The soft rays of early sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the dorm room, gently brushing against the pale walls and illuminating the beds. The Academy was silent in the early morning, save for the distant calls of birds and the gentle breeze that danced through the trees outside. It was a peaceful morning—the kind that made you forget about anything complicated or difficult. A rare calm settled over the grounds, as today was their first official day off.
Keon was the first to rise. As usual, he seemed unaffected by the fatigue of travel or the emotional weight of their recent experiences. Stretching his arms above his head with a groan, he glanced around the room before grinning and marching toward the other beds.
"Wake up, you two!" he called loudly, clapping his hands. "It's our day off! Come on, we're free to roam wherever we want!"
Tamir groaned from beneath his blanket, his voice muffled. "Ooooooh, finally…"
Ellian stirred slightly but didn't move, his face buried in the pillow.
Keon chuckled and continued. "But don't forget—tomorrow classes start. Sadly, Tamir, we're not in the same group."
Tamir poked his head out from under the covers, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, that was kinda obvious…"
Keon laughed again. "At least we each ended up with someone we know."
Tamir squinted. "You mean the girls? Wait—how do you even know who we're with?"
"I checked the Academy Square early this morning," Keon said proudly, standing with his hands on his hips like a hero returning from a mission.
Tamir stared at him. "That early? Really?"
Keon beamed. "Yep!"
Tamir sighed. "Alright, then spill. Who's with who?"
Keon turned to each of them in turn. "I'm with Linnea, Tamir's with Astelle, and Ellian…" He paused dramatically. "Ellian is with Riel."
Tamir let out a soft laugh. "Oof. Two quiet people in one group. That's gonna be… peaceful."
Ellian let out a half-awake murmur. "Sounds fine."
Keon shook his head with mock sadness. "It should've been Astelle for you, Ellian. You wouldn't have had a single boring day."
Tamir laughed. "Agreed."
Keon narrowed his eyes and waved toward the bathroom. "Ellian, you alive in there? Go wash your face, man. You look like a ghost."
Ellian sighed and reluctantly rolled out of bed. He shuffled toward the bathroom, dragging his feet, while Keon turned back to Tamir.
"So, where are we heading today? Should we ask Astelle and Linnea to join us?"
Tamir hesitated. "Eh… no. I think they probably have their own plans."
Keon raised a brow. "You don't even know that."
Tamir shrugged. "Fine, fine. I just want us three to hang out today. Talk a little. There's something I've been wanting to tell you both."
Keon's expression lit up with curiosity. "Oh? Well, now I'm really interested. Alright, just the three of us, then."
Ellian returned, drying his face with a towel. "Where are we going?"
Keon grinned. "First, a walk in the garden—soulful conversations and all that." He gave Tamir a teasing glance. "Then… to the library."
Tamir's head snapped up. "What?! The library? On our day off? Are we seriously going to read?"
"No, no," Keon said, waving his hands. "I found a book there by accident the other day. It's got something I want to show you. You'll see—it's not boring, I swear."
Tamir groaned. "I highly doubt that…"
"You'll change your mind," Keon replied with a mysterious grin.
Ellian raised an eyebrow. "What's the book about?"
"You'll see when we get there," Keon repeated.
"Fine," Tamir muttered. "But first—breakfast."
"Deal," Keon said.
"Let's go," Ellian added, now fully awake.
The three of them left their dormitory, the air crisp and clean. The path to the cafeteria was quiet, only a few scattered students moving about. The trees rustled gently overhead, and the wind felt like a soft breath of life across their skin.
They sat near a window, their trays filled with warm food. Over breakfast, they talked about their rooms, the strange architecture of the Academy, and their group assignments. Tamir made jokes, Keon smiled like he always did, and Ellian mostly listened, occasionally adding a word or two. It was peaceful. Comfortable.
After breakfast, they made their way to the Academy's central garden—a place filled with winding stone paths, blooming flowers, small fountains, and marble statues hidden beneath canopies of leaves. The sunlight peeked through the gaps, creating soft patterns on the ground.
They walked for a while in silence before Keon turned to Tamir.
"So… what is it you wanted to tell us?"
Tamir scratched the back of his head, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I think… I'm in love."
Keon froze, then burst out laughing. "What?! For real?"
Tamir crossed his arms, visibly embarrassed. "Yeah, for real. And what's so funny, huh?"
Ellian tilted his head. He didn't quite understand the feeling, but hearing Tamir say that—he felt something warm stir in his chest. It wasn't recognition, not really… just something distant. Something soft.
Keon wiped a tear from his eye, still grinning. "Alright, alright. Who is it?"
Tamir looked away. "I… I don't know her name."
That made Keon laugh even harder.
"You fell in love with someone whose name you don't even know?" he choked out.
Before Tamir could retort, a familiar voice called out behind them.
"Hey, what's so funny? Let us in on the joke!"
They turned to see Astelle, Linnea, and another girl—Kyara—approaching.
Keon's expression instantly changed. "Ah… nothing important," he said, glancing quickly at Tamir. "Astelle, actually, I need to talk to Ellian and Tamir alone. Just for a bit."
Astelle raised an eyebrow. "Alright… if you say so."
The girls continued down the path, leaving the boys behind.
Keon didn't wait. "Okay, let's go. Library. Now."
"You're serious about this?" Tamir asked, sighing.
"Dead serious," Keon replied.
They followed him across the grounds, eventually reaching the quiet, echo-filled halls of the Academy's library. It smelled of old paper and polished wood. Tall shelves towered above them like silent guardians.
Keon led them past rows of books until they reached a secluded section. He climbed up the shelf, carefully balanced himself, and pulled out a large, dust-covered tome from the highest level.
Tamir looked at the size of it. "What are the chances you picked that exact book? There are thousands here."
"I don't know," Keon admitted. "But I did. And I've never seen anything like it."
He opened it slowly, revealing yellowed pages filled with complex symbols and ancient script. "Remember the gate we passed through? That emptiness we felt?"
"Yeah," Tamir said slowly.
Keon tapped a passage. "This book talks about it. About the Void."
Ellian's gaze sharpened.
Keon continued. "Here—it says the year 10 After the Emergence of the Void."
Tamir leaned in. "Emergence of the Void? What year is it now?"
"Year 13,452 After the Emergence," Keon said.
Tamir blinked. "Wait—how do you know that?"
"Read it in another book," Keon shrugged. "Anyway, this book is over thirteen thousand years old, and it's still perfectly preserved. You feel that?"
The air around the book did feel strange. Heavy. Quiet.
"You think the Void is preserving it?" Tamir asked, suddenly more serious.
Keon nodded. "Definitely. And there's more."
He flipped to another page. "It mentions the God of the Void. Elaino Eldarion."
Tamir's eyes widened. "God of the Void?!"
"Yeah," Keon said. "It says he spread the Void across the world."
Ellian's hands clenched without him noticing.
"If it was spread across the world, why haven't we heard of it?" Tamir asked.
"I don't know," Keon admitted. "Maybe something happened. Maybe that's why it's only in the Academy now."
They fell silent, the weight of the words hanging in the air.
They stayed there for hours, reading what little they could. Much of the text was unreadable, damaged or written in languages none of them understood. But what they did read stirred something deep within them—something ancient. Familiar, even.
When the library finally closed for the night, they stepped outside beneath a sky full of stars.
They walked back to the dorms slowly, quietly.
Later that night, the room was dim. Tamir fell asleep first, followed by Keon.
Ellian remained awake, lying still.
He turned his head toward the window and stared up at the stars.
One shone brighter than the rest—bright, unwavering.
He didn't know why, but something about it made him feel... less alone.
And though he didn't understand what it meant yet, he whispered softly to himself.
"Elaino… Eldarion…"
Then, finally, he closed his eyes.
And slept.