Chapter 1: The Stranger in Sunglow City

  Leo Vanteo squinted against the bright sunlight as he followed Third Brother through the bustling market street. Two days ago, he had been a normal college student on Earth. Now he walked through the capital of an empire in another world, trailing behind a man who called himself the "Third Brother" of some academy.

  This is insane, Leo thought. Yesterday I was freaking out about tests, today I'm sightseeing with a magical wizard like this is perfectly normal. Part of him still expected to wake up in his dorm room with a killer hangover.

  "This is the Amber District," Third Brother said, gesturing lazily at the sprawling marketplace around them. "Best place in Sunglow City for trinkets, talismans, and trouble, if you know where to look."

  Leo nodded, trying to absorb everything at once. Merchants shouted their wares from colorful stalls. Strange fruits and unfamiliar meats hung from hooks. Crystals glowed with inner light, and bottles of mysterious liquids lined wooden shelves.

  "You seem remarkably calm about all this," Leo said. "Finding someone from another world should be shocking, right?"

  Third Brother glanced back, his face reflecting the sunlight across his sharp features. He was tall and lean, with an elegant face that seemed perpetually on the verge of laughter. His long hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and his blue robes fluttered despite the absence of any breeze.

  "The world is stranger than you can fathom, and powers beyond belief shape its destiny," he replied with a casual shrug. "That's what First Brother always told us. It's why he started the Academy of Eccentric Geniuses in the first place. To train his successors and companions for whatever might come. And now, it seems, you've been chosen to join us."

  Leo frowned. "That doesn't really answer my question."

  "Doesn't it?" Third Brother winked. "Come on, there's a good tea house ahead. We can talk more there."

  The tea house overlooked a small plaza where street performers entertained crowds. They sat at a table near the balcony, and Third Brother ordered without consulting a menu.

  "So," Leo said once the server had gone, "will you at least tell me why you're so certain I'm from another world? I could just be confused or lying."

  Third Brother smiled. He raised his hand, and a faint shimmer appeared in the air between them. Threads of light, nearly invisible, seemed to connect everything in the plaza below. People, animals, even inanimate objects were bound by this intricate web.

  "I cultivate fate manipulation," he said quietly. "I can see the threads that connect all things, the past and future possibilities woven into the present moment."

  The threads vanished with a flick of his wrist.

  "But you," Third Brother continued, "you have no threads. You exist outside the tapestry of our world. It's as though you simply appeared from nowhere, unbound by the laws of fate that govern everything else."

  Leo stared at his hands. No threads of fate? What does that even mean for me? He looked up. "And that doesn't worry you?"

  "Worry?" Third Brother laughed. "It's fascinating! Besides, you appeared on our academy's teleportation stone. That can't be coincidence."

  Leo looked up sharply. "You say that like you've seen someone like me before."

  A flicker of something passed across Third Brother's face, there and gone in an instant. His smile remained, but his eyes grew distant.

  "Only once," he said, but without his seemingly usual exuberance. "Our First Brother was the same way. Untethered from the fate of this world. It's part of what made him so extraordinary."

  Their tea arrived, along with small plates of sweet rice cakes. Leo took a careful sip, finding the flavor intense but pleasant.

  "What exactly is cultivation?" he asked. "You mentioned it before."

  "Ah, the most important question!" Third Brother grinned. "Cultivation is how we harness the energy of the world, the qi that flows through everything. Through meditation and practice, we draw this energy into our bodies, refining it and using it to strengthen ourselves beyond normal limits."

  He held up his hand again, and a small whirlwind formed above his palm, spinning the tea in his cup without spilling a drop.

  "Most people begin with Purification, learning to sense and absorb qi. Then comes Foundation, where you build your spiritual energies. After that, Core Formation, Spirit Awakening, and so on. The highest realms are grant powers approaching godhood."

  Leo watched the miniature whirlwind with fascination. "And everyone can do this?"

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  "Not everyone," Third Brother said, letting the wind dissipate. "Many lack the aptitude entirely. Others can reach only the lower levels. That's why academies like ours are so selective."

  "How strong are you?" Leo asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

  Third Brother's lips curved into a mysterious smile. "Why don't you guess?"

  "I have no reference point," Leo protested. "I just got here."

  "Exactly," Third Brother laughed, the sound light and carefree. "Sometimes the most interesting questions are those we can't yet answer."

  He stood suddenly. "Come. I want to show you something."

  They left the tea house and wandered into a crowded market street. Third Brother moved with casual confidence, weaving through the throng as if he knew exactly where each person would step before they did.

  "Watch," he said softly.

  He pointed subtly toward a fruit seller's cart where a young boy was eyeing a bright red apple. The moment stretched, and Leo found himself holding his breath.

  "The boy will reach for the apple," Third Brother murmured. "The merchant will spot him. A guard will notice. The boy will run into that pottery stall. Three... two... one..."

  Everything unfolded exactly as predicted. The boy snatched the apple and fled, the merchant shouted, a guard turned. The boy, looking back over his shoulder, crashed into a pottery stall, sending clay vessels tumbling.

  Third Brother sighed and flicked his finger. A ripple passed through the air, invisible to all but Leo.

  The pottery froze mid fall. The merchant who owned the stall, who had been about to scream in horror, caught the nearest piece instead. Others in the crowd suddenly moved to help, catching pots and vases with unlikely precision.

  Not a single piece broke.

  "A small adjustment to the threads of probability," Third Brother explained as they continued walking. "Nothing dramatic enough to draw attention, just... nudging fate in a gentler direction."

  The boy with the apple had vanished into the crowd, but Leo noticed Third Brother dropping a few coins into the fruit seller's hand as they passed.

  "You knew exactly what would happen," Leo said, amazed.

  "I saw the most likely outcome and chose to alter it," Third Brother corrected. "Fate isn't fixed, merely inclined toward certain paths. With enough skill, those paths can be redirected."

  "Is that ethical? Manipulating events like that?"

  "I simply nudged fate toward a more interesting path," Third Brother replied with a wink. "Ethics are largely determined by power, you know. Those who can shape reality define what is permitted." His expression softened slightly. "Though at the Academy, we do try to follow First Brother's saying: 'Do good when possible.' I saved the pottery, paid for the apple. Balance maintained."

  They walked along a canal lined with willow trees, the afternoon sun making the water sparkle.

  "So why show me all this?" Leo asked. "What do you want from me?"

  Third Brother's expression grew more serious. "I hoped to motivate you. The path of cultivation isn't easy, but the rewards are beyond imagining. Power, longevity, understanding the mysteries of the universe…"

  "I don't need convincing," Leo said quietly. "I'm already resolved to become stronger." If this world has powers like this, I want it. And maybe, just maybe, to find a way back to my family.

  "Oh?"

  "I have questions too. Why was I brought here? How do I get back? My family..." Leo's voice caught. "They must be worried sick. I need to find answers."

  Third Brother nodded, his eyes softening. "I understand. Family is important."

  They walked in silence for a moment.

  "Can you tell me more about this First Brother everyone mentions?" Leo finally asked.

  "Ah, I'm terrible at telling stories," Third Brother sighed. "Second Sister will explain it better during your cultivation lesson tomorrow. She was always closer to him than the rest of us."

  "Where is he now?"

  "Gone," Third Brother said, his carefree demeanor slipping for just a moment. "Two years ago, he left on some private business as he usually does. He never returned.”

  Leo noticed the change in Third Brother’s tone. So even this carefree cultivator has his wounds. He wondered what kind of person this First Brother was, to command such loyalty even in absence.

  Leo caught the flash of worry in the man's eyes before his smile returned.

  "Which reminds me," Third Brother said, "we should get Second Sister a gift. She was disappointed when you appeared on the stone slab."

  "Disappointed?"

  "She hoped you might be First Brother returning." Third Brother steered them toward a bookshop. "She needs time to compose herself before training you. A peace offering will help."

  The bookshop was small but crowded with scrolls and bound books. Third Brother headed straight for a section near the back.

  "She loves these romantic novels," he explained, selecting a book with an ornate cover depicting a stern-looking robed man and a young woman surrounded by swirling magical energies. The title read: "My Master's Cold Heart: The Forbidden Arts of Love Cultivation, Volume Nine. "As they paid for the book, Leo noticed Third Brother's gaze lingering on a group of official looking men passing by the shop window.

  "Problems?" Leo asked.

  "Nothing immediate," Third Brother replied. "Our Academy has never been popular, and without First Brother's protection, other schools have become bolder in their challenges."

  Outside, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the streets.

  "We should head back," Third Brother said. "The night markets are entertaining, but not the safest place for someone who can't even sense qi yet."

  As they walked toward the city gates, Leo studied his companion's profile. There's so much more he isn't telling me, Leo thought. About First Brother, about why I'm here, about what makes us similar. But pushing too hard seemed unwise when he was still new to this world. Perhaps with more time answers will appear naturally.

  "You know," he said, "you never told me your actual name."

  Third Brother smiled. "Altan. Call me Altan. I'm not big on formality like Second Sister."

  "Altan," Leo repeated. "Thanks for today."

  "For what?"

  "For treating this whole situation so normally. For not locking me up or treating me like a freak." Leo gestured vaguely. "I feel like my whole life just got control-alt-deleted and rebooted in a completely different operating system."

  Altan's eyebrows shot up, followed by a burst of genuine laughter. "Control... alt... deleted? Such strange words! Your world must have fascinating magic indeed."

  His laughter warmed Leo’s heart.

  "We're the Academy of Eccentric Geniuses. Normal would be a disappointment."

  As they passed through the massive city gates, Leo looked back at Sunglow City, its buildings now aglow with lanterns and magical lights.

  "Will I really be able to learn cultivation?" he asked.

  "You will," Altan said. "And I suspect you'll surprise us all when you do."

  Leo nodded, turning away from the city to face the road ahead. Whatever strange fate had brought him to this world, he would find his way forward. And maybe, just maybe, find his way home again.