The door to Headmaster Cyra’s office closed behind Aric and Eryx.
Eryx stared at it for a moment before turning away with a scowl. "We survive a monster, nearly get killed by your attackers, and somehow end up being punished for arriving late. This academy is already getting on my nerves."
"Technically, we haven’t been punished yet," Aric replied.
"Really? Then what would you call being assigned to a disciplinary committee before we’ve even attended our first class?"
"An opportunity to instill the academy’s rules."
Eryx shot him a look. "Don’t forget the true meaning is being a snitch."
Aric chuckled, and they headed back towards the reception hall. Despite Eryx’s complaints, Aric was more concerned about their immediate situation. They had been given uniforms for a committee neither of them had asked to join, but nobody had explained where they were supposed to sleep.
The reception hall was quieter than before. Behind the long wooden desk, Trudy, the elven receptionist, was sorting through a stack of documents. She looked up as the two boys approached, her professional smile returning almost immediately.
"How may I assist you?"
"We need directions to our dormitory," Aric explained.
"Certainly. Which class have you been assigned to?"
"Class S," Eryx answered.
Trudy extended her hand. "Your badges, please."
The two boys exchanged a glance.
"Our badges?" Aric asked.
"Yes. Your academy badges. They identify your class and grant you access to the appropriate residential buildings."
"We weren’t given any," Aric explained. "We weren’t told about any of that."
Trudy’s smile remained, although something in her expression became noticeably colder.
"I’m afraid I cannot direct you to the Class S dormitories without verifying your placement."
Eryx leaned against the desk. "The headmaster herself placed us in Class S. Do you think we came here to lie about it?"
"I have no reason to question your honesty, young man. However, I cannot make exceptions to academy procedures simply because a student claims to have received special treatment."
"Claims?" Eryx repeated, straightening. "Are you saying we’re lying?"
"I’m saying that every student must follow the same procedures. If you were admitted into Class S, your badges should have been issued before you left the headmaster’s office."
"Then perhaps you should take that complaint to the headmaster instead of keeping us standing here."
"Eryx," Aric warned quietly.
"What? We’re the ones being inconvenienced."
Trudy folded her hands on the desk. "If you would prefer to return to the headmaster’s office, you are welcome to do so. Until your placement is verified, however, I cannot grant you access to the Class S residential wing."
A quiet laugh interrupted them.
"Still as strict as ever, Trudy?"
Professor Cael approached from the corridor, his blonde hair catching the afternoon light. His red eyes moved briefly between the receptionist and the two boys before settling on Aric.
"Professor Cael," Trudy greeted him, her posture immediately straightening. "I was just explaining the badge requirements to these students."
"So I heard." His smile was pleasant, but his attention remained on Aric. "And I see you’ve managed to leave the headmaster’s office without the one thing you were supposed to receive."
He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and produced two golden badges.
"Here. We forgot to give you guys."
Aric accepted his badge. The metal was surprisingly heavy, its polished surface engraved with the academy’s starburst and a large letter S at the centre. Eryx examined his own with open curiosity.
"Gold?" Eryx muttered. "Wow, how much would these sell for?"
"Gold is reserved for Class S students," Cael explained. "Other classes have different colours. The badge identifies your classification, but it also serves as an access token for certain academy facilities. Keep it safe. Replacing one is considerably more troublesome than obtaining it."
"Thank you, Professor," Aric said.
Cael inclined his head, his gaze lingering on Aric for a moment before shifting to Eryx.
"You two certainly know how to make an impression. Arriving two weeks late to the academy term is quite the way to introduce yourselves."
"That is one way to put it," Eryx replied, crossing his arms with a dry sigh. "Personally, I would have preferred an entrance that did not involve facing the headmaster’s wrath on our very first day."
Cael chuckled softly. "Wrath? Placing you in the disciplinary committee can barely be seen as punishment. Punctuality is rarely the strong suit of those who cheat death."
He turned back to Aric, his expression growing thoughtful.
"Tell me, Aric. Now that you have finally arrived, what do you hope to achieve here at Starglade?"
"Catch up on two missed weeks of lectures, learn as much as I can, and make a name for myself," Aric replied.
"A sensible answer." Cael’s smile remained, but something in his eyes grew distant. "Strength is a fickle thing," Cael murmured, his red eyes catching the light. "Most spend their entire lives chasing it, convinced that absolute power brings absolute freedom."
He paused, holding Aric’s gaze with a strange, heavy intensity.
"Yet you will find that the stronger you become, the fewer choices you are actually permitted to make. I hope you discover the true meaning of power before the world decides it for you."
For the briefest moment, the warmth disappeared from Cael’s expression, replaced by a quiet sadness. Then it vanished, and his familiar smile returned.
Aric held his gaze, unsure what to make of the remark. Beside him, Eryx had gone unusually quiet.
"That is a remarkably depressing way to welcome students," Eryx observed.
"Is it?" Cael gave a soft laugh. "Forgive me. Teaching young people has a way of making one sentimental."
He stepped back, allowing them space to pass.
"Enjoy your evening, gentlemen. I’ll see you in class."
"shit, he’s our professor," Eryx muttered, already turning away.
Aric offered Cael a polite nod before following his companion. He couldn’t quite shake the feeling that the professor’s words had come from somewhere deeper than a passing thought.
Behind them, Cael’s smile faded as he watched the two boys disappear around the corner.
"Let us hope," he murmured to himself, his voice barely audible, "that this time, things turn out differently."
"Eryx leaned closer. "What’s his problem?"
"I have no idea." Aric said as they followed Trudy out of the reception hall.
The journey to the Class S residential wing took them across the academy’s sprawling courtyards. Students gathered beneath ancient trees, practised spells in designated training areas, or crossed the crystal bridges connecting the different buildings. The campus was considerably larger than Aric had imagined, and every turn seemed to reveal another structure more impressive than the last.
Trudy pointed out several buildings as they walked.
"The academic halls are in the central district. The training grounds are to the east, while the library occupies the northern wing. Students are expected to familiarise themselves with the campus during their first week."
"And the dormitories?" Eryx asked.
"We’re approaching them now. Male and female students have separate residential buildings, and accommodations vary according to class. Class S students receive private rooms with individual study areas and access to facilities not available to the lower classes."
They stopped before an elegant manor surrounded by carefully maintained gardens. Tall windows overlooked the courtyard, and the entrance was framed by polished stone pillars.
Eryx stared at the building.
"This is a dormitory?"
"Class S residential accommodation," Trudy corrected. "Your room is at the end of the corridor on the second floor. Your belongings will be delivered once the administration finishes processing your admission."
She handed Aric a small key.
"Try to remember that this is still a student residence. The academy expects you to respect the property."
With that, she departed.
Inside, the manor was even more luxurious than it appeared from outside. The corridor was lined with polished wooden doors, soft carpets covered the floors, and magical lamps illuminated the walls without producing any visible heat.
Their assigned room was spacious, with two large beds, a desk beside the window, a wardrobe for each student, and a balcony overlooking the courtyards.
Eryx walked straight to the nearest bed and threw himself onto it.
"I’m staying here forever."
"You haven’t even attended your first class."
"I’ve seen enough. If they expect me to leave this room voluntarily, they’ll have to drag me out."
Aric laughed and placed his badge on the desk. For a few minutes, the academy’s comforts allowed him to forget the dangers that had followed them to Starglade.
His fingers brushed against the object inside his pocket.
The Warden’s core.
He took it out and examined the jagged black crystal. Even in the bright room, its surface seemed to swallow the light around it.
Eryx lifted his head from the pillow. His amusement faded as soon as he saw it.
"You brought that thing here?"
"I wanted to examine it."
"Why? We killed the monster. What more do you want from it?"
Aric turned the crystal between his fingers.
"You do know you can do a lot more with a beast mana core, right?."
Eryx sat up.
"It could poison you, destroy your core, or turn you into something we have to kill."
"That’s a reach."
"Aric!"
"I know the risks."
"No, you don’t." Eryx’s voice sharpened. "Don’t gamble while you gamble with your life."
Aric fell silent.
"I won’t take unnecessary risks," Aric promised.
Eryx gave him a sceptical look.
"I’ll try not to," Aric amended.
"That’s not reassuring."
A faint smile crossed Aric’s face. Then he held the crystal up.
"There’s something inside it. I can feel the dark mana."
Eryx’s expression changed.
"Did it speak to you too?"
Aric lowered the crystal. "What?"
Eryx shrugged, looking entirely unbothered. "Yeah. When we were in the village, he wanted me to have his authority or something."
Aric stared at him. "Have you absorbed it?"
"No."
"Why? A beast’s authority will make you stronger."
Eryx’s jaw tightened. "I don’t want strength from that monster."
Aric looked at him before tossing him the core.
Eryx caught it instinctively. "What are you doing?"
"I know what you mean," Aric said seriously. "But you’re going to have to absorb it."
"Huh?"
"Remember those killers who came after my life? The ones we barely escaped from?"
Eryx’s expression darkened. The memory of the Saint level attackers was still fresh in his mind.
"Then why don’t you absorb it?" Eryx asked.
"It already chose you and offered you its authority, so it should be easier for you to absorb it." Aric stepped closer, placed a hand on Eryx’s shoulder, and pushed him down onto the edge of the bed. "Just close your eyes and focus. I’ll be here if anything happens."
Eryx looked up at him briefly before letting out a sigh.
"Fine," he muttered, closing his eyes and gripping the core.
Aric stepped back and watched as Eryx focused on the dark crystal.
The moment Eryx’s mana touched it, a suffocating pressure filled the room. The crystal dissolved into a pitch black mist that rushed towards his chest.
Eryx’s eyes snapped open, their whites completely swallowed by blackness, and the world around him vanished.
He found himself surrounded by endless darkness. There was no ground beneath his feet, no sky above him, and no light anywhere.
He looked around before slowly raising his head.
A towering beast stood before him in the void. Its massive body was formed from shifting shadows, with six glowing eyes and six long arms hanging at its sides.
The beast lowered its head.
"Hello, child," it said.