The winter holidays ended too quickly for Alex's liking. Fifteen days at home had felt like fifteen minutes, filled with warmth, laughter, and far too much food from his mother's kitchen. But now, standing once again before the tall gates of the Crownspire Academy, he felt that familiar mixture of excitement and dread bubbling inside him.
The courtyard buzzed with returning students. Some carried boxes, some dragged trunks, and others looked as though they hadn't slept at all the previous night. Alex adjusted the strap of his bag and muttered to himself, "Here we go again."
The first task was collecting books for the new semester. A long line had formed outside the distribution hall, and Alex joined it, shuffling forward slowly as students ahead groaned under the weight of the tomes being handed out. When it was finally his turn, the clerk glanced at his name and then began piling one massive book after another onto the counter.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
By the time the seventh book landed, Alex's arms were trembling. He peered at the titles in disbelief.
"Advanced Theories of Ruin Engravings, Volume I."
"Simulated Dungeon Environments: Strategies for E-Rank Survival."
"Magical Beasts and Their Weaknesses."
And his personal favorite—"The Beginner's Guide to Not Dying in Your First Mission."
Alex nearly dropped the stack right then and there. "Do they want us to study or build a fortress with these?"
The clerk gave him a tired look. "Next!"
---
Back in the Room
By the time he staggered back to his dorm room, his arms were numb. He kicked the door open dramatically and collapsed onto his bed, the books spilling around him.
"Help… I've been crushed…" he groaned.
Joren looked up from sharpening his practice sword. "What happened to you?"
"Books," Alex wheezed. "They've doubled in size this semester."
Toren laughed, already flipping through his own set. He had carried his pile with ridiculous ease. "Stop whining. These are great. Look—Advanced Combat Forms. Finally, something useful."
"Speak for yourself," Silsa said calmly, stacking his books with precise care. His titles leaned toward strategy and planning: Principles of Battlefield Formations, Enemy Psychology, and so on. "Knowledge wins battles before swords are even drawn."
Joren groaned. "Don't start with your speeches again, Silsa."
Alex sat up and rubbed his arms. "All right, but seriously—seven ruin volumes? Am I supposed to memorize ancient markings or summon them in my nightmares?"
Toren smirked. "If you scream in your sleep, we're not helping."
---
The Notice
Before Alex could respond, Joren tossed a piece of parchment onto his bed. "Look at this. Club sign-ups open tomorrow."
Alex scanned it quickly. The academy offered a variety of clubs—Combat Training Grounds, the Ancient Library, Alchemy Labs, Strategy Hall, and even stranger ones like Beast Observation or the Artisans' Forge. Each granted students special access to restricted areas for two years, but only if they managed to stay in the Top 20 rankings throughout the year.
Alex nodded. "Yeah, I remember. They told us about this before the break. Clubs are great, but keeping your rank is the real challenge."
"Which means most of these are useless for half the academy," Joren muttered.
"Unless you're us," Toren said proudly.
---
Choosing Clubs
The four of them quickly got into a debate about which clubs to join.
"I'm going for Combat Grounds and the Sparring Hall," Toren announced immediately. "Nothing beats the thrill of clashing blades."
"Same here," Joren agreed. "Combat over everything."
Silsa leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Strategy Hall and the Tactics Club. I don't need to break bones when I can break minds."
Alex thought for a moment. "Ancient Library… and Combat Grounds. Best of both worlds."
Toren snorted. "Figures. Half bookworm, half wannabe swordsman."
"And yet I'll probably beat you at both," Alex shot back with a grin.
Their bickering turned into playful chaos—Toren and Joren boasting about becoming the academy's strongest duo, Silsa calmly reminding them they'd fail without his planning, and Alex rolling his eyes at all three.
---
A Lighthearted Evening
That night, their room buzzed with energy. Alex tried balancing his ruin books on top of each other until they toppled onto Toren's bed, starting an impromptu pillow war. Joren yelled about "foul play," Silsa hid his strategy notes like they were national treasures, and Alex nearly got smothered under two pillows at once.
By the time they finally collapsed, out of breath and laughing, the tension of the semester ahead felt just a little lighter.
Alex stared at the ceiling with a grin. "Top 20, huh? Fine. Let's do it. Ancient Library, don't you dare run away from me."
Silsa chuckled softly. "You'd better start studying, then."
"Tomorrow," Alex mumbled, already drifting toward sleep.
The room quieted, the soft sounds of breathing filling the space. Outside, the academy lights burned bright against the night, signaling the start of another challenging semester.
And somewhere deep down, Alex couldn't help but feel excited