As the three of them approached the central tower, its looming presence seemed to swallow the horizon. Theos found his mind tangled in a singular, nagging thought: How could we barely survive two Level 4 beasts, while he—
Theos stopped himself, shaking off the thought. Even in his own mind, the name felt too heavy, too forbidden to speak. A being who had disappeared for hundreds of years, whose legend had become a whispered myth, did not deserve to be called lightly.
Clay's voice broke the silence. "You're quiet, Theos. Too quiet. What's going on in that head of yours?"
Theos hesitated, his twin blades strapped to his back feeling heavier than ever. "I'm just... trying to make sense of all this. Every step forward feels like we're moving closer to something we aren't prepared for." He paused, his voice softening. "How do three of us barely scrape by against two Level 4 beasts, but there are stories of someone who could take down gods? It feels… impossible."
Amgis scoffed, shouldering his massive greatsword. "You're thinking too much. Legends are just that—stories made to be bigger than life. We're not trying to live up to anyone's tale, Theos. We're just here to survive. And maybe save a few lives along the way."
Clay didn't look convinced. His expression was serious, his hand resting on the hilt of his longsword. "He's got a point, though," Clay said. "There are stories—ancient ones. About someone who could do the impossible. If those stories are true… and if they're tied to what's happening now…" He trailed off, glancing toward the tower. "Then maybe we're part of something way bigger than we thought."
Theos didn't respond. The weight of Clay's words pressed against him like the air before a storm. He looked toward the tower, the feeling of being caught between the past and the present growing stronger with every step.
"Guys, the test is over—we passed!" Theos announced, a wide grin stretching across his face. His voice echoed against the open sky, breaking the tense silence that had clung to them moments before. He gestured toward the breathtaking view surrounding them. "Look at where we are right now. We're at the top of the tower."
As if on cue, applause erupted, rising from the academy grounds below. The sound was thunderous, a mixture of awe and respect. Theos couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. Reaching the top wasn't just a victory—it was a statement. They had overcome what most considered impossible.
Theos turned to his companions, their faces etched with exhaustion but glowing with triumph. Amgis, leaning heavily on his greatsword, managed a crooked grin. "I don't know about you two, but I could sleep for a week after this."
Clay chuckled breathlessly, sheathing his longsword. "If we're still alive after this much, I'd say we've earned it."
As the applause below began to fade, a new sound replaced it—the rhythmic pounding of boots on stone. Theos turned to see a group of instructors ascending the stairs that spiraled up to the tower's summit. At the forefront was the stern woman who had announced the trial earlier, her dark robes billowing in the wind, the gold trim shimmering faintly under the setting sun.
"Well done," she said, her sharp eyes scanning each of them. Though her tone was as cold as ever, there was a trace of approval in her voice. "Reaching the summit is no small feat. You've proven yourselves worthy of the academy."
Clay smirked, though he was visibly still catching his breath. "You could've just sent us a letter of acceptance, you know. Would've saved us a lot of trouble."
The woman's lips twitched, but she didn't quite smile. "The academy does not hand out letters. It forges warriors. If you cannot survive the trials, you have no place within these walls."
Amgis gave a low groan as he pushed himself to his feet, his greatsword slung across his back. "Trust me, lady, we're more than ready. Right, Theos?"
Theos nodded, though his mind was still racing with the voice they had heard moments earlier—the mysterious warning about their journey only beginning. He wasn't sure if it was part of the trial or something else entirely, but he decided to keep it to himself for now.
"I'll take the three of you to your dorms. Classes start in three days," the woman said, her tone clipped but not entirely unkind. Her sharp gaze swept over Theos, Amgis, and Clay as if appraising them anew. "Congratulations. You're one of the first groups to complete the trial."
Amgis gave a low whistle, nudging Clay with his elbow. "Hear that? We're practically prodigies already."
Clay rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the small smirk tugging at his lips. "Don't let it go to your head. We still have a long way to go."
Theos, however, stepped forward, his usual cheeky grin spreading across his face. "So, uh… what's your name? I don't want you to be nameless. 'Mysterious Lady in Dark Robes' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue."
The woman's expression flickered—was that amusement?—but she quickly masked it with her usual stoic demeanor. "You may call me Instructor Celindra," she said coolly. "And if you plan to survive here, I suggest you take your training—and your instructors—seriously."
Theos raised his hands in mock surrender. "Noted, Instructor Celindra. Though I was just trying to be polite. Names are important, you know."
"Indeed, they are," she replied, her tone giving nothing away. She turned on her heel and began walking, motioning for them to follow.
"This is your dorm room," Instructor Celindra announced, her tone sharp and to the point as she gestured to the heavy wooden door in front of them. "The three of you will be staying here for the foreseeable future, so I suggest you get comfortable living together."
She turned the brass key in the lock, and the door creaked open with a faint hum of magic, revealing their new living space. Theos, Amgis, and Clay stepped inside, their eyes immediately darting around the room.
The common area was modest yet inviting, with a small round table and three chairs set in the center. A cozy couch faced a narrow fireplace, its carved mantle adorned with symbols they didn't yet recognize. The walls were made of the same dark stone as the rest of the academy, but soft tapestries in rich blues and golds added a touch of warmth. Three doors branched off the main space, leading to what Theos assumed were their individual bedrooms.
"This is… better than I expected," Theos admitted, walking further into the room. He trailed his fingers along the smooth stone wall, feeling a faint pulse of energy beneath the surface, as if the room itself were alive.
Amgis, on the other hand, flopped onto the couch with a contented sigh. "Now this," he declared, "is a proper place to relax after nearly dying."
Clay raised an eyebrow as he leaned against the table, arms crossed. "Relaxing isn't exactly on the agenda, Amgis. We've got three days before classes start, and something tells me we'll need every second to prepare."
"Three days is plenty of time," Amgis shot back, grinning. "You can use it to study or train, and I'll use it to get some actual rest. Sounds fair to me."
Theos chuckled, shaking his head as he turned to Celindra. "Do all the rooms here look like this, or are we just special?"
The instructor's expression remained as stoic as ever, though Theos thought he caught the faintest hint of a smirk. "Your room is standard for first-year students, though the accommodations improve as you progress through the ranks. Whether or not you ever see those improvements depends on your performance. Keep that in mind."
Her gaze swept over the three of them, her tone growing sharper. "And another thing—this is more than just a dormitory. It's a place for you to learn discipline, teamwork, and self-reliance. Conflicts between roommates are not my concern, so if you can't get along, I suggest you figure it out quickly. Understood?"
"Yes, Instructor," the three of them chorused, though Theos' cheeky grin hinted that he might test that rule at some point.
As the evening wore on, the trio began settling into their new space. Amgis claimed the room closest to the common area, saying it was "strategic" for grabbing food first if someone ever delivered snacks. Clay picked the room furthest from the fireplace, citing the need for a quiet corner to study. That left Theos with the middle room, which he didn't mind—it felt balanced, and the window had a decent view.
They unpacked what little they had brought with them, their rooms quickly filling with small personal touches. Amgis propped his greatsword against the wall, its hilt glinting in the firelight. Clay arranged his notebooks and a small collection of carefully maintained tools on his desk. Theos set a worn leather-bound journal on his shelf, the pages filled with scribbled notes and sketches from his travels, and artifacts from Roseville.
Later that night, after they had eaten a simple meal provided by the academy, the three of them gathered around the fireplace. The flames crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the room.
"I still can't believe we're actually here," Theos said, staring into the fire. "I mean, we survived the trial, passed the test, and now we're officially academy students."
"Yeah, officially at the bottom of the ladder," Amgis said, though his tone was more amused than bitter. "You heard Celindra—this place is going to test us in ways we can't even imagine."
Clay nodded, his expression serious. "We need to stay sharp. The trial was just the beginning. If we want to stand out here—if we want to survive—we can't get complacent."
Theos looked between his friends, their faces illuminated by the warm glow of the fire. Despite their differences, he couldn't imagine facing this challenge with anyone else. "We've got each other," he said firmly. "Whatever this place throws at us, we'll handle it. Together."
Amgis raised an imaginary glass. "Here's to surviving our first term without getting expelled or killed."
Clay shook his head, but there was a faint smile on his lips. "I'll drink to that. Figuratively."
Theos laughed, feeling a rare moment of peace settle over him. For now, at least, they were ready to face whatever came next.
As Theos finally came to rest, sinking onto the edge of his bed, his thoughts were consumed by a singular, gnawing question: Where could Roseville be at this moment?
The dim light from his room's lantern flickered softly, casting wavering shadows on the walls, but it did nothing to ease the storm inside him. Roseville wasn't just another figure in his life—she was a pillar, a guiding light in his darkest hours. The memory of her warm smile, the way she always seemed to know the right words to say, played over and over in his mind like an old melody he couldn't let go of.
"She was like a mother to me," Theos murmured to himself, his voice hoarse with the weight of his emotions. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his nails digging into his palms.
His thoughts spiraled back