Chapter 23: Midnight Missions

*Date: 33,480 First Quarter - Chalice Theocracy*

Morning bells rang out across the Ivory Gate Academy for the second day. Now that he knew his classmates, he waited for Orric and Kaelen. But Kaelen never came out of the bathroom, and Aris and Orric walked to class.

"I think Kaelen doesn't like us, so we should go," Orric said.

"I never met a wolfkin before."

"Yeah. Our numbers are slim compared to other races in Chalice. We mainly live in Atlas woods near Great Mountain Atlas."

"Your people religious?"

"No. I insisted on entering when I realized I had magical potential. Our shaman said I had deeper potential than her."

"But you chose to be templar."

"If I become Templar, I could protect our region from Shadowborn attacks."

"Skill set of Templar counters Shadowborn? I don't know really."

"Exactly. Since Shadowborn are on the council of eleven, no one cares or does anything about their atrocities in our region."

When they entered class, they saw stacked scrolls. A fae woman was sitting at the teacher's desk. Students sat behind their desks.

The fae woman appeared to be in her mid-sixties, with silver-streaked hair bound in an elaborate bun and wearing deep blue robes that seemed to shimmer with their own light. Her wings, folded neatly behind her, caught the morning sun streaming through the tall windows.

"Sit down and stop talking. I am Scholar Qyra Starlight," she announced, her voice carrying the musical quality typical of her race but edged with authority. "Today's lesson is to teach you to study from scripts and attain work ethic. Most of you stopped reading the day you learned reading. Now everyone grab one of the scrolls and one empty sheet."

Students started picking up their scrolls one by one. After the kids sat down:

"For the next thirty minutes you will read this, and after that I am asking you to write down things you remember and what it all means."

Aris was in awe at how backward the education system was in Chalice. These methods were outdated thousands of years ago when Realmforge was created, he thought. The system was so lacking this can't be how seventeen-to-eighteen-year-olds should be educated. Were they doing this on purpose, or did they really lack behind because of the creators of the game?

Aris took a quick glance at the assignment, and it wasn't something too complex. Still, including his roommate Orric and others, they were shedding cold sweat. The essay was about how losing faith can cause droughts and other stupid made-up shit that doesn't correlate with real life, especially Aethyros, Aris thought. This is a hand-crafted world in fact, a universe and they made sure backup systems keep every inch alive other than some zones for narrative purposes.

Still, Aris wrote an essay about something he didn't believe and gave it to his fae instructor. She looked displeased when he handed it in so soon. But when she took a quick glance at the writing, she said, "Not bad, young man. You can leave you clearly can read and write."

Aris bowed his head politely, but inside, his irritation simmered. This Academy is millennia behind.

He headed straight for the library. The grand doors loomed high, carved with runes of binding and secrecy. Inside, the air was cool, smelling of vellum and candle-wax.

Lyra was waiting. She grinned when she saw him. "I thought you'd be here." She pressed a bundle of slim books into his hands. "Beginner spellcraft. Gesture patterns, incantations, resonance training. Start with these."

Aris flipped the covers, scanning the careful ink illustrations of hand signs and glyph traces.

"Also," Lyra leaned closer, lowering her voice, "I've got a mission tonight. Headmaster's office. I need to see the records inside."

Aris blinked. "And you want me to...?"

"Be my lookout," she said, smirking. "Just wait in the hall. If you hear someone, knock twice on the door. Easy."

Aris's stomach knotted. But he nodded. "All right."

"Good boy." She winked, then vanished deeper into the shelves.

That evening, Aris sat at a library desk with Fox perched on the chair back. He poured over spell after spell, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Most were level-one incantations - Cure Disease, Spark Light, Purify Water, Minor Shield. Useful but bland.

Then he found one: Simple Light Missile. Described as "no more powerful than a strong punch." Aris still smiled. Better than nothing. At least I could strike at range.

He practiced the hand gestures until his fingers cramped. He whispered syllables until his throat ached. Nothing came. Not even a flicker.

Fox yawned. "You're overthinking it. Magic flows when you believe it does."

"I'm believing as hard as I can," Aris muttered.

Hours passed. Sweat beaded his brow. He still couldn't spark a mote.

Midnight fell.

Lyra appeared at the library door, dressed in muted gray, eyes bright with mischief. "Ready, recruit?"

Aris's heart pounded. He tucked his books away and followed her through the hushed corridors. Torches burned low in their sconces, shadows stretching long.

She slipped into the Headmaster's office, leaving Aris alone in the hallway. His pulse thundered in his ears.

Minutes dragged.

Then - footsteps. Heavy, deliberate, echoing up the hall.

Aris froze. Panic clamped down. He raised his fist and knocked twice, sharp against the office door.

No answer.

The footsteps grew louder.

Aris knocked again, harder this time. Finally, the latch clicked - Lyra's pale hand tugged him inside. "Change of plans. We're out."

Together they slipped down a side passage, hearts hammering, until the night air cooled their faces.

"Not bad for a first lookout," Lyra whispered, grinning. "You'll get better."

Aris just swallowed hard and followed her back.

By the time he crept into the dorm, the others were already in bed.

Orric cracked an eye. "Why are you always coming back at midnight?"

Aris hesitated, then shrugged. "Studying late."

Kaelen snorted from his cot, but said nothing.

Fox curled at Aris's feet, tail twitching. Aris lay back, staring at the ceiling runes again, chest still racing.

His first mission was behind him.

And he had survived.

But as he drifted off to sleep, Aris couldn't shake the feeling that he was being drawn deeper into something far more dangerous than he understood. The Academy's secrets ran deeper than corrupt entrance exams and brutal teaching methods.

And somewhere in the darkness, forces were moving that would test everything he thought he knew about this world.