By the time Vael stepped out, the water had turned a murky shade of orange.
"That's… not good."
It wasn't good at all. But at least it was done. His body felt lighter, his mind clearer. The bath had been everything he expected from the most well-funded institution in Soummara—luxury disguised as normalcy.
Getting dressed was effortless. Every piece of clothing fit him perfectly, down to the smallest detail. Too perfectly. Vael found himself pausing, tugging at his sleeves with a faint frown. Just how had they gotten his measurements so exact?
A dull ache still lingered in his muscles. Manageable now, nothing like the constant torment of before, but a reminder all the same.
With about an hour of free time still left, Vael's stomach decided for him. Food.
The Academy might have looked like a palace, but it wasn't a hotel. Meals weren't delivered—students had to fetch them themselves.
Of course, Vael had no idea where the cafeteria even was. Still, he figured it was as good a time as any to start exploring his new home.
Oculor slipped back into hiding, and Vael stepped into the corridor.
The halls were far from empty. Students drifted past in twos and threes, some chatting, others walking alone with the quiet pride of people who belonged here. Whether they were his fellow first-years or upperclassmen, it was clear that the Academy never truly slept.
The place itself was… strange. Not chaotic, but intentionally divided. Three main sections carved the Academy into clear lines of hierarchy.
The first belonged to the commoners—Vael's section until very recently. Functional, crowded, and utterly plain.
The second was the nobles' quarter. Even from a distance, he could see the difference—polished stone, gilded frames, even the air seemed to carry the faint perfume of wealth.
Both wings stretched across four floors, one for each grade. The uniforms, too, made the years unmistakable: red for first-years like him, darker shades for the older students climbing the ladder.
And then there was the third section—the teachers and staff. A place set apart, shielded, housing everyone in the Academy who wielded authority… except the principal.
As Vael walked, he noticed that most students didn't avoid him the way this year's candidates had after the exam.
Was it just empty pride, or real strength that dictated this behavior?
He had asked Kiera telepathically if she wanted to come with him, but she'd decided to take a nap instead.
So, it was just him and his sharp-tongued snake.
"Hey, have you ever heard of 'Project Conquest'?"
Oculor responded almost immediately.
"Of course. As the name suggests, Project Conquest combined guerrilla warfare with shock-and-awe tactics. Back on my homeworld, the strongest commanders used these strategies to win wars."
"Guerrilla? Shock-and-awe?"
"Guerrilla warfare is ambushes, small coordinated strikes that bleed the enemy dry over time. Shock-and-awe is the opposite — overwhelming force, meant to terrify more than destroy."
"Oh. Wait… you're not from Earth?!"
"Do you have talking snakes here?"
"Yeah, they just don't look like you. They look a bit more like me," Vael replied, the meaning obvious.
Oculor hissed a sound that was half chuckle, half annoyance. "Well, no. I'm not from Earth. If you want to drag that story out of me, contractor, we'll do it later."
Vael considered his words, skeptic, but gave a slow nod.
"All right… so Project Conquest is some kind of military tactic in your world. But what about an object with the same name?"
"No, I've heard nothing about such an object," Oculor admitted, his voice quieter now. "But the name surely can't be a coincidence."
Vael frowned, the thought sticking in his mind like a thorn.
Their conversation carried them down the long corridor until the scent of baked bread and roasted meat drifted to them. The cafeteria stood ahead—silent and empty at this time of day, its rows of tables gleaming under the lamplight.