As soon as the Headmaster introduced him, she waved her hand—and a glowing portal opened beside her.
From its swirling center, Samuel Wildheart stepped out.
A wave of reactions rippled through the crowd. Some students watched him with curiosity. Others with suspicion. A few with outright contempt. And yet, many looked on with awe and admiration.
Sam's eyes calmly swept the auditorium as he walked forward. The murmurs grew louder until he stepped onto the podium—and silence reclaimed the room.
He adjusted his coat and took a breath. Then, with a voice cool and composed, he spoke:
"Greetings. I am Samuel Wildheart. I hope you all are having a great time so far."
He paused, letting the audience settle into his rhythm.
"First of all, I would like to thank the academy—and especially Headmaster Riena Ravenblake—for accepting me into Mystoria."
"I know many of you are wondering: Who is this guy? Where does he come from? What makes him special?"
He gave a small, honest sigh.
"To tell you the truth… I'm wondering the same."
Gasps and surprised muttering echoed across the room.
"I don't know why the Goddess of Light recommended me," he continued. "She has her reasons, I suppose. Divine ones. And we humans rarely get the luxury of understanding them... unless she decides to explain it herself."
Laughter flickered through the auditorium—nervous, entertained, and intrigued.
Sam smiled faintly. Then his tone grew sharper.
"But what I do know is this: Since I've been given the chance to stand among the best… I will become the best. Not to prove anything to others—"
He paused.
"—but to honor the chance I was given. I didn't come here to please anyone. I came here to carve my place into this world."
And with that, he stepped back.
He turned to the Headmaster and bowed respectfully, then offered another bow to Argentia.
Finally, he walked across the stage and stood beside them, his face unreadable but his posture composed.
A wave of hushed murmurs burst across the auditorium. Excitement, confusion, speculation—chaos brewed quietly among the seats.
But on the stage… two women watched him with interest.
Argentia narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smirk forming on her lips. 'He carries himself well. Confident, calm, and aware. He's not just a name from a letter—he's someone to watch.'
The Headmaster glanced toward Sam and spoke softly so only he could hear.
"Good job, Samuel. You did well."
Sam met her gaze and smiled with quiet pride. "Thank you, Headmaster."
In his heart, he felt something rare—satisfaction. He had stepped into the light and didn't falter.
He knew this was just the beginning.