The school would have looked like any other scholastic building but, the entrance gave off a completely different air. A large grey stone double door stood guarding the entrance, filled with runic inscriptions imbued with magic. It glowed menacingly as I approached it,stopping a few meters away as the door shook for a second. "What is your business here." the loud grumbling voice of a woman resonated from the door beckoning a question at me. My eyes narrowed as I answered "Official business by the EA mercs, also a package of my person was misdelivered to this address", "Present your ID" the door answered back.

I took a step forward and raised my right palm where a rune was engraved into the skin, the rune glowed brightly. An orb of light formed inbetween me and the door with the shape of an eye within it, the eye scanned my hand closely. I was currently wearing my new uniform I had recently received from the captain, a black military trench coat and pants with dark blue patterns on the sleeves forming the EA's insignia; A clenched blue fist. "You're clear for entry." the voice exclaimed as the door opened slowly with heavy drag on the floor. I waited for the door to open enough for me to pass and when it was I stepped through, walking into the school's lobby. Unlike the grandiose doorway the room looked very normal and small, with a receptionist to the left , two doors in the middle and a single door to the right.I walked over to the reception "My package if you may" I asked politely as I stood in front of the reception.

"Yes..here..ah there it is!..There you go." after some searching the receptionist found my package between the boxes to her right and handed it to me. The package was wrapped in everyday paper and engulfed in runes making it impossible to open without consent of the receiver, that being me, or a very powerful mage. I took the package and reached into my pocket to take out a card, I handed it over to the receptionist who read it over then handed it back to me "I'll go get her, please wait here." she told me so and immedietly headed for the door. "Her?" I stood there confused at her statement, I was told to come for a "Company Package" not a person. I waited there for a bit before the door opened again revealing the receptionist followed by two others, a young woman in the same uniform as me and an old man in casual teacher's get up. I instantly understood what my captain dumped my into, scammed into collecting the other newbie while the captain set back and relaxed before he had to babysit us. I scowled inside but put up an indifferent expression "And you are?" I asked the girl.

She was already beaming with tension but my annoyed and indifferent gaze seemed to make it worse "Ah um..Anabel Connery pleased to meet you!" she forwarded her hand to shake but I ignored it and turned to the receptionist "We'll be leaving then, cannot keep the captain waiting for too long" (I'm not letting that sly fox relax another minute) I thought to myself. I turned towards the exit while at the same time I heared some sort of whimper from behind me, or was it a growl? I wasn't too sure.

---

Anabel's perspective

The prospect of adventure always intrigued me...Fantasy even more so. But I have an even deeper... personal reason of why I chose the path I chose..

I had applied for a foreign company the EA mercenary group, my teachers where not very enthusiastic with my choice as they knew what the group entailed and the dangers that followed. But I did not care for those dangers, I needed to join them. The government had contracted with them to continue the following survey of another realm, as the first team was lost contact with completely. I did not know what to expect from this "group", I certainly did not expect such a rude member to be sent for me. The young man walked away as I tried to convince myself that he probably won't be on my squad "W..wait! Just one moment please.." He glanced back with an even more annoyed expression but I ignored him and turned to Mr.Ronnald, he had been my magic teacher for years and a very smart man. His knowledge and understanding of magic still greatly surpassed my own but he helped me and my friends pass our exams by sharing his knowledge and helping us understand, we were greatly indebted to him and his assistant who currently wasn't here. "Thank you for everything sir" I thanked the man who helped me make this possible but his response was the same as the day I told him what I aimed for.

Mr.Ronnald scrutinised Matt while he questioned his student one last time "Are you sure this is your final choice Connery? You know what happened to the last survey corps... You may not return at all. Humanity needs the likes of you here at home...we don't know when the void may strike again" the old man sighed and turned to the young woman.

I did not falter, I had made up my mind long ago. My expression darkened and turned serious "Yes Mr.Ronnald, I am very thankful for all you and Ms.Hennel have done for me but I have chosen this path and I will walk it even if its on my own." I nodded my head in respect and turned to follow the young man.

The door opened for us as we stepped through and later exited school premises, I followed him down the path as a patrol of soldiers passed by the road. He was quiet ,too quiet. "So umm..What is your name?"

---

Matt's Perspective

I stopped walking and glanced back at the girl, taking in what she looked like due to mostly ignoring her before. She looked young, about my age probably younger.Long blonde hair fell down her back, her body was thin but no other features could be made out due to the trench coat.She also has brown eyes that seemed to be currently glaring at me. I sighed and answered "Matt, Matthew Anderson. Now if you don't mind I'd rather not be stopped by another patrol..." (I had to teach the last one a lesson...), she continued walking "How long have you been with the company?". I raise an eyebrow and casually continued to walk while staring off at the heavily defended walls surrounding the school "Meh..Three hours?...That I already regret..."

She lagged back a couple steps while processing my answer "Huh...wait...three...You're new too?, I sighed "Yeah, I joined previously today and right after was sent to collect you. What are you by the way? Some VIP?" I glance back at her darkening expression, walking straight into our destination head first."Ow! Crap.." I bumped into the sidewalk teleporter, an Aetheric device used to transport from one city to another. I stumble back a step while rubbing my forehead then turn to the surprised girl behind me "Guess we've arrived..." she seemed to be stifling a laugh.

The teleporters are easy to use, simply enter the elevator sized cabin which is completely transparent and select your destination on the tablet like control module. The technology behind it is a lot more complicated to explain though, using a combination of computer technology and runic magic the controls are made. While the actual teleportation module(TPM) is mostly magic it still uses certain computer and mechanical technology connected to the control module, the TPM is similar to tunnels as it uses wormhole science and stabilises it with magic. Also something the Etyrians taught us is that tunnels are rifts in nature, therefore unstable unless fed mana. They are temporary, unlike portals which are permanent as far as they know. Even sealing a portal is not removing it but simply putting a lid on one side, which if one is powerful enough can remove that lid. But over the years humans have developed an Aetheric device that can do something better than put a lid on a portal, it can change the portal's exit and entry.

The theory behind it was that digging through realms wasn't like digging through dirt or stone but through something more liquid, something more volatile to change and distort. Scientists discovered that the portals's entry and exit are connected to the mana surrounding it, if this is collected and then dispersed somewhere else you can change the portal's destination. This obviously closes the portal until the mana is dispersed and at first we thought we could close portals permanently this way, until the device that held the mana exploded from the ever increasing pressure the mana gives out when collected. This means that collection of portal mana is temporary and very destructive if not released on time. It was then also discovered that a portal can be detected before it opens, another device was built to detect the specific changes in mana when a portal or rift are preparing to open. Using these two technological marvels humans are now able to accurately open and detect portals and rifts.

As I marvelled at the technology in front of me someone behind me got a little too impatient "Oi..What you standing there for?..We going in or what?" her voice brought absent me back from my haven of thought to this despicable earth. I sighed "Yeah yeah...I was thinking about something...Let's go.." I open the transparent door and enter as she followed closely behind, I close the door making sure its sealed properly and select our destination on the control module's touch screen. The company's base on Earth wasn't complete so first we had to go to the tunnel station, where the captain was waiting for us. The teleporter activated and opened a tunnel underneath us, it sucked us in as gravity took hold. We travelled through swirling lights and darkness as the pull of gravity disappeared decreasing our momentum, we reached the end of the tunnel and landed inside another teleporter inside the Tunnel Station.

The station wasn't as fancy as the other surviving countries made theirs, using an old train station the rails where removed completely and the area was changed into large doorways with tunnels swirling within them. These tunnels took to every city within Etyria and Earth that had a tunnel station, due to the large amount of people using them the governments pushed their science division to make a cabin where passengers could sit in and wait for the cabin to be moved into the tunnel entrance which will then exit on the other side. The system was simple yet highly advanced technology, I almost lost myself in thought again. I shook myself from my stupor and started walking towards a large figure snoring off on one of the many benches.