"Are you Theobold Calderwood?" Spoke by the man who had just materialized from thin air. He was tall and bore a posture so straight his spine could probably be used as a ruler. His royal blue robe shimmered with runes that constantly seemed to overlap one another.

  "I am," Theo replied, his voice soft at first, but he spoke louder as he recovered from the shock of a man teleporting right in front of him.

  The man gave him a curt nod, his eyes sweeping over Theo with a cold and calculating indifference.

  "Excellent. I am Magister Corvin, an envoy from the Department of Admissions at Cognition Keep. We are on a tight schedule. The Aether-Rail departs in twenty minutes, and I do not intend to miss it."

  “Wait, why can’t we teleport?

  Sighing before answering Corvin,” Unless you would like to make a gate for this ‘town’ to be ripped to shreds by your lack of mana control when I teleport you with me we have to take the train.”

  “Oh… sorry, Sir.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Magister Corvin then turned his gaze toward Irene. His expression seemed to soften, though only for a fraction of a second, and he said. "Congratulations, Madam, you have raised a prospective talent. Please say your farewells, but be brief. Sentimentality takes up time, and we need to leave soon."

  Irene tightened with Corvin's stiff demeanor, and turning to Theo, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, she pulled him into a crushing embrace once again. For a woman who spent her days tending to delicate flowers, she had the grip of a bear trap. Though it made sense, given all the children and apparently plants she had to wrangle.

  "I’m going to really, really miss you," she whispered. "Remember to eat properly. No skipping meals just because you're buried in a book."

  "I promise, Mom," Theo mumbled into her shoulder, feeling a lump form in his throat. Though he was sixteen, he felt like a child again in the shadow of his mother's hug.

  "And don't forget," she pulled back, framing his face with her hands, "if you get homesick, just wait it out. That’s the only thing you can do. It’ll feel like you’re dying, but it’ll pass eventually."

  "I will."

  "Mr. Calderwood, I hate to break this heart-wrenching moment," Corvin interrupted, seemingly without a care. He then checked his pocket watch and said, “But we really must go."

  Theo nodded and turned back to Irene and said, "I'll write. Send the cinnamon rolls."

  "Every week," Irene promised while trying to force a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

  With a final wave to his mother, Theo turned and walked toward Magister Corvin. The mage spun on his heel and began to walk quickly towards the train station near the edge of town. Theo had to jog slightly to keep up with the man’s long strides.

  As they were walking away, the reality of the situation finally hit Theo.

  “I can’t believe this is actually happening. I always thought I would end up working in town or the woods. I can’t believe I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Dad. I’ll have to write to him to make up for that,” and thinking of home,” I’ll miss Mom’s cooking the most, though.”

  When they finally arrived at the train station, it seemed rather modest. Which was what Theo had expected, given that it was usually reserved for cargo shipments of lumber. However, sitting on the main track was a machine unlike anything Theo had ever seen.

  It was sleek, painted a deep blue, with silver filigree running along its sides that pulsed with faint blue light. Unlike steam engines of the past that hauled coal, this train had no smokestack and ran on mana crystals instead.

  "The Mufflor Express," Corvin announced without looking back. "It runs on a line that goes straight to the capital, Sonitolerdam. It’s really quite the feat of engineering; it runs much smoother than those blasted steam trains.”

  Theo closed his mouth and followed Corvin onto the train, stepping up into a carriage that smelled of old parchment and ozone.

  The interior was luxurious. Plush navy blue velvet seats faced each other across mahogany tables. The carriage was mostly empty, save for a few older people, who were dressed as ostentatiously as Corvin.

  Corvin pointed to a private room. "That’s our room. Do not wander around and don’t bother me. I have paperwork to do."

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  The mage sat opposite Theo, materialized a huge stack of papers onto the seat beside him, and began working his way through them with an efficiency that must have taken years to build up.

  Theo sank into one of the velvet seats. It was soft but not soft enough to really sink into.

  “Please prepare for departure and automatic expulsion if you are without a ticket,” said a smooth, feminine voice.

  As the train lurched silently into motion, picking up speed with unnatural smoothness, Theo watched as his hometown began to move past the window. The buildings gradually became pinpricks of color, and soon, even the towering trees of his forest were too far away to be seen. Only then did he let out a long, shaky breath. Then, without much else to do took a much-needed nap.

  When Theo awoke, the silence in the carriage was heavy, broken only by the scratching of Corvin’s quill and the low hum of the engine. It reminded Theo of the library in his Examscape.

  The Examscape.

  Theo sat up straighter. He had completely forgotten about the rewards with all that had happened.

  He glanced at Corvin. The mage was still busy with his mountain of paperwork.

  "Excuse me, Magister Corvin?" Theo asked, his voice barely a whisper.

  Corvin didn’t look up.

  Raising his voice, he asked again.

  "Excuse me, Magister Corvin?"

  Finally, Magister Corvin, though obviously perturbed, looked up

  “I wasn’t able to ask this after the exam, but is it normal to have a quest in the examscape

  Corvin narrowed his eyes, "Yes, it's not exactly rare, but it’s also not uncommon."

  "Thank you."

  Theo leaned back and closed his eyes, and focused his mind on his unclaimed rewards. A familiar, loud PING resonated in his skull, making him wince. He really hoped there was a settings menu to turn the volume down.

  [PENDING REWARDS DETECTED]

  [Source: Quest 'READ IT']

  [REWARDS: One {Random} Skill, Silver Loot Box]

  Would you like to claim rewards now? Yes/No

  Theo mentally selected Yes.

  [ROLLING FOR RANDOM SKILL...]

  [Factoring Aptitudes and Ideals...]

  [Ideals not found. Do you wish to use only available aptitudes?]

  Theo held his breath. He remembered that ideals and aptitudes affected skills. With his highest score being Library Management, he hoped it wasn't something useless like "Speed Shelving."

  [CONGRATULATIONS!]

  [SKILL ACQUIRED: Silent Mind]

  [Rarity: Uncommon]

  [Description: Allows the user to silence their thoughts and focus on the task at hand. This is great for dealing with songs that are stuck in heads and intrusive thoughts.]

  "Whoa," Theo breathed. For him, this was by far the greatest thing that had ever happened. No longer would he have to worry about people’s music getting stuck in his head.

  He closed his eyes again. The loot box was next.

  [OPENING SILVER LOOT BOX...]

  [Rolling for Loot...]

  A silver chest appeared in his mind's eye, shaking violently. It burst open with a loud PING and a shower of confetti.

  [ITEM ACQUIRED: Minor Storage Ring]

  [Rarity: Rare]

  [Type: Accessory/Jewelry]

  [Description: A simple silver band imbued with a localized space ward. When worn, it allows the user to access 6 cubic feet of space and store items within it.]

  "I see you have acquired your rewards," Corvin said.

  Theo jumped. He hadn’t expected Corvin to say anything, given his earlier attitude towards everything.

  "Yes. I got a storage ring and umm... a mind calming skill ."

  Corvin glanced at the silver band. "A storage ring? Must’ve been a difficult quest and the skill will be helpful in exams, at least.”

  Corvin put down his quill and looked out the window. "We are crossing the border into the Inner Rings. Look."

  Theo turned to the window. The farmland from earlier had disappeared. In their place was a sprawling city that somehow possessed a chaotic beauty.

  "That is the edge of Sonitolerdam," Corvin explained. "Manufacturing. Alchemy. Beast processing. But ahead..."

  The train crested a hill, and the full majesty of Sonitolerdam revealed itself.

  It was colossal. It didn't go outward so much as it went upward. Towers of glass and stone pierced the clouds in gravity-defying ways.

  But for Theo, the most striking feature was the sound. Even through the thick glass of the train, he could hear the thrum of daily life in the city.

  Corvin pointed a long finger toward the center of the city.

  There, nestled between the skyscrapers, was an iridescent mountain. Every time Theo looked at it, the colors shifted and were never quite the same again.

  "That’s Cognition Keep," Corvin said with a note of reverence entering his voice. "It’s built in one of worlds few greater dungeons."

  "Is it dangerous?”

  "It is the only conquered great dungeon, Mr. Calderwood. As long as the current administrator doesn’t go up in flames, it is safe. Mostly.”

  Theo swallowed hard. "And I have to live there?"

  "You get to live there," Corvin corrected.

  The train began to slow down as they finally neared their destination

  "Prepare yourself," Corvin said, making his papers disappearwith a wave of his hand. "And Mr. Calderwood?"

  "Yes?"

  "Tuck that ring away when we enter the city. It would be a shame if it got stolen."

  Theo nodded, twisting it nervously.

  The train brakes squealed, and they slowed to a halt. The doors hissed open.

  "Hurry up," Magister Corvin was already speed walking off the train. Trying to catch up, he stepped out into the swirling steam and noise of the platform.

  Theo took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and followed the mage into the roar of the city.