"Are you sure you're well enough to get to class Leto?" George asked curiously as he picked up his things. By now Leto was resting in his own bunk pondering his predicament.
He stared at his arms, bewildered by his fresh face, it had been so long since he had skin without scars. Even now he ran his fingers over his arms and face, finding only the smooth skin of a teenage boy, unblemished by years of service to his Chazador Guild.
In the final age of the Mad Emperor many lives were lost in the battle between son and father, no one knew more than him the bitterness of defeat and capture.
To think his own best friend would end up a bigger tyrant than the one who started all this.
George's words roused him from deep within his thoughts, Leto lifted his head, moving his hair out of his eyes.
"I'm alright George I'm still thinking about my nightmare, it felt so real you know," Leto said, holding his head in his hands. Even now he couldn't believe it, he had been given a second chance, he could save Azia, save everyone from what Dominic could eventually become.
Maybe he would even be able to save Dominic from himself.
A voice at the back of his mind chimed in, Save him or end him before he became too much of a threat.
George's round eyes softened in sympathy for the other boy who shared his room. He had already finished putting on his uniform but noticed Leto wasn't dressed at all, the dark haired boy was still in his pajama bottoms and had his bare chest out.
"Look," George began, he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I know we aren't close as roommates but I could tell the Academy lecturers you aren't feeling well,"
"No, No, I'm up. Just give me a moment." Leto jumped up from the bed and ran to the small wardroom to pull out his freshly pressed Griswold Academy uniform. He started with the clean white shirt, before throwing the dark blazer over his shoulder. He knotted his tie and pulled on his pants and boots ready to follow George out the door.
"Ready to go," Leto said. George nodded in approval, holding the door open for both of them to proceed out the door.
----------
Walking the hallways of the school made Leto feel incredibly out of place. In the final age, the building was almost entirely reduced to rubble. Many had taken cover here but were attacked by the Empyrean Knights of the Mad Emperor or some other Lord that had taken a side in the conflict.
Now he walked the wide corridors of the school, watching happy students show off their magic to their friends.
He passed a few of the academy's teachers, stern faces looked down at him, turning their noses up at him as he and George passed them by. Leto recalled the disrespect due to his status as a low born.
Because he wasn't from a high ranking Empyrean Knight Family, nor a Magnus or an Aide, he would more often than not be treated with disdain and it was not until he became a high ranking Chazador that things began to change.
Only strength ruled within the Tavestia Empire.
"Leto, there you are!" A cheerful voice said, Leto flinched recognizing the joyous lilt in the voice of his friend. Dominic approached him and George with a grin, the last born prince of the Tavestia Empire slung his arm around Leto grinning widely.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," Dominic said. A warm light glowed in Dominic's hazel eyes, staring into his gaze, Leto saw Dominic held nothing but care for him. Where had it all gone so wrong?
A memory of those same cold eyes, burning with a smoldering hatred for him, flashed through Leto's thoughts. It was so different from the Dominic he knew now within the academy, the Dominic who would do anything for his friends.
'What happened to you?' Leto wanted so desperately to ask but he knew Dominic now wouldn't understand a thing of what he was talking about.
He would sound crazy.
Leto unhooked the arm from around his neck and stood back to observe Dominic's now puzzled face. The white haired boy, looked back at Leto questioning if he was alright with just his eyes. His mouth opened to say something but Leto was already speaking.
"Why were you looking for me?" Leto asked calmly.
Dominic lifted an eyebrow at the question.
"To walk to class together like we always do?" He replied folding his arms and glaring. Just then a flicker of something Leto recognized from Dominic's future self flashed in those hazel eyes. Leto clenched his fist, fighting back the urge to end the prince right then and there.
"Is something wrong?" Dominic asked.
George looked from face to face sensing the tension between the two classmates in his year. Everyone knew of Dominic and Leto's friendship, something straight out of a fairy tale, a high born prince befriending a low born child and rising through the ranks together.
It was all very sweet, except right now it looked like Leto would take Dominic's head off if no one stopped him.
"Why don't we get to class," George said shyly.
Leto blinked, regaining control of his emotions, his clenched fist loosened. He walked past Dominic, knowing he didn't have the strength to contain his emotions now.
"Let's go, George," Leto commanded sternly, the red haired boy moved past the prince, muttering something in respect to him and following behind Leto.
----------
Leto sat in class with an empty notebook open before him, the teacher in attendance droned on and on using magical animations to illustrate the long and powerful history of the Tavestia Empire. Before Dominic's father reigned and his father before him and other previous generations.
The Tavestia Empire started as a group of settlers who braved through this land, after the disappearance of an ancient civilization.
It was believed that they disappeared due to the appearance of a rift, a Primordial Leak into the realm of monsters, gods, and spirits. Facing danger at every turn the people cried out for a means to defend themselves, the gods in their magnanimity gave them the ability to use mana the magical life force of their world but at a cost.
With this magic, the humans were able to fight back against their circumstances and claim the land as theirs. From there several classes were born.
The Magnus, masters of battle magic who often became renowned for their magical prowess, able to command mana to an outstanding degree, performing feats that were akin to miracles.
The Aides, prestigious healers able to call one back from the very brink of death. Azia had grown to be once such Aide, a master of the Autumn Tower Healing Hall, the first of a low born to do such.
The Chazador, hunters of the monsters and, masters of the curio. They were the investigators of the arcane relics that spanned the vast lands of the empire.
Lastly, the Empyrean Knights, the Mad Emperor's elite guard. Defenders of the Tavestian Empire they sought to bring order to the chaos that was humanity.
All these factions came together under the Tavestian Empire, bringing glory to its name. At the top of it all was the current head, The Mad Emperor himself, Ignatius Tavestia.
A vile taste grew in Leto's mouth as he thought about the man, while Dominic was equally as terrible in his own right, Ignatius was worse in his ruthless pursuit of those who did not serve his empire. Commanding his Empyrean Knights to capture and execute any mana gifted child who did not agree to serve in any of the factions and their families.
He created a world where the strong stepped on the weak and Leto disagreed with his methods. He thought Dominic was the same but it turned out the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
"Mr. Wilcott?" The teacher's aged voice called from the front. The class turned to stare at him, some snickering and others with an expression of admonition or pity.
"Yes Professor Vagras?" Leto answered, standing in his seat, he knew the thin, balding man was about to ask him a question.
"What brought about the tentative peace we have now?"
"That would be the Third Curio War, where forces from the other kingdoms and empires tried to infiltrate our continent, unfortunately, they were subsequently overwhelmed by the various monsters and magical beasts. Unknowing that only the Chazador know how to harvest the Curio." Leto replied.
The class stared in shock that the low born would answer so swiftly. No one had been paying attention to the professor's ramblings, they assumed he would fail but Leto had no intentions of skipping over knowledge this time around.
Ignatius Tavestia was a world class Chazador the only one to receive the Ivy pin, the highest rank a Chazador could achieve. Leto knew it would take one Chazador to beat another. He would need knowledge and strength to rise in rank as well.
Leto sat back in his seat as the lecture went on, around his voices whispered about him. Whatever they said, he did not care.
He would not waste this chance.