"We've arrived at our destination," said Reginald, who was driving the limousine.
My father was the first to get out, without directing a single glance at anyone. Then Roxanne, who put away her phone and left with the same indifference with which she had remained the entire journey. Then my mother, who gave me one last worried look before descending.
No one said a word.
I stayed seated for a few more seconds, looking through the window at the imposing Thornveil residence. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the heartbeats that still hadn't found their normal rhythm. And finally I got out.
The residence rose before me. As always. Cold. Impersonal. More like a mausoleum than a home.
I entered and climbed the stairs toward my room with slow steps, each one feeling heavier than the last.
"Young Blake."
I stopped dead.
Reginald approached from the side hallway with something in his hands.
"Here." He tossed me some clean bandages with a precise movement.
I caught them in the air.
"Make sure to cover the wounds well. That way you'll avoid an infection."
"Thank you very much, Reginald..."
Reginald smiled warmly, an expression that contrasted brutally with everything I had experienced in the last hour. It was the first genuine thing I had felt since we had left the academy.
"If you need anything else, don't hesitate to tell me."
I nodded, unable to articulate more words, and entered my room.
The door closed behind me with a soft click.
Finally alone.
I took off my shoes with slow, almost mechanical movements. Then my socks.
And there they were. My feet.
The nails had also disappeared. Only beds of raw flesh remained where healthy nails once were.
"Shit..."
I sat on the bed and began to bandage myself carefully. First my feet, wrapping each toe with precision to prevent the wounds from being exposed. Then I renewed the bandages on my hands, which were already stained with small drops of blood that had filtered through the fabric.
"Why is all this happening...?"
The memories of what happened in the rift came back like a blow.
"That man... had called the monster Mor'khad."
I lay back on the bed staring at the white and immaculate ceiling of my room.
"Could he perhaps be behind all this...?"
But I shook my head forcefully, as if I could physically expel those thoughts.
"No... That time when the monster devoured me and I accepted what the message said, it was trying to help me; it practically saved my life. This last one was different: more sinister, clearly with the intention of harming me. Maybe that guy must have done something that allows him to play with my head; after all, an experience like that isn't forgotten overnight, and he seemed capable of anything."
I took a pause.
"About my nails... maybe it's just somatization. It's the only explanation I can find. Besides, having to pretend from now on that I know how to use magic at the academy doesn't help at all."
I grabbed the pillow and pressed it against my face hard.
"Problems just keep piling up more and more... I don't know how I'm going to deal with everything that's coming!" I screamed against the fabric, my voice muffled but charged with desperation.
I let the pillow fall to the side, letting it drop to the floor.
"I should make a plan... But I have no ideas. And I'm too tired to think... The only thing I want is to sleep."
I closed my eyes, feeling how exhaustion finally began to overcome me.
"I guess tomorrow I'll have to think of something..."
And slowly I fell asleep, without even taking off my ceremony uniform.
~ ~ ~
The first day at the Sentinel Academy had arrived.
I walked among the crowd of students with my head down. I had dressed so that no one would recognize me.
I was wearing the academy uniform. But on top, an extra vest with a hood that covered almost my entire face. And gloves. To hide the fingers without nails.
I approached a large board on the wall that contained information about the classrooms.
My classroom was 5-A...
I scanned the list with my eyes.
Roxanne was in 3-A...
We were going to be separated, that was a good thing.
I walked away and began to move through the hallways.
There were students everywhere. Chatting. Laughing. Socializing.
I checked the time on my phone.
07:55
Classes started in five minutes.
But it seemed that for almost everyone, socializing is more important than arriving early to the classroom... Well... I guess there's nothing wrong with that. After all, it's the first day.
Finally I arrived at classroom 5-A.
I opened the door and took a look.
There were few students. Most of the seats were empty.
It was the perfect opportunity to take one of the seats in the back.
I entered.
No one paid attention to me. I was practically invisible.
It was working.
I sat in the last row.
I checked my phone one last time.
08:00
And then, minutes later, more students began to arrive.
Some girls took seats right in front of me. I pulled my hood down a bit more, covering my face as much as possible.
Almost immediately, the professor entered.
Everyone fell silent instantly.
The man approached the front with firm steps. Tall. Long-haired. With a severe expression.
He arranged his hair and observed us all.
"Good morning everyone. My name is Magnus Holloway," he said in an authoritative voice. "I will be your tutor in charge of magical spells throughout the first year at the academy."
He made a deliberate pause, letting his words reach everyone.
"I'm not interested in knowing your names. That's something I want you to have clear from the beginning." His tone was cutting. "If I'm going to have to memorize names, I want them to be of people who are worth it. Is that clear...?"
An uncomfortable silence spread through the classroom. No one dared to respond.
"I detest mediocrity. My job is to improve those who stand out, not to level the mediocre." He crossed his arms. "And I suppose there must be too much of the latter here."
A student raised her hand timidly.
"Yes?" The professor pointed at her.
"I find it inconsiderate to make such a hasty value judgment..." she said in a trembling voice. "You should consider that perhaps there are many who are fragile and could feel bad with comments like that."
Magnus stared at her.
"Fragility?"
He approached the board and hit it hard.
Bang.
"It's because of that stupidity that generations of sentinels keep getting worse!" His voice resonated throughout the classroom. "You come here to become protectors of humanity, not to do psychological therapy!"
He arranged his hair again.
"But what can I expect from the academy in these times... Think about it. Any idiot passes that damn exam! It has no difficulty! Why do they specifically make you enter gray-colored rifts? That's not even one percent of what the underworld is truly lethal!"
He took a deep breath.
"But anyway... Let's not deviate." He walked back to the front. "Since it's the first day, I think it's a good way to start by showing me how disappointing the students of 5-A are this year."
He looked at us again.
"So... are there volunteers?"
No one raised their hand.
And then the door opened.
"Excuse me. I'm late."
A guy entered the classroom with hurried but not desperate steps.
Everyone turned to look at him.
The murmurs exploded instantly, a collective recognition of surprise.
I observed everyone's reaction with growing confusion.
Who was he? I had no idea, but it seemed like everyone knew him.
"Stop there."
The professor stopped him, making the guy turn around.
"Late on the first day?" Magnus pointed at him. "If it happens again, I won't let you in. Responsibility is something fundamental that a sentinel must have."
"Yes... I apologize. I promise it won't happen again."
"Go sit down."
The guy began to climb the stairs, looking for an available seat.
"Hey, Taria..." One of the girls in front of me whispered to her friend. "Who is that guy? Why won't everyone stop looking at him?"
"What?! Really?! How do you not know who he is?!"
"Hey... Don't talk to me like that just for not knowing..."
Taria leaned in to whisper lower. "It's Noah Hartgrave. Son of Vincent Hartgrave."
Her friend's eyes opened instantly. "It can't be! Is it really him?!"
Taria just nodded.
I clenched my fists tightly as soon as I finished hearing that conversation.
Vincent Hartgrave...
The name resonated in my mind.
I remember that man. He was among the ten strongest using only arcane magic. That made him an icon. He was very respected. And he also created the Iron Saints guild, one of the five most important in Eldralid...
Just like Eternal Blades, the guild of which my father is leader.
But one day... they were all mysteriously murdered. That news completely scandalized Eldralid.
That completely destroyed the guild. Only ashes remained of what once was.
Leaving only one member...
I observed the guy who kept climbing.
I never imagined it was his son. In fact, I thought he had never had one...
A girl interrupted Noah's path, smiling.
"Hey! Do you want to sit with us?"
Noah looked at her and smiled kindly, a courteous but distant smile. "Thanks, but I'm fine."
And he kept climbing.
He passed by a group of guys.
"I don't know what they see in him..." one muttered loud enough. "He's just weak. Nothing special."
"That's not true..." another responded. "He's the idol of the weak. That already makes him special."
"If he's the idol of the weak, he must be doubly so... right?"
Both began to laugh with barely contained mockery.
Noah slightly turned his head to look at them, his eyes meeting theirs briefly.
But he didn't respond at all. He just continued on his way without altering his expression.
"Hey!" The professor's voice cut through the laughter. "If you make that kind of comment, you must be surprisingly strong, right?"
One of the guys stood up with exaggerated confidence. "Of course! I am nothing more and nothing less than—"
"I'm not interested." Magnus interrupted him without the slightest courtesy. "Just come here and show what you can do."
The guy was visibly offended. But he went down to the front with quick steps, trying to maintain his dignity.
Meanwhile, Noah was apparently going to sit in the last row.
I felt panic.
The only thing I hoped was that he wouldn't sit near me.
And to my bad luck, that's what happened...
Noah sat just two seats away.
There was direct eye contact between the two of us.
From under the hood, Noah could see my face.
"Shit..." I muttered.
I waited for some reaction.
But it didn't seem to matter to him in the slightest. He just settled into his seat.
Was he ignoring me...? I guess that favored me...
At the front, the guy approached the professor.
Magnus extended his hand with his fingers open.
"Spiritus Ignis."
A flame exploded from his palm. Everyone looked away at the intense brightness that illuminated the entire classroom.
And when they looked again...
He had created what looked like a huge creature made completely of fire. Motionless. With a humanoid but distorted form.
It was the first time I had seen a spirit.
Only those who mastered—
"I want you to cast your best spell against my fire spirit." Magnus pointed at the creature. "Now."
The guy looked at the spirit.
It was intimidating. Despite being motionless, its mere presence radiated power.
"Sure..." The guy swallowed. "Although maybe my attack won't be so powerful because I don't have my weapon with me..."
"I can't believe what I just heard." Magnus looked at him with absolute contempt. "A sentinel who depends on his weapon to fight is the maximum example of mediocrity that exists. Are you going to tell a monster when it attacks you to wait for you to go get your weapon?"
A pause charged with judgment.
"What stupidity. Sit down already."
The guy got angry.
"Don't treat me like this! You have no idea who you're talking to!"
"And I don't care either." Magnus snapped his fingers and the spirit disappeared. "Sit down before I throw you out of my classroom."
"What?!" The guy clenched his fists. "I have the Zharun rune! I'm possibly the most powerful in this classroom compared to all the trash that only uses arcane magic! And you treat me like this? It's unacceptable!"
The professor took a step toward him.
"Do you want to see me angry?" His voice dropped dangerously. "I said sit down."
The guy hesitated.
And finally obeyed, returning to his seat without saying anything more.
As he climbed, his eyes settled on something.
On me.
I felt the gaze.
"Hey, you!" The professor pointed directly at me. "Take off that hood right now! That's forbidden in my classroom!"
I was paralyzed, my entire plan had been completely ruined.
"Didn't you hear me?! I said take it off!"
Everyone turned to look at me.
With trembling hands, I slowly took off the hood.
My face was exposed.
The murmurs exploded instantly.
"I told you he was in this classroom... I saw his name on the list and you didn't believe me."
The professor narrowed his eyes with genuine interest.
"You... You're Cedric's son... Right?"
I lowered my gaze. "Yes... It's me."
Magnus observed me in silence for a moment.
"Blake... That's your name, right?"
"That's right."
"I memorized it because everyone wouldn't stop talking about what happened in the anomalous rift." He crossed his arms. "Without a doubt an incredible feat... I can't deny it. Being the only survivor of something like that says a lot about you."
A pause.
"You know... In another context I would be angry about the fact that a student wears a hood in my class. But seeing that it's you, I can understand it. You want to avoid being looked at and all that." He nodded. "However, don't do it again from now on, okay?"
I swallowed. "Yes, professor."
"Excellent." Magnus smiled slightly. "Now come here and show us what you're capable of. I want to see how strong you are. Although I already believe quite a bit after you survived that."
My heart stopped.
No.
"I..." I started to sweat. "I don't... I don't feel confident..."
"It's okay, I understand." The professor maintained a kind tone. "I know it's the first day and it can be a bit embarrassing. But I'm sure everyone here is anxious to see your power."
"No, really, I—"
"Blake." The tone changed. "Come here, I said."
An absolute silence fell over the classroom.
"I was already very kind to you. And I'm not going to be permissive just because of who you are."
The murmurs increased.
"What's wrong with him...?"
"Why doesn't he want to do it?"
"Maybe he's shy. Remember what happened at the ceremony..."
"So... Blake?"
I was breathing with difficulty.
I have to find a way to buy time...
"Can I... can I go to the bathroom first?"
"What?!" Magnus looked at me incredulous. "Really?! Now?! Can't you hold it?!"
"Please... It's urgent."
The professor exhaled with frustration.
"Fine. But no more than five minutes. And you better come back."
I got up immediately and went down the stairs with quick steps.
All eyes followed me until I disappeared through the door.
~ ~ ~
I arrived at the bathroom and closed the door behind me.
I leaned against the sink, breathing with difficulty.
"What do I do now?! How do I get out of this?! How can I continue with this lie?!"
My reflection in the mirror looked back at me. Pale. Sweating. Scared.
"I can't think of anything..."
Ding. Ding.
The sound exploded inside my head.
"Agh!"
The headache was instantaneous. Like needles piercing my brain.
That same sound... It was the same one I heard when that message appeared...
I slowly raised my gaze.
And there it was.
Floating in front of me.
The red window.
[Hello Servant! You have a new quota!]
"No..." I drew back. "This has to be a damn joke..."
My back hit one of the bathroom doors.
"Why again?!"
My scream resonated in the empty bathroom.
But the message was still there waiting for me to interact with it.