The front gates of the Korax estate buzzed with murmurs of children set to head out for Acacia. Cedric stood by the entrance, patiently waiting for his beloved pupil, Ray, who was still asleep. Across the blue sky, the morning sun kept moving. The entrance exam was just a week away. Acacia was the children’s destination.

  One by one, the children left after greeting their favourite guards and maids.

  Elaira kicked Ray’s mattress and scowled. “Listen here, Ray. You gonna keep sleeping?” Ray mumbled, “Just a few more minutes.” Elaira frowned. “Forget about Acacia, then.” Ray immediately jumped out of bed and said, “Alright, let’s go.”

  Elaira chuckled. “Get ready first. You look like a beggar.” And she exited the dormitory.

  Ray yawned and stretched. I could make it to Acacia in two days if I gave it my all.

  He then shrugged, jumped out the back window, and walked towards the well. He looked at the bright blue sky and smiled. Finally, I can see what Acacia looks like.

  He washed his face and tied his blonde hair in a topknot, leaving a few strands over his side.

  He crouched and jumped onto the roof of the dormitory. The wind grazed past him as his eyes landed on the mansion.

  One day, I will have a mansion just like this, maybe even better. He thought with a smirk.

  Elaira reached the front gate, greeted Cedric, and joined Jon and Sera, who were waiting at the fountain.

  “Is he awake?” Sera grumbled. Elaira nodded and looked at Jon. “Listen here, where is your rival, Aidan?”

  Jon smirked, “He isn’t my rival, because I am just better than him. In all the spars we had, I won the most. I…”

  Elaira sighed and sat down next to Sera as Jon continued talking.

  The murmurs of the children faded, and soon Elaira, Sera, Jon, and Cedric were the only ones left. Ray soon arrived at the gate and greeted Cedric.

  “Be sure to learn everything. But I’m sure you don’t need me telling you that,” Cedric said with a warm smile. Ray nodded as Cedric walked towards the mansion. He stopped a few steps later. “Aidan won’t be joining you,” he grumbled. “You can go ahead.”

  Elaira and Sera looked at Jon, who frowned. After Cedric left, Ray said, “Aidan will meet us at Acacia. He will accompany the duke.” He turned to Jon and said, “It will be a big ceremony, unlike previous years, since the prince and princess will take the entrance exam.”

  He glanced at the blue sky. The clouds followed where the wind led them, and the sun shone mightily across the vast plains.

  Elaira tilted her head. “Listen here, why would a princess be taking the entrance exam to a knight academy?”

  Ray looked at her and said, “Because she cannot have the throne, she’s aiming for the next best thing, knighthood.” Elaira and Sera nodded in understanding.

  Jon sighed and smiled. “Let’s get going now; we cannot be late. If I am correct, and we hurry, it’ll take exactly a week from now to reach Acacia. And since, like Ray says, there will be a ceremony, we cannot be late. We will have to run if we can. I will lead you all safely to Acacia.” A chilly breeze passed him by when he noticed he was alone at the gates. Ray and the others had already left.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  He flinched and quickly grabbed his bag and ran after them, shouting and cursing.

  The metallic gates of the Korax estate closed loudly behind them as they drifted along the road. The sun was lighting the path ahead, and the wind followed their every step. Sera’s heart beat faster than when she made rounds of the estate. Elaira, whose hands never wavered when holding a dagger, quivered. Jon, whose body had become stronger because of the sparring with Aidan, was covered in nervous sweat.

  Unlike the other three, Ray was calm. He was prepared for the best as well as the worst. His green eyes fixed on the road ahead, his ears listening to everything around them.

  The road was silent except for the chirping of birds and the crunch of dirt under their feet. After a while, the group entered a forest.

  Jon spoke up, “So what will you guys do when we go to Acacia? I will use my charisma to charm girls. They surely won’t be able to resist me. I—”

  “Listen here, should I just knock him out?” Elaira asked Sera.

  “Who's going to carry him then?”

  “We can just leave him here.”

  Jon immediately cupped his mouth, and the group continued in silence.

  The day passed by in a blink. The blue sky turned crimson as the group stopped just outside the forest. They rested for the night before lighting a campfire.

  Ray stretched first, then turned to Elaira. “Let’s spar.”

  “Okay.” She shot to her feet immediately.

  Sera decided to watch while Jon slept. Since they didn’t have weapons, they decided it would be a fistfight. Ray cracked his knuckles as Elaira stood still, her arms crossed in front of her.

  The two of them stood, eyes fixed on each other as the sun hid beneath the distant horizon. Elaira lunged, snapping her right arm toward Ray’s throat. Ray caught her wrist, her fingernails an inch away from his neck. Planting her feet, Elaira whipped her left fist toward his face. He tilted his head slightly, catching her punch with his right arm. A loud thud followed as his knee connected with her sole as she jumped to block it. Using his knee as a stepping stone, she flipped over his head, her arms still in Ray’s grasp as she landed behind him. Their backs faced each other. Ray released her, both spinning to fire punches — their knuckles colliding in a jarring thud. Elaira smirked as she launched a roundhouse kick aimed at Ray’s head. He ducked and kicked her only foot on the ground as she crashed. She immediately retaliated with a spin kick to Ray’s shin. He jumped, dodging while she flipped to her feet again.

  “Not bad, Ray. You’ve gotten good at hand-to-hand.”

  Ray scoffed, “I’ve always been good at brawling.”

  Sera focused intently on their moves.

  They got into position. This would be the last move. They knew it, felt it in their bones.

  They both rushed at each other and punched straight. Their knuckles met again, but this time the force jolted Elaira’s arm wide as she tumbled to the ground.

  Ray stood over her, smiling. “I win.”

  Elaira sighed, “Alright, I lost.”

  Sera clapped, “I’m next.” Ray looked over at her. “Sure, come here.” She jumped towards him while Elaira pouted and sat down under a tree.

  Back at the mansion, Aidan stood under the bright chandelier in the hallway. Cedric entered the mansion and stopped right next to him.

  Aidan questioned, “Will his highness attend the ceremony?” Cedric nodded. “Of course, he will. His beloved children will be taking the entrance exam.” Aidan’s eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat. He had always seen the princess differently. She was kind, beautiful, and had a strong sense of justice. A smile appeared on his face while Cedric shook his head with a quiet sigh.

  The frail-looking woman walked down the stairs with slow, graceful steps. Her blue hair, similar to Aidan’s, flowed freely as she approached him.

  Cedric grumbled, “Is Gordon not ready yet, Mathilde?” She smiled before coughing. “He’s almost done.”

  She then glanced at Aidan, who was lost in thought, and chuckled, “Are you thinking of Cassandra?”

  Aidan flinched. “W-what? N-no, mother, I was not,” he stuttered as he turned red.

  Footsteps echoed in the hall as the duke calmly walked with a certain authority. Mathilde and Aidan bowed while Cedric stood rigid as ever.

  The duke glanced at Aidan. “The princess already has a fiancé. It would be for the better if you kept your thoughts off her.”

  Aidan clenched his fists. “I understand, Father.”

  “We set out when the moon descends.” He ordered everyone. The duke walked outside under the dark sky. His blue eyes gazed at the lonely moon shedding its light over this world.