Alex stood at the imposing front gates of the Royal Academy, their wrought iron twisted into elaborate patterns that seemed to pulse with their own inner light. Beyond them, the academy grounds stretched out like a small city...gothic spires reaching toward the sky, manicured gardens that looked more like works of art than functional landscaping, and students in their distinctive blue uniforms moving about with the casual confidence of those born to privilege.
The sound of whispers reached his ears before he'd even passed through the gates.
"...that's him, the Ashford boy..."
"...completely white hair after touching the stone..."
"...heard the light was so bright it temporarily blinded half the ceremony hall..."
Alex kept his expression neutral, though his shoulders tensed. The gossip had already spread. Of course it had. Noble society thrived on speculation, and an unclassified awakening was too juicy a morsel to ignore.
"...my cousin was there, said the Classification Stone went completely dormant after..."
"...still isn't working properly, apparently. Some students are having to wait for reclassification..."
"...scheduled for two days from now, I heard. Hope he doesn't touch it first again..."
'Let them talk.' Alex adjusted his grip on his travel bag and began walking toward the registration building, his pale eyes scanning the crowd with practiced caution. Every face could be a potential threat, every smile a calculated performance.
The academy's main courtyard was a bustle of activity. First...year students clustered in nervous groups, their families offering last...minute advice and tearful goodbyes. Upper...year students moved with the easy confidence of those who'd already navigated the social hierarchies and political machinations that defined academy life. Servants and academy staff wove through the crowds, directing traffic and managing the organized chaos of enrollment day.
Alex was mentally cataloging potential threats and allies when a familiar tap on his shoulder made him spin around, his body coiling with defensive tension before he could stop himself.
"Whoa there, Ice Prince," came a warm, familiar voice. "It's just me."
Damien stood behind him, his dark hair still messy from travel and his brown eyes holding a mixture of concern and amusement. The nickname was meant affectionately...a reference to Alex's new white hair...but it still made something twist uncomfortably in his chest.
"Damien." Alex forced his shoulders to relax, though his hypervigilance remained. "I didn't hear you approach."
"That's because you were too busy looking like you expected someone to attack you in broad daylight." Damien's expression grew more serious. "You've been like this since the ceremony. Jumpy. Paranoid. What's going on, really?"
'I died once and don't intend to do it again.'
"Just being cautious," Alex replied, resuming his walk toward the registration building. "You heard the whispers. Everyone's watching me now."
"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you turn into a walking light show and knock out the Classification Stone." Damien fell into step beside him, his tone light but his eyes watchful. "Look, I get that it was intense, but you're acting like the whole world's out to get you. Any idea what you're going to do about the reclassification in two days?"
Alex had been wondering the same thing. The system's level-up notification still waited in his peripheral vision, offering unknown abilities that might register on whatever replacement stone they'd brought in. But revealing power now seemed premature.
"Wing it," he said simply.
"Wing it?" Damien stopped walking, forcing Alex to pause as well. "Kael, this is your future we're talking about. Your classification determines everything...your class placement, your training opportunities, your eventual career prospects. You can't just 'wing it' when it comes to something this important."
"And if I'm truly unclassified?"
"Then..." Damien's expression softened with genuine sympathy. "Then you'll make it work somehow. You always do. But at least put some thought into it, yeah? Maybe there's something you can do to prepare."
'You don't know me as well as you think you do.'
They reached the registration building, an impressive structure of white marble and soaring windows. The line of first-year students stretched around the building, each clutching their enrollment papers and looking various degrees of nervous or excited.
"Kael Ashford."
The voice was cultured, confident, and immediately recognizable. Alex turned to find Lyanna Brennan approaching, her platinum blonde hair catching the sunlight and her pale blue dress perfectly tailored to emphasize her status. She moved with the practiced grace of someone who'd been trained in court etiquette since childhood.
"Miss Brennan," Alex replied with a formal nod. "As expected."
"Indeed," she said, her tone carrying subtle pride. "Though I confess, I'm curious to see how you're adjusting after..." She gestured vaguely, letting the implication hang in the air.
"After what?"
"The ceremony, of course. Such a dramatic awakening. I assumed you might need time to... process everything that happened."
Behind her diplomatic words, Alex caught the fishing expedition. She wanted to know about his condition, his abilities, his prospects. Information was currency in noble society, and she was clearly hoping to make an investment.
"I'm quite recovered, thank you." Alex kept his tone polite but offered nothing more.
"How wonderful." Her smile was perfectly practiced. "I do hope the reclassification goes smoothly in two days. It would be such a shame if there were further... complications."
The comment was pointed enough to draw a sharp look from Damien, who'd been watching the exchange with growing suspicion.
"I'm sure everything will proceed normally," Alex said carefully.
"Of course it will," Lyanna agreed. "Though I did hear the most interesting rumors about the original stone. Apparently, it's been completely non...functional since your awakening. They've had to delay several other ceremonies while they source a replacement. Quite the inconvenience for everyone involved."
She delivered the information with the casual air of someone sharing idle gossip, but Alex caught the underlying message: 'You broke something important, and people are talking about it.'
"Unfortunate," he said mildly.
"Quite. Though I suppose these things happen." She glanced around the bustling courtyard. "Well, I should find my dormitory assignment. Perhaps we'll share some classes. The Academy does love to group students by... interesting circumstances."
She drifted away with the same practiced grace, leaving Alex and Damien alone in the crowd.
"What was that about?" Damien asked, his voice low. "She was practically interrogating you."
"Politics," Alex replied, watching Lyanna's retreating figure. "She's gathering information."
"About what?"
"About whether I'm worth cultivating as an ally or dismissing as irrelevant." Alex resumed walking toward the registration line. "Standard noble maneuvering."
"You sound like you've been doing this for years. Since when do you talk like that?"
'In a sense, I have. Just not in this world.'
"I've been paying attention," Alex said. "Marcus gave me some advice about Academy politics before I left."
They joined the registration line, and Alex found himself surrounded by the low murmur of conversations. Most focused on class schedules, dormitory assignments, and speculation about instructors. But a significant portion continued to center on him.
"...heard from a friend whose sister witnessed the ceremony..."
"...light was so bright it left afterimages..."
"...Classification Stone hasn't worked properly since..."
"...what if he damages the new one too..."
Alex let the whispers wash over him, his expression remaining neutral. The attention was unwelcome but not unexpected. In his previous life, he'd learned that being the center of speculation was dangerous...people watched you more closely, analyzed your every move, looked for weaknesses to exploit.
"You're doing it again," Damien said quietly.
"Doing what?"
"Looking like you're planning everyone's assassination. That expression on your face... it's not normal, Kael."
Alex glanced at his supposed best friend, noting the genuine concern in his expression. Damien had been supportive since the ceremony, joining his training sessions and offering companionship without asking for anything in return. But Alex had learned that seemingly unconditional support could be the most dangerous kind.
"Just thinking," he said.
"About?"
"Two days. The reclassification. What happens if I'm truly unclassified."
"Then you'll figure something out. You always do." Damien paused, then added more quietly, "But maybe... maybe talk to someone about what happened? A counselor or something? You haven't been yourself since the ceremony."
'You keep saying that, but you don't actually know me.'
The registration line moved slowly, giving Alex time to observe his fellow students. He catalogued faces, noting family crests and colors that indicated house affiliations. The Academy truly did draw from across the kingdom... he spotted the red and gold of House Vance, the silver and blue of House Thorne, the deep purple of House Blackwood.
Each student represented a potential ally, enemy, or tool to be manipulated. The thought came naturally now, part of the defensive mindset that had crystallized after his death. Everyone was a potential threat until proven otherwise.
"Kael Ashford," the registration clerk called when they finally reached the front of the line.
Alex stepped forward, presenting his enrollment papers. The clerk, a middle...aged woman with tired eyes and efficient mannerisms, checked his documents against a thick ledger.
"First...year dormitory assignment: Tempest Hall, Room 237. Your roommate is..." She checked another list. "Gareth Thorne, second son of Duke Thorne. Classes begins next week .
She handed him a key and a packet of information. "Any questions?"
"No, thank you."
As they walked away from the registration building, Damien whistled low. "Gareth Thorne as a roommate? That's... interesting."
"You know him?"
"Know of him. House Thorne controls significant mining interests in the eastern provinces. Gareth is said to have two B...ranked abilities ... his earth manipulation is well documented, but there are rumors about a second ability that he's kept hidden. Keeps to himself, mostly. Not much for politics or social climbing."
'That could be good or bad. A roommate who ignores me is better than one who's constantly probing for information.'
They located Tempest Hall, a four...story stone building that housed roughly half the first...year students. Alex's room was on the second floor, at the end of a corridor lined with identical wooden doors.
"Well," Damien said as they stood outside Room 237, "this is it. Your home for the next year."
Alex fitted the key into the lock and opened the door. The room was spartanly furnished...two narrow beds, two desks, two wardrobes, and a window that looked out over the academy's training grounds. One bed was already claimed, with a travel bag sitting on the mattress and clothes hanging in the wardrobe.
"Looks like Gareth's already settled in," Damien observed.
Alex set his bag on the unclaimed bed and looked around the small space. It was functional, nothing more. A place to sleep and study, not a home. That was fine with him - he'd learned not to get attached to places or people.
"You should get settled too," Alex said, turning to Damien. "Where's your room?"
"Sterling Hall, across the courtyard. Room 145." Damien lingered in the doorway. "You sure you're okay? You've been different since the ceremony. More... closed off. It's like you're a completely different person sometimes."
"I'm fine."
"That's what I mean. The old Kael would have been excited about the Academy. Nervous, maybe, but excited. You're acting like you're heading to a battlefield instead of school."
'Because I am.'
"I'm just being realistic about what to expect."
Damien studied his face for a long moment. "If you say so. But remember...you don't have to do this alone. I'm here if you need anything. And I mean anything, alright?"
After Damien left, Alex unpacked his belongings with methodical efficiency. His clothes went into the wardrobe, his books on the desk, his few personal items in the drawer. The system's interface flickered in his peripheral vision, still offering the level...up option, but he continued to ignore it.
'Two days will bring the reclassification ceremony. Two days until I have to decide what I need to know.'******
As evening approached, Alex made his way to the dining hall for dinner. The massive room was filled with long tables, each seating about twenty students. The walls were decorated with banners representing various houses and kingdoms, creating a riot of color and heraldry.
He found an empty seat at one of the first...year tables and quietly began eating, listening to the conversations around him. The topics were predictable...family connections, awakening abilities, speculation about classes and instructors.
"...heard Professor Blackstone is teaching Advanced Combat Theory this year..."
"...my sister says the practical exams are brutal..."
"...wonder if they'll actually manage to get the Classification Stone working again..."
Alex was finishing his meal when a shadow fell across his table. He looked up to find a tall, broad...shouldered young man with dark hair and earth...brown eyes standing beside him.
"You're my new roommate," the young man said. His voice was deep, steady, with the slight accent of the eastern provinces. "Gareth Thorne."
"Kael Ashford."
Gareth nodded once and sat down across from him. "I heard about the ceremony. The white hair's new."
"Yes."
"Any idea what caused it?"
Alex met his roommate's direct gaze. "No."
"Fair enough." Gareth began eating his own meal. "I'm not much for gossip or politics. I'm here to learn, graduate, and go home. I don't expect we'll have any problems as long as you're not the type to pry into things that aren't your business."
"Neither do I."
It was a practical arrangement, Alex realized. Gareth seemed to be exactly what Damien had described...someone who kept to himself and had no interest in social maneuvering. That would make living together easier.*******
As the evening wound down and students began returning to their dormitories, Alex found himself walking back to Tempest Hall alongside several other first...years. The conversations continued around him, but he remained silent, observing and cataloguing.
'Two days will bring the reclassification ceremony. Two days until I have to decide whether to reveal the abilities the system offered or continue playing the role of the broken, unclassified noble. Two days until the next phase of my new life begins.'
'Let them underestimate me. Let them think I'm harmless.'
In his room, Alex prepared for bed while Gareth studied at his desk. The routine was quiet, efficient, and blessedly free of forced conversation. As he lay in the narrow dormitory bed, Alex stared at the ceiling and thought about the path ahead.
The Academy was full of potential threats and opportunities. Students like Lyanna who saw him as a source of information or advantage. Others who might try to use his apparent weakness for their own purposes. And underneath it all, the constant awareness that anyone could be planning his destruction behind a friendly smile.
'I won't let anyone get close enough to hurt me again.'
The nightmare from that morning felt like a lifetime ago, but the lesson remained fresh. Trust was a luxury he couldn't afford. Love was a weapon that could be turned against him. Safety lay in isolation and control.
'Two days would bring new challenges, new faces, new potential betrayals. But this time, he would be ready.'*****