Strongest Single Father in Arcadia Academy

Standing in a line of fifty people, filled with eighteen year old youths and their parents was a doozy. Leo and Jalaric did not speak to each other. Jalaric was occupied by scanning and muttering to himself about the names of the professor. Many were famous. Professor Šarruma, Professor Hayagriva, Professor Fellowen Eury, Professor Ivan Jovic...

Alas, Leo did not recognize most of the names. The Dark Sector very much had its own culture and way of doing things. That included the kinds of newspapers and rumour mills that ran. 

"Hi there!" Walking along the line, talking to parents and children with a smile was a student volunteer. Handsome, the volunteer earned some chatters from the ladies as he walked along. His golden hair streaked with red and deep red eyes were unnatural.

The volunteer settled on talking to Leo and Jalaric. Luck, Leo supposed. 

"Hey there. I..." The volunteer gestured to himself theatrically. "...am Ashen. Nice to meet you, potential future students."

Jalaric scanned Ashen. Arcadia Academy uniforms were long, black robes and alternated between four colours at the cuffs, ankles, buttons, and the collar. Ashen's was of a different variety than everyone else's even with that being said. Those customized areas were crisscrossed with red. A single brooch was pinned to his left shoulder, a golden phoenix. Everybody possessed these brooches yet his was shinier and brighter in colour.

Magical almost.

Hrm. 

"I know you," Jalaric told the volunteer student. "You're the Flaming Sorcerer, Ashen Valebright."

"Haha, word goes around fast, doesn't it? Does that mean you don't have questions?"

"Hold on, I do!" Leo raised a hand like a good little student. "I'm Leo and honestly, I'm new to this whole thing. I know there's four dorms and there's departments. I know we train to graduate as Wizards. I don't know much else."

Leo was not a Wizard or Sorcerer. He had been trained as something else when he was young. 

"Never had anybody come here?"

"Aside from an acquaintance, no."

"A complete newbie!" Ashen seemed pleased. "Like me then! That's good to hear! Always good to have fresh blood."

"You were a newbie...?" Jalaric murmured. 

"So yes, you are correct. There are four houses, four dorms: Luminara, Noctis, Terranova, and Chelys. Once you are enrolled, on the first day, you are to be sent to one of these dorms."

Leo was bubbling with questions. "How does that work?" 

Ashen put a finger to his lips and winked. "Better if it's a surprise, trust me."

"Really?" 

"Really. You'll fret over it way too much. Trust me, it's better to be in the dark like I was."

"Okay, okay, I'll take your advice." Leo curled a finger under his chin. "Okay, so, you have to stay at the dorms?"

"Yes, you have to. We are not like the Magos Academy. We do not commute. Once the gates close for the semester, they remain closed."

Woah, woah, woah...what!?

"Like…for the whole semester? What if we want to visit family?"

'What if I want to go and see Mrs. Cresswell? Or go to the park? Or, I dunno, go eat resteraunt food!?' 

"Unless you have a pardon or if it's winter or spring break, there no exceptions. Do not be like Professor Eury and sneak out either. If you don't know…" Ashen jabbed a thumb toward the table. "She's the super young one."

Young indeed. Auburn hair, a smile with dimples, and often making the young students laugh and blush. She had the second longest line-up. Everybody wanted to meet with her, parents included. 

"The youngest professor in our academy's history. She got the position at the age of nineteen," Jalaric recited. "She's great. A bit of a troublemaker but great."

"And Sea Witch," Jalaric chimed in. "Do not expect to get her until our—"

Leo wasn't listening. He was stuck on what the senior said before. 'How am I going to bring along Phoebe then? I'm not going to make her stay home, it's too risky. She has to be there at the dorm with me.' 

Leo put on a smile and casually asked, "So, about kids…"

"Ah, sorry, this is not a school for minors. Adults only. Ages eighteen or up. Oh, and in terms of age cap, first years years cannot be any older than twenty-three."

Riiight. Yeah, that was totally what he meant. 'So students bringing their kids to live with them is probably a no-no then.' 

"Great. Good. I, ah, hate kids. I'm nineteen," Leo ended up saying to fill the space.

"Excellent, then you're of age," Ashen said with a smile. From the sleeve of his uniform, he magically summoned papers. "Since you seem to be new, here you are. It's an application. You should hurry up. Get your references ready and all that. Deadlines for applications are due today."

"So when does the actual schooling start?"

"September 1st."

"You don't even know that?" Jalaric snorted. "Are you here to apply or to joke around? Have you not prepared?"

"Kinda. I've prepared mostly."

"Even for the Candidate Orientation? Ninety-nine percent of students go through an orientation exam. That will be happening next week."

"Right. Jog my memory, what does that consist of?"

"It is a proctored orientation that tests your aptitude for magic," Jalaric answered, "and is how the esteemed professors place you in classes. Classes go from F to A, lowest to highest levels of ability. They cannot let just anyone into the best academy in the world."

Second best but Leo wasn't about to correct the senior anytime soon. 

"Do you lack confidence?" Ashen asked. "Don't be, I was the same. If you have the talent, then you have it! At least, that's what I believe."

"Hm…" Leo crossed his arms. "Dorms, an orientation exam, no commuting…"

"Getting cold feet?" Ashen joked.

"No, it's just…how much is this cost?"

"Oh, right." Ashen put a finger on his chin, thinking. "In my first year, if I recall…about 500 gold coins a semester? I think the upfront fee is about 50."

Leo nodded. "I see, I see."

'I'm fucked.'