A young magician from Earth.

  Prologue.

  The strange things started from the very morning.

  The alarm clock which always had rung exactly at 7:00 woke him up almost an hour earlier this time. And as a result, it did not let him finish the dream, where he was soaring in the sky, sitting on a huge bird, whose plumage shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow, and the bright crimson sun pleasantly warmed his skin, giving him a feeling of calm and happiness.

  Tim tried to fall asleep again, but it didn't work. The remnants of such a wonderful dream gradually evaporated from his memory, and by the time he finally woke up, his thoughts were exclusively about the worries of the coming day.

  As he left the bathroom after washing, it seemed to him that his reflection in a mirror grinned after him. Tim looked back seeing his own face again, but found nothing suspicious.

  The neighbor's cat met on the way to the bus stop where the school bus pulled up every morning, raised his fur at the sight of Tim and shied away with a heartbreaking meow. Although it usually greeted him by raising its tail and sometimes even allowed to be petted.

  Not far from the school building Tim was hailed by Alex, his friend since the first school year. When Tim approached, Alex looked at his feet in bewilderment.

  "Hey! Where did you lose your shadow?"

  Tim turned around. The shadow was in its place.

  "But it wasn't there just now... hmm, probably it seemed to me"

  Geography and English lessons went as usual, but in math Tim suddenly felt someone's studying gaze on him. Perhaps with a similar look a biologist examines a frog prepared for dissection. The feeling was so unpleasant that when the teacher asked him to solve a relatively simple example at the blackboard, Tim blurted out absolute nonsense, although under other circumstances he could have easily given the correct answer. His classmates laughed, and the teacher, angry, gave him a bad grade and gave him extra homework promising to call to the blackboard again the next day.

  So, having returned home and had lunch, Tim reluctantly took his math textbook out of his backpack and opened it to the right page. After the meal he wanted to lie on a bed and take a nap much more than mess around with decimal fractions. To perk up, it would be nice to go into the 'Fantasy Worlds' for at least an hour, but here's the problem - the computer has a password, and he can't get into the system before 6 p.m. And before that time his parents, whose efforts to protect him from temptation are too correct and therefore boring, will have time to return from work. And they will demand a report on what he did in their absence. Willingly or not, at least part of the homework must be done before they arrive. And what for all these mathematical rules are!? Four arithmetical operations are quite enough. It's not for nothing that some smart person rightly noted: eighty percent of the knowledge you get at school will never be useful in life. But that's what adults decided, it’s too difficult to argue with them. Three hundred years ago the rod was a weighty argument in their hands, and now it's access to virtual reality. Even though times are changing, the 'stick' in the system of education is still more weighty than the 'carrot'. As a result, many years later you will have nothing to remember except your studies!

  Thinking about the unfairness of life, Tim mechanically turned the page. The neat rows of equations suddenly blurred, a moment later forming a sentence that had nothing to do with mathematics:

  The best school of magical arts in the entire Universe

  invites you to study!

  Do you accept the invitation?

  After all, the parents were right about something - too much communication with the computer and especially online games begins to generate glitches in real life. Well, no one has ever died from them, a week's break is enough - and everything goes away on its own. Having calmed himself down with this Tim tried to concentrate on his homework, but instead of mathematical operations a strange phrase kept popping up in his mind interfering with the calculations. What a sticky phrase!

  It is interesting, what will happen if he agrees?

  "Are you sure?" someone whispered sarcastically in his ear.

  "Absolutely!"

  If you've made a decision, don't stop halfway - Tim always tried to follow this simple rule. But if only he knew what would happen next...

  With a sharp jerk, an unknown force pulled him off a chair and lifted him up. And then, with great speed, it dragged him along, through the absolute darkness of endless space illuminated only by the cold flickering of distant stars.

  And Tim could no longer see how his grinning double appeared from the mirror. And, throwing the textbook under the table, he plopped down on the bed and pulled the TV remote control towards himself.

  Chapter 1.

  But then the flight stopped, and Tim felt a solid surface beneath him. The darkness surrounding him retreated, dispersed by hundreds of multi-colored lights illuminating a huge hall - he had never seen such huge rooms before. The ceiling and walls were decorated with rock paintings - mysterious buildings, the outlines of which resembled ancient eastern castles; battles in which animals took part equally with people; distant foggy shores and ocean depths inhabited by strange creatures, and many other, no less impressive creations of an unknown artist, executed so realistically, as if he had seen all this with his own eyes.

  However, at that moment Tim had no time to look at the pictures - he found himself in the middle of a crowd of boys and girls about the same age as him. Trying to move, he found that he was unable to do so. He couldn’t speak either; all he could do was turning his head from side to side. The others, apparently, felt the same way, since no one made any attempt to start a conversation. A girl with pointy ears to his right, with matte-white skin, bluish-black hair and bright red lips, noticing the interest in her person, smiled, as if there was something very tasty in Tim’s place. Probably pretending to be a vampire, he thought.

  A boy on the left looked even more exotic – he was covered from head to toes in a 'scaly skin' tattoo, and had vertical, reptile-like pupils. Tim was a little scared at first, but then he realized that this effect might be achieved by implanting special eye lenses. A real lizard man!

  Looking around the crowd, Tim was even more amazed: it seemed as if he had arrived not to a respectable educational institution, but to a carnival. The persons of all skin colors surrounding him had extremely extravagant hairstyles and the most unimaginable colors of clothing. Dressed in a crumpled blue T-shirt and home tights Tim felt a little awkward. But no one had warned him about the need to dress up in a masquerade costume!

  Several bright flashes on the dais by the wall opposite distracted him from looking at his future classmates. Five figures materialized in front of them. A stately man with a knightly bearing and an unyielding expression on his face, framed by waves of golden hair. Another man, not so imposing, a whole head shorter than the first, looking sadly into the distance. A girl in a long green dress; pointed ears peeked out through her chestnut hair. The third man, in contrast to the first and second, smiled good-naturedly, and his fiery red curls flared brightly as he did so. And, finally, a woman in a burgundy suit, black-haired and with scarlet lips, as the girl on the right of Tim.

  The sixth figure appeared a few seconds later – a green-skinned midget with a large crooked nose, dragging a cart in front of him, on which was a crystal cube the size of a microwave oven. The hall darkened, and a blue-grey fume filled up the cube, gradually forming a blurry outline of someone's face. And then a voice was heard, clear and sonorous, easily audible from afar.

  “Greetings, students! Have you come here to learn the art of sorcery? And you dream of becoming powerful magicians, don't you? Our school will give you such an opportunity. But you will have to work hard,” there was an open mockery in the voice, but those present seemed not to notice it, listening to the speech with reverence. “You must master to control the magical energy called mana, learn by heart dozens, if not hundreds of spells and prove in practice that you are worthy of being the best of the best!

  You are probably already wondering who I am. I won't torture you with doubts: for very many years I have been the Principal of the school. And during this time, thanks to my modest efforts, our school has not only become a depository of priceless knowledge about the art of creating magic, but also significantly expanded its territory. So now its young students have enough space for study, for rest, and for improving their talents. You will have everything you need for this at your disposal, but remember - you are forbidden to go higher than the second tier and go down into the dungeon. Violators will be severely punished!

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  And now let me introduce your future teachers. Master Aerg (the man with the manners of a stern knight took a step forward) will teach you the basics of Light magic. Master Nimikel (the girl in the green dress dropped a curtsey) has mastered the magic of Nature to perfection. Master Saag-Kof is a recognized expert in the magic of the Elements (the man with fiery red curls waved both hands in greeting). Master Iskitt (the man with a sad look nodded absentmindedly and froze in thought again) knows a lot about the magic of the Mind. And finally, Master Ven'A'Sash (the woman in the burgundy suit smiled ironically) will tell you the secrets of Twilight magic. All you have to do is to be diligent students and not upset your teachers with laziness and disobedience.

  Our school is a closed boarding school, and you will not be able to leave it until you finish your studies. Holidays, visits with relatives, exchange of letters and parcels are not provided either. Nothing should distract you from your studies! Do not worry: while you are here, your copies will remain at home, knowing and able to do the same as the originals, so no one will notice the substitution. And when the training is completed, upon your return, your minds will merge together, and you will learn about everything that happened during your absence. Standard training lasts five years, but, as a rule, most students finish it earlier - it is enough to collect a thousand points, and on the same day you will be sent home! How to collect them, you ask? Very simple: demonstrate skillful possession of magic in classes and win during tournaments, which will be held regularly. In general, everything is in your hands!

  As for the internal regulations - the schedule of classes will be regularly posted in front of the classroom. Each of you will be provided with your own room and a set of traditional uniform for our school. The dining room is open throughout the day, but do not forget - you are not here to fill your bellies! All the necessary textbooks, as well as scientific and educational literature on the secrets of magic you will find in the library. For all other questions, you can contact either your teachers or the school caretaker, Sir Pulsok.”

  With a crooked smile the green-skinned midget dressed in a tightly buttoned mouse-colored frock coat, made a bow. He looks like a goblin, Tim noted to himself. What if he really was the goblin!? After all, the school, as the invitation said, was the best in the entire Universe! That's why his future classmates looked so strange - they weren't dressed up humans, but real aliens! Those with pointy ears were probably elves. The girl on the right also has them, but for an elf she looked too strange. Although which of his compatriots could boast of having seen a real elf? Hmm, and what is this strange ring on the ring finger of his left hand? It looks like iron one, but if the school is really serious, then it is unlikely to be iron. He received an answer almost immediately.

  “His duties include maintaining order within the school and monitoring discipline among the students. And punishing those who neglect the rules of conduct. By the way, you will find them on the same tier where your rooms are located. How will you be able to read them if they are written in Enhiu, the ancient language of magicians? Very simple - thanks to the rings that each of you received when you found yourself here. They allow you to read any texts and understand what others are saying. And for the successful creation of sorcery each of you will receive a wand that concentrates and directs the blow of magical energy. They will be given to you at the same time as the uniform. All that remains for me to do is wish you good luck!”

  The image inside the cube disappeared. Before Tim could process what he had just heard, everything around him plunged into darkness. This time, fortunately, it was short-lived: a few seconds later it became light again. However, they were now in a different hall – not as huge as the first. There were no teachers here, only the goblin, who was now accompanied by a real giant – three times taller than Tim and as many times broader in the shoulders. Of course, who would obey a puny shorty? And with such a giant it’s quite another matter! The goblin considered it beneath his dignity to introduce him to the students, and took the lead instead.

  “Well, now we're heading to the storeroom to get things, then you'll be settled into your rooms. Don't scatter from there: when the pink eye lights up, we'll have a festive dinner. And remember the Principal's words!”

  The last one sounded with the intonation with which the expression ‘memento mori’ is usually pronounced. Judging by the lack of windows in the halls and the domed ceilings, they are somewhere inside a mountain. It’s a little unusual, but basically nothing supernatural. Although if their rooms don't have windows either, it will feel like you're in a prison cell. And where's the exit? I wish I could see what's out there, Tim thought. Although if they're inside some asteroid... but no, his father once said that there's practically no gravity on asteroids and it's enough to jump to fly up to the ceiling. There's no such thing here, Tim checked right away, discovering that he could control his own body again. Oh, they didn't even let him say goodbye to his parents. The parents certainly wouldn't have let him go here; that's probably why the local sorcerers came up with the trick with the doubles. It’s interesting, how identical are they to the originals? Probably enough, otherwise the fake would have been exposed right away. After all, he wasn't the only one invited here to study!

  Tim didn't have much time to think about it as the crowd around him started moving. All together, they followed the goblin into a wide tunnel, which led them to the wide-open doors of a storehouse, on the threshold of which they were met by five dwarves, three men and two women. The dwarves were as they had been described in numerous fantasy literatures - stocky, with an eternally worried expression on their faces, and, of course, bearded. The women, however, did not wear beards (although some fantasy authors claimed the opposite) - Tim would definitely not have survived that.

  “New students?” the dwarf, dressed more presentably than the others, inquired indifferently. Probably he is the storehouse manager, and the others were his assistants.

  “That's right, Rugud. You may begin servicing. When they receive their things, our disembodied friends will show them where to live.”

  And a second later about fifteen translucent figures appeared next to the goblin, resembling huge, adult-sized jellyfish. The resemblance was reinforced by the constantly moving tentacles; the frightened students huddled together.

  “Don't be afraid, they don't bite,” the goblin chuckled, pleased with the effect. “Although I wouldn't advise to ignore them. They will be the ones to make sure you don't wander around anywhere and stay in your rooms at night. They themselves don't need any rest or sleep, and so they can patrol the school grounds around the clock. In addition, they don't need to be paid a salary. See how convenient it is? The brilliant idea of ??hiring them also belongs to our esteemed Principal. Before him, there was such a mess here! But now it is fixed completely!”

  Personally, Tim didn't see anything funny in that - if you meet such a monster at home, it won't take long for you to become a stutterer.

  “At least put things in order a little, Pulsok,” Rugud grumbled. “Otherwise, how will we serve them?”

  “Agyg, get to work,” the goblin commanded, and the giant began to form a line, without any hesitation pushing back those who got in the way. When he finished, the dwarves began their work, inviting two people inside at once. The first who got a young sorcerer’s set, was a girl with ashen hair, light-grey skin and glistening black eyes. In her right hand she had a suitcase, in her left - something like a small pointer. Tim couldn’t make out the details of it: one of the ghosts separated from the group of its fellows and invited her to follow it with a nasal whisper. The same fate befell a pointy-eared boy who left the storehouse next.

  Tim was lucky to be in the top twenty. Ahead of him was a puny boy half a head shorter, but with small curved horns peeking out from under his curly hair. If there were goblins and dwarves here, the horns must be real, but Tim was too shy to ask directly.

  Soon two boys and a girl approached them; all three were well-proportioned, blue-eyed and with golden hair. Undoubtedly they are from the same people as the teacher of Light magic.

  “Hey, tilfing, we were in line before you, remember?” one of the golden-haired boys began without any preamble.

  “Actually, no,” the horned boy cowered in fear.

  “I'll have to remind you,” the second golden-haired boy said between his teeth. Coming close he pushed the horned boy forcing him to fall down to the floor. Tim instinctively rushed to the poor boy and helped him to his feet.

  “Hey, yellow-haired freaks, you definitely weren't here!” a dark-skinned, broad-shouldered boy with straight black hair and small fangs sticking out from under his lower lip said threateningly, appearing from somewhere behind.

  "Get lost from here, orc, or you'll get it too," promised the first golden-haired boy, and the girl from their company smiled contemptuously. Offended by her smile even more than by the threat from her companion, the dark-skinned boy went on the attack. However, the bully easily dodged instantly moving aside. The second attack also missed. The orc, who was preparing for the third blow, suddenly felt himself rising up - in the heat of the fight he did not notice Agyg's return.

  “Fighting is prohibited within the school walls, and those who participate will be severely punished,” commented the goblin who happened to be nearby. “First, shake him well and put him at the very end of the line. If he starts kicking, he'll be locked up in a cell. And why are you standing here? Take your places!”

  The last was directed at the blue-eyed trio, and they left, laughing. Curiosity literally ate Tim, and in the end he dared to ask the owner of the horns why they had suddenly latched onto him.

  "But they're Anzimars! There is a long-standing feud between our peoples!"

  "Why?"

  From the boy's confused story, Tim was able to understand the following. Once upon a time, the Tilfings (to which the horned boy belonged) lived peacefully and happily in a world called Edlim, sowing knoszu, breeding zhrity, and didn’t think too much about the future. But one ill-fated day the Anzimars literally fell from the sky and began to commit lawlessness, taking the best lands for themselves, and those who tried to resist were killed or turned into slaves. The Tilfings retreated to places where the Anzimars did not want to settle, and something like a truce was concluded. But still if they let you into their cities, you can only go where they are allowed, without responding to ridicule and insults. Otherwise, they will simply beat you half to death and throw you out. The Tilfings tried to rebel several times, but to no avail - the Anzimars, although fewer in number, are much better armed. And they possess strong magic, mainly Super-Abilities, with the help of which any weakling can be turned into an invincible champion.

  “Why do you think that anzimar knocked me down so easily? He must have used Super-Strength. With it, you can knock down even an ikhrig (animals resembling earth oxen, as Tim later learned) with a punch.”

  “Now it's clear why that orc couldn't hit his opponent.”

  “Yeah, there was magic involved there too, most likely Super-Agility. So I don't recommend messing with them.”

  “Unless it's a matter of principle. But don’t worry: almost certainly we also shall study this magic, too."

  “Exactly! Then we'll see who wins! Our own magic is of little use in battle, alas. It's actually good, but not when you're being beaten.”

  The tilfing didn't have time to tell what kind of magic their race possessed - he was invited in the storehouse. Tim was the next.