Light filtered weakly through the curtains, muted by cloud cover and the frost on the window.
Alain blinked awake to the low hum of the air vents and the faint scent of clean sheets, too clean for anything in Ede.
Then yesterday's memories crashed into place with a dull ache:
the Revelation, the crater, Ceres, the Academy offer.
He exhaled slowly and pushed himself upright.
Something warm shifted beside him.
Lia was curled against his arm, still asleep, hair a soft tangle over her face. At some point in the night, she'd drifted closer. Her forehead rested lightly against his shoulder, her breath steady.
Alain froze.
Wha…wha… what's going on? How did this—? Okay. Okay, Alain. Don't panic. She's just sleeping. Perfectly normal. Totally fine…just, don't make it weird—
He considered moving. Carefully. Quietly.
Lia beat him to it.
Her eyes cracked open, bleary and confused, before widening just a little. "Alain…?"
"Morning," he whispered, trying not to sound as awkward as he felt.
She sat up too quickly and smacked her head into his chin.
"Ow—!"
"Ow!!"
They both recoiled at the same time, hands flying to the offended spots.
"…Sorry," Lia muttered, cheeks burning.
"It's fine," Alain grumbled, rubbing his chin. "Good morning to you too."
Before either could say more, someone knocked lightly—too lightly to be anyone but him.
Ceres pushed the door open without waiting for a reply.
He took one look at the scene:
two flustered kids on a very rumpled, very single bed… and smiled like he'd been waiting for this exact moment.
"Well," he said cheerfully, "seems you two adjusted to the room just fine."
Alain made a tiny choking sound. Lia covered her face with both hands.
Ceres strode in with the energy of a man who had fully committed to enjoying this. He carried two neatly folded bundles in his arms.
"Uniforms," he announced proudly. "Custom-sized. Already pressed. Very stylish. Don't say I never do anything for you."
Alain blinked. "You… already prepared these?"
"Oh, please," Ceres scoffed. "I gave you the choice, but let's be honest—I already knew your answer.
He set the uniforms down on the bed, then grinned.
"And besides—you can't show up looking like you crawled out of a crater yesterday."
Lia coughed. Alain refused to look at either of them.
Ceres clasped his hands behind his back, looking far too pleased with himself.
"Now then—up you get. We've got a busy morning."
He paused at the doorway, leaned back in, and looked at them with a wicked little smirk.
The silence after Ceres left was almost painful.
Alain coughed into his hand, trying to recover what little dignity remained. "Uh… uniforms?"
Lia nodded quickly—too quickly—and reached for the folded bundle nearest her. When she shook it out, the pieces fell neatly into place:
A white button-up shirt, fabric surprisingly soft. Followed by a warm beige cardigan, along with a black outer jacket, tailored with crisp clean lines that would go for at least a small fortune down in Ede. Along with a tie to wrap everything up nicely.
"Wow…" Lia whispered. "This is… nicer than anything I own."
Alain unfolded his own. It felt unreal in his hands—sturdy, well-made, nothing like the secondhand scraps he'd grown up wearing.
He held up the shirt. "Are we sure these aren't for nobles?"
Lia smiled, brushing her fingers over the cardigan. "I like this one. It's cozy."
They turned away from each other to change. Alain buttoned the shirt, it fit surprisingly well and he felt like he could move his entire body comfortably.
He decided not to wear the cardigan and jacket, simply because he would absolutely melt and that three layers were way too inefficient for any physical activities.
Lia finished a moment later.
When Alain turned around, he paused. She wore the full uniform—white collar crisp, cardigan soft and warm-looking, jacket completing the set. The beige softened her, made her look calm, almost scholarly.
"…Does it look weird?" she asked, tugging lightly at the hem.
"No," Alain said, trying to hold back a grin. "It looks great on you."
A small smile warmed her face. "Yours too."
He shrugged. "Close enough."
Lia giggled. "Very Alain."
"Right, let's meet Ceres outside." He said, as he adjusted the tie around his neck to fit nicely.
At least let's try to be presentable.
***
A sleek black car was parked right outside the building, as they approached Ceres rolled the window down and signalled them to the back seat.
The car door shut with a soft thump, sealing out the morning chill. Alain settled into the back seat beside Lia. Ceres started the engine, it was smooth, completely different from the rumbling delivery trucks he was used to.
Alain pressed a hand against the window, watching the city pass by in blurred grays and soft light. Streets he knew felt unfamiliar now, like he was seeing them from someone else's life.
"Alright," Ceres said, tone brisk but warm. "Pull down the handrest in the back seat will you?"
Lia did just that. Pulling it down, two folders dropped as if waiting for them.
"The exam." Ceres blurted.
Alain and Lia stiffened in the middle of examining their folders.
"The… exam?" Lia echoed.
"Yes," Ceres said casually. "The Academy still needs you to pass the entrance assessment. Rules are rules."
Alain's grip on his card tightened. "And if we don't?"
Ceres gave a light snort. "Please. You two survived a Revelation together. If the Academy rejects you, I'll eat my glasses."
Lia blinked, not getting the joke. "…You will?"
Ceres stared at the rear-view mirror blankly, before moving on.
"The point is—I'm not worried. Don't you worry either."
Alain wasn't convinced, but the confidence in Ceres' voice helped more than he wanted to admit.
"Oh," Ceres added, tapping the headrest. "Housing. You'll both be in Academy dorms."
They both looked up.
"Which are… technically called 'dorms,' but don't let the name fool you."
Lia tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"They're apartments," Ceres replied simply. "Living room, kitchenette, two bedrooms, private bath. Noble families insisted on modern comfort ages ago, so now everyone benefits."
Alain blinked. "…That sounds expensive."
"It is," Ceres said dryly. "But wealthy parents like bragging that their children are suffering nobly in luxury, so the Academy pays the bill."
Lia stifled a laugh.
Ceres continued, more gently, "Every pair of first-years shares a unit. Think of it as forced cooperation training. Or free labor for whoever does the dishes."
Alain frowned. "Pairs… like roommates?"
"Yes." Ceres gave them a knowing look. "And since I registered you two together at the same time… Guess what?"
Lia's cheeks warmed. Alain looked out the window very intently.
Ceres smirked, amused. "Relax. This is standard procedure, not a conspiracy. The Academy just prefers to keep compatible students together."
He flipped briefly through his papers.
"You'll have access to basic appliances, heating, and laundry units. Nothing extravagant, but comfortable."
"And yes—" he pointed a finger at Alain without turning, "it's much nicer than anything in Ede, so please try not to break anything on day one."
Alain groaned softly. He couldn't even deny the allegation as he was always the one to break random appliances back at the bunker. In fact, he decided to become an apprentice blacksmith just so he can fix them.
"Point is: you'll have space. Privacy. A safe place to sleep and study. No more drafty rooms or worrying about what your next meal is."
Alain and Lia exchanged a small, quiet look—one that held years of shared memories of struggle and cold nights.
Ceres noticed, and his tone softened even further.
"Now then," Ceres put the car into park. Without realizing it, they had already arrived at the Academy.
"Ready for your first step?