As Kael made his way back to the academy, the streets slowly came alive. Doors opened, voices spilled out into the damp air, and children ran through puddles, laughing as they chased each other. Their mothers watched with tired but genuine smiles, relieved by the return of calm after the storm.

  Kael couldn’t help but smile at the sight. But the peace didn’t settle in his chest, not truly. I was too harsh with Cassandra, he silently admitted. She didn’t create this empire. She just accepts it. She’s never questioned it; that’s how she was raised.

  He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly.

  "She was cruel," he muttered. "But so was I. I’ll apologize when I see her again.” He chuckled faintly. "We're a strange pair, aren't we?"

  The path to the academy unfolded before him. It was familiar enough, though he still took a few wrong turns and ended up staring at dead ends more than once. Eventually, the towering silver gates emerged from the mist, gleaming softly under the clear sky.

  Relief washed over him.

  Home, he thought, and then paused. No... not home. Not anymore. But it’s still where I need to be.

  He straightened his hood, took a deep breath, and continued walking.

  As he reached the academy’s gates thinking that no one could stop him, a strict voice cut in from the side:

  “Young student, where have you been?”

  Kael turned and froze. The Commander of the Order, Zaros’s father, stood there as before: cold, indifferent, and quietly deadly.

  Kael swallowed and forced a neutral tone. “My apologies, sir. I was out with Lady Cassandra. She left early, so I came back. You know how noble ladies are—" He laughed nervously, hand behind his neck. Hope he buys it, he thought.

  The Commander said nothing, only inspecting him with the same appraising look Kael remembered from the dormitory. "I know you," he muttered at last. "You were the one who visited my son, weren't you?"

  "Yes, he's a good friend," Kael replied. “I couldn’t ask for a better one.”

  “Friend.” The word spat from the commander like something distasteful. "Feelings are the only weakness my son tolerates. You stand in the way of his potential.”

  Kael’s eyes narrowed. His voice stayed measured. "No, he'll be a better swordsman because of what you call weakness."

  A small amusement flickered across the commander’s face at Kael’s tone. “We’ll see.” He straightened, his expression turning to stone. "I'm sorry, student, but I can't let you in until I know what happened to Lady Cassandra. If anything happens to her, you will answer for it.”

  Kael opened his mouth to retort when a calm, neutral voice interrupted. “What’s happening here?”

  It was a voice he knew all too well.

  The Commander turned toward the voice. For a moment, something shifted in his expression before it settled back into stone.

  "Professor Nora," he said, his tone clipped. "This student left the academy with Lady Cassandra and returned alone. As Commander, I am naturally concerned for the whereabouts of a high noble. I assume you share this sentiment.”

  Professor Nora’s gaze flicked briefly and unreadably to Kael before returning to the commander. “I understand your concern, Robius,” Nora replied calmly. "But I can assure you, Lady Cassandra is safe. I passed her moments ago sitting on a bench not far from the academy grounds.”

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  Silence stretched between them. Heavy and controlled. The silence between them wasn’t empty. It thrummed softly, as if carrying a truth neither dared to speak.

  At last, Commander Robius cleared his throat and turned to Kael. "You may enter."

  With that, he strode into the gatehouse, his cloak trailing behind him like a shadow.

  Kael exhaled and looked at Nora. "Thank you," he said quietly and sincerely.

  Nora shook his head. "No need. I simply stated the truth." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Though I am curious why Lady Cassandra's expression was so burdened. Something must have transpired between the two of you in the outer district, yes?"

  Kael rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Yeah, let's just say we didn't part on good terms—"

  He froze. His eyes widened. "Wait, how do you know we went to the outer district? I didn’t tell anyone. Only Cassandra knew, and she was with me the whole time.”

  Professor Nora did not immediately respond. He simply held Kael’s gaze, examining and weighing him, before turning toward the academy and beginning to walk.

  “Follow me,” he said quietly without looking back.

  Kael blinked, caught off guard, but hurried after him. Maybe now I’ll finally get some answers, he thought.

  But disappointment set in quickly. Nora strolled through the academy gardens, stopping here and there to jot notes in a small leather notebook. He murmured to himself about root structure, leaf shape, and seasonal changes, utterly mundane topics. Kael tried to stifle a yawn and failed.

  “You think this is boring, don’t you?” Nora asked without turning around.

  Before he could respond, he turned slightly, his sharp green eyes cutting to him like a scalpel.

  "Patience is not your strong point, I see." His tone held neither judgment nor amusement, just fact. "Otherwise, you would not have taken the reckless gamble of venturing into the outer district with a woman like Lady Cassandra."

  Kael’s eyes narrowed. “So you were watching us?”

  Nora didn’t even blink. “No, Augs informed me. I visited his shop earlier.”

  He then glanced around the empty garden. “Tell me. Why do you think I chose to walk here at this hour, writing notes, while you followed me?”

  Kael let out a slow breath. Once a professor, always a professor, he thought. He forced himself to think. "Because anyone watching would assume this is just a normal conversation."

  A faint smile touched Nora’s lips, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. "Correct. Lesson one: patience. Answers demanded are rarely worth having. Answers earned...” His eyes flicked to Kael. "Those are the ones that shape fate."

  Kael frowned. "Wait, lesson? What lesson? I thought we were going to talk about the outer district. About Augs? The rebels? And Astra.

  Nora lifted an eyebrow, barely reacting. “No,” he said firmly. "My task is to teach you what you must learn for your future. Nothing more. The answers you seek belong to others."

  "And who would that be?" Kael asked, frustration already creeping into his voice.

  "One who refuses to meet you," Nora replied, sounding mildly irritated. "At least, not yet. After the childish argument between the two of you, I assume.”

  Astra. Kael’s jaw clenched. The only thread he had was slipping again. He exhaled, forcing the tension out.

  "I'm looking forward to your lessons," he muttered, trying to anchor the moment before it shattered.

  “Not so fast.” Nora’s tone cut through the air like cold steel. "I was instructed to teach you. But I never agreed. I wanted to see for myself if you were worth the effort.”

  He stepped closer, locking his sharp, assessing, merciless eyes onto Kael’s.

  "And I am not convinced."

  Kael felt his stomach sink. The disappointment stung more than he expected. "Oh, wonderful," he said dryly. "And how exactly do I convince you?"

  Nora didn’t blink. "Next week, your division will undergo a practical evaluation. Nineteen Chroniclers. You will be ranked by your skill with a blade.”

  He turned as if dismissing Kael entirely.

  "Place in the top three," Nora said in a flat voice, "and I will teach you."

  Without waiting for a response, he walked away, his coat fluttering behind him like a shadow severing ties.

  Kael remained where he stood, rooted to the damp earth of the garden path. Top three? Against nobles who had trained their whole lives? Against warriors who wielded blades like extensions of their own bodies?

  A bitter laugh almost escaped him.

  Astra isn’t here anymore, but Cassandra is. And others. Students who have no reason to hold back. How am I—

  He cut off his own thought. The poisonous doubt settled thickly in his chest. But then, slowly and deliberately, he exhaled. His gaze sharpened, burning through the fog of uncertainty.

  It didn't matter.

  It couldn't matter.

  If this was the price for answers, for truth, for Astra, for the rebels, for himself, then so be it.

  Even if I break trying, I will not stop.

  His resolve settled like iron in his bones.

  Kael turned and walked toward the exit of the garden, his steps steady. Rainwater dripped from the leaves around him like fading whispers. Ahead lay his dormitory and the path he had chosen.

  A quiet, fierce promise echoed in his chest as his footsteps faded into the academy grounds:

  Top three.

  No matter what it takes.