Chapter 4 Avioran Academy

The blinding light gradually faded. The sensation of floating mid-air made Yura slightly dizzy. She slowly opened her eyes, and instantly, the world before her felt like a mesmerizing dream. Stretches of clouds rippled like waves on an endless ocean, drifting slowly beneath Alyssa's wings. Amidst the starry night sky, a colossal castle emerged before her.

The castle stood atop a floating island. Towering spires reached skyward, as if yearning to touch the heavens. Surrounding it, dozens of smaller floating islands hovered, resembling luminous gemstones gleaming in the darkness.

"Welcome to Aethernest Cloudland - the realm of the birdfolk," Alyssa's voice echoed, blending with the rushing wind.

Yura could hardly believe her eyes. It felt as if she had stepped into a mythological tale. Alyssa's wings flapped powerfully, propelling them toward the magnificent castle. Ivy climbed the towering walls, adorned with glowing flowers that blanketed the surface like tiny lanterns dancing in the night.

The staircase leading to the palace stretched endlessly, scattered with shimmering petals. But instead of walking, Alyssa effortlessly ascended, gliding along the path toward the grand entrance. Yura flinched as a few stray feathers drifted down, brushing against her face.

"It's molting season for some bird species," Alyssa explained with a smile. "Nothing unusual."

The massive doors swung open, revealing a breathtaking sight inside. There were no electric lights. No candles. Every corner of the castle was illuminated by bioluminescent flowers. The people passing by carried no lanterns, only small potted flowers that glowed whenever needed.

"This is Avioran Academy," Alyssa said as she landed on the polished white stone floor, brushing off invisible dust from her feathered cloak. "A school for shape-shifting therians of avian descent."

Yura dismounted from Alyssa's back, her wide eyes gleaming with wonder. Towering bookshelves lined the immense walls, stretching endlessly into the distance. Suspended in midair, books floated open, their pages flipping on their own, glowing faintly with magical light. Yura reached out to touch one, but Alyssa quickly pulled her hand back.

"Don't touch those books. You'll disrupt other students doing their assignments."

Yura blinked in confusion. Alyssa led her toward the massive bookshelves along the walls, explaining:

"There are two main types of books at Avioran: theory books and practice books. Theory books contain all the necessary knowledge. But practice books..." She picked one up, smiling slightly. "They allow students to step inside. A simulated world is created within the book, where students must apply their learned knowledge to overcome challenges. If they fail, they can't escape."

Yura swallowed hard.

"The practice books created by Professor Alden are the most terrifying," Alyssa admitted, a lingering horror flashing across her face, as if she had once endured a dreadful experience.

That statement sent Yura's imagination spiraling - she envisioned terrifying creatures lurking within those books. How could students voluntarily do such assignments? They sounded horrifying.

She ran her fingers over a book cover. After ensuring it was a theory book, she curiously opened it.

"Skybound Sorcery..." she murmured, reading the title. As she flipped it open, glowing text materialized before her:

Part 1: The Secrets of Weather Control.

The words swirled as if enchanted. Yura's eyes sparkled. She eagerly turned the pages, utterly captivated by the strange magic concepts. These were far more fascinating than the subjects at her own school.

Suddenly, a tiny creature appeared. It was about the size of her palm, with a long tail and glowing fairy-like wings. In its hands, it held a small cloth, fluttering toward her to gently wipe the book pages she was reading.

Yura startled. Alyssa chuckled, pinching the little creature between two fingers and lifting it up.

"They're Plumora, lesser kin. They clean books and objects at Avioran. Some even keep them as pets."

Yura blinked at the tiny creature.

"Lesser kin? I thought all bird species were mythic kin like you?"

Alyssa shook her head. "Of course not. Birds are divided into five ranks, just like any other species. At Avioran, besides mythic kin, there are also primordial and ethereal. Only therians who can shift into human form are allowed to study magic. But ethereal kin went extinct fourteen years ago."

"Extinct?"

Alyssa nodded, her voice lowering. "All ethereal bloodlines were wiped out in a war. If you want to know more, you can ask a Plumora to fetch some history books about birdfolk."

The Plumora in Alyssa's grasp fluttered its wings in protest at being shaken. She laughed.

"They're also invaluable assistants to the librarians."

Yura looked at the tiny creature, concerned. "You won't hurt it, will you?"

Alyssa shrugged. "Of course not."

She let go, and instantly, the Plumora flitted toward Yura, perching on her shoulder. Yura's eyes

widened.

Alyssa tilted her head, smiling.

"It seems to like you. It wants you to adopt it."

Yura chuckled softly. "Can I?"

"Why not? I have a Plumora, too. His name is Nix."

Alyssa suddenly glanced around, frowning slightly.

"Speaking of which... I haven't seen Nix anywhere."

Her expression turned more serious as she raised her voice.

"Nix, where are you?"

She scanned the busy Plumora flitting around the towering bookshelves, but Nix was nowhere in sight. A young woman pushing a cart full of books passed by, a warm smile on her lips.

"Hello, Alyssa. Who's this girl?"

She was Calista, Avioran Academy's librarian. She wore an elegant blue dress cinched at the waist with a handcrafted leather belt. A short cape draped over her shoulders, and a dainty yellow floral scarf covered her light brown curls cascading to her waist. Though five years older than Alyssa, Calista was a close friend.

Alyssa casually wrapped an arm around Yura, pulling her close.

"My new friend. Her name is..."

Alyssa abruptly paused. She realized she had never asked for Yura's name. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face as she turned to her "new friend."

"Yura..." Yura spoke, breaking the silence.

Calista's smile wavered slightly. She gazed at Yura thoughtfully.

"Yura... That name... sounds just like hers..."

Yura turned to Alyssa, expecting an explanation. Alyssa leaned in and whispered:

"The daughter of an Ethereal Kin noble house - the future queen of the therian world - was also named Yura. But as I said, the Ethereal Kin went extinct fourteen years ago. That child... is dead."

A whirlwind of thoughts tangled in Yura's mind. She was beginning to understand why Alyssa had been watching her so closely - because she possessed healing abilities, magic that was believed to have vanished with the Ethereal Kin.

Alyssa turned to Calista.

"By the way, have you seen Nix?"

Calista thought for a moment before answering, "Darius came looking for you earlier. I'm not sure what happened, but after he left, Nix followed him."

"What? He kidnapped my Nix? How could Nix willingly go with that guy?"

Calista shrugged. "I don't know, but Nix didn't seem forced."

Alyssa scowled. "No way. Oh, my poor Nix!"

Without another word, she turned sharply and strode off.

Yura called after her, "Where are you going?"

Alyssa didn't look back, only waving dismissively. "I'm going to teach that Darius a lesson. That rude, annoying merman - this time, I won't let him off!"

"What about me?"

Alyssa shrugged confidently. "I'll be back soon. You can talk to Calista. She'll probably jump for joy if you mention romance novels."

With that, she transformed into a white dove and vanished into the sky.

Yura stood there, overwhelmed.

Was there a connection between her past and the lost Ethereal Kin?

Yura stood there, unsure of what to do. She thought about the young princess from the Ethereal Kin family and noticed the strange coincidences. Her father had passed away fourteen years ago - the same time the Ethereal Kin had gone extinct. She was certain these events were connected.

Could she find some clue about the secret her mother was hiding?

Suddenly, the tiny Plumora from earlier appeared again, carrying a book with an exquisitely carved wooden cover. It gently placed the book in front of Yura, its glowing eyes urging her to open it.

Yura pulled out a chair and sat down, her fingers brushing lightly over the cover. The moment she turned the first page, something magical happened. The potted flower beside her stretched its vines, its petals glowing brilliantly, casting a soft light over the words on the pages.

On the parchment, a meticulously drawn eagle emerged, each feather detailed with an air of majesty. But in the next instant, the eagle suddenly took flight - soaring off the page and circling around Yura.

The book contained extensive records about eagles, but only one passage caught Yura's attention:

Eagles - belonging to the Mythic Kin - are true knights. Once they choose a mate, they remain loyal for life, willing to sacrifice everything to protect what they hold dear.

As soon as Yura finished reading the last sentence, the miniature eagle flitted back into the book as if it had never left.

At that moment, a loud noise came from above. She looked up and saw Calista hovering mid-air, trying to stack a pile of books onto a high shelf. But in a moment of distraction, she lost her grip, and dozens of books tumbled down.

Yura gasped, unable to react in time.

But just then, a powerful gust of wind rushed through the air. A dark shadow streaked down at breakneck speed, its sharp talons seizing the entire pile of books before they could crash onto Yura's head.

The eagle spread its massive wings, gently lowering the books onto the floor before immediately shrinking and transforming into human form.

It was a tall young man, about Yura's age. His deep black cloak was the darkest shade Yura had ever seen, contrasting starkly with his platinum-white hair, which gleamed like moonlight. His pale eyebrows and eyelashes framed sharp, cold features, his freckled skin adding an unusual charm to his face. Beneath the cloak, he wore a well-fitted black outfit.

The embroidery on his sleeves looked oddly familiar.

Yura suddenly recalled - Alyssa's white dress had similar markings.

She looked up at him and spoke softly, "Thank you."

The young man didn't reply. He simply stared at her in silence, his gaze deep as the abyss of the night sky. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.

Yura watched his figure disappear into the distance, her mind brimming with curiosity.

Just then, a faint whimper came from below, breaking her train of thought. She glanced down and saw a Plumora pinned beneath a heavy wooden book. It must have been struck by one of the falling books.

Hurriedly, she lifted the book, freeing the tiny creature.

"Are you okay?" she asked, gently stroking its soft fur.

Unbeknownst to her, the book she had moved had flipped open beside her. A blinding light erupted from its pages.

And before Yura could react, she was pulled inside.