Two months had passed since the labyrinth exam, and the provincial academy felt like a completely different place. The days had blurred together into a steady grind of early mornings, brutal drills, evening theory classes, and the constant low-level tension of living among people who still saw us as outsiders. My body had changed. Arms thicker from constant weapons work, core stronger from the endless Aether circulation exercises. The bites and cuts from the rats had healed into faint scars that pulled tight when I moved wrong. Every time I looked at them, I remembered the wet crunch of skulls and the hot spray of blood. It kept me sharp.
The snobs had not let up. Harlan and his crew found new ways to needle us every week, but after the labyrinth they were more careful. They had seen what Mira and I could do when pushed, and the evaluators had taken notes that day. Word got around quietly. No one said anything official, but the instructors started giving us harder drills, longer sessions, and fewer dismissive glances.
Mira had come into her own. Her leg scar from the big rat still ached when it rained, but she moved better now, staff work cleaner and faster. She laughed more too, even when Harlan made his stupid comments. "Let them talk," she would say after lights out when we snuck a few minutes to compare notes in the courtyard. "We are the ones getting stronger while they coast on daddy's money."
Kael stayed the same steady presence. His janitor duties had him up before everyone and working after everyone else, but he never complained. The instructors let him join more sessions now, and his quiet determination was starting to turn heads in its own way. He still took the hardest hits in sparring without flinching, and his weak core readings had not improved much on the surface tests. But I could see the way he absorbed every lesson, every correction. The void was in there, waiting.
As for me, I had climbed. Not flashy. Not enough to make me the center of attention. But steady. My Aether control was solid now, better than most of the intermediate class except for a couple of the top nobles. I made sure to lose a few practice matches on purpose when the evaluators were watching, just to keep the balance. Partial success. That was the rule I set for myself.
The big news dropped three days ago.
Captain Lorne called a full assembly in the main yard after dinner. The sun was setting, painting everything orange and long-shadowed. We stood in ranks while he read from an official-looking scroll.
"Listen up. The main Valdris Academy in the capital has reviewed the provincial recommendations. This year, five intermediate students from this branch have been selected for transfer to the capital term starting in ten days. Pack your things. Those selected will receive travel papers and a small stipend. The rest of you will continue here or return home. Names are posted inside the hall."
No cheers. No big ceremony. Just that flat military delivery.
The crowd surged toward the board as soon as he dismissed us. I hung back for a second, letting the knot of bodies thin out, heart pounding harder than it had during the rat fight. This was it. The real step up. The capital meant bigger stage, better resources, closer to the actual plot lines. Closer to power.
Mira grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. "Come on, do not just stand there."
We pushed through. My eyes scanned the short list.
Mira Coldfen – Intermediate Scholarship – Recommended.
Aldric Voss – Intermediate Scholarship – Recommended.
Three noble names followed, including one of Harlan's quieter friends. No Kael Dawnmore. No Harlan himself.
Mira let out a whoop and hugged me hard, right there in the crowd. "We did it! Capital, Aldric! Actual capital academy!"
I grinned despite myself, the excitement bubbling up hot and real. "Yeah. We fucking did it."
Kael stood a little behind us, reading the list with that calm expression. No name for him. He had worked harder than almost anyone, but the surface readings and his janitor status had apparently not been enough for the evaluators this round.
He noticed me looking and gave a small nod. "Congratulations. Both of you. You earned it."
Mira's smile faltered. She stepped over and punched his shoulder lightly. "Hey, this is not the end for you. You will find a way. You always do."
Kael just shrugged, the quiet fury still there under the surface. "I will keep working. The capital term starts soon. Maybe they need extra hands there too."
Harlan pushed through the crowd nearby, face dark. His name was not on the list either. He shot us a venomous look, especially at me and Mira. "Enjoy your little victory while it lasts, farm rats. The capital will chew you up and spit you out. Real nobles do not play nice with charity cases."
I met his eyes and kept my voice even. "We will see."
He stormed off with his remaining friends, muttering about rigged selections.
That night the three of us sat on the edge of the training yard, sharing a stolen bottle of weak ale Mira had sweet-talked from the kitchens. The stars were out, clear and sharp above the academy walls. My muscles still ached from the day's drills, but the buzz in my chest had nothing to do with Aether.
"Ten days," Mira said, taking a sip and passing the bottle. "Ten days and we are on the road to the capital. Big city. Real instructors. Maybe even a chance to see the Emperor's palace from a distance."
I took a drink, the cheap alcohol burning pleasantly. "It is going to be different. More eyes on us. More snobs like Harlan, but with real power behind them."
Kael leaned back on his hands, staring up at the sky. "You two watch each other's backs. The capital has its own games. Politics. Factions. Do not get pulled in too deep too fast."
I glanced at him. Here was the protagonist, still stuck sweeping floors while we moved up. The story was supposed to revolve around him, but right now it felt like Mira and I were the ones pulling ahead. Part of me felt a twist of guilt. The other part, the hungry one, loved it.
"You coming with us somehow?" I asked.
He gave that small, determined smile. "I will figure something out. Always do."
We sat there for a while longer, talking about nothing important. What the capital food might taste like. Whether the girls there would be as stuck-up as the ones here. How Dad and Mom back in Caldmere would react when the letter arrived.
When I finally headed back to the dorm, the excitement would not let me sleep right away. Two months of grinding had paid off. The labyrinth had been the turning point, our bloody, gory proof that we could handle real pressure. Now the capital term was calling.
Eren was probably still back on the farm, splitting wood and pretending the world would leave him alone. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
Ten days. Then the real game started.
I closed my eyes and let the smile creep back.
This was only the beginning.
The capital would not know what hit it.