The midday courtyard of Hachi Academy buzzed like a living engine—students crossing between tall crystal-lit halls, flight platforms humming overhead with low-altitude riders, and the distant clang of beast-steel echoing from training pits. It was the first time Orin walked through the academy without a strict direction or a commander pulling him somewhere.
And without realizing it, he walked differently.
Wake noticed first. "You're standing taller."
Starke added, "More confident. Or more confused confidence? A mix."
Orin blinked, adjusting the strap of his new gear. "I'm just walking."
"Yeah," Wake said, "but now you're walking like someone who passed an evaluation from Draeve."
Starke put a hand dramatically over his heart. "That changes a man."
Orin rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Something had shifted inside him. Maybe not confidence—not exactly—but purpose. His steps felt grounded. His breathing steadier. Even the air tasted clearer.
Kahn-Ra padded beside him, perfectly in sync.Your instincts align with environment. Your mind resists. Balance comes when you cease fighting yourself.
"I'm not fighting myself," Orin said under his breath.
Starke glanced over. "Talking to the cat again?"
"He's talking to me," Orin said.
Starke winced. "I don't know if that's better or worse."
Wake tapped Orin's shoulder. "We've got about an hour until class orientation. Want to grab food before the cafeteria turns into a warzone of impatient first-years?"
Before Orin could answer, Kahn-Ra cut in through their mental link—sharp and sudden.Halt.
Orin froze mid-step.
Wake nearly ran into him. "What—?"
Kahn-Ra's pupils narrowed to slits as he stared ahead.
Orin followed his gaze.
A cluster of students stood near the center fountain—a tall boy in beast-forged gauntlets, a girl with Radiant-touched veins glowing faintly beneath her skin, and three others who looked like they were waiting for trouble.
"Who are they?" Orin asked.
Wake exhaled. "Upper-tiers."
Starke added quietly, "Specifically… students who like making new recruits feel tiny."
"Why?" Orin asked.
Starke shrugged. "Academy tradition. Or insecurity. Or boredom. You pick."
Kahn-Ra spoke with dry disdain.Small beasts grow loud when territories shift. Ignore them until necessary.
But it was too late. The tall boy noticed Orin—and his gaze locked onto Kahn-Ra with instant hostility.
"Well," the boy said loudly, "look what the wind dragged in. The stray and his… pet."
Kahn-Ra's tail whipped once—silent but sharp.
Orin's jaw tightened. "I'm not looking for problems."
The boy smirked. "Good. Then walk away."
Eyes began turning toward them. Students paused mid-step. Some whispered. Some smirked, waiting to see how the new recruit handled this.
Orin took one step forward.
Then another.
The group closed in.
Wake muttered, "Of course this happens the second you pass evaluation."
Starke whispered, "We attract chaos. It's who we are."
Orin exhaled slowly. "I'm not fighting anyone."
Kahn-Ra's voice slid through his mind like a blade across silk.Do not announce peace. Show strength without violence. Predators respond to posture, not words.
"Meaning?" Orin whispered.
Meaning, Kahn-Ra answered, you stand as if they are beneath your attention.
Orin's brows furrowed… but he tried it. Shoulders back. Head level. Eyes steady.
He walked forward—not around them, but through the path they blocked.
The tall boy stepped directly into his way.
"You didn't hear me," he said, leaning in. "Walk around."
Orin held his stare.
He didn't bare his teeth.He didn't tense his fists.He didn't yield either.
Something flickered in the boy's expression—just for a second.
Wake stepped up beside Orin, voice calm. "Move."
Starke joined them, less calm. "Before we get creative."
A ripple moved through the crowd.
The tall boy smirked again, though less certain. "You got a mouth for a new recruit."
Orin didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't blink.
Kahn-Ra observed silently.Good. Dominance without escalation.
The Radiant girl beside the boy sneered at Kahn-Ra. "Cats aren't allowed in the cafeteria."
Orin answered calmly, "He doesn't eat cafeteria food."
Wake added, "He eats things that eat cafeteria food."
Starke whispered, "Nice."
The girl scoffed and stepped back.
The tall boy clicked his tongue. "Fine. Enjoy your first week, recruit. After that? We'll see what you're really made of."
Orin walked past him without a word.
Wake followed.
Starke followed.
Kahn-Ra paused.
Turned his head.
And fixed the tall boy with a stare that dropped the temperature of the courtyard.
The boy stepped back involuntarily, breath catching.
Kahn-Ra then padded after Orin as if nothing happened.
Starke whispered, "I'm terrified of our mascot."
Wake muttered, "He's not a mascot."
Kahn-Ra's voice flicked dryly across Orin's mind.Correct. I am your elder.
Orin suppressed a sigh.They reached the cafeteria—a massive open hall lined with beast-forged counters and steam pits where food simmered over glowstone burners. Students moved in clusters, carrying trays lined with cross-grain rations, broth bowls, and skewers from Monari meat.
Orin froze.
The smell hit him.
Rich. Metallic. Wild.
His pulse jumped.
Wake noticed immediately. "Hey… you okay?"
Orin swallowed. "Yeah. Just… the scent."
Kahn-Ra hummed in his mind.Instinct. Not hunger. Not threat. Just memory.
Orin nodded and followed the others. They gathered food—Wake balancing a mountain of rice and vegetables, Starke taking portions big enough to feed two people, Orin choosing smaller servings even though his stomach twisted with need.
They found a table near the back.
Starke stabbed a piece of meat and said around a mouthful, "New rule: Wake's not allowed to cook anymore. Academy food wins."
Wake lifted a brow. "I'm offended."
Orin shifted, the scent still tickling something primal in him.
Kahn-Ra sat at Orin's feet, perfectly still.Breathe. You are not starving. You are remembering.
"I'm fine," Orin muttered.
Wake eyed him. "You sure?"
"Yeah."
He wasn't lying. The sensation passed slowly, replaced by a surprising calm.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Their food, their banter, the low hum of crystal lanterns overhead—it was almost peaceful.
Until a voice cut through the hall—
"Orin Slain."
Orin looked up.
An instructor stood in the doorway—a lean man with a beast-thread coat and silver glyphs etched along the sleeves. He held a stack of scrolls.
"Your schedule," the instructor said.
Orin stood, wiping his hands, and walked over. Wake and Starke followed.
The instructor handed Orin the scrolls. "Your primary classes start tomorrow. Bloodline Discipline, Combat Techniques, Physical Meditation, and Monari Analysis."
Starke beamed. "We're all in those!"
Wake elbowed him. "Of course we are."
The instructor added, "General Lox has also assigned you an additional session. Controlled Instinct."
Orin blinked. "That's… a class?"
"Not officially. It's a specialized program—one-on-one. Very few are chosen."
Wake leaned in. "That means you're special."
Starke whispered, "Or cursed."
Kahn-Ra's thought sharpened.He is chosen because he is volatile. And promising.
Orin asked, "Who teaches it?"
"Vault," the instructor said before walking off.
Orin swallowed hard.
Wake grinned. "Congrats. You're doomed."
Starke nodded. "Utterly."After finishing food, they wandered the academy grounds to learn the layout. Kahn-Ra guided Orin silently, tugging his attention toward certain structures.
That hall—alchemy. Dangerous smells. Avoid for now.
This wing—the forged arena. You will train here eventually.
That tower—resonance studies. Irrelevant to you now.
Every place had a purpose. Every purpose had a cost.
They stopped at the outer observation balcony—a long stretch of polished stone overlooking the lower cliffs. Far below, shards of Radiant ore glimmered beneath the academy's foundations. Airships drifted in the distance, moving between outposts.
Orin leaned against the railing. "This place is bigger than Drill City."
Wake nodded. "It's its own world."
Starke pointed below. "See those? Those are the low-tier fields. That's where the axe-throwing class trains. And also where the healing class practices. Because the two need each other."
Orin shook his head. "This place is insane."
Kahn-Ra's presence warmed slightly.It is structured chaos. You will thrive in it.
"Hope so," Orin muttered.
Starke leaned his elbows on the railing. "Tomorrow's going to be hell."
Wake nodded. "But also good. Real training. Real progress."
Orin exhaled slowly. "I'm ready."
He wasn't sure if it was true, but saying it made it feel closer to truth.
Kahn-Ra looked up at him, golden eyes steady.You will be ready. And I will see to it.
Orin nodded, a quiet promise settling between them.
Not hunger.Not instinct.
Purpose.
The kind he could breathe in and recognize.
The kind he could walk forward with—even when the path sharpened.
Even when shadows waited ahead.