As the trio walks toward the great castle building, Theo is impressed by the exterior area. The surroundings look like a vast garden with green walls and bushes shaped like animals that seem alive. There are fountains and plants of many kinds everywhere.
Tall posts with luxurious lamps illuminate the entire area along the path of polished stones that leads to the great castle doors. Seeing the impressed expression not only on Theo but also on Lorien, Sarah laughs. "This is just one of the many entrances to the castle, there is much more to see."
"It is impressive," Theo comments as the trio arrives in front of the iron and dark wood gates, but what draws his attention the most is a large fountain before the doors with statues of women with fish tails swimming in the water. "Are those statues alive?"
"The Mermaids of Oryn," Sarah comments while looking at the statues with admiration in her eyes. "They have that name because of their creator, an old Wizard who was Headmaster of the Academy many years before Duke Lyskarra. Stories say these statues are real mermaids that Oryn brought from the depths of the Dark Lake."
"They are real?" Theo approaches the fountain and can barely believe how detailed those statues are, truly moving like living creatures, dancing in the fountain, and casting charming smiles at him while giggling shyly.
One of the mermaids even splashes a few drops of water at Theo, teasing him, but before he can get closer, Sarah pulls him back to her side. "It is better to be careful. These creatures are considered one of the greatest dangers of the Dark Lake. There are many reports of students being seduced and dragged by them into the lake…"
"Let me guess, none of them came back whole?" Theo asks, and Sarah laughs. "Whole? Nothing remains after someone is taken by mermaids; those cursed creatures devour even the bones of their victims."
After hearing that, Theo looks at the stone mermaids differently, but they seem offended, making sad expressions and even extending their thin, long arms toward him, making soft and mournful sounds.
Part of Theo almost feels sorry for the poor statues, but Sarah, who is holding his arm, casts a wild look at them. "Ille meus est!" Sarah exclaims words in a language that Theo does not understand, and the stone mermaids retreat into the fountain in fear.
"Damn!" Theo exclaims, surprised by the scene, and looks at Sarah with curious eyes. "What did you say to make them so afraid?" Sarah smiles adorably in response. "Just an old threat I once saw in a book."
Theo just laughs, and Sarah pulls him by the arm toward the castle doors. "Come on, the night is just beginning, and we have a lot to see." They enter the castle, and Theo is impressed by the interior architecture. Just like the exterior, everything inside the castle feels massive and ancient, from walls several meters high to fancy candelabras with magical flames and elegant floating lusters illuminating everything around them.
There are also many stone statues along the long corridor, along with glass displays holding various items, from ancient swords to chained books. Like most of the new students, Theo is amazed by everything he sees, but Sarah already seems to know every single thing around them.
"This is the corridor of great legends," she explains while pointing to the statues and items along the path and mentioning names Theo has never heard before, names of ancient heroes and individuals who left their marks on the history of the Academy.
"How can you know so much about this place?" Lorien asks in a suspicious tone, and Theo also looks at Sarah, who simply smiles with a nostalgic expression. "I told you, I have read so many books about this place that I feel like I know every corner and every detail here."
Lorien still looks at Sarah with doubt, but Theo is happy to have her as a guide, telling him about everything they see. The trio continues walking down the corridor until they reach a gigantic hall dozens of meters wide with a ceiling so high that only darkness and bright dots can be seen above, like a starry sky.
"The Hall of Stars," Sarah comments while she also seems impressed by the place, especially the glowing ceiling. "It was built to receive the most important guests during gala celebrations. They say it can hold more than two thousand people on the ground floor alone, but there are also other levels with more spaces around it."
"At least a thousand are already here," Theo comments as he sees as many nobles around as in the streets of Dragons' Gate, many of the faces he's seen before, and others that look a few years older. Most are on the ground floor, but there are dozens more on the upper levels surrounding the hall. There are also dozens of servants everywhere, serving various drinks on luxurious trays, and a group playing pleasant music on a central stage.
Even with so many people around, as soon as the nobles notice Theo and his group, their gazes are quickly drawn to them, along with all kinds of comments. Theo still does not feel comfortable attracting so much attention, and Sarah also does not seem used to it since she hugs his arm tighter when many people start staring at them.
"Let them look," Theo says to Sarah in a gentle tone while holding her hand. "You are the most beautiful girl here, and they are jealous of me for having you at my side."
Sarah smiles adorably at Theo. "I also see many girls who would take my place without thinking twice…" She winks at Theo, and he laughs. "No one can take your place, My Lady." He winks back, and Sarah blushes, looking even more adorable.
"Oh no, please…" Lorien complains, but when Theo looks at the boy, he is staring in another direction, at a tall, white-haired man walking toward the trio with a sharp gaze and an arrogant smile.
That man shares many similarities with Lorien, but does not have a feminine face, and also appears to be over twenty years old. He stops in front of the trio and casts his arrogant smile at Lorien. "Welcome, cousin, I am glad you joined us. But I must say I am surprised, I did not think you were old enough for this."
"I can't even imagine how happy you must be, Edrin…" Lorien responds in a cold tone. But Edrin keeps smiling and then glances at Theo and Sarah, focusing more on her and bowing. "My Lady, allow me to introduce—"
"Do not even try, you pile of frozen shit," Sarah looks at Edrin with disgust and refined cruelty. "If you speak to me again, I swear by all the damned gods, I will paint the floor of this hall with your stinking blood."
Theo and Lorien hold back their laughter while Edrin is left speechless. His fake smile falters, and a hostile gleam appears in his eyes, making Theo grow serious and take a step toward the arrogant man.
Seeing the truly hostile look in Theo's eyes, Edrin steps back. "Interesting friends you have found, Lorien, but I think it is better we talk somewhere else."
"He is fine with me," Theo comments calmly, and Lorien can't hide a gentle smile on his face. But Edrin frowns. "Lorien, are you going to turn your back on your family? Your older sister personally sent me to bring you. She misses you and wants very much to see you."
Theo looks at Lorien, and the boy sighs. "I guess I should go see her, at least say hello." He takes a step toward his cousin, but Theo touches his shoulder. "You will be alright?"
Lorien smiles again and then glances at Edrin. "If I do not return by the end of the night, I expect you to come rescue me." In the end, he winks at Theo, who laughs and nods. "You can count on it."
Edrin throws an annoyed look at Lorien and then at Theo and Sarah, but her wild glare makes him leave quickly with his cousin. Seeing the pair walk away, Theo comments to Sarah. "I don'tt like that guy."
"Yeah, I told you the Caelis are no good; they are all like that." She speaks with hatred and disgust, but Theo makes a thoughtful expression. "Maybe not all of them, Lorien seems different." He says it kindly, but Sarah shrugs. "I have no idea what he is, but I don't want to talk about it."
She gently holds Theo's face and makes him look into her eyes while smiling. "Today is our first day in the castle. I want to enjoy every second so that in the future, I can look back and have only good memories of this night."
Theo caresses Sarah's face and then gives her a soft kiss on the lips. "Every second with you is a memorable moment, my dear." Theo's words make Sarah smile even more, then he takes her hand and spins her as if in a dance. "What should we do first?"
"Hahaha~" Sarah giggles charmingly while dancing around Theo, ignoring all the nobles staring and commenting about them. "Let me think…"
ROOOOOOOOAR! A loud and powerful sound echoes through the great hall, making most of the nobles there flinch. Theo is also surprised by how close the roar sounds, but Sarah smiles with her eyes shining. "It must be the Duke! Only he would fly with a dragon so close to the hall."
"Oh?" Theo grows curious about the man who commands the Academy, and Sarah quickly pulls him by the hand toward a staircase. "Come with me, I will show you something." She speaks excitedly, and Theo follows her through the crowd of nobles up the stairs to the second floor.
"Where are you taking me?" Theo asks while Sarah pulls him through side corridors, leading him farther from the hall where there are fewer nobles.
She seems to know where she is going, but then reaches a dead end and turns back quickly. "I have read about these corridors dozens of times, but it is a little more confusing in person." She laughs while searching for a specific hallway.
After passing through several corridors, Sarah finally finds what she was looking for and leads Theo down a narrow passage to a small balcony overlooking a vast garden with an open area at its center, where there is now a gigantic blue-green dragon.
"Whoah!" Theo is stunned when he sees the dragon, which, despite being dozens of meters away, looks as large as a mountain, certainly more than fifty meters long and twenty meters tall. Its body is covered in dark green scales over bluish hide, and it has a long pair of thin horns that sweep backward like curved blades above a massive cone-shaped skull.
"Syrex, the Queen of the Dark Lake," Sarah says excitedly while her eyes shine with as much admiration as Theo's. "That is one of the strongest and most intelligent Alpha Dragons in the Four Kingdoms, the faithful partner of Duke Lyskarra."