The flickering candlelight cast long shadows in the drawing room as Newton sat across from Lady Alora, the tension between them palpable. The tea before them had long since cooled, untouched as their battle of words unfolded.
"The Imperial Velorian Academy," Alora began, her voice smooth yet edged with unspoken challenge. "The pinnacle of education and refinement in the kingdom. It is where the most promising nobles, scholars, and warriors are trained for the future. I trust you are prepared?"
Newton took a measured breath. He tilted his head slightly. "I am always prepared."
Alora arched an elegant brow. "Is that so? Strange, considering your name has been linked more to rumors of scandal than to scholarly pursuits."
Newton gave her a smirk. "Perhaps that is what they say. But words are often crafted to serve their speaker's intent."
Alora let out a soft chuckle. "A poetic way of admitting that you've given them plenty to talk about."
["She's baiting me, testing my composure."]
Newton rested his hands lightly on the table. "If people wish to speak of me, let them. A person's reputation is built upon the perceptions of fools. I care not for their misguided gossip."
Alora's eyes gleamed with something close to amusement. "Then you won't mind if I spread a few more rumors about you? I do have quite the influence at the academy."
Newton's smirk remained, but his gaze sharpened.
["So she is already positioning herself as a threat. Expected."]
"Feel free," he said smoothly. "But do choose wisely, Lady Alora. After all, should those rumors come back to haunt you, I would hate to be the cause of your misfortune."
Her smile faltered for only a moment before she laughed, a genuine sound that carried a hint of grudging respect. "Clever. I can see why people are drawn to you, even if you are insufferable."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Newton replied, meeting her gaze with equal intensity.
She leaned forward slightly, as if assessing him once more. "The academy is not just about intelligence, Isadora. It is a battlefield where power is everything. There will be those who will wish to see you fall. Are you ready for that?"
Newton met her challenge head-on. "I thrive under pressure. Surely, you must know that by now."
Alora watched him for a moment longer before finally pushing back her chair. "Then I look forward to seeing whether you can keep up."
She stood, her emerald gown flowing like liquid silk as she turned toward the door. "We'll be seeing much more of each other, Lady Isadora."
"I hope not," Newton replied, and she left without another word.
The room remained silent for several moments before Dani Donner hopped onto the table, pecking at one of the forgotten biscuits. "She likes you."
Newton exhaled. "She is a rival, not a friend."
Dani quacked. "Maybe now. But rivals have a funny way of becoming something else, don't they?"
Newton said nothing, instead rising from his chair and walking toward his chambers. The academy…
It was more than a place of learning. It was a place where political games would be played, where alliances would be formed and broken, and where only the strongest would endure.
And he intended to endure.
---
In his room, the servants had already begun packing his belongings. His wardrobe was filled with fine dresses, though he had little attachment to them. He had requested a set of writing materials, and they were placed neatly alongside his books.
He ran a hand over the spines of the volumes, tracing the engraved titles.
["New equations to solve, new minds to challenge… and a world that still remains a mystery to me."]
Dani perched himself on the windowsill, watching the moonlit sky. "You're excited," he noted.
Newton paused.
["Am I?"]
He scoffed at Dani's remark. "Maybe I am, who knows? This new mysterious world is intriguing, after all, I am a man of science."
He had thought he would feel dread, being sent into an unknown academic environment. But no. There was no fear—only the thrill of the unknown.
With one final glance at his belongings, Newton fastened his cloak around his shoulders.
Whatever awaited him at the Imperial Velorian Academy, he would face it head-on.
After all, even the laws of this world were meant to be broken.