"Austin! Wait for me! Huff." Lucian appeared from around the corner, nearly tripping over his own feet.
His face was alight with enthusiasm as he rushed toward Austin, who immediately stopped in his tracks.
Lucian planted himself firmly in Austin's way, barraging him with a mix of praise and complaints.
"..."
"That duel was incredible! You humiliated my brother! Did you see the look on his face? Absolutely priceless! I mean, Aidan acts like he's some kind of prince—well, technically, he is—but you showed him who's boss! Brilliant, Austin, simply brilliant!"
"You're brothers?" Austin asked, simply stupefied by how they treated each other. Aidan physically abusing Lucian, while Lucian is out here badmouthing him. I mean, Austin can't blame him, but aren't I a stranger to them?
"Umm, we're actually twins," Lucian answered.
"Once again," Austin interrupted, his tone flat, "I didn't do it for you. But if war is what it takes to achieve peace, so be it."
Lucian didn't take the hint. Instead, he piled on even more compliments.
Upon closer inspection, Austin realized that Aidan and Lucian shared the same features—their jawlines, noses, and smiles were nearly identical.
However, Lucian's stark white hair, alabaster skin, and aqua-blue eyes sharply distinct with Aidan's golden-blonde hair, fair complexion, and deep blue eyes.
Albinism?
The sun finally dipped below the horizon, and the world was bathed in twilight.
As Lucian continued talking, Austin noticed something peculiar—a faint glow emanating from a nearby wall.
"Shhh," Austin hushed, raising a hand to silence Lucian. He moved closer to inspect the wall, where glowing texts etched themselves into the stone, forming a riddle:
---
"I pierce the clouds, a silent sentinel,
Unmoved by storms, my strength indomitable.
Through ages I stand, a monument to time,
A beacon of hope, a timeless rhyme.
What am I?"
---
Austin instantly recognized the answer, but before he could speak, Lucian blurted—
"The answer is a tower!"
Austin's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Do you twins have a habit of imposing things no one asked for?"
Lucian's face fell, his eyes welling up. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"
"—Enough." Austin sighed, raising a hand to stop him. "Don't cry. Do you like riddles or something?"
Lucian brightened immediately. "Oh, I love riddles! Back home, my grandfather—"
What followed was a long, winding story about Lucian's childhood, his love for riddles, and a completely unnecessary explanation about his family dynamics.
Austin stood silently, arms crossed, letting Lucian ramble until, mercifully, he reached the end.
"…and this noon, something similar happened! A different riddle appeared in our dormitory!" Lucian's eyes sparkled as he recited it: 'I hold knowledge vast, yet I am silent. Open my cover, and I speak without relent. What am I?'"
"A book," Austin answered without hesitation.
Lucian clapped his hands together. "Yes! Exactly! You're really sharp, Austin."
Austin stared at him, deadpan. "You're sharp enough to know when to stop talking, right?"
Lucian froze, blinking in thought. Then, to Austin's dismay, he burst out laughing. "You're funny, Alright!"
They resumed walking toward the dormitories. Or rather, Austin walked in silence while Lucian continued chattering.
"You know," Lucian said eventually, "all this talking is making me hungry."
Austin gave him a sidelong glance. "Then maybe you should stop talking so much."
Lucian's face crumpled, his eyes welling up again. "Am I bothering you?"
Austin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No." He paused, then added, "So… in the week you've been here, how have you been eating?"
"Oh!" Lucian perked up instantly. "The cafeteria provides food to all official students, even before classes start! I should've told you earlier—sorry about that!"
Austin muttered under his breath, "Next time, try sharing useful information first."
Lucian caught it and grinned sheepishly. "I promise I will!"
"..."
***
The cafeteria was nothing short of enchanting at night. Floating orbs of light hovered above, casting a soft, warm glow that illuminated the high vaulted ceilings painted with moving constellations.
The walls were lined with intricate gobelins that seemed to shimmer as the light hit them, and the long wooden tables were polished to a mirror-like sheen.
The smell of roasted meats, fresh bread, and fragrant stews filled the air, making Austin's stomach growl softly.
Students filled the hall, their chatter a low hum along with bursts of laughter.
As Austin and Lucian entered, several heads turned, and whispers followed them.
"Did you see him? That's the one who beat Aidan in a duel."
"I heard he didn't even use any arts."
"Is he really a first-year?"
"He's definitely going into the Mage Track tomorrow."
Not all the murmurs were flattering. A group of students at a nearby table shot scornful looks in Austin's direction, muttering amongst themselves.
One sneered, "He's just lucky. Let's see how far he gets when the real lessons start."
Austin ignored them, focusing on the task at hand; getting food.
He grabbed a tray and selected a hearty meal of roast chicken, steamed vegetables, and a bowl of thick soup.
Lucian followed closely, his tray piled high with an assortment of dishes.
As they sat at a small, empty table, Austin picked up snippets of conversation from a group of students nearby, ignoring Lucian's launch into yet another monologue.
"Tomorrow's our Placement Ceremony," one said, leaning in as if sharing a secret. "It's not just about assigning us to a specific class, you know, it's about tracks."
"Right," another added, "that's the real deal: the Class Placement Examination."
"Have you heard about the first question?" a third chimed in. "They ask if you want the Mage Track or the Sage Track."
"Simple enough," the first student said, "but the next four questions are tricky. They're about your character, and they say those determine if you qualify for the S-Class."
"What's that?"
"It's a special class where both the best Sage and Mage track students are combined."
The second student nodded. "Yeah, and the rest of the test adapts to your answers. The paper's mystical, so if you're failing the Mage questions, it switches to Sage ones, and vice versa. It's impossible to cheat."
"But what if you fail completely?" the third asked nervously.
"Then you're placed in the irregular class," the first replied, lowering their voice. "It's rare since the difficulty of the questions adapts depending on your answers to the previous questions, but it happens."
Austin listened quietly, absorbing the details.
He wasn't particularly concerned about the test—he'd deal with it when the time came. Instead, he focused on his meal, finishing it methodically while Lucian rambled on.
"...and that's why books with maps are my favorite! Did you know some of them even have hidden riddles in the illustrations? Oh! And books with diagrams? They're the best! You can learn so much from just one picture!"
Austin glanced up, realizing Lucian hadn't touched his food.
"Are you going to eat that, or just talk about books all dinner?" Austin asked dryly.
Lucian blinked, then looked at his tray as if noticing it for the first time. "Oh! Right, eating! Sorry—I get carried away sometimes. Did I mention my favorite book is about legendary creatures? There's this one chapter about..."
Austin sighed, pushing his empty tray aside. He waited silently as Lucian continued talking, describing everything from his favorite authors to obscure facts about ancient libraries.