The Arrival at the Academy
Reaching the academy was not a victory, but rather a delayed escape from the jaws of death. When the convoy finally passed through the massive gates, the sun had already begun to set, casting long shadows over the stone walls adorned with carvings of great warriors. The air was thick with the scent of iron and oil, mingling with the cold mountain breeze, as if carrying the lingering traces of blood that had yet to dry.
Valerian sat at the front of the carriage, staring ahead with eyes that had not known sleep for days. The dark circles beneath them bore witness to the harsh journey, while his hand, resting on the hilt of his sword, trembled ever so slightly not from fear, but from the exhaustion that had crept into his bones like a slow, insidious poison.
Zeke, sitting beside him, exhaled heavily before muttering in a hoarse voice:
"We survived."
Valerian did not respond. Survived… Was that really the right word? Bodies had been thrown from the carriages in the past hours, and names were already being forgotten, as if those who perished had been mere whispers passing for a moment, then vanishing into nothingness.
As the carriage slowed down, a knight named Ragna, ever the loyal warrior, approached. His concerned expression had not changed since the journey began. Leaning in slightly, he whispered:
"My lord… We will rest here. The academy is safe."
Safe? Valerian almost laughed but merely tilted his head back, gazing at the gray sky. He knew that safety was a relative term and that these walls concealed battles of a different kind.
At the gate, a group of warriors clad in dark uniforms awaited them, their gazes sharp, their stance vigilant. An older man, with silver hair and eyes like dagger blades, stepped forward with steady strides.
"Valerian Locard, is it?"
Valerian slowly raised his head, locking eyes with the man without blinking.
"Yes."
"You're late."
A heavy silence hung between them before Valerian replied, his voice calm yet dry:
"Death does not care for schedules."
There was no sympathy in the man's expression, but he gave a slight nod.
"The trials begin tomorrow. Rest tonight if you can."
Valerian looked at the open gate, then at the academy that would soon become the stage for his next journey. He sighed not out of fatigue, but in acknowledgment of a truth he already knew well… that survival was only the beginning.
As Valerian stepped through the ancient gates of the academy, the day had already begun to fade, leaving behind a sky streaked with hues of twilight. His footsteps hesitated on the stone pathways, still unfamiliar beneath his boots, while other students departed in groups, their voices fading into the long corridors like distant murmurs. The place suddenly felt far more vast than it should be and far colder than he had expected.
For a few moments, he stood observing the empty courtyards, where tall trees swayed under the dim glow of the hanging lanterns. He could hear the wind passing through the branches, whispering secrets only the academy itself seemed to understand.
He continued toward the dormitory wing a timeworn building with tall windows overlooking the academy's gardens. As he entered, a heavy silence greeted him, broken only by the creaking of the wooden floor beneath his steps. The hallways were dimly lit, casting shifting shadows across the walls.
Upon reaching his room, he pushed the door open quietly, finding himself in a modest space: a wooden bed, an old wardrobe, and a small desk bearing the marks of time. Dropping his bag beside the bed, he took a deep breath, feeling the weight of solitude settling over him. He sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the silent walls, realizing that this night would be the first in a long journey within these academy walls where he knew no one and where he would have to carve out a place for himself in this new world.
He sighed, his gaze sweeping over the lifeless room, as empty as a discarded shell cast away by the sea. A quiet tightness coiled around his chest, like an unseen specter refusing to leave.
Sitting on the bed, he stared at the ceiling and murmured:
"Is this what I wanted? Is this the beginning I dreamed of?"
No one answered, except for the silence pressing upon him like an unwelcome companion. He smirked bitterly, then muttere
"I've always dreamed of being here, but I never imagined loneliness would be the first to greet me."
Rising from his seat, he walked toward the window and cracked it open slightly. The cold night breeze rushed in, playing with his hair like unseen fingers offering quiet comfort. He gazed at the sky, where stars lay scattered like spilled jewels, while the moon loomed above an ever-watchful eye observing him in silence.
"Perhaps this is a test of its own…" he whispered, as if trying to convince himself.
Stepping back inside, he shut the window and lay on the bed without bothering to change. His eyes remained fixed on the ceiling as his thoughts tangled like a forest of shadows. He felt trapped caught between the past and the future, between the boy he once was and the man he was trying to become.
Slowly, his eyelids grew heavy, and sleep crept over him like a quiet wave washing over a deserted shore. As he drifted off, the academy remained silent around him like a sleeping beast, waiting to test its newest arrival.
The Next day
He awoke with the first light of dawn, as golden threads of sunlight seeped through the window, casting faint glows over the cold walls. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, he exhaled and whispered:
"A new day… a new chance."
He rose from his bed, aware that yesterday had ended and that today lay before him like a blank page waiting to be written upon.
In the early morning, students began gathering in the grand courtyard, where the air was heavy with the scent of damp earth after a cold night. The courtyard stretched out like a sea of dark stone, flanked by towering columns that bore enigmatic statues staring with hollow eyes, as if silently watching the crowd with an eternal gaze. At the center stood a stone podium, its edges worn by time, yet it remained steadfast like a symbol of unshaken authority.
The students shifted in place some whispering among themselves, some staring silently at the horizon, while others stood rigid, as if realizing that any reckless action might cost them more than they expected. The atmosphere was laden with an invisible gravity, as though the air itself had thickened, pressing against their chests without mercy.
Then… silence fell. Not the ordinary kind, but the kind that suffocated every sound, froze every movement as if the world itself had paused for a moment.
The man appeared.
On the steps leading to the podium, he advanced slowly, his movements not merely steps, but a declaration of his overwhelming presence. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his black cloak flowing around him like a dark shadow that devoured the light. His features were sharp, sculpted as if from cold stone, and his eyes… eyes that reflected no warmth, but something deeper,something close to absolute power that brooked no defiance.
Some held their breath as he stood upon the podium, scanning the crowd with his gaze. He did not need to demand attention his presence alone was enough to hold everyone in tense anticipation, as if awaiting an irreversible judgment.
"Students."
His voice rang out, deep as rolling thunder, coursing through the crowd like an electric current.
"You are now part of this academy. And that means only one thing... you have abandoned everything you once were. Your names, your families, your past... none of it holds any value here. The only things that matter now are your strength, your obedience, and your willingness to do whatever is necessary."
Some students exchanged quick glances, but none dared to speak.
"Here, there is no place for the weak. No place for rebels. No place for those who think they can challenge the system. Those who cannot walk the path the academy has set… will have no place in it."
He paused, then cast a long, scrutinizing gaze over the crowd, as if weighing each individual, measuring their fears, testing their resolve.
"You are not special. You are merely tools…tools to be sharpened, strengthened, or... broken if necessary. The choice is not yours. It is mine. And what I demand from you is simple... absolute loyalty. Loyalty without question, without hesitation. And those who defy this?"
He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering, yet its weight doubling in intensity.
"Those who defy this... will disappear as if they never existed."
Silence followed, a silence filled with an unparalleled sense of dread. Some swallowed hard, others lowered their heads, and only a few managed to meet his gaze without flinching.
After what felt like an eternity, he straightened again and spoke with finality:
"Welcome to the academy."
Then he turned and left, leaving behind a courtyard where the air had frozen, minds racing with a hundred thoughts, and hearts where fear seeped in like a slow acting poison one that everyone knew there was no escape from.
Silence ruled the place. No one spoke or moved. But among them, there was one person...
The boy stood firm, his back straight as a blade's edge, his presence exuding a quiet intensity,like the stillness before a storm. His black hair, sleek but slightly unkempt, had strands falling carelessly over his forehead. His gray eyes reflected a metallic coldness, devoid of any emotion, as if they were windows to an endless void.
His academy uniform was meticulously arranged his dark jacket buttoned neatly over a crisply pressed white shirt, his tie tightened with military precision. His lean, disciplined frame seemed forged for combat; every movement was measured, his stance itself suggesting he was ready at any moment to draw an unseen sword and plunge into an unending battle.
As for Valerian, he knew that today was the beginning. The day the true test would commence. And so, he prepared himself for what was to come.