"Let's begin with Destiny."
Vidoria turned to the board and drew a circle with a darkened center. From that center he sketched several straight lines stretching outward until they touched the outer edge of the circle. Beneath the diagram, he wrote a single word.
Destiny.
He stepped aside and faced the five recruits.
"Think of this as Destiny itself," he said, gesturing toward the drawing. "We believe this power, this life energy, is not simply a force. It is an entity, something that exists beyond our full understanding."
He paused, then drew a small stick figure beside the circle. From the figure he drew a line outward, and from the circle he drew another. The two lines ran straight at each other, but did not touch.
"When someone advances their Circle, an unconscious bond forms between that person and this Destiny energy," he explained. "Advancing your Circle also allows you to interact with the entity we call Destiny."
Mihel raised a hand. "So… you've actually seen this Destiny being?"
Vidoria shook his head.
"It's not something you see," he said. "It's something you feel. When your Circle grows strong enough, you sense 'It' beside you. Some people claim they've even spoken with 'It', but no one has ever been able to prove those claims."
He turned back to the board and drew another circle, this one connecting the two lines between the stick figure and the larger Destiny symbol.
"When your Circle advances, it forms a pathway," he said, tapping the Destiny symbol with the chalk before pointing at the stick figure. "A connection. From Destiny… to you."
He stepped back and shrugged slightly.
"The origin of all this is still unknown. Most people prefer to believe their gods control it. They believe higher beings decide the path each person walks. Perhaps that is true. But if it is, we humans simply lack the ability to comprehend it."
Vidoria continued the lesson by outlining the major Destiny paths known across Gorgoda. He spoke about the churches devoted to each path and the gods they followed.
Two stood above the rest in influence and power.
The Fountain of Everlasting Life, home of the healer destinies, and The Singular Idea, the church devoted to thinkers and scholars.
The others held slightly less influence but were still widely respected. These included The Church of the Blade, The Hunter's Maxim, The Magicians' Order of Wisdom, The Holy Order, and The True Strength. Each of these churches maintained central temples scattered throughout Gorgoda, with several smaller ones as well.
Vidoria set the chalk down for a moment, thinking.
"I had originally planned to explain the next topic later," he said. "I didn't expect any of you to encounter something like it so soon. But… special circumstances change plans."
He picked up a brush and wiped the board clean. The chalk dust scattered in pale clouds before settling onto the floor.
Then he drew a diamond shape in the center.
"Well," he continued, "you mentioned that during your fight yesterday someone suddenly used an ability that changed the tides completely. It is in my understanding now that they used a Destiny Object. The process behind creating these items is restricted knowledge for you now, but you should know one thing."
He tapped the diamond.
"They are extremely rare. Usually only powerful or influential individuals possess them."
A hand shot up. Midia.
"So do the Exousia have any?" she asked. "And if they do… who gets to use them?"
Vidoria chuckled softly.
"Good question. Yes, the Exousia keep a number of Destiny Objects in our possession. When soldiers are promoted in rank, they are given the opportunity to choose one for themselves. As you climb higher, you gain access to more."
Riche leaned forward slightly.
"So how many do you have?"
"Well," Vidoria replied with a casual shrug, "I'm only a Second Decurion, so I'm permitted two Destiny Objects. Perhaps I'll show one someday and demonstrate how they work."
He tapped the board again.
"Which brings us back to the person you encountered last night. From what you described, it's very likely they were using a Destiny Object. You said the fight suddenly shifted in their favor, correct?"
The group nodded.
"Exactly," Vidoria said. "And that makes the situation… interesting."
He folded his arms. "Can anyone guess why?"
Mihel raised his hand again.
"Well… since only Exousia-ranked soldiers are allowed to use those weapons-"
"Items, Mihel," Vidoria corrected, calmly. "Not all of them are made for combat."
Mihel nodded. "Right. Items. If that's the case, then those things shouldn't appear outside the Exousia. That means some group has access to them… and that means someone is producing them."
He hesitated.
"And I'm guessing that's illegal?"
Vidoria smiled faintly.
"Yes. Completely illegal."
His expression turned more serious.
"Creating Destiny Objects is not only forbidden, it is extremely dangerous. If someone outside the Exousia has begun producing them…"
He paused.
"…then this matter will need to be investigated very carefully."
A brief silence settled over the room before Vidoria finally spoke.
"Well," he said lightly, clapping his hands once, "that's enough theory for today. We should wrap things up."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"You also need to collect your Exousia coats. Freshly stitched." His eyes drifted for a moment, as if looking back through time. "I still remember the day I received mine."
The group followed him out of the classroom and down the marble stairs. Their footsteps echoed softly as they descended through the vast interior of the Citadel until they returned to the ground floor where they had first entered.
Behind a long counter stood a clerk.
Vidoria leaned forward and quietly spoke to him. The man nodded and disappeared into a room behind the desk. A moment later he returned carrying five paper bags.
Each bag had a name neatly written across the front.
He handed them out one by one.
Mihel immediately tore open his.
Inside lay the black coat of the Exousia.
He lifted it from the bag and let the fabric unfold in his hands. The material was darker than ordinary cloth, almost swallowing the light around it. Along the edges ran delicate stitched patterns that only revealed themselves when examined closely.
Like the others, his coat had no golden markings. It was completely black, except for the Exousia emblem stitched across the back.
"It's recommended you wear the coat over whatever you're already wearing," Vidoria explained. "People tend to feel more at ease when they recognize the uniform. Especially during emergencies."
He gestured toward them.
"Go on. Try them on."
The five recruits slipped into their new coats.
Mihel adjusted the collar and looked down at himself.
The coat fit perfectly. It draped smoothly over his shoulders, and the long tails nearly reached his feet. Something about the way it hung around him made him feel… good. More serious. More mysterious.
He liked it.
'Though everyone else has the same coat,' he thought with a quiet smirk. 'Maybe it would look better with a proper suit underneath.'
"Looking sharp," Vidoria said approvingly.
He pointed at the gold patterns running along the edges of his own coat.
"See these designs? The amount of gold woven into your coat reflects your rank within the Exousia."
The group spent some time exploring the Citadel's ground floor afterward. There was an indoor training hall where soldiers practiced, a bustling food court filled with the smell of cooked meat and bread, and a well-stocked armory lined with weapons and equipment.
Eventually Vidoria gathered them together again.
"Well," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "there's one thing I forgot to mention earlier."
The recruits looked at him.
"Tonight you'll be handling your first duty. Lighting the city lanterns at sunset."
He gestured toward the streets outside.
"I'll accompany you for the first few runs so you learn the routes. After that, you'll be expected to manage it yourselves. Understood?"
The five recruits nodded.
Vidoria led them back toward the enormous gate through which they had entered earlier.
Just before they stepped outside, he suddenly turned around with a grin.
"Oh, one more thing."
He raised a finger.
"All the Grade Two teams compete for shortest time taken while lighting the lanterns. At the end of each month, the fastest team receives a small bonus."
The recruits exchanged glances.
Vidoria chuckled.
"And yes," he added, "you'll be paid for the work."
With that, Vidoria touched the surface, lifting the massive gate once more, and the group stepped out of the Citadel, ready to begin their first task.