Chapter 7

He was just staring at the wall, trying to steady his breathing.

Karim rubbed his eyes and began muttering quickly,"Central building… the instructor… the floors…"

Hearing Karim’s panicked tone, Luca raised his voice to stop him."Hey, hey! Stop! Just slow down and explain it step by step, okay?"

"First of all… yeah, I know we’re supposed to go to the central building, but what instructor, what floors? And besides, you're always the one who wakes up before me—how come I'm the one waking you this time? What the hell is going on?"

Karim took a deep breath.

He rested his head back on the pillow and rubbed his eyes again.

In a low but angry voice, he muttered,"I just can’t get it out of my head."

Luca frowned."Can’t get what out of your head?" he asked.

Karim suddenly stood up and yelled with frustration,"The raiders! I can’t fucking get those raiders out of my head!"

Luca fell silent.

He had never seen Karim this angry and worn out.

This wasn’t the Karim he was used to.

Usually calm, calculated, never making a move without thinking first—this version of Karim was... unsettling.

There was a brief silence.

Karim quickly grabbed a glass from the edge of the table and took a sip.

Then, after clearing his throat, he said quietly,"Come on, let’s go."

And just like that, he walked out of the room as if nothing had happened.

Luca stood frozen for a few seconds, trying to make sense of it all.

Eventually, he shook his head and rushed out after Karim.

They walked toward the central building without saying a single word.

Karim had only one hope in mind:That the place wouldn't be like it was in his dream.

And... it wasn’t.

The central building was a vast complex used for celebrations, balls, and even, on rare occasions, weddings.

But it wasn’t as mesmerizing as the dream.

There was no pure white floor, no stained glass filtering in colored light.

Sure, it had its own extravagant design,but it lacked the dream’s grandeur.

As he moved toward the staircase, he heard Luca’s voice behind him."Where are you going?"

Karim, still a bit spaced out, turned to Luca and frowned."Aren’t we supposed to go to the eighth floor?"

Luca stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

Then, raising an eyebrow and speaking in a mocking tone, he replied,"Karim… I don’t know what the hell you dreamed about or what got to you so bad, but this building only has five floors. And no, we’re not going anywhere."

Karim paused for a moment.

He was still questioning whether he’d actually woken up.

But as his logic kicked in, he realized this was the real world.

A chill ran down his spine as he looked around once more.

The floor wasn’t marble like in the dream, but made of cold stone.

Yes, the walls did have portraits and quotes from the Academy’s famous soldiers,but they weren’t enchanting—they were just as grim as the stone around them.

Karim took a deep breath and asked,"So what exactly are we doing here?"

Luca shrugged."They’re gonna take blood samples, apparently. Something about studying it for magic."

Karim frowned in panic and asked quickly,"We’re starting magic training on the second day?!"

Luca burst out laughing and raised his hands."No, no! They’re just taking samples. It’s so they can see which magical area we might be more suited for—if we want to learn magic later on."

Karim relaxed slightly and nodded."Got it."

They entered the room and waited in silence.

To the left, there was a shelf lined with various flowers and butterflies.The shelf next to it held glass bottles filled with glowing red liquids.

The needle and strange mechanism on the table made both of them uncomfortable.

At that moment, the door opened and a woman with a cheerful smile walked in.

"Looks like you're next," she said with a gentle grin."Alright, once I take a little blood, you’re all done here. So the faster we get this over with, the better."

Karim and Luca quietly rolled up their sleeves and waited for her to take their samples.

The woman worked quickly and carefully, taking a bit of blood from Karim first, then from Luca. She placed the samples into the odd device on the table.

"So, tell me," she asked while finishing up,"Do either of you have any interest in magic?"

Karim adjusted his sleeve and replied coolly,"No."

Luca gave a small nod, indicating yes.

The woman smiled slightly."Did you know elemental magic can make daily life unbelievably easier?" she asked.

Karim turned to her with a slight frown."Elemental?"

She clarified,"You can’t even imagine how the main elements—air, water, fire, and earth—can shape your life."

Just then, a dark-skinned man wearing a thin robe entered the room.

His presence instantly made the woman more serious.

She stood up and turned to the two of them."Your magical affinities will be determined tomorrow," she said, clearly signaling they should leave.

Karim and Luca left the central building and headed straight for the dining hall.

They continued walking in silence, lost in thought about how their training might unfold.

As they ate, Luca noticed Karim playing with his food.

With a smirk, he said,"Heh, try doing that next time you steal a meal."

Karim looked up from his plate."What?"

Luca set down his wooden spoon and spoke seriously."Look, you’ve been an absolute asshole all morning. You’re snapping at everyone, shutting everything out. Letting some nightmare get to you like this isn’t okay.

Whatever shit you’ve been through in your past, it’s still clinging to you—and you need to shake it off."

Karim sighed and responded with frustration,"How? You think I haven’t tried? Does it look like I’m enjoying this shit?"

Luca thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up."Come with me."

Karim stood without questioning and followed him.

When they arrived at the hill they had once cleaned and claimed as their own, Luca lay down on the grass and told Karim to do the same.

As Karim lay down, he was met with a breathtaking view he hadn’t seen in a long time.

The stars and the moon in the night sky offered a magnificent sight.

In that moment—maybe he truly calmed down, maybe his mind drifted elsewhere—but one thing was clear:the unease from the morning had finally started to fade.

Luca stared up at the sky and said,“We made this place ours, but we’ve barely even come here.”

Then he turned his head slightly and looked at Karim.“Alright, tell me. What’s your biggest dream?”

Karim hesitated.He hadn’t really thought about it in a long time.He always kept his dreams short and realistic.

Things like a house made of cake or owning some massive fortune always felt stupid to him.Thinking about stuff that could never happen felt no different than spinning some empty fairy tale.

After a brief silence, Karim replied,“I don’t know.”

Luca sighed.“Alright then, I’ll pretend you asked me and just answer it myself,” he said.

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“Sorry,” Karim added, his voice barely more than a whisper.

“It’s fine,” Luca said, more relaxed now.“Actually, before I came here, my only dream was to have a house and a ton of money.

Sure, thieving is thrilling and fun, but getting caught and beaten, starving, and constantly being on edge... it gets old.But this place…” he continued, raising his hand to the sky, “Just look at this! Magic, weapons, taxes, ranks… Who knows what else is going on here?

And you’ve noticed it, right?How many are missing from the class now…Some failed the test, some are too wounded to continue, and others got scared and ran off.”

Karim furrowed his brows slightly.“What’s your point?”

Luca’s eyes lit up with excitement.“Karim, we could be the best here! We could be so powerful and respected that we wouldn’t even need to work and still have enough money for three generations!”

Karim shook his head.“I told you already. I never wanted that.”

Luca blinked, surprised.“Why not?”

“I don’t want to be someone everyone knows.I just want the people I care about to be with me—and no danger. That’s all I want,” Karim said, staring at the sky.

Luca frowned a little.“So you plan to keep your loved ones happy with the same food and clothes everyone else has? And you’re not even sure they’ll be happy with that,” he said, almost scolding.

“If they love me, it won’t matter what I give them.They’ll be happy because it came from me,” Karim replied, turning to look at him.

Luca grumbled.“Don’t kid yourself with that bullshit, Karim. Nobody wants to live in poverty.”

Karim narrowed his eyes.“When did I say I wanted to live in poverty? I said I didn’t want to be recognized by everyone,” he snapped.

Luca threw his hands out.“Same thing!” he shouted.

“No, it’s not,” Karim replied calmly.“Having a lot of money doesn’t mean everyone has to know about it.Also, you still haven’t really said what your dream is,” he added, locking eyes with Luca.

Luca thought for a moment under the pressure and then smiled slightly.

“I want to be one of the highest-ranked and richest people here.Imagine it—I could wake up whenever I want, eat whatever I want, wear whatever I want.”

Karim tilted his head slightly.“That’s it?” he asked.

Luca laughed.“Of course not! I’d love to travel to different places, meet different people.I want to attend balls, visit kingdoms…”

Karim smirked.“You just want to eat stuff, don’t you?”

“I think they’re heading inside. I remember reading something about this in a book in my room,” Karim said thoughtfully. “After wars, most soldiers are sent into the inner section first to recover, and then, based on their commander’s orders, they’re assigned to different regions of the Academy.”

Luca narrowed his eyes at him.“What book?” he asked suspiciously.

Karim shrugged.“Found it in one of my drawers. It even had a map inside,” he answered.

Luca suddenly widened his eyes and smacked his forehead.“Ah fuck! I lost those the first day I got here! That’s why I had to memorize everything by walking around!” he said, clearly annoyed.

“You’re still thinking about food while hundreds of soldiers are marching right past us?”

Then he grabbed Karim’s arm and shouted excitedly,“Come on! Let’s get a closer look!”

As the soldiers marched forward, they suddenly stopped. The crowd around them fell silent. At that moment, one of the teachers—who taught many students including Karim and Luca—raised his voice:“Everyone to the training grounds!”

Karim and Luca gave each other a quick glance before running off toward the training area. When they arrived, they noticed it wasn’t just them—five more students were already there.

As they wondered what was happening, the instructor finally arrived and spoke with a stern expression:“Alright, we’re continuing the training.”

The excitement on Luca’s face immediately turned to despair.

He buried his face in his hands and cursed.

Then he turned to Karim and said seriously,“Listen, if my arms fall off, take them to the main hall, alright? Maybe—just maybe—they can stitch them back on.”

Karim muttered,“You’re exaggerating.”

Luca rolled his eyes,“Right, right... says the guy who passed out snoring after the first training session. Sure...”

“Same techniques as before,” the teacher shouted. “Pair up and get started!”

Karim and Luca wasted no time and teamed up, practicing the techniques they had learned.

After hours of repetition, the teacher’s booming voice finally called out:“Enough!”

The two dropped their wooden swords at the exact same time and collapsed to the ground.

Face down, Luca mumbled with a muffled voice,“Fuck this... we still have to go to the main hall.”

Karim sighed and lifted his head slightly.Both of them were so exhausted they could barely move, but if they wanted to learn how magic might affect them, they had to get up.

Supporting each other, they staggered to their feet and began the slow walk to the central building.

As they entered, the groaning and fake sobbing echoing through the hallways told them they weren’t the only ones half-dead.

Finally reaching the same room from before, they collapsed into the chairs.

At the same moment, a deep exhale came from both of them—one of physical exhaustion and one of relief.

When the woman entered, she saw the two of them staring up at the ceiling, completely drained.

Smiling slightly, she said,“Looks like someone’s a little tired.”

She grabbed two stones from the mechanism on her desk and stood in front of them, preparing to show the results.

“Alright, if you’re ready, I’m going to open my hands and we’ll see what kind of magic you’re compatible with!”

Her voice was filled with fake enthusiasm.

Karim and Luca stared at her with tired eyes. She opened her hands, and the light from the glowing stones seemed to ease their fatigue just a bit.

Clearing her throat, she continued:

“Alright Luca, turns out your blood caused quite the reaction. I had to clean out four whole vials—no big deal though.

As for your affinity: definitely water. Compared to other elements, your blood connects with it intensely.

That’s also why those four vials got ruined.

But you should be careful—your condition is unstable.If you ask me, taking it slow with magic would be better for you.”

She handed Luca a softly glowing blue stone.

Luca asked in a tired voice,“What am I supposed to do with this?”

She chuckled gently,“These stones are mostly for memory purposes down the line. The blood I took allows me to make two per student—one for you and one for me.

So even if you lose yours, I can re-analyze you using the one I have.Still, please don’t lose it.

Sometimes the data inside can take centuries to re-extract if it’s been hidden away.”

Then she turned to Karim and held out the second stone.

“This one’s yours, Karim.

Your dominant element is air. You’re naturally in sync with it, and that gives you an edge over Luca.

But don’t get too excited. You don’t act on instinct.

If you start doing that… things could spiral out of control.

That’s why you need to be much more careful than him.”

Karim took the stone, looking at her suspiciously.“You got all that… from a stone?” he asked.

She smiled lightly.“No.

As instructors, we constantly observe our students.

Each teacher in each branch makes detailed notes and shares them to form a general profile.

That makes analyzing way easier.

But don’t tell anyone. Otherwise, we’ll both be in trouble.”

The two got up and headed back to their rooms.

Karim collapsed onto his bed, feeling like he hadn’t slept in a lifetime.He hadn’t even changed his clothes.The second his head hit the pillow, he was out.

Luca crossed his arms, adopting a serious look.“What’s wrong with that? Who knows how many amazing foods are out there that we don’t even know about?”

Karim said in a teasing tone,“I think you’re just hungry.”

Luca frowned.“First of all—no! We just ate.And if you think I’m that hungry, you could go grab me some of that peasant food everyone else eats,” he said, leaning back.

Karim grinned.“You think our king would approve?”

Luca burst into laughter.“Absolutely not! Unacceptable!” he declared, throwing his arms out.

The two of them kept chatting on the hill deep into the night.The stars and moon above cast a peaceful glow over them.

The next morning, Karim opened his eyes with difficulty, greeted by the nagging voice of a maid entering the room.“You slept in your clothes again. Such a mess,” she muttered.

But Karim could barely hear her.

A few seconds later, she added,“Come on, you need to get to the training grounds,” and walked out.

Yawning, Karim got up, fixed his clothes, and headed toward the training area.

But when he arrived, Luca was nowhere to be found.

The instructor hadn’t shown up either, so Karim, without hesitation, turned back and rushed to Luca’s room.

He burst through the door to find Luca still deep asleep.

“Wake up! We need to get to the training ground!” Karim shouted, shaking him by the shoulder.

Luca cracked one eye open and groaned,“Five more minutes…”

“No more five minutes! We’re already late!” Karim snapped, yanking the blanket off him and pulling him out of bed.

They sprinted to the training grounds, only to find the other students already waiting.The instructor stood with his hands behind his back, glaring at them impatiently.

“Well, I see being on time isn’t a priority for you two,” he said in a cold tone.“In that case, for making the others wait, you’ll be doing an extra hour of training.”

Karim and Luca sighed and picked up their swords.

That day, there was no rest—not a single minute, not a single bite of food, not even a sip of water.They trained all day until their bodies were completely drained.

The next day, they were once again instructed to report to the training grounds.As they met on the way, Luca groaned with a dead voice,“Karim… fuck, how much longer is this shit gonna last?”

Karim rubbed his eyes.“I don’t know. I just hope it ends soon.”

When they arrived, the instructor scanned them all from head to toe.

With his hands clasped, he watched them for a moment, then suddenly pointed to Karim.“Ever used a bow?” he asked.

Karim shook his head.

The instructor raised his voice.“Today, you’ll be learning how to use one.” Then added, “Karim, come help me demonstrate to the others.”

Karim stepped forward and took the training bow from him.

He held it firmly, waiting for the instructor’s guidance.

“Alright. First, slide the arrow through the bow’s channel. Then, place the notch on the string.Now, use your thumb and index finger to draw it back.”

After fumbling a bit, Karim managed to load the arrow properly and pulled the string back as far as he could.

“Good. See that iron marker down there? Aim for it and let go.”

The instructor moved beside him to correct his stance—placing one foot forward and the other back slightly.He pulled Karim’s bow away from his chest and helped him aim.

Karim took a deep breath and released the arrow.

It hit the ground before reaching the target.

The instructor gave a slow nod and turned to the rest of the students.

“The most important thing to remember is where your arrow will go.

Always aim a little above your target.

And even that won’t help if you don’t factor in wind—its direction, its speed.

Distance is also critical. The type of bow affects how far your arrow travels.The longer the string, the farther the shot.”

The students did their best to hit targets, drawing the bows with all their might—but almost no one succeeded.

Karim only managed to hit one out of three arrows… and that one struck the target’s leg.

After a full day of archery training, the instructor announced that they would continue with both sword and bow practice for the next week.After that, students would have the option to try different weapons.

For the rest of the week, Karim and Luca trained until their arms felt like they’d fall off.

From early morning to sunset, the relentless training pushed them to their physical and mental limits.They were exhausted, drained—but they had started to notice their improvement.

However, by the week’s end, the announcement from the instructors caught them completely off guard:

They were going to be tested.

They could barely handle wooden swords—and now they were expected to take a serious exam?It made both Karim and Luca anxious.

Everything so far had only been preparation—and now the real challenge was beginning.

But unlike what many feared, the test wasn’t meant to eliminate them.

It was designed to assess how much they had improved, and what areas they still lacked in.

They would be observed and evaluated not just by their teachers,but by several high-ranking instructors.

So while there was no risk of death,the outcome would heavily influence their future.

As test day approached, rumors started circulating around the Academy.

Some claimed that those who passed would be immediately placed into the army—even if just at the lowest rank.

Others said they’d be chosen by the cloaked figures…and blessed.