As Elyon dragged Luke away, he said, "What are you doing picking a fight like that?"
Luke huffed, arms crossed. "That Riven... he's a jerk."
"But why pick a fight with him?"
"He insulted my father. I could let insults about me slide—but not about my family."
Elyon let out a long sigh. "Fine. I'll accept your excuse. But still, you should've thought before doing anything like that."
Luke calmed down a bit, then nodded. "You're right."
They continued walking until they reached a hallway where three different paths branched off. The hallway was quiet, echoing only the soft tapping of their footsteps.
Luke glanced at Elyon as he turned to one of the side paths. "Hey, I'll see you later. I need to go to my dorm room for something."
"Okay then. See ya," Elyon replied, standing in place as he watched Luke walk away and disappear around a corner.
Once Luke was fully gone, Elyon remained still for a moment, lost in thought. The last class doesn't start for a few more hours, he thought. What should I do till then?
Elren responded in Elyons mind.
"You could go around and explore the Academy a bit."
Elyon smiled slightly at the suggestion. "Well... that'll help pass the time."
With that, he began to wander down one of the hallways. It was mostly empty, lined with decorative paintings—probably placed for aesthetic more than meaning. Chandeliers hung above him, swaying ever so gently from the high ceiling. Windows were spaced along the corridor—some looking out onto the Academy grounds, others giving a view of the training fields. Sunlight streamed in through some of them, casting soft, shifting shadows on the stone floor.
Elyon walked aimlessly, taking in the surroundings. There wasn't anything particularly interesting. The halls seemed quiet and undisturbed, echoing faintly with each step.
Then, as he turned a corner, he noticed someone approaching from the opposite direction—slowly, and with effort.
It was a student, clearly struggling to carry a large stack of papers. The pile was so high that the boy couldn't even see what was in front of him. He walked cautiously, wobbling under the weight of the documents.
As they neared each other, Elyon finally recognized him. It was the red-haired boy who had sparred with Luke on the first day of combat class. He still remembered the intensity of that match.
Seeing the difficulty he was having, Elyon stepped forward and grabbed a few stacks from the top of the pile, helping lighten the load.
"You look like you could use some help," Elyon offered with a small grin.
The red-haired boy gave a relieved laugh. "Thanks. These papers are way heavier than I thought."
He shifted the remaining stack in his arms and added, "I'm Kelson, by the way."
"I'm Elyon."
With their burdens shared, the two of them continued walking together, side by side.
After a few quiet steps, Elyon asked, "So, what are all these papers for? And where exactly are we taking them?"
"Oh, these are the student admission records," Kelson said, adjusting the stack in his arms. "Well, the copies. Mr. Renos told me to take them to his office."
"I see," Elyon replied, nodding. "Where are you from, Kelson?"
"I'm from the Varnoth Kingdom. What about you?"
"Liria," Elyon answered. "If you're from Varnoth, then you must've plowed through some serious snow to get here."
Kelson chuckled. "Nope. Lucky for me, the snow in February is quite light compared to other months."
"Nice timing, then. So, what do your parents do?"
"My father's a businessman. He owns a small company in the capital of Varnoth," Kelson replied.
They continued chatting, trading small details about their lives—family, hometowns, weather—and before long, they reached Mr. Renos' office.
When they opened the door, they were greeted by a quiet, orderly room. A single desk stood in the center with books to the right and papers scattered across its surface—some of them appeared to be blueprints or schematics. To the left stood two intricately designed chairs and a small table with a teapot and several cups. The walls were lined with tall bookshelves, filled with volumes.
Elyon looked around, noting that the room had the exact feel of a proper office—nothing out of place, nothing especially unusual.
He and Kelson placed the stacks of papers onto the desk. Kelson straightened up, then turned to Elyon with a slight smile.
"Nice talking to you. See you around," he said as he headed toward the door.
Elyon, now alone in the room, glanced at the papers.
"Student admissions, huh..." he murmured.
Curiosity got the better of him. He slowly reached out and picked up a few of the sheets, flipping through them.
Each file contained names, photos, and other personal information—parent names, hometowns, and other details. One of the files caught his eye. Luke's.
It listed his parents as Aloris and Vinson. His specialty: elemental essence. It also included height, weight, and other basic information. As Elyon read further, something began to stand out.
Some of the files had markings at the top—"Regular," or "Elite." He noticed a pattern. The "Regular" marked students were mostly commoners. The ones marked "Elite" were nobles.
But then, something struck him.
"Elren," Elyon said quietly.
"I know," Elren responded inside his mind. "I noticed it too."
"My name isn't listed in either the 'Elite' or 'Regular' categories," Elyon said.
"And not just you. There are others missing as well," Elren replied.
Elyon's eyes scanned the room. On the side of the desk, he noticed a separate stack of papers—slightly different. He picked up a few from the top. These records looked similar, but they were labeled Special Requested.
He searched quickly and found his own file. It was accurate for the most part, nothing stood out—except one line.
Requester: Milisa Syreth
That name didn't ring any bells.
"Who's Milisa Syreth?" Elyon muttered, frowning.
Elren spoke again. "Those are special requested students—ones who don't meet the Academy's standard criteria but were enrolled through noble influence or other higher connections."
As Elren explained, Elyon kept flipping through the stack. Then he saw something else. Another student he recognized.
Full Name: Shila
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Date of Birth: 3rd April, Year 5021
Age at Enrollment: 17
Kingdom of Origin: Unknown (no official registry)
Home Town/City: Undocumented
Height: 162.5 cm
Weight: 49 kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Purple
Bloodline Status: Unconfirmed
Specialty: Unknown / Undeclared
Essence Affinity: Pending Evaluation
Physical Aptitude: Above Average (entry assessment report)
Parent/Guardian(s): Listed as: None
Guardian Record: N/A
Requester: Count Dark
– Status: Noble Class
– Affiliation: Merchant Council
Elyon stared at the page.
"Count Dark..." he said under his breath. "Wasn't he the one who threatened to take action after his son's death?"
"The fact that he requested Shila's enrollment is suspicious enough," Elren said. "But with almost all of her records blank or undocumented... it's even worse."
Just then, the sound of the door creaking open snapped Elyon out of his thoughts.
He quickly shuffled the papers back into place and turned around.
Mr. Renos stepped into the room, narrowing his eyes as he saw Elyon standing near his desk.
"What are you doing here?" he asked sharply.
Elyon straightened and replied, "I was just placing the documents you requested on your desk."
Renos stared at him for a long moment, then gave a curt nod. "Fine. Now leave my office."
Without hesitation, Elyon turned and walked out briskly, his heart still pounding slightly.
His thoughts swirled.
Milisa Syreth... Count Dark... special requested students...