Felix led the way out of the Headmaster's office and into the open corridors beyond.
The Academy felt more alive now, far more than it had when Dominic first arrived even though not much time had passed.
Voices echoed across the stone walkways, overlapping with laughter, nervous murmurs, and the shuffle of footsteps.
As they passed through one of the main courtyards, Dominic slowed slightly.
New students were arriving in steady streams. They entered through the gates with parents at their sides and the others came surrounded by entire families. Their siblings clinging to cloaks while the adults spoke excitedly among themselves.
Noble houses were easy to spot. They wear fine coats trimmed with gold thread. Rings and pendants gleaming in the sunlight. Guards standing straight behind them,watching around as if the other students could attack their masters at any moment.
The commoners looked different, but no less supported. Fathers carrying bags. Mothers offering encouragement while crying. Older relatives stood proudly, even if their clothes were plain and worn.
Everyone had someone.
Dominic looked away.
A faint heavy feeling settled in his chest as the image of his grandfather surfaced to his mind. He could see the old man's weathered hands, worn clothes, and his quiet smile. The way he would have stood awkwardly among all this splendor, trying not to draw attention.
It would have gone badly. The others would have humiliated him. Dominic knew that.
The Academy did not care about their statuses, August had said. But people did. They always did. Letting his grandfather come would only invite stares, whispers, and humiliation. This was better. It had to be.
Felix noticed his silence.
"Don't look so down, kid," he said casually, walking backward for a step before turning again. "You'll see far more interesting things here than hanging around parents all day. Besides, parents aren't that fun to be around anyway."
Dominic lifted his gaze, ready to argue. The words pressed against his tongue.
He wanted to say that's not true. And he would want him to be here actually.
But then he saw Felix's expression.
It was subtle. The easy smile remained, but something darker passed behind his eyes. A brief shadow, heavy and closed off, as if his own words had touched something Felix did not like remembering.
Dominic swallowed the response and said nothing.
They continued deeper into the Academy grounds, moving away from the grand halls and crowded courtyards.
The buildings grew older here, their stone darker and their paths became quieter.
Towers and cloisters gradually blocked Dominic's view of the main complex behind.
Then the ground ended.
Dominic stopped beside Felix.
A cliff stretched before him, sheer and immense. Its stone face was carved with doors, windows, and balconies embedded directly into the rock.
The structures were layered vertically. Some connected by narrow bridges or by stairways carved into the cliff itself.
"So this is it," Felix said, gesturing broadly. "Student dormitories."
Dominic stared with amazement clear on his face.
"We will live inside the cliff?" he asked.
Felix nodded. "Every student lives here. You'll stay in these rooms from the day you enroll until you graduate. Six years. After that, you must move on. Simple as that."
Six years.
The thought settled heavily in Dominic's mind. It was like an entire chapter of his life was carved into stone, just like the dormitory itself.
Felix led him toward a massive double door set into the cliff face.
The doors stood open, unguarded for now, revealing a brightly lit interior beyond.
"No guards?" Dominic asked quietly.
Felix chuckled. "Not yet. Most of the time we don't need them here."
They stepped inside together.
The moment they stepped inside, Dominic was met with a vast interior corridor stretching far into the cliff.
Doors lined both sides in perfect rows, stacked upward as well as forward, giving the space a tall, almost hollow feeling.
The corridor was straight and long. The stone walls were smooth and reinforced, lit by evenly spaced ether lamps that cast white glow.
Their footsteps echoed as they walked.
They passed dozens of identical doors before Felix finally slowed.
He stopped in front of one of the rooms with a distinct shape etched on its door, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a simple metal key.
With a familiar motion he unlocked the door and pushed it open.
"Here," Felix said, stepping aside.
Inside was a modest room. There were three beds neatly arranged, each paired with a wooden wardrobe, wooden desk and chair at its side.
The room was clean, functional, and clearly meant to be shared.
"This will be your room," Felix said. "You'll be staying here with two other first-year students."
Dominic nodded, though inwardly he felt a twinge of reluctance. He would have preferred being alone. But he understood that this was not a place where his preferences mattered.
It couldn't be helped.
"For now," Felix continued, leaning casually against the doorframe, "your job is simple. Adapt. You need to learn how things work around here. Follow the other first-years, pay attention, and understand the basics of the Academy first."
He glanced at Dominic. "Later on, when the time's right, you'll start working with me."
Dominic nodded again, this time more firmly. There was genuine excitement on his face.
Felix noticed it and let out a low sigh.
"I don't want to make you pessimistic, kid," he said, his tone changed slightly, "but this Academy isn't easy. Not even close."
Dominic listened without interrupting.
"It's not like… evil or anything," Felix went on. "But what you're about to learn demands effort and discipline, sometimes pain. You'll be pushed harder than you think you can handle. If you're not mentally prepared, it'll chew you up."
Dominic met his gaze and nodded.
"I'm ready," he said.
Felix studied him for a moment, noticing that his face was still bright, then sighed again.
"Alright then," he said. "When the time comes, you'll work with me."
With that, he turned and left the room, the door closing behind him.
Dominic stood there for a moment, alone now. He set his bag down and walked to one of the wardrobes. He didn't have much to unpack. Just a few clothes and some personal items. Nothing more.
He placed them on the wardrobe and desk, and closed the door.
Then he sat down on the edge of the bed, looking around his new room.
This was where it would begin.
Then the door suddenly opened with a loud thud.
"Damn that noble! Aarrghhh!!!"
Dominic saw a boy his age shout with frustration and anger.
—