The night after the mysterious visitor left, Eryx couldn't sleep. The weight of the Academy's offer pressed on him like a suffocating cloak. The letter was still in his hand, the ink still fresh. As dawn crept over the horizon, he stared at the words over and over again, as if willing them to reveal some hidden meaning. But they remained just as they were—an invitation, a summons, a challenge.
The quiet of the slums had always been a comfort to him, a strange and familiar peace. But now, it felt like a cage—too small, too limiting. Eryx wasn't sure whether he was running toward something or away from it, but either way, he was leaving.
The Last Morning
Eryx rose early that morning, well before the sun had fully crested the horizon. His room was small and sparse, just the bare necessities. The walls, thin and cracked, didn't offer much privacy, but it had been home for as long as he could remember. There was a lingering scent of stale bread in the air, the constant hum of life beyond the thin walls—a world that he had known and survived in. But today, that world felt distant, like something from a past life.
He stood before the small wooden mirror, running a hand through his messy hair, staring into his own eyes. The boy in the reflection didn't look like he had changed much. He was still Eryx—the same boy who had scavenged the streets and made his way through the slums, one step at a time.
Yet, in his chest, there was something different. A burning, quiet ambition. A pull. The magic inside him had begun to stir, to grow, and with it came the pressure of expectations. Not just from others, but from himself.
"I don't have a choice," he whispered, though the words didn't comfort him.
There was a knock at the door, and Eryx turned to see Ila standing in the doorway, her eyes shadowed with the weight of unspoken thoughts. She didn't need to say anything. The look on her face said it all.
"You're really going," she said, her voice quiet but thick with emotion. "I knew you would, but still… it's hard to believe."
Eryx nodded, feeling the weight of the moment. "It's not just about me anymore, Ila. This is my chance to find out who I really am."
She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "You know what you're walking into, right? The Academy… it's not like here. It's not just magic and power. There's politics, rivalries, dangerous people. It'll eat you alive if you let it."
Eryx met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "I don't plan on letting it eat me alive. But I need to see for myself. I need to find out what I'm meant to do with this power."
Ila sighed, stepping forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just promise me you won't forget us. No matter what happens out there, you'll always have a place here. And if you need to come back, I'll be waiting."
Eryx felt his throat tighten. "I won't forget."
She studied him for a moment before smiling, though it was bittersweet. "You've always been stubborn. Just… don't lose yourself in all of this. Promise me that."
"I promise."
The Departure
As Eryx stepped out of his room and onto the dusty streets of the slums, the reality of his departure began to sink in. The sun was rising higher now, casting long shadows over the narrow alleys and the broken homes of the people he had grown up with. He could hear the distant chatter of the market opening up, the clinking of coin, and the murmur of conversation. But all of it felt far away.
The Academy was waiting, a place of unimaginable power, potential, and danger. Eryx had always dreamed of something more, but now that the moment had come, he felt a strange, lingering sadness. It wasn't fear; it was something else—nostalgia for the life he was leaving behind. The people who had shaped him, even the harsh realities of the slums, had all been a part of who he was.
As he walked toward the main street, he found Jorik standing near the corner, his arms crossed and a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Didn't think you'd actually go through with it," Jorik said, raising an eyebrow. "Thought you'd be one of those guys who just talks about it but never leaves."
Eryx chuckled softly. "I didn't think I would either. But here I am."
"Don't go changing too much, alright?" Jorik said, his smirk fading into something more genuine. "You might be leaving the slums, but you're still one of us. Don't forget that."
Eryx nodded, his chest tightening. "I won't."
With that, he turned and began walking down the street, his steps taking him farther away from everything he had known. The sounds of the slums began to fade as he walked through the gates that marked the edge of the district. The world outside was calling him, a world full of unknowns and possibilities.
The Journey to the Academy
The ride to the Academy was longer than Eryx had expected. As the slums disappeared behind him, the landscape shifted to rolling hills and dense forests, with the towering peaks of distant mountains barely visible on the horizon. The sun was setting as the carriage rattled along the narrow road, and for the first time in days, Eryx allowed himself to relax. He closed his eyes, letting the rhythm of the journey settle his nerves.
The letter he had received, sealed with the insignia of the Academy, was still tucked in his coat pocket, but now it felt less like a symbol of an unknown future and more like a reminder of the path he was walking. He was no longer just a boy from the slums. He was someone with a purpose. A power he couldn't ignore.
When the carriage finally pulled up to the gates of the Academy, the sight was nothing like Eryx had imagined. The massive stone walls rose high into the sky, crowned with intricate spires and shimmering runes that pulsed with an otherworldly light. The air felt charged with magic, and the sound of chanting could be faintly heard, as if the very stones of the Academy were alive.
As Eryx stepped off the carriage, the full weight of his decision hit him. This was it. The beginning of everything. He couldn't go back.
A figure in a flowing robe approached him, tall and imposing, with a presence that made Eryx's pulse quicken. The messenger from before.
"You've arrived," the man said, his voice calm and distant. "Welcome to the Academy, Eryx. Your journey begins here."
Eryx nodded, taking in the massive structure before him. He didn't know what awaited him within these walls, but one thing was certain: his life was about to change forever.