into my pocket.

Then, it rang.

I glanced at the caller ID. Mom.

Pressing the answer button, I brought the phone to my ear.

"I just arrived at the island, Mom."

"Oh, good, good…" she said. "So how’s your Ghost Walker ability working?"

I sighed. "It’s called Nth Person, Mom. If you were going to insist on me not naming my ESP ability, you should’ve told me sooner. But I’m too invested in this now."

Mom had spent the last year pestering me to name my ability. I did. And she didn’t like it.

Naming ESP abilities wasn’t just for show—it had a profound effect on how they developed. A name was a foundation, something to build belief and confidence upon. It wasn’t just about what I could do now, but what I could become. Manifestation. Reality-warping through sheer conviction.

"But if you named it Ghost Walker," she argued, "chances are you could awaken intangibility. That’s dope as fuck."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Mom, language."

It was selfish of me, but after scouring the dictionary, I’d decided on Nth Person for a simple reason—it was my best shot at becoming an Extra.

While I didn’t fully believe Mom’s whole story about memories from another life, I wouldn’t dismiss her outright either. She knew things. And that knowledge shaped how she raised me, how she trained me. But despite all that, I had my own plans.

I wasn’t going down the villain route. No grand ambitions. No power struggles. I was dedicating myself to the side character path. Better yet, I wasn’t really invested in becoming the romantic lead of the story… or anything like that.

"My dream is to become an Extra, Mom," I reminded her. "So why did you call anyway?"

"Fine, fine," she said, sounding amused. "Sooo… why did I call? Oh, right. There might be a problem with your dorm housing."

I stiffened. "What is it, Mom?"

A brief pause. Then—

"I called to apologize in advance."

A cold sense of dread crawled up my spine.

"...Mom?"

Click.

She hung up.

"...MOM!?"

The elevator had gone dead silent. People who had ignored me before were staring now, their gazes cutting through my cognitive invisibility like a knife. Some looked amused, others judgmental.

I felt a headache coming on.

I had a very bad feeling about this.

I took a deep breath and checked my map again. Whatever nonsense Mom had gotten me into, I’d deal with it when I got there. Right now, I needed to get moving.

I hailed a cab and gave the driver my destination.

"Northstar House, please."

The driver glanced at me through the mirror, eyes narrowing slightly. "You sure, kid?"

"Yeah."

He didn’t say anything else, but the ride felt longer than it should have. I stared out the window, watching as we left the busier districts and entered a quieter, more refined part of the island.

When we finally stopped, I saw the towering gates of Northstar House.

It looked… expensive. More like a noble estate than a student dorm. The walls were clean white stone, the gates made of polished metal with intricate patterns woven into them. The front garden was perfectly maintained, with trimmed hedges and a cobblestone pathway leading to the main entrance.

I paid the cab fare—esp bills, which were used on the island. The “p” was silent.

Just outside the gate, waiting for me, was a woman with brown hair and a warm smile.

I recognized her immediately.

Reina Morningstar.

A professor, a powerful ESPer, and one of the characters Mom had drilled into my head. She was around Mom’s age and, according to Mom, owed her a favor.

Most importantly, she owned Northstar House.

She spread her arms dramatically. "Hey there, champ!"

I adjusted my backpack. "Mom told me about you."

Her grin widened. "Oh, did she now? Lemme guess—she made me sound like some big-shot?"

I shrugged. "She said you owed her."

Reina laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I do. And she called it in for you, huh? Damn, I was hoping it’d be for a new car or something."

That bad feeling in my gut only grew stronger.

She patted me on the back and gestured toward the gate. "Well, come on in. Let’s get you settled, kid."

I followed her, completely unaware of the real problem waiting inside.

Northstar House was posh.

From the outside, it looked like an old-world mansion mixed with modern architecture—white walls, black-trimmed windows, and polished wooden balconies. It was elegant but not gaudy, giving off a sense of prestige without shoving it in your face. The gates alone were reinforced steel, with sleek engravings of stars in various constellations. The kind of place that made you second-guess if you were really allowed to be here.

Despite its size, the place wasn’t crowded. There were a few students lounging on the benches outside or walking between buildings, but it was quiet. Peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Reina Morningstar walked beside me, arms folded behind her back. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes that I couldn’t quite place, like she knew something I didn’t. That alone put me on edge.

"Well, here we are," she said. "Your new home."

I adjusted the straps of my backpack, waiting.

She grinned. "Not much of a talker, huh?"

"I listen," I said.

"Good. You’ll need it. Let’s go over the rules."

I followed her through the courtyard, past a row of statues that looked too expensive to be anywhere near students.

"First off, curfew is at ten o’clock PM. No exceptions," she said. "If you’re out past that, you better have a good reason."

I nodded. Reasonable.

"No bringing in strangers from the outside. This is a safe space for our residents, and we like to keep it that way."

"Understood."

"Everyone gets a single room. No roommates. Think of it as a personal sanctuary."

That sounded… nice. Solitude was preferable.

"Lunch is free at the cafeteria between eleven and one," she continued. "Breakfast and dinner? Not so much. You’ll have to fend for yourself."

I raised an eyebrow. "So we’re on our own for two meals?"

"Exactly. Teaches independence. There are vending machines, a small convenience store, and the city’s not far if you want actual food."

Fair enough.

"The railway system connects directly to the dorm, so there’s no excuse to be late for classes," Reina added. "It’s fast, efficient, and makes sure you actually show up."

I liked her already.

Way better than Mom.

I had expected to see other students checking in, maybe some seniors lazing around, but there weren’t many people outside and inside. The ones I did see were walking in groups, chatting in hushed voices, or sneaking glances in my direction. A few lingered near the entrance, pausing just long enough to take a good look before whispering among themselves.

Reina stood beside me, watching with a smirk, and I was starting to get a very bad feeling.

Something was off.

Then it hit me.

Girls.

Everywhere.

They were about my age or a bit older. The ones who looked like seniors carried themselves with a refined air, their uniforms neat and crisp. Others had a more casual posture, but they were all undeniably female. Even the security guard standing by the entrance—a tall woman with a stern face and sunglasses—was a woman.

A few murmurs reached my ears.

“Is that a boy?”

“Where’s the skirt?”

“Maybe she just likes boy clothes?”

“Yeah, it happens.”

“Is he the Matron’s son?”

Reina’s eye twitched at that last comment.

"Call me Headmistress, damn it!" she snapped.

The student who had called her Matron flinched, making a sour face before scurrying off.

I swallowed.

Okay. No need to panic yet. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe the male students were just in a place other than here.

I cleared my throat. "Is there… maybe a mistake?"

Reina turned to me with an infuriatingly smug smile.

"This doesn’t happen to be the girls' dorm, right?" I asked, hoping—praying—for a simple no.

Instead, Reina tilted her head, looking way too amused for my liking.

"What do you think?"

MOM~?! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??