Steps echoed through the empty hall, linked with heavy feet that rummaged through the ground.
"Roland, that boy possesses a lot of power for someone too immature. I don't what the Queen wants to do with him, gaining him is wonderful but he could bite and do massive damage if he wants to…"
Mayward looked at his partner while walking straight.
"I don't know, but whatever it is. Arthas is hiding something powerful, I can sense his magic leaking. However, it's his at the same time it isn't his… I don't understand it." Roland responded with a look of worry and a voice that was hurried in tone.
"What do you mean? Is he carrying a mana storage with him?"
"No, but that would make sense but at the same don't. Mana stores mana from the air and matches it with its user's signature. With Arthas, it was distinctly different."
"Different…Whatever could that mean…"
Both of them were brisk walking through the mansion that once was very lively with butlers and maids that clean the furniture.
They crossed through halls and rooms with hurried expressions and haggard movements.
Walking through rooms with a stern look on their faces, they cross rooms and their steps begin to dictate a sense of trepidation.
After a long time of walking, they arrived at a door, it was the same wooden door as the others in the house. It had a unique texture braced with intricately made details distinguishing a noble aptitude.
The door was gently opened by Roland who went in first with Mayward behind him. They both stepped in with slow steps and proceeded with caution.
Their heavy steps turned soft and approached with slow movement as the door opened to a gloomy room filled with wooden furniture.
The moonlight grazed upon the floor with the presence of its alluring beauty. The window allowed it to enter with its free pass.
There was no other light other than the natural source that came from the outside, it eluded the darkness that enveloped the room.
Inside there was a silhouette of a person standing beside a chair. Dust flew upon the shade of the moonlight near the chair.
The cold air embraced the atmosphere as they both went closer to the Silhouette. The silhouette noticed their presence and sat down, expecting them to move closer.
As both of them came close, the night's reflection followed when they were close enough the light elucidated a young boy with dark pitch-black hair that had a well-built muscle proportion, he was wearing a black military uniform with black pants and black shoes.
Contrary to his theme of black, his pale skin, and white face showed life and discipline with a sense of strong philosophy wedged into his eyes. It was to say that he was handsome, with his all-black clothes that contradicted his complexion.
"We are happy to receive the presence of you, my lord!" Both of them brought one knee down and bowed their heads.
"I thank you for your patience in allowing me to call you on such short notice Bleu, Rouge…I mean Roland and Mayward…" The man corrected himself.
"It's okay if you only remember us by our family names my lord it is our pride and joy, by what matters have you come here to Alcemia that requires your presence lord," Roland replied politely while keeping his head down.
"No need to be so stiff, it's not like we have known each other from the academy and went through hell together so stand up, it's not on kingdom matters, it's my personal choice to come here."
The man stood up and quickly went through the darkness with haste and accurately grabbed two chairs in the darkness ignoring the penalties of not seeing through the black surroundings, without wasting time, and quickly invited them to sit down with his gesture and sat down first.
"Here, both of you sit down. I just want to ask about things that happened here." The man crossed his legs and straightened his back.
"Noxilliane Umbra Von Luna, it's indeed nice to meet you after a long time, do you still remember that letter vandalization that we did inside one of the school buildings? Good times…" Mayward was the first to stand up and went to talk casually.
"You never change Mayward, still irritating as usual. Will Rolly still be stiff at talking? I remember he used to use formal words in a casual setting." The man called Nox replied with a smile.
With a light laugh, Mayward remembered the past and smiled with Nox, his eyes nostalgic about the old things that they used to do.
All three of them went to the Academy of St. Selene and were close, they did a lot of things together and struggled before actually coming to terms with each other, becoming closer with each process and continuing their relationship until now.
"He is learning, though slowly, still a stuck up but it can now be manageable compared to what was in Mana Classes."
"Hey! Both of you stop it, it was a long time ago and besides I am not the same as I was before, I can see the massive progress that I have made, and Nox states your business already. I thought it was the Queen that came here. Why'd you use her mana signature anyway!"
Roland was irritated about being talked about and quickly asked about the things and his purpose for the visit.
All of them went silent, the room turned without a sound before Roland laughed out with a wide smile grabbed the seat sat down with these friends, and continued to talk about the old things in the academy.
They all reminisced and talked about their current relationships and status all of them were still single and continued to stay so due to them not wanting to be bound by any more responsibility.
They all reached back to where they were still first-years of the academy and were still adjusting, to the struggles and opportunities that they had accepted and missed.
Laughing about each other's mistakes and dissing each other proves their old friendship that goes way back. It got to the point that Nox brought out a bottle of wine which made Roland and Mayward about it but still accepted the drink.
"Hey, Rouge, Bleu have you heard about what's happening in the academy? I heard something unprecedented is happening. Since our generation, or rather our time. For the first time in a very very long time of St. Selene, something amazing is happening."
Nox quickly grabbed the bottle placed the wine in his wine glass and quickly chugged the liquor down his throat. While they both watched him with a profound respect for drinking.
"No", Roland replied, "Tell us what's happening over there, the war has just finished here so I might go onto other regions and see what I can do to help around the walls. Mayward do you know what he is talking about?"
"Like hell I know, I've been here guarding sooo much shit and doing soo many shitty workloads so of course, I won't. So tell us Nox! What is happening that you consider interesting."
Both Roland and Mayward leaned forward closer towards Nox who continued drinking from his cup until it ran out empty, although he drank a lot he had yet to be tipsy and drunk, his light weird movements felt natural but his friends knew it was just him acting.
Both of them listened attentively as to what he might say, they have been stuck in the war in the shadows without showing so much to the enemy, that whatever they have right now they would cherish it and count it as a blessing.
"It is interesting, so many things are happening, much more in the academy. There comes a new set of rules. First, there are now five houses that are instituted and maintained by the school namely Noir, Blanche, Rouge, Bleu, and Jaune."
Nox responded while eyeing his wine glass wondering why it was empty.
"So basically all our family names? To what purpose is that for?" One of them asked, and Nox responded without delay, "Well, the academy's reason was to see what they would specialize in and see where a lot of people would like to join in the future, although it might spark something it is kind of efficient in its way."
"Not only that, they get to promote the other families and showcase their strength while nurturing the young seeds." Roland continued. "So it seems like it wouldn't be just this to make you interested right? What is it, tell us more."
Nox paused for a while blinking his eyes, and showed a wide smile that showered from ear to ear.
"For the first time in the academy not first but maybe, after a very, very, very long time the five pillar's sons and daughters are in the same year, same school, same standing!" Nox showed his interest in the development.
"What's so interesting about that? I guess if all four pillars and the royal family were in the same year level would indeed be miraculous and wonderful but why are you interested in that?" Mayward asked confused about the situation.
"Not just that, old friend. They have implemented houses, have their representatives in the same room, and have their own family at stake, if everything is on the plate, dignity, pride, and their family lineage. What do you think would happen?" Nox replied.
"I see so it's a competition between families, huh, that's why Alicia wasn't left with a choice."
"Not just that, Roland, it's not a competition, it's a silent war. A war for their future. If everything comes down, if anything comes down. What do you think happens?" Nox asked while they both remained silent.
"Chaos, Exitium intra corpus. Destruction inside the body, oh how entertaining would it be."