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The two of them stood in the entryway unsure of what to do. Not that it mattered anyway... Atlas was exactly where he wanted to be. For too long he had been isolated in seclusion. For too long he had wondered about his unbridled potential. Now was his chance for his wings to unfurl and for him to become who he was always meant to be. With Azura glued to his side, he slowly walked around the room taking note of its appearance. He was pleasantly shocked to observe the stark contrast between what he's known and what he has yet to discover. Already he loved this place. Everything about it was foreign and exciting. While his home had been cozy and warm; this institution could be best described as... opulent, mysterious.
[i][color=9e0b0f]Nice place.[/color][/i] He thought as his smile turned into an outright grin.
[color=9e0b0f]"I am so ready for this. Can you believe where we are? What fate has in store for us?"[/color] He whirled around, grasping Azura by the shoulders. In his excitement, it was all he could do not to shake her.

With a heavy sigh and a look that would make even the joyful cry, Azura gently took his hands and shrugged him off. She took a few steps away as if to distance herself and clear her thoughts. For a moment they just stood there... Azura deep in thought and Atlas confused as ever at his sister's erratic behavior. 
Just as he was about to break the silence she spoke, [color=7ea7d8]"At least someone is enjoying themselves... I want to go home. I miss mom and the others."[/color]

And just like that, the wave of emotions Atlas had been avoiding finally crashed into him. One of the bitter-sweet qualities of being a psychic is empathy. In his excitement, he was able to ignore the negative emotions coming from his sister. But now that he saw her, really saw her. Saw the look on her face and the way her inner light seemed to dim... he felt bad. He felt guilty for not having noticed sooner. It was in that guilt that he grew defensive. 
[i][color=9e0b0f]It's not fair.[/color][/i] He thought mildly, tears brimming the corners of his eyes.
[i][color=9e0b0f]Am I not allowed to be happy? I hate this, why must I feel what others feel? Why can't I enjoy myself?[/color][/i]

Azura walked towards the window and looked out onto the courtyard. Not seeming to notice the rapid change in her brother's mood. She read about his condition once... or at least how layman's terms described it. Bipolar disorder: a mental illness that causes its host to go from one extreme to the next. At one moment the person in question could be in bliss of great magnitude. The next, a depression so low that only prayers can help you climb out of it.

His hands at his sides clenched into fists as he tried his best to calm himself.
[color=9e0b0f]"Think of all that we could accomplish. Think of all we could learn! The goddess herself must have sent us here for a reason."[/color] Atlas tried his best to get her to see things from his point of view. An effort most futile. Until his sister experiences adventure for herself, only then will she come to terms with their abrupt change.
She continued to stare out the window. Deciding it was best not to encourage the conversation further.

Gruffly, Atlas blew his bangs out of his face and turned to distract himself. Might as well take a look around while they wait for further instruction. One object seemed to catch his eye in particular. A statue stood not too far from where they had entered. The carvings dipicted a young maiden whose beauty was only surpassed by her confidence. Her expression held divine strength and emanated an importance of some kind. Other than the energy this piece of art gave off, it was her forehead that caught his interest. Carefully carved and glowing red was an ancient-looking rune smack dab in the middle. The only reason he even knew what a rune was, was because his twin had been studying how to master them. As he came closer to the statue, the rune seemed to glow even more. Almost as if it were calling to him. Beckoning him forward like a siren in the middle of a storm.  

Just as he leaned forward to take an even closer look, a shimmer of golden-white light caught in the corner of his vision.
[i][color=9e0b0f]Great.[/color][/i] He thought bitterly. [i][color=9e0b0f]Here comes another hallucination.[/color][/i]
However, the sparkle of light did not come from his imagination. Instead, two figures appeared out of thin air only moments later. 
[color=9e0b0f]"What the fu- Zu-Zu. Get behind me right now."[/color] Atlas commanded as he practically threw himself in front of his twin. His defensive instincts on high alert, he pulled an old hunting knife out of his right boot. Previous experiences have taught him to be prepared whenever danger might strike. However, his moral compass would not have him hurt anyone unless attacked.

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A brown rabbit appeared from a few hedges that framed a nearby garden outside. From the window Azura watched the cute little creature cautiously move forward and sniff about the area. In a way witnessing that simple action eased some of her nerves. She smiled fondly watching the rabbit bound back into the hedges.
[i][color=7ea7d8]This is definitely a far cry from the Oswage lands...[/color][/i] She thought, a tad forlorn.
She continued to look around the front gardens, letting her mind drift and her thoughts dance in tune with the wind. It wasn't until a commotion sounded behind her that she turned her heel.
Before she knew it, her brother's arms were shielding her defensively, a knife in his hand.

Alarmed, she looked over his shoulder. This took great effort due to the fact his 6-foot stature overshadowed her 5-and-a-half-foot frame. 
On tiptoe, she noticed two others had joined them. A petite woman with snow-white hair that matched her equally snow-white skin grinned over the shoulder of a face she could not quite make out just yet. 
The mysterious figure then spoke, [color=fff79a]"Good morning! Did the others leave without you?"[/color]

With wide eyes and her face falling with shock, Azura grasped her brother's arm and hissed in his ear.
[color=7ea7d8]"Dumbass! Don't you know who that is?!"[/color] She shoved a surprised Atlas aside and took hold of his knife, wrenching it from his grip.
[color=7ea7d8]"We are not home anymore, you cannot just go wielding weapons willy-nilly in civilization! There are rules against that. There are LAWS against that.[/color]
Atlas shrugged nonchalantly and took back his blade, sheathing it in his boot once more. Azura rolled her eyes and poked his chest. Hard.
[color=7ea7d8]"That..."[/color] She said turning and pointing to the man who greeted them.
[color=7ea7d8]"That is Julian Westri. Also known as the headmaster of Arkus Academy."[/color]
Hard as it was to admit, Azura took pleasure in watching her brothers face pale as the seriousness of the situation struck him. Affirming his thoughts, she nodded and turned to walk over to the duo who joined them.
[color=7ea7d8]"I recognize him from the research I looked into about the academy." [/color]

Standing in front of Headmaster Westri and his assistant Linxi, Azura held her hand forward to offer a handshake. Her brother was not too far behind her. His face was beet red as he idly scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
[color=7ea7d8]"Hello."[/color] Azura grinned, shoving her emotions aside to appear diplomatic.
[color=7ea7d8]"We are the Orion twins, but I am sure you already knew that. Forgive my brother... it seems as we are not quite used to your customs yet."[/color]

He took her hand, shaking it with good nature and positivity that was infectious. Linxi did not miss a beat as she immediately shook Azura's hand right after she let go of his grip.
[color=7ea7d8]"The captain of our vessel mentioned that we had arrived a tad late... so I guess we missed the beginning of the tour."[/color]

[@DrowsyPangolin]