Academy of Haut

Sleepiness had taken over my consciousness, and I had slept for an extended period of time. Due to oversleeping, I was forced to skip breakfast.

It was seven o'clock in the morning. I hurriedly put on my clothes while looking in the mirror. It made me think of the girl in the picture. We had the same appearance, orb colors, hair color, nose shape, and face shape. We even had similar hair and lips. Her only distinguishing feature was a mole on her brow.

My hand gripped the cherry-red cloak, which grazed my thigh with its length; it was the uniform that many kids wished to wear. Only geniuses with flawless beauty were permitted to proudly wear this cloak.

When I first read the brochure, I thought it sounded strange. One of the requirements for student admission was that the applicant be flawlessly beautiful; this applied to both girls and boys.

For me, it was only luck that got me here; I wasn't a genius, despite having beauty that other women envied. Another factor that led to my acceptance into this academy was my photographic ability. To be accepted, you had to be skilled in one of three areas: photography, painting, or pottery.

Ms. Grayson appeared at the door and warned me, "You will miss the school bus if you continue to admire your beautiful face in the mirror." "Hello and good morning."

"G-good morning," I responded hesitantly, startled. I took one last look at my school uniform, which consisted of a pink blouse on top and a knee-length skinny dark skirt with black socks protecting my legs from the cold and mosquito bites.

That woman let me out before entering my room to clean it. I dashed down the stairwell. Using the lift would waste time because I would have to wait for it to open.

I gasped for air when I arrived at the front door of the hall after a long run. Surprisingly, I saw no one here. Is it possible that I went to the wrong location? I double-checked the map that the receptionist had given me. It was in an ideal location for me to catch the bus. The other students may have already left the dorm. That explains why I didn't see anyone.

A smaller-than-normal bus arrived and stopped in front of me. A conductor opened the door for me to enter. Except for me, there was no one else in this vehicle.

The bus arrived at the academy. Along the way, I was taken aback by the scenery, which included tall trees, bushes, wild and beautiful flowers, and chirping birds perched on tree branches.

I turned on my camera, and in a split second, I was capturing all of the world's beauty into my camera, one or two shots at a time. My hands shifted the angle of my shot. My camera captured a flock of dandelions at the count of three.

"It's perfect," I muttered as I stared at my photograph.

"Miss, we've arrived at the academy." As I stepped off the bus, the academy in front of me grabbed my attention.

"It's beyond my imagination," I said quietly.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing; an enormous structure stood like a giant king in front of his people. It had a similar nuance to the dorm, which was dominated by white and brown and guarded by a golden gate.

I'd lost track of how many floors it had, but it was the largest school I'd ever seen. It was the Haut Academy, a dream school for students my age.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Someone's voice interrupted my daydreaming. A tall boy with blond hair smiled at me. My emerald gazes faded into his ocean gazes. He was dressed in the boys' uniform of the Academy of Haut, a cerulean shirt with dark blue pants under a cherry red cloak.

"I-it is…" I quickly averted my gaze, trying to hide the fact that I was falling for his charm. "It's unbelievable," I added.

"My name is Lanzo; what is yours?" He extended his hand. I tentatively reached for it.

"Dylanesa,"

"What a lovely name!"

"I wonder if you're a new intelligentsia like me," I muttered awkwardly.

"I am. Dylanesa, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's also nice to meet you."

"Let's be friends and go on some crazy adventures!" He exclaimed the words with zeal. I simply nodded to him. We went through the gate. However, a tall and bulky man got in the way.

"You two must put this on in order to attend the assembly." He handed us a dark object that looked like a wristwatch.

"What is the purpose of this?" I couldn't stop myself from putting it on my wrist.

"That's your ID, complete with a map, time, directions, a search engine, and a means of communication. Through the object in your hand, you can communicate with other Intelligentsias and academics."

"And you can't afford to lose it." Lanzo interjected as if it were nothing new to him. He clarified, "A senior told me that."

"I see."

"This front building served as an auditorium where the school organized the annual art exhibition," Lanzo explained, pointing to the first structure they passed. "You may be wondering why I am aware of this. Before I came here, I learned about this Academy. One of the seniors is a neighbor of mine from my hometown "He explained as I looked at him, my eyes wide with curiosity.

"How about that?" My gaze was drawn to another massive structure.

"This is a central building with offices, including an academic and administration room. The laboratory and classroom will be located in the right-wing building. We can also access the infirmary, cafeteria, and library from the left-wing building."

"It's great that you know so much about this academy," I said. I took my digital camera from my bag.

"Are you also a photographer?"

"No, I'm just into photography."

"We appear to share a hobby. Are you taking a photography class?"

"I am. Are you?"

"That's incredible. I'm also enrolled in the class."

"I'm wondering where the photography class is."

"I believe we should take a tour of this academy to figure out where it is."

I was the reserved type of girl. It was unusual for me to easily mingle with a stranger and engage in a lengthy conversation. Lanzo was unlike anyone I'd ever met. This young man was humble, friendly, and well-informed. That was what made him appealing to me.

We walked around the Haut Academy, and Lanzo was always available to answer any questions I had about the academy, its staff, or its facilities.

"Boy sport building..., " I read the  words written on the board in front of the massive structure.

"Only boys are permitted to participate in sports classes."

"It's as if the Academy gives boys more advantages." "Can you tell me why?" My words effectively silenced him.

"Well, I have no idea about that policy."

"Why do I have the impression that this Academy is hiding a lot of secrets?"

"Overthinking isn't always a good thing. It will only cause you stress."

"However, there were many fishy things I had to discover."

"Never think of giving it a shot because you will regret it." His tone of voice became icy. It sounded threatening.

"Why? Do you have something to hide from me?" He was startled and quickly looked away, as if his eyes could reveal something hidden if I looked into them.

"We haven't yet visited the library. You might enjoy it." He walked away.