Rio along with Amelia and Artemis came out of the teleportation gate. The entry to the islands was only accessible through space magic, as the normal ways of traveling couldn't work. Flying was prohibited around the floating islands and walking or vehicles were impossible to come.
Airships, which are often used for air travel or flying treasures which are used for flying in the sky, aren't allowed to enter the vicinity of Laurelia Sanctum. There's a barrier surrounding the island and the only way to pass through that is either with the tokens issued by the world association or with the permission from the principal of Zenith academy. Forced entry or unauthorized stay in the airspace would be dealt devastation and no questions or explanations would be asked.
Since the ceremony had already started, all the guests were already present inside, so other than the guards and security staff stationed at the gate, no one else was present.
Artemis' showed the invitation and after the staff were done checking the authenticity and reading the mana signature of everyone, they let everyone enter.
"The ceremony has started, if you follow along the path marked by the signs, you can reach there. Or you can wait, as the senior year students would show you the way."
One of the guards came forward to inform them. His eyes were fixed on Rio's figure, as he kept staring at him in doubt and shock. Artemis ignored him and started walking ahead, without waiting for anyone to lead them. Even without these flashy signs or boards finding the place where everyone is gathered won't be hard, as even at the outskirts of islands, the loud cheers could be heard. And they just need to follow the sound.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Artemis asked, for the last time. Once Rio stepped forward and into the crowd, the reactions of everyone would simply be out of control. And that too in this academy, at this time -the whole world was watching and there'd be no turning back.
"I can handle it, mother. You can go ahead." Rio said with a smile, reassuring her. She wanted to wait a month or two more, until he was fully healed, before he showed himself to the whole world. But there was no need for him to think twice now. The plot had begun, and he couldn't afford to sit silent somewhere else anymore, when heavens had already played their first play already.
Artemis looked at Amelia, and then left them. She went towards the section where other nobles and special guests were present. Patricia Blake, their grandmother was also present there. And to convince the principal for Rio's request, Artemis might even need her help. That's why she went alone to talk to her.
Rio and Amelia started walking towards the entrance, as the closer they got, the louder the roars and cheers were getting.
Amelia was walking with a frown on her face, even after thinking over his reasons for a month, she was still not happy with his decision to join this academy again. But after hearing his discussion with their mother, she knew whatever she said or asked would have no effect on him, as he had already made up his mind to join here.
For the past month, many times she wanted to ask him about his blessing, or why he was so hellbent on joining this academy, but she knew he wouldn't tell her anything. And if she forced him for answers it would only annoy him or make him angry. Her curiosity 2 years ago almost cost him his life, and she had to live with that guilt for all this time. Now that he was back, she didn't want to repeat her mistakes again.
Attempting to shift her thoughts, Amelia looked at her brother, her voice carrying a hint of casualness. "So, how does it feel to be back here?"
"Nothing much has changed actually, it all feels familiar, maybe nostalgic." Rio said, as he walked without even looking at the signs. He could go there even with his eyes closed, after all, he did spend a whole year roaming every corner of this academy.
"Your classmates, the ones from your year, they would be in their final year at the academy now," Amelia said.
Rio's lips curved into a nonchalant smile. "Yeah, I guess. It's probably going to be a surprise for them seeing me back in first-year classes again. Same goes for the teachers too."
Amelia nodded, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "You'll be the weird one in the whole academy, who's repeating a year."
Rio shrugged his shoulders and said. "Doesn't matter much to me. I'm not here for their reactions anyway."
Looking at the gate and students standing at the sides, Amelia turned to her brother as she said "This is it, the final step."
"If anything this is the first one."
Rio said, with a smile while pushing the door open and walking inside. He felt his heart race with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. He had played his part from the shadows for too long, and now, as the plot started, there was no more room for hesitation. He just has to join it, and face what comes his way head on.
Just as soon as he walked in, when he had only taken a few steps, people started pointing their fingers at him, as they looked at him with shock and surprise. Whispers rippled through the crowd like wildfire, each comment a mixture of disbelief and awe:
"Is that…?"
"Could it be?"
"But he's supposed to be…"
"I heard he returned, but this…"
"That's him right. That's definitely him."
"So those rumors, they weren't false."
Conversations like this started spreading as more people started taking notice of him.
Rio looked at the big screens hovering on all corners playing the images of Leon clearing the different challenges prepared for this year's exams. As Rio's eyes scanned the screens, a smile tugged at his lips.
'The academy set the stage and he became the limelight, then let me steal the show and change the highlight.'
His words had just finished, when something happened, something changed in the celebration area. The hovering drones, which had been capturing the event from above, abruptly altered their course, redirecting their flight toward the entrance of the public grounds.
The screens that had been displaying the ongoing ceremony and Leon's performance switched their focus too, now showcasing the unfolding scene captured by the drones.
The footage displayed a girl with raven-black hair walking alongside a young man who bore short, snowy-white hair. The focus of the cameras even ignored the pretty girl as they zoomed in on the boy whose eyes, dark and silent, looked straight, undeterred by the storm his entry had set off.
Every step he took, the more reporters followed behind him and the more the crowd went into a frenzy. The reporters started pointing their cameras, which looked like crystals cut into various shapes. Their various questions got drowned quickly as people started shouting and cheering and screaming around him.
The crowd was unable to come close to him, as they were all stopped by an invisible barrier around him, some people dressed in black appeared out of nowhere, forming a circle around him, making sure no one could even come close to that barrier or try to get past it.
Rio looked at Amelia, who wore an annoyed expression. She looked at the excessive crowd and covered her ears with mana. It was a makeshift solution to shield herself from the deafening cheers that had transformed into roars and chatter that hurt her ears now.
Ignoring everything, Rio kept walking towards the central stage, as the students of the student council and disciplinary committee also came forward to control the crowd.
Glancing to the side, Rio's gaze collided with the eyes of some familiar faces among the students. Their expressions mirrored the surprise rippling through the crowd.
Without saying anything to them, or even acknowledging their presence Rio turned his attention back towards the stage, where he could see the expressions of the staff and the principal too. Looking at their faces, he really wanted to smirk and smile at them, to show them that he was back.
To shout that even though they failed, he survived and crawled out of that hell on his own, but he couldn't do that. It wasn't the right time yet. He didn't forget anything and he wouldn't forgive them for nothing, but their punishments would have to wait a little.
As today was a day dedicated to the protagonist.
'It's been a while since I've been back. A stage as grand as this seems pretty fitting for my debut, don't you think?' Rio thought to himself, and next second, the soothing voice of his system sounded in his ears again.
[Of course host. This seems perfect.]
'Welcome back' x [Welcome back]
They both said together, announcing each other's arrival back to the world. One, came back from the dead, and the other, ended its slumber and woke up.
###
A/N - Protagonist's sister coming up next to hug our villain.
Those who're reading this novel till now, why don't u spare a minute and post a 5* review wherever you're reading. That helps me a little you know
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