Kale and Nickel sat side by side, soaring through the air with the rest of their class on the backs of Pegasi. The creatures' white wings stretched wide, gliding smoothly through the morning clouds.
"I still can't believe our run-down school can afford something like this. This is awesome!" Kale shouted over the rush of wind, grinning from ear to ear.
He waited for Nickel to reply, but all he heard was silence. Turning to his left, he found Nickel stiff as a board, eyes wide, clinging to the saddle with both hands.
"Hey! Earth to Nickel!" Kale shook him by the shoulder until he blinked back to reality.
"This is way too dangerous," Nickel muttered, his voice trembling. "We're ninety meters in the air with almost no supervision."
Kale chuckled. "Don't worry, we're almost there. Just look at the view."
Nickel hesitated, but finally glanced up. The horizon glowed purple and pink, the sun rising over rolling hills and distant waters. The air was crisp, thin, and quiet except for the rhythmic beat of wings. Kale smiled faintly.
A few minutes later, the class began to land one by one. Kale and Nickel slid off their Pegasi and joined the others in front of a massive museum. The building stood tall on a marble platform, its tall pillars carved with scenes of battle. The engravings were faded and cracked, but their detail still showed warriors clashing beneath the shadow of towering figures.
"Alright, class," Professor Walnut began, straightening his jacket. "Your assignment today is to find something in this museum and write a report about its history, and how it affects the world today. You can work in groups or on your own."
Most of the students had already gone inside. Walnut sighed under his breath. "These kids have no respect, I swear."
Kale and Nickel stepped through the arched entrance. The air inside was cool and still, smelling faintly of dust and old parchment. The room opened into a massive hall filled with displays and relics.
"This is insane," Kale said, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "I've never seen anything like it!"
People turned to stare, and Nickel quickly tugged at his sleeve. "Could you maybe not yell in a museum? Come on, let's find an Artifact or a Soul Vessel."
He was already wandering toward a display case. "There's a difference?" Kale asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nickel sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "A Soul Vessel is created when someone with a powerful Soul Art dies while carrying something sentimental to them. That item absorbs a trace of their essence, sometimes even their Soul Art. An Artifact is a Soul Vessel that's been blessed by a Seer. It's stronger, rarer, and usually unstable."
Kale blinked. "So basically, an Artifact's just a cooler Soul Vessel."
"I mean, kind of, but-"
"Great! Then let's go find one!" Kale grabbed Nickel's wrist and started dragging him toward the nearest exhibit. Nickle stumbled after him, laughing under his breath.
Kale's eyes locked onto a weapon across the room. It felt like it was calling to him. The weapon was a long black spear, streaked with silver lines that ran smoothly along its shaft, and a faintly glowing blue orb embedded near the center. He stopped in his tracks, staring in quiet awe. He had never seen anything like it. Beneath the display case, a gold plate gleamed with the inscription: Dragon Gallbladder.
He slowly reached out, almost without thinking, but a sharp smack on his hand snapped him back. "No touching the display cases, please," the museum attendant said flatly. Kale winced and muttered an apology, pulling his hand back as his eyes lingered on the spear.
"Excellent work, everyone." Professor Walnut smiled as he glanced over the reports. "From what I can see, you've all put real effort into your research."
Kale and Nickel mounted their Pegasi along with the rest of the class. The sun now hung high in the sky, its bright light cutting through the noon sky. The ride back felt far shorter than the journey there. When they finally landed, Nickel let out a deep breath of relief, clearly grateful to be back on solid ground.
"Class is dismissed early today," Professor Walnut announced. "Go home and rest, and be prepared for tomorrow."
Kale's face lit up instantly. He jumped in excitement, grabbed Nickel's arm, and began sprinting away from the university.
"Do you seriously hate school that much?" Nickel called after him. "Then why do you even still go?"
Kale slowed to a stop. His grin briefly faded before he turned back with a softer smile. "I guess its because want to be a philosopher one day. It isn't an official subject yet, but I'll become a teacher so I can teach it myself."
Nickel stared at him in surprise before bursting into laughter.
"What's so funny asshole?" Kale snapped.
"Nothing," Nickel said between chuckles. "It's just strange. We've known each other for years, and I never once thought to ask what you actually wanted to do with your life."
He paused, tilting his head. "Still, it doesn't quite make sense."
"What doesn't?" Kale asked.
"Someone like you, who seems so careless about most things, wanting to study wisdom and reason."
Kale began walking again, Nickel falling in step beside him. "I guess the reason I don't care much about anything else is because of my philosophy. That's what makes philosophy interesting to me in the first place."
Nickel snorted. "That might be the most complicated sentence you've ever said."
"Oh, shut up!"
Nickel smirked but softened his tone. "Still… I think maybe you could become a great philosopher one day."
They reached the alchemy store, and Nickel closed the door behind him. The night air felt sharper now as Kale stepped onto the quiet street alone. His hand drifted into his pocket, brushing against the folded note from the night before.
His thoughts immediately returned to it.
In that moment, Kale made up his mind.
He was going to uncover the truth about his father.