The academy towers appeared just after sunrise.
For the first time in three days, the road beneath their feet became smooth stone instead of mud and roots.
Behind them stretched the path they had crossed since leaving the frontier: the jagged hills, the cold plains where they had camped beside the river, and the dark damp forest that had swallowed the last two days of their journey.
Every step of it still clung to them.
Sweat.
Mud.
Damp clothes.
Branches and leaves stuck in their hair.
Of the seven people walking through the academy gate, only one looked even remotely composed.
Professor Arcturus Hale.
His robes were clean. His posture straight. His breathing calm.
He looked as if he had just finished a quiet morning walk.
The students behind him looked like survivors of a minor natural disaster.
Rei Takeda was the second most presentable.
Which was a low standard.
His clothes were damp, streaked with dried mud, and his hair hung slightly over his eyes. From the outside he looked tired but stable.
Inside, however, every muscle in his body was quietly threatening rebellion.
Behind him came the other five.
"Human" was no longer the correct word.
Mira and Elira walked side by side, too exhausted to even complain. Their movements were slow and mechanical, like people operating purely on habit rather than conscious thought.
Cassian Virel walked with the stubborn refusal of someone who had decided suffering was beneath him and therefore would simply ignore it.
Valen Drayke attempted to maintain his usual noble composure.
Unfortunately his legs had very different plans.
Each step looked carefully controlled, but the effort showed in the stiffness of his posture and the faint tremor in his shoulders. His body clearly wanted to collapse somewhere quiet and horizontal.
He simply refused to allow witnesses.
Shin Raiga had adopted a different strategy.
He was trying to look tough.
It worked.
Right up until the academy dormitories came into view.
The moment he saw the building, the last reserve of stubborn determination drained from his face.
Rei noticed.
Without saying anything, he stepped beside Shin and hooked the lightning user's arm over his shoulder.
Shin didn't even protest.
Around them the academy courtyard buzzed with normal morning activity.
Students walked between classes.
Some were training on the fields.
Others gathered near the dining hall.
And many of them stopped.
Stared.
Then laughed.
A group of clean, well-rested academy students watched the six mud-covered initiates stagger through the courtyard and whispered among themselves.
To them it looked ridiculous.
Six elite Ascendant students returning like drowned travelers.
Valen straightened slightly when he noticed the attention.
If he was going to collapse, it would not be in public.
Professor Hale stopped near the main courtyard and turned toward them.
His calm expression did not change.
"You are dismissed."
That was all.
No lecture.
No congratulations.
Just dismissal.
The six students did not need to be told twice.
They split immediately.
Valen placed Cassian's arm over his shoulder, the two nobles silently supporting each other as they headed toward their dormitory building.
Neither of them acknowledged the help.
Rei adjusted Shin's weight and began walking toward their own room, Shin's bag hanging awkwardly from his shoulder.
By the time they reached the door, Shin was barely conscious.
Rei pushed the door open.
Walked inside.
Then immediately dropped Shin onto the floor.
Shin hit the ground with a dull thud.
Rei took two more steps.
Then collapsed beside him.
For several seconds neither of them moved.
Finally Shin groaned from the floor.
"…worth it."
Rei stared at the ceiling.
He considered the statement.
Then closed his eyes.
Neither of them had the energy to argue.
Sunlight crept slowly across the floor.
At some point it reached Rei's face.
His eyes twitched.
Then opened.
For a moment he simply stared at the ceiling.
His brain tried to assemble reality from several disconnected memories.
Mud.
Forest.
Mountains.
The frontier wall.
Walking.
A lot of walking.
Rei pushed himself up slightly, squinting at the light.
"…when did we reach the academy?"
The question came out quietly, mostly directed at the empty air.
Then he looked around.
The wooden desk.
The small window.
Two beds.
Their dorm room.
Rei blinked once.
Why does the plains region look like our dorm room?
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
Still the dorm room.
A low groan came from the floor beside him.
Shin shifted slightly, face still pressed against the wooden boards.
"…did we die?"
Rei glanced down.
Shin opened one eye halfway.
"Why does the plains region look like our dorm room?"
Rei stood slowly, his muscles protesting the movement.
He walked to the window and pushed it open.
Bright sunlight flooded the room.
Students moved across the courtyard below, heading between buildings like any normal academy morning.
Rei stared outside for a few seconds.
Then the memories aligned properly.
The frontier.
The three-day march.
The gate.
Professor Hale dismissing them.
Dragging Shin up the stairs.
Dropping him on the floor.
Oh.
Right.
"We made it back yesterday," Rei said.
Shin groaned again.
"…that explains the floor."
Rei leaned slightly out of the window.
Something about the light felt strange.
The courtyard was busy.
But the angle of the sun…
He looked at it again.
Then sighed.
"…we slept for an entire day."
Shin was silent for a moment.
Then he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
"…worth it."
Rei couldn't even argue.
His legs still felt like someone had replaced the bones with wet rope.
Outside the academy bell began ringing.
Morning classes.
Again.
Rei closed the window.
"Get up."
Shin did not move.
"Absolutely not."
Rei looked at him.
Then calmly kicked his leg.
Shin groaned louder.
"Fine. I'm awake. Stop assaulting me."
Rei stepped toward the door.
"Come on."
Shin slowly dragged himself to his feet.
"…next time Hale says 'short trip,' I'm pretending to be sick."
Rei paused at the door.
"…you tried that on the second day."
Shin stared at him.
"…I was hoping you forgot."
They stepped into the hallway.
Both still felt like walking corpses.
But compared to yesterday…
They were at least human again.
Barely.
A heavy knock landed on the door.
Rei looked at it.
Then at Shin.
Shin was still lying on the floor exactly where he had been dropped earlier.
"Door," Rei said.
Shin didn't move.
Rei sighed and stepped over him.
He grabbed Shin by the shoulder and dragged him slightly to the side so the door could open.
Shin groaned in protest but was too tired to argue.
Rei pulled the door open.
Cassian Virel was leaning against it.
The moment the door moved, Cassian lost his support.
He fell forward.
Directly onto the floor.
Directly onto Shin.
The impact knocked the air out of Shin's lungs.
A strange sound escaped him.
Somewhere between a scream and a dying balloon.
"AAAAAAAA–"
Cassian pushed himself up slowly, completely ignoring the human cushion beneath him.
Shin wheezed from the floor.
"…I think my soul left my body."
Cassian glanced down.
"Oh. You're awake."
Rei stared at both of them.
Behind Cassian, three more figures appeared in the doorway.
Valen stood there with his usual noble posture.
Or at least the closest approximation his exhausted body could currently manage.
Mira leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking far too amused by what she had just witnessed.
Elira stood beside her, quietly covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh.
The three stepped inside.
From the hallway came several curious stares.
A few students had stopped walking.
Seeing two girls casually entering the boys' dormitory room was apparently the most interesting event of their morning.
Whispers immediately followed.
Mira noticed the attention and rolled her eyes.
"Oh relax," she muttered toward the hallway. "They're barely alive."
Shin raised a weak hand from beneath Cassian.
"…I can confirm that."
Valen stepped into the room and closed the door behind them.
For a moment the six of them just stood there.
Or in Shin's case, lay there.
Tired.
Barely functional.
Cassian finally moved off Shin and leaned against the wall.
Valen exhaled slowly.
Mira dropped into the nearest chair.
Elira sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
No one spoke.
Then Mira looked around the room.
"…so."
She gestured toward the pile of bodies on the floor.
"Did we all survive the expedition?"
Shin groaned again.
"…unclear."
Rei leaned against the wall.
"Unfortunately."
Rei looked toward Mira.
"How did you even get into the boys' dormitory?"
Mira shrugged casually.
"Ascendant batch privileges."
She gestured vaguely toward the hallway.
"Apparently we're important now."
Rei accepted this explanation without much reaction.
It sounded exactly like something the academy administration would decide after sending them into monster territory.
Mira leaned against the desk.
"We actually came to tell you something."
Rei waited.
"Professor Hale gave the Ascendant group the day off."
For the first time since waking up, Shin reacted instantly.
"YES."
The shout echoed slightly in the small room.
Shin shot upright like someone had revived him with lightning.
Which, technically, wasn't far from the truth.
Cassian was still halfway through the difficult process of standing up from the floor.
Unfortunately for him, Shin's excitement had consequences.
A small arc of lightning snapped from Shin's hand.
It touched Cassian's arm.
Cassian jerked violently.
"WHAT WAS THAT—"
Shin blinked.
"…reflex."
Cassian glared at him.
"You electrocuted me!"
Shin pointed a finger.
"You were on the floor."
"That is not a crime."
"It looked suspicious."
Rei watched the exchange in silence.
Then he spoke calmly.
"You were also leaning against our door unconscious."
Cassian paused.
"…that's unrelated."
Mira snorted.
Valen rubbed his temples slowly.
Elira quietly tried to stop herself from laughing.
Meanwhile Shin stretched his arms like someone who had just woken from the best sleep of his life.
"Day off," he said happily.
Cassian finally stood upright.
"If you electrocute me again, I will bury you."
Shin grinned.
"You'll have to catch me first."
Cassian stared at him.
His body still looked one bad step away from collapsing.
"…later."
Rei leaned back against the wall.
The room felt oddly peaceful.
No marching.
No freezing rivers.
No monsters the size of horses.
Just the quiet chaos of six very tired students.
For the moment…
That was enough.
Mira stretched slightly in the chair before speaking again.
"Oh right. There was something else."
Rei looked at her.
"Professor Hale said you should come to his office this afternoon. After lunch."
The room went quiet for a second.
Shin tilted his head.
"Just him?"
Mira nodded.
"Just Rei."
Cassian crossed his arms.
"That sounds suspicious."
Rei didn't look particularly concerned.
"Did he say why?"
Mira shook her head.
"No. Just that you should come."
Elira spoke softly from the bed.
"Maybe it's about the patrol."
Valen considered that.
"Or the monster valley."
Cassian scoffed.
"Or the strange dark energy you keep producing."
Everyone looked at Rei.
Rei blinked once.
"…that seems unlikely."
Cassian pointed at him.
"You produced mysterious black energy in front of two high-rank mages."
"Yes."
"And you think they're not curious?"
Rei thought about it.
"…fair point."
Shin leaned back against the wall.
"If Hale starts dissecting you, can I have your bed?"
Rei glanced at him.
"No."
"Selfish."
Mira stood up.
"Well, whatever it is, it can wait until afternoon."
She stretched her arms.
"For now I plan to enjoy the first real day off we've had since Hale decided sleep was optional."
Valen nodded slowly.
"That sounds reasonable."
Cassian muttered something about "barbaric training methods."
Rei simply accepted the information.
"I'll go after lunch."
The others seemed satisfied with that.
Outside the dormitory hallway was still buzzing with curious whispers about the returning Ascendant group.
Inside the room, however, the atmosphere had finally settled.
For the first time since leaving the frontier…
There was nothing they needed to survive.
Just a quiet day.
And whatever Professor Hale wanted later.
Eventually the room began to empty.
A day off meant one very important thing.
Food.
The six of them slowly made their way out of the dormitory and toward the academy dining hall.
Walking through the academy courtyard felt strange.
Normal students moved between buildings with books under their arms.
Others trained on the practice fields.
Some were even sitting beneath trees, casually studying or talking.
No one was running until their legs stopped working.
No one was swimming through freezing rivers.
No one was hiking through mud-covered forests for three days.
Mira stopped walking.
She stared at the training field.
A group of initiates were practicing basic spell control.
Their instructor calmly corrected their posture while they repeated simple exercises.
Shin watched for a moment.
"…they get breaks."
Valen looked at the students as well.
"They are not covered in mud."
Cassian folded his arms.
"They also appear to be alive."
Elira tilted her head slightly.
"They're smiling."
The group stood there in silence for a moment.
Rei observed the scene quietly.
Mira sighed.
"I thought the Ascendant program meant elite training."
Shin nodded.
"Yeah."
Cassian added dryly,
"Not torture."
Valen glanced toward the fields again.
"…I suspect the results of the selection might have been different if they had explained that part."
Shin looked back at the dorms.
"You think we can transfer?"
Cassian immediately shook his head.
"No."
Shin sighed.
"Worth asking."
Mira started walking again.
"Too late now anyway."
Rei followed behind them.
The others fell into step beside him.
Ahead of them the dining hall doors stood open.
Warm food.
Chairs.
A normal meal.
After three days of marching and frontier combat, the entire group silently agreed on one thing.
Whatever the Ascendant program was supposed to be…
They had already committed.
And there was no turning back now.
The dining hall was busy.
Students moved between tables carrying trays of food while conversations filled the large room.
The moment the six Ascendant students walked in, several heads turned.
Word had already spread.
The frontier patrol.
Three days outside the academy.
Real monsters.
To many students it sounded impressive.
To some, it sounded irritating.
A group sitting near the center table watched them approach.
Five students.
All from well-known noble families.
All of whom had expected to be selected for the Ascendant program.
And weren't.
Their pride had taken the hit poorly.
As the six passed their table, one of them leaned back in his chair.
"Well, look who finally returned."
Another student smirked.
"I heard you arrived yesterday."
His eyes moved across their clothes.
"Covered in mud."
A third added lazily,
"Sweating like farm workers."
Cassian's grip tightened slightly on his tray.
Shin's expression darkened.
Neither of them said anything.
Not yet.
The nobles continued.
"I thought the Ascendant program trained elites."
"Not travelers who look like they crawled out of a swamp."
A quiet laugh passed around the table.
Mira stopped walking.
Her chair scraped slightly as she pushed it back.
"That's funny," she said, already standing.
Rei reached out.
He lightly caught her wrist.
Mira glanced down at him.
Rei shook his head once.
Not worth it.
The nobles noticed the movement.
One of them smirked.
"Oh?"
His eyes settled on Rei.
"The unmarked one wants to play hero?"
A few students nearby turned their heads.
This part interested them.
"Consider yourself lucky," the noble continued. "Someone like you shouldn't even be here."
Rei looked at him calmly.
Then he answered.
"At least I was selected."
The table went silent.
Cassian slowly smiled.
The noble's expression hardened immediately.
"You think that makes you special?"
Another leaned forward.
"You're only here because the professors made a mistake."
Rei tilted his head slightly.
"That would still mean five professors made the same mistake."
A few nearby students coughed to hide laughter.
The noble's face reddened.
"You shouldn't even have a place in this academy."
Rei finally picked up his tray again.
"You're right."
The nobles leaned forward slightly.
For a second they thought he was agreeing.
Rei continued calmly.
"I probably shouldn't."
He looked at the group.
"But somehow…"
"…I still qualified."
Cassian almost laughed out loud.
The noble slammed his hand against the table.
"You—"
Shin stepped slightly forward now.
Not aggressively.
Just enough.
The tension in the air shifted.
Other students nearby had stopped pretending not to watch.
Rei simply turned away.
"Come on."
The six continued toward another table.
Behind them the rejected nobles sat in silence, their expressions burning with humiliation.
Cassian muttered as they walked,
"…that was cruel."
Shin grinned.
"They deserved it."
Mira crossed her arms.
"I still wanted to punch them."
Rei sat down.
"That would have proven their point."
Cassian leaned back in his chair.
"No."
He smirked.
"That was much worse."
The tension in the dining hall slowly faded once the group began eating.
Hunger was stronger than pride.
Within minutes the six Ascendant students were focused entirely on their food.
After three days of travel, forest mud, and frontier rations, the academy meal felt almost luxurious.
Eventually the trays emptied.
Mira leaned back in her chair.
"That might be the best meal I've had in my life."
Cassian nodded once.
"I agree."
Valen wiped his hands calmly.
"Frontier cuisine lowers one's expectations significantly."
Shin stretched his arms.
"I'm just happy nothing tried to eat us during lunch."
Elira quietly smiled at that.
Rei finished his drink and stood.
"Time."
Shin looked up.
"Oh right."
Professor Hale.
The group slowly stood from the table.
Outside the dining hall the six paused briefly.
The academy courtyard was calm again, students moving between classes like any normal afternoon.
Shin placed a hand on Rei's shoulder.
"If Hale starts dissecting you…"
Rei looked at him.
"…I will haunt you."
Shin nodded.
"Fair."
Cassian crossed his arms.
"Try not to die."
Valen added calmly,
"That would complicate the dormitory arrangements."
Mira rolled her eyes.
"Don't listen to them."
Then she smirked slightly.
"But if you do die, leave me your room."
Elira looked slightly alarmed.
"You're not helping."
Rei considered all of them for a moment.
"…noted."
The group split.
Shin, Valen, and Cassian headed back toward the boys' dormitory.
Mira and Elira turned toward the girls' residence.
Rei walked alone toward the instructor wing.
The academy buildings grew quieter as he moved away from the central courtyard.
Eventually he stopped in front of a familiar wooden door.
Professor Arcturus Hale's office.
Rei raised his hand.
And knocked.
Inside, Hale's calm voice answered.
"Enter."
Rei opened the door.
Let's see what Professor Hale wanted.