After finishing our evening routine with Mother, we sat in the warm glow of the candlelight. At the end of our session, she looked at us with a soft smile, but I could sense a heaviness in her expression. "Look, boys," she began, her voice tender, "I have something to tell you. Now that you're close to ten, in two years, you're both going to the Academy." There was a slight pause before she added, "Though I don't want to be separated from my boys, you need to go for your future development." She hugged us then, the weight of her sadness seeping through the embrace. "It's a rule in the kingdom."
Astor, with his ever-bright smile, looked up at her. "We'll be all right, Mother," he said confidently. His optimism was contagious, and for a moment, it lifted the air. Mother smiled, her arms tightening around us for a second longer, as if holding on before time would inevitably pull us away.
Dinner was quiet after that. We ate together, the usual warmth of family mealtime tinged with the knowledge of our looming departure to the Academy. Once dinner ended, Astor and I headed to our room. I lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts racing as usual.
We were already in the mid-stages of Stage 1, and the leap to the late stage was just around the corner. Normally, Stage 1 was meant to take much longer—something about learning essence control and laying the foundation for Stage 2. Advancing wasn't just about getting stronger; we had to increase our core's capacity, letting it break and condense with thicker walls of essence. It was all technical, really, but I couldn't help but overthink it. Astor had told me countless times to stop being such a thinker, but I couldn't help it.
Then, my mind wandered to the Academy—The Celestial Academy of Arcane Arts. Every noble child had to go there for further studies, and even commoners were allowed in. It was the most prestigious institution in the kingdom, or so I'd learned. And the headmaster...he was that old man from the Awakening Ceremony. Strange, how much we still didn't know about the world outside this mansion. Other than the ceremony, I hadn't stepped foot beyond these walls. I wondered what it would be like to see the city, to explore beyond the gates.
I glanced over at Astor, who was lying on his bed, gazing out the window at the moons. An idea popped into my head—one of those reckless thoughts Astor would definitely jump at. I sat up slightly and asked, "Hey, Astor, wanna sneak out of the mansion and roam the city?"
He looked at me, his gaze steady, then after a moment, a grin spread across his face. "Let's go," he said without hesitation. He hopped off the bed and darted to the wardrobe, rummaging through it before triumphantly pulling out two cloaks. Tossing one at me, he said, "I was going to ask you in a few days, but you beat me to it."
I caught the cloak, raising an eyebrow. "Where did you even get these?"
He smirked. "It's a secret."
Probably from one of the servants, I thought to myself. Astor was always up to something, and somehow, he always found a way to get what he needed. I slipped on the cloak, feeling the soft fabric settle around me. "So, where are we even going? Do you have any plans? And how are we sneaking out of here?"
Astor, already wrapped in his cloak and looking as eager as ever, just shrugged. "Nope! You're the wise one, you tell me."
I sighed. Typical Astor. Always ready for adventure but never with a plan.
As I glanced over at Astor, I quietly said, "Let's head to the balcony in the hallway. It's on the backside of the mansion. There's no gate there, so the guards only check it occasionally. We can easily climb down and cross the wall." We were on the first floor, so it wasn't a huge drop—definitely manageable after all the training we'd done.
Astor grinned, his usual excitement shining through. "Let's go, then."
We peeked through the slightly open door leading into the hallway, making sure no servants were around. Usually, at this time, they'd stop roaming, and the guards would be stationed mostly near the staircase. I noticed them patrolling now, which meant the timing was perfect. I nodded to Astor. "Now."
We both used Shadow Step, the signature movement technique of our family, to glide silently down the hall. In moments, we were at the balcony. Just as expected, it was deserted. I peered over the edge, scanning the grounds and the wall beyond. No one was there either. Perfect.
Before jumping, a thought struck me. I turned to Astor and whispered, "Do you have any money?"
Astor grinned and pulled out a small pouch, showing it to me like it was some grand treasure. I took it and opened it, my face instantly falling as I saw what was inside—gold Aureus. I stared at him, my expression blank. "Do you know how much a gold Aureus is worth for a commoner?" I asked in a low, exasperated tone.
His grin widened. "A ton."
Of course, typical Astor. Only he would bring the highest denomination of currency with us for a night out. I sighed, already imagining the looks we'd get trying to pay for anything with such a sum. But there was no turning back now. "Whatever," I muttered. "Let's go."
We jumped down from the first floor, landing gracefully on the ground. After months of intense training, this was nothing for us. Keeping to the shadows, we quickly made our way to the side of the wall. Astor went first, scaling it with ease. I followed right after, pulling myself up and over. In a matter of minutes, we were both outside the mansion grounds, standing on the other side of the wall, the city just beyond our reach.
Astor's POV
As soon as Nyx suggested we sneak out, I was ready. I mean, I had been thinking about it for days, but he beat me to it. I grabbed the cloaks I'd hidden away and tossed one to him. He gave me a look, probably wondering how I got them, but it's a secret. Well, kind of. One of the maids was planning to mend them, but they've been sitting there for days, so I "borrowed" them. No harm, right?
Once we were all set, Nyx mentioned the balcony in the hallway—genius! The guards barely check that spot, and we could climb down easily. No gates, no obstacles, just a clean getaway. We peered through the slightly cracked door, checking if any servants were around. None. Perfect. Nyx gave the signal, and we used Shadow Step to sneak our way down the hall. Quick, silent, and efficient.
When we reached the balcony, I looked down—no one in sight. So far, so good. But before we could jump, Nyx turned to me and asked about money. Of course, I had it covered! I pulled out the pouch I'd been carrying, proud of myself for being prepared. Nyx opened it and gave me this blank look. I wasn't sure why until he asked, "Do you know how much a gold Aureus is worth for a commoner?"
I couldn't help but grin. "A ton," I said, knowing full well I brought way too much. But hey, better to have more than less, right?
Nyx sighed—probably thinking I'm crazy, but he didn't argue further. We both jumped from the first floor and landed smoothly. Our training made this feel like a walk in the park. I glanced around again, just to be sure, and we made our way to the wall. I went up first, climbing easily. The excitement was building inside me as I reached the top and glanced down at Nyx. He followed right behind.
And just like that, we were on the other side. Outside the mansion, the city stretched out before us. I could barely contain my grin—this was going to be amazing. Nyx looked calm, like usual, but I knew he felt the same rush of excitement. For the first time, we were truly free. Time to explore!
Nyx's POV
As we stepped outside the mansion, I couldn't shake the feeling that our adventure was only beginning. The guards patrolled the area, so I turned to Astor and said, "Let's use Shadow Step and keep our hoods up. We're heading to the main market."
The city at night was enchanting. The moon bathed everything in silver light, and the streets came alive with the vibrant energy of the market. As we approached, the aroma of spices and sizzling food wafted through the air. Merchants shouted, enticing customers to try their wares. I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.
Astor, always ready for an adventure, looked at me with wide eyes and exclaimed, "Let's go eat some!"
I rolled my eyes. "How do you think we're going to do that? What will they say when we hand them this?" I gestured to the pouch of coins.
Astor's face fell for a moment as he thought. "So, what are we going to do?"
With a sigh, I replied, "Let's find an alley. There are plenty around here."