A faint morning light fell on the sloped roofs and gray stones of the streets. The streets were still empty, and the sound of Arthur's footsteps on the old cobblestones echoed in the silence of the city. The tall, stone buildings with sharp, pointed windows and dark metal frames cast long, stretched shadows on the ground.
At the end of the street stood the walls of the academy, behind which trees were hidden. Arthur, after reaching the main gate of the academy and showing his student ID, entered the academy grounds.
The area surrounding the academy, beyond the walls, was filled with trees and bushes, creating a slight distance between the surrounding houses and the academy. After several minutes of walking through the academy grounds, Arthur finally arrived at the academy.
The Royal Academy appeared majestic yet cold, with towering white Roman columns, tall, pointed arches, and stained glass windows that fractured the sunlight and cast it inside the large courtyards and halls. Gothic towers with blue, sharp roofs stood like silent guardians overseeing the city, with chimneys billowing white smoke that drifted gently in the morning breeze.
Arthur quietly ascended the dormitory stairs and made his way toward his room.
He opened the door, and the room was filled with books scattered on the floor, cups placed on the desk and bookshelves, and beautiful flowerpots placed throughout the room. Almost the entire room was filled with these pots. Two bunk beds were placed in the corner of the room, and on the lower one, a boy around Arthur's age was lying in a messy state.
He had long black hair, disheveled, with his mouth open as he slept. His body was thin and frail, with slender hands. On his chest lay a book on Advanced Magic, clearly showing that he had been studying late into the night—not only his own books but also the advanced ones that experienced wizards studied.
Arthur gently placed a cardboard package of bread on his study desk, rubbed his eyes, yawned, and then walked over to the flowerpots. He stretched out his hand and watered them using water magic.
After finishing watering the plants, he moved toward the bed and pulled the blanket off his roommate.
Then, Arthur softly called his roommate's name:
"Anos! Anos! Time to wake up… it's morning!"
Anos, half-asleep, trying to pull the blanket back, said:
"Mom, let me sleep a little longer!"
Arthur, surprised, said loudly as he pulled the blanket off:
"Who are you calling Mom? It's time to wake up, we need to go eat breakfast."
Anos, still in his sleepy state, mumbled:
"Just five more minutes… I promise, five more minutes, I'll get up."
Arthur's patience started to wear thin, and he said loudly:
"You always say five more minutes, but then when you're late, you say I should have woken you up earlier!"
Then, he pulled the blanket off completely, and a cold chill hit Anos's body, which slowly woke him up.
He sat up for a moment, staring blankly at a fixed point, then yawned and, still exhausted and sleepy, said to Arthur:
"Morning... how early... I'm sure I just closed my eyes for a few minutes."
Arthur sat down in the chair by the study desk, sighed, and said:
"That's because you stay up so late… how many times do I have to tell you to sleep early?"
Anos blinked a few times, still sleepy, and then said in a tired, calm voice:
"If I slack off, that second-place spot will go to Sophia." It seemed like when he was tired, he answered more honestly.
Arthur, as he was picking up books from the floor, said:
"Don't push yourself so hard. Rest a little, your mind will be clearer, and you'll be able to focus on your goal better."
Anos got out of bed and walked over to a small metal basin with water in it to wash his face.
He looked at his reflection in the window's glass, noticing the dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, then started putting on his academy uniform.
His attention was drawn to the cardboard package on the desk, and he smiled:
"Oh, you bought bread..." He walked over to the desk, took some, and asked curiously:
"Did the taste change? Did you buy it from somewhere else?"
Arthur shook his head and said:
"There's a new bakery near the academy, it's been around for a few weeks. I decided to try it today."
Anos, while eating the bread, said:
"Good call… the dry bread at the academy never tastes good to me."
After putting on their academy uniforms, Arthur and Anos headed to the academy's dining hall.
They grabbed some jam, cheese, and tea, and sat at one of the tables. The dining hall was full of students, and the noise of their conversations filled the space.
Anos was enthusiastically eating breakfast with the bread Arthur had bought, while Arthur sipped his tea, looking around. Then, in a calm tone, he said:
"Several students and a professor were killed in the academy, but they still haven't figured out the identity of the killer."
Anos paused eating and thought for a moment before replying:
"The academy used to be much busier, but now many students have left because they're afraid of dying... you can't blame them. Prestige and reputation aren't more important than their lives. And the ones still here have a reason to stay, like you and me."
He sighed, looking at the students chatting, and then added:
"But some think disease and death only happen to others, that they're immune to it."
Arthur nodded, but then his eyes caught sight of a girl approaching their table. His face lit up, and a smile spread across his face almost automatically.
The girl had long golden hair, green eyes, and a beautiful face. She was around Arthur's age, with a tall, slender figure. In her hands, she held a wooden tray with some jam, cheese, a few pieces of dry bread, butter, and a cup of tea.
As she approached, she smiled at Arthur and Anos, then sat down at their table.
"Good morning, Anos and Arthur!"she said cheerfully.
Arthur gave her a warm smile and replied:
"Good morning, Sophia. Did you sleep well?"
Sophia nodded, then looked at Anos. He let out an annoyed "tch" and turned his gaze away. Sophia placed a hand on Anos's shoulder and said:
"You didn't forget, did you?" She gave him a mischievous smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about… I don't even know you," Anos replied with a hint of impatience.
Sophia raised an eyebrow and placed her hand over her mouth, letting out a small chuckle. Then, in a teasing tone, she said:
"Don't you remember me? Maybe you remember your exam score... let me see…"
She pointed to a large board posted in the dining hall, which displayed the top-ranking students of the academy, based on their grades:
Top Performers:
1: Sophia 100
2: Arthur 98
35: Anos 92
She narrowed her eyes and gave a crooked smile, saying:
"You lost the bet... and now you want to back out... give me the 10 gold coins, and we'll call it even." She stretched her hand out toward Anos.
Anos sighed and pulled a small pouch from his pocket, handing it to Sophia.
Sophia happily started counting the gold coins, a sly smile on her face, while Anos's expression became more sour, and his appetite for food vanished. Arthur continued sipping his tea.
Then, Arthur let out a small laugh and thought:
"Those two always bet with each other, but most of the time, Sophia wins… If this keeps going, Sophia will get richer, and Anos will get poorer. Although, unlike me and Sophia, Anos comes from an aristocratic family, so he won't really have any problems."