--𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 (𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘶𝘴𝘢: 𝐖𝚰𝐍𝐗 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁)

3

Red Fountain School for Specialists stands as a bastion of strength and strategy in the Magix dimension. Nestled amidst rugged mountains and dense forests, the academy's stone towers and fortified walls speak to its legacy of training elite warriors. Students at Red Fountain are molded into specialists, honing their skills in combat, strategy, and magical defenses. The curriculum is rigorous, demanding both physical prowess and sharp intellect, preparing young men and women to protect the magical realms from any threat.

At the helm of Red Fountain is Saladin, a wise and formidable warrior with decades of experience. Saladin is not only the headmaster but also a mentor to many of the young specialists. His deep understanding of both combat and magical arts makes him a revered figure within the academy. Saladin's leadership is marked by a blend of strict discipline and genuine care for his students' development, ensuring that each specialist is prepared for the challenges that lie beyond the academy's walls.

Unlike Alfea and the infamous Cloud Tower, Red Fountain had started their school year a week prior. The specialists had a customary mandatory training camp before the academic year began to prepare students for the rigorous curriculum and to evaluate their skills. This intense initiation was designed to push the limits of each specialist, both physically and mentally.

The training camp served multiple purposes: it allowed instructors to assess the students' abilities, helped students acclimate to the academy's demands, and determined team placements. The rankings of class teams were critical, as these teams would train, compete, and undertake missions together throughout the year. High-ranking teams enjoyed access to better resources, advanced training sessions, and prestigious missions, making the competition fierce and the stakes high.

The students were ranked into four classes based on their performance. Class A was the top-tier team, granted the best resources, advanced training, and the most prestigious missions. Class B, while slightly below, was known for their strong performance and potential to rise to the top. Class C consisted of competent and reliable members, steadily improving and competing with higher-ranked teams. Lastly, Class D was the entry-level group, showing promise and determination to advance through the ranks.

As students were put through their paces in various drills, sparring sessions, and tactical exercises, their performance was meticulously evaluated. Those who excelled were placed in top-tier teams, while others were assigned to lower-ranked teams. This system not only motivated students to strive for excellence but also ensured that each team was balanced in skill and capability, ready to tackle the challenges that lay ahead at Red Fountain.

In the dawn of an early September morning, the world was still enveloped in peace and serenity. The sky was tinged with the soft hues of twilight, and the air was cool and crisp, carrying the promise of a new day. Inside Red Fountain, the students lay in their assigned bedrooms, the remnants of the previous day's blood, sweat, and tears washed away by the rewarding embrace of dreams. The echoes of duty and discipline were momentarily silenced, replaced by the gentle rhythm of their breathing.

The previous day had been grueling, filled with intense workouts, coordinated classes, and good old-fashioned sparring. The students had pushed themselves to their limits, driven by the desire to excel. Today, a new set of challenges awaited them: a rigorous schedule of fitness, magical combat, strategy and tactics, and aerial combat. These sessions would be led by Codatorta, a veteran specialist who had seen it all in his prime. He knew every technique and strategy like the back of his hand and was determined to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of specialists.

In the east wing of the dorms, where the second-year specialists resided, a young man of about eighteen lay awake in his bed. His violet eyes strained against the darkness, slowly adjusting to the familiar surroundings of his room. The steady hum of a fan buzzed nearby on his desk, its cool breeze a small relief from the stifling heat that lingered in the stuffy unit. He always despised this damn unit; every other dorm had a working air conditioning system, while he and his three roommates were left to suffer.