The academy woke before sunrise.
Long before the first rays of light appeared above the horizon, movement had already spread throughout the floating city. Lanterns glowed along the suspended bridges connecting the northern districts, and students could be seen crossing them despite the early hour. Some were carrying luggage. Others were simply curious. News of the expedition had spread through the academy days ago, and now countless people had gathered to watch its departure.
The atmosphere felt strangely different.
Not sad.
Not exciting.
Something in between.
Kael stood near the window of his room and watched the academy slowly come alive beneath the darkness of dawn. The towers rising above the clouds looked almost dreamlike in the faint light, their silver surfaces reflecting the glow of thousands of lanterns. From this height, the floating city resembled a kingdom suspended between heaven and earth.
For a brief moment, he wondered how long it would be before he saw it again.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
The door opened before he could answer.
Aren stepped inside carrying three bags, two travel packs, a wrapped bundle of food, and what appeared to be an entire blanket draped over one shoulder.
Kael stared at him.
Aren stared back.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Finally, Kael pointed.
"What is all that?"
Aren frowned.
"Supplies."
"You look like you're moving permanently."
"You can never be too prepared."
Kael looked at the enormous pile again.
"I disagree."
The boy sighed dramatically.
"This is why you survive disasters but fail basic planning."
Before Kael could respond, another voice came from the corridor.
"You brought enough supplies for a small army."
Lyra entered the room carrying a single travel bag.
Aren pointed at her.
"Exactly."
"What do you mean exactly?"
"You brought one bag."
"Yes."
The boy spread his arms.
"What happens if something goes wrong?"
Lyra looked at his mountain of equipment.
"What happens if you need to walk?"
That ended the discussion immediately.
Kael looked away before Aren could see him trying not to laugh.
The boy noticed anyway.
"Betrayal."
A few minutes later, the three of them left the dormitory tower and joined the flow of students moving toward the northern districts. The academy seemed larger than usual this morning. Perhaps it was the darkness. Perhaps it was the anticipation hanging in the air. Whatever the reason, every tower and bridge appeared more vivid than before.
Nobody knew when they would return.
That fact changed everything.
As they crossed one of the higher pathways, they discovered Draven waiting beside a transit platform.
The larger student looked fully prepared for the journey.
Unlike Aren.
His equipment was practical.
Organized.
Reasonable.
Naturally, Aren disliked that.
"You packed correctly."
Draven nodded.
"Yes."
"Show off."
Draven looked at the collection of bags hanging from Aren's shoulders.
"I wasn't trying to."
The boy looked offended.
Lyra simply kept walking.
The group followed.
The closer they moved toward the northern district, the more crowded the academy became. Students lined the bridges overlooking the departure zone. Instructors stood near observation platforms. Even lower-year students had somehow managed to gather in places they definitely weren't supposed to be.
Everyone wanted to see the expedition leave.
Everyone wanted a glimpse of the people heading toward the Northern Frontier.
The attention felt uncomfortable.
At least for Kael.
Aren seemed to be enjoying it.
Far too much.
"Look."
Nobody looked.
The boy pointed anyway.
"They're definitely staring at us."
"No," Lyra said.
"They are."
"No."
"They absolutely are."
Draven glanced around.
"They might be."
Aren immediately looked victorious.
"See?"
"That isn't a good thing."
The victory vanished.
A few bridges later, they finally reached the northern command district.
The sight waiting for them brought the conversation to an abrupt stop.
The military airships were enormous.
Kael had seen them before from a distance, but standing beneath them was an entirely different experience. Their dark hulls stretched across the sky like floating fortresses. Countless runes glowed along reinforced plating while massive crystal engines illuminated the surrounding clouds with pale blue light.
Dozens of smaller transport vessels floated around them.
Soldiers moved across loading platforms.
Supplies were being transported continuously.
The entire district had transformed into a military operation.
Aren looked upward.
Then kept looking upward.
Then kept looking upward.
Finally, he spoke.
"They're bigger than I expected."
Draven nodded.
"Everything military is."
The boy frowned.
"That sounds like propaganda."
A familiar laugh interrupted them.
They turned to find Selene approaching from a nearby platform.
The golden-eyed girl looked unusually energetic for someone who had apparently been awake since before dawn.
Or perhaps she simply never slept.
The possibility seemed equally likely.
Selene glanced at Aren's collection of supplies.
Then raised an eyebrow.
"Planning to open a shop in the frontier?"
Aren sighed.
"Nobody appreciates preparedness."
"Nobody appreciates carrying your luggage."
The argument might have continued forever if another voice hadn't interrupted.
"You're all late."
Everyone turned.
Elaris stood near the boarding platform alongside several upper-division students.
The silver-haired young man looked exactly as composed as always.
Aren immediately checked the sky.
"We're early."
"You're barely early."
"That still counts."
Elaris considered it.
Then nodded.
"Fair enough."
The group moved toward the gathering area where dozens of expedition members had already assembled. Kael immediately recognized many faces from the academy's upper divisions. Some were students. Others belonged to military academies or noble organizations participating in the mission.
The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed.
People were talking.
Laughing.
Sharing stories.
Apparently nobody wanted to spend their final moments before departure standing around in silence.
Aren approved.
Naturally.
The next half hour passed quickly.
The expedition members gradually formed smaller groups while officers finalized preparations. Conversations drifted from topic to topic. Some discussed the frontier. Others speculated about the monument. A few argued about which kingdom produced the best military equipment.
That particular debate became surprisingly heated.
Eventually, General Caelan arrived.
The effect was immediate.
Conversations stopped.
Groups straightened.
Attention focused on the central platform.
The military commander crossed the loading area with his usual calm confidence before stopping near the edge of the boarding ramp.
His gaze swept across the assembled expedition.
Then he nodded once.
"Good."
Nobody was entirely sure how to respond to that.
Fortunately, he continued.
"The final preparations are complete."
A projection appeared above the platform.
A map of the continent materialized in the air.
Several routes illuminated immediately.
"Our destination remains unchanged."
The Northern Frontier.
The frozen wilderness beyond civilization.
The monument.
The mystery.
The reason they were all standing here.
General Caelan pointed toward the northern edge of the projection.
The route brightened.
"We will travel by airship until reaching the final military outpost."
The map shifted.
A remote fortress appeared among snow-covered mountains.
"After that, the expedition will proceed overland."
Several students exchanged glances.
Overland travel through the frontier sounded significantly less enjoyable than remaining aboard an airship.
Aren apparently agreed.
He raised a hand.
General Caelan looked at him.
The silence became uncomfortable immediately.
Aren ignored it.
"How cold is the frontier?"
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The military commander stared at him for several seconds.
Then answered.
"Very."
The boy nodded.
"Good to know."
The briefing continued.
Thankfully.
Several logistical details followed. Team assignments were confirmed. Communication procedures were reviewed. Emergency protocols were explained.
Aren stopped paying attention halfway through.
Kael knew because the boy looked physically incapable of hiding it.
Finally, the briefing ended.
General Caelan looked across the assembled expedition.
"The airships depart in fifteen minutes."
A murmur spread through the gathering.
This was it.
No more preparation.
No more waiting.
The journey was about to begin.
Students began moving toward the boarding ramps.
Conversations resumed.
Equipment was checked one final time.
The excitement that everyone had been suppressing finally became visible.
Even Kael felt it.
The frontier no longer felt distant.
It was real.
Only minutes away.
As the group approached the boarding platform, Lyra slowed slightly and looked back toward the academy.
The others noticed.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
The floating city stretched endlessly behind them.
The towers.
The bridges.
The familiar world they had spent years calling home.
Aren eventually sighed.
"We're definitely coming back."
Lyra smiled faintly.
"I know."
Draven adjusted his pack.
"Hopefully."
"That's less reassuring."
"It's honest."
Nobody could argue with that.
The boarding ramp lowered completely.
Soldiers began directing expedition members toward their assigned vessels.
The journey was beginning.
Far beyond the horizon, beyond mountains and kingdoms and endless fields of snow, something waited beside a black monument standing in forgotten ice.
For reasons none of them fully understood, their path was leading directly toward it.
And for the first time since the expedition had been announced, there was no longer any turning back.