There was a slight exit opening up, shimmering like the same gate I'd first stepped through.A soft, blue-gold glow traced its edges, pulsing like a heartbeat. Beyond it, the world outside waited, cold, silent, forgettable.
I turned back to the king.
For the first time, Neal's face didn't seem proud. Sadness dulled the steel of his eyes. He looked… tired.He reminded me of my father, someone who leans on others to act, someone who believes the world will fix itself if he simply holds steady.I've always hated that.But even as I felt the old resentment rise, another thought cut through it like a blade.
The benefits of this place. The power he offered. The freedom.Even the smallest chance was enough.
"Yeah!" I shouted, the sound bursting from my chest before doubt could choke it. Greed pushed every hesitation aside."Why should we stay mere glorified janitors when we have the chance to become heroes?!"
The echo of my voice rolled through the place.Half the crowd had already started toward the glowing exit, but heads snapped back at my words. Their march faltered.
I spotted two familiar silhouettes, Renji and Emilia, shouldering their way through the mob, ready to back me up.
"He's right!" Renji's voice cut the air like a thrown dagger. He leapt onto a fallen stone slab near the barrier and spread his arms wide. "These risks, where do you think the Awakened become who they are? You think they were born legends? They stepped forward when everyone else hid!"
The crowd wavered.
"Silly!" Emilia shouted, and every gaze turned to her. Her cheeks flushed crimson under the torchlight, but she didn't look away."We'll grow stronger! Even if there isn't a war, we'll still make money, enough to feed our families!"Her hand pressed hard against her chest, like the words scorched her as they came out.
A murmur rippled through the hall.
"Honestly, screw those Awakened!" someone barked from the center of the crowd.
"She's right, we're better!" another voice joined, sharp and defiant.
The noise thickened, a rising tide of shouts and cheers.
"Let's show them!""Normal humans can defend Aeranthia!""We don't need their blessing!"
Screams became a rhythm, a chorus inside the stone dungeon. It sounded almost like strength, raw and desperate, but strength all the same.
I turned back to the king.
Neal was already watching me. The torches painted a faint gleam along the scars on his cheek, but it was his smile that froze me.It glistened like someone who had just uncovered a hidden gem.
I felt my own lips curl into a grin, wicked and reckless. The most devilish grin I'd ever worn.
"I accept," I said.
The words settled in the chamber like a hammer strike.
For a heartbeat, the crowd stopped their chanting. Then a roar went up, half battle cry, half wild relief. Boots pounded the stone floor. Torches guttered under the rush of air.
Neal raised a hand, and the thunder of voices collapsed into silence as if he'd flipped a switch.
"Good," he said, voice low but carrying to every corner. "You stand where the Awakened stand. You choose to rise. To their level."
His cape swiped as he stepped closer to the edge of the stage. "Tomorrow at first light, the Royal Academy gates open. You will train. You will awaken. You will forge the weapons your hearts demand. And when the barrier calls, you will fight, not as servants, but as protectors of all Aeranthia."
He looked directly at me when he said the last words.
And then he began walking down the stairs.
A chill chased down my spine.
Behind me, the exit gate's glow began to dim, its heartbeat slowing. The few who still lingered near it stared back at the rest of us, at those who had chosen to stay. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with a mix of envy and regret.
Renji dropped from his perch and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Didn't think you'd steal my speech," he said, half smiling.
I snorted. "You're just mad I said it first."
Emilia joined us, brushing dust from her sleeve. "You're both idiots," she muttered, but her eyes were bright. "Idiots with a plan."
Neal's deep voice rolled over us again. "Tonight, you remain here. The palace will provide food and quarters. At dawn, the first trial begins. Eat. Rest. Remember why you chose to stay."
The torches flared higher, blue and gold mixing until the entire chamber glowed like a sunrise caught underground.
Guards in black and silver uniforms stepped forward from the shadows. They moved in perfect rhythm, forming lines in perfect symmetry.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" King Neal said, "Food's warm!"
He led the way in front of the guards, and we were behind them.
From the damp stone of the dungeon, we were led through a narrow stairwell that opened into a vaulted dining hall. Golden chandeliers flickered above long oak tables already set with roasted meats and steaming bread. The sudden warmth and smell of spice felt unreal after the cold dark below, and for a while we ate in a silence broken only by clinking plates and the low murmur of guards at the doors. When the last platters were cleared, the hall itself seemed to hush, waiting.
As the crowd shuffled forward, I glanced over my shoulder. The gate was fading fast, its light shrinking to a single thread.Those who had left were already gone.
There were about three hundred of us who remained, if I were to take a guess.
Outside of the barrier, the outside world, we can see it once more. The dungeon we were inside is slowly starting to disperse, and everyone is following the guards forward up the stairs that exist outside the barrier. It's not disappearing like the rest of the dungeon is.
Hump. Hump. Hump.
No turning back.
Renji leaned in close as we walked. "You realize this might be suicide."
"Probably," I said.
"And you're okay with that?"
I let the grin return. "If I'm going to die, might as well die with a sword in my hand and a story worth telling."
He chuckled under his breath. "Fair enough."
The once dark corridor opened into a sprawling hall lined with long wooden tables. Platters of roasted meat and steaming bread appeared as if the palace itself had conjured them. Servants in gray robes moved like ghosts, silent and swift.
Soft golden lights made the stone walls look warm instead of gray. Red banners hung between the pillars and swayed gently in the warm air. The long wooden tables were a dark brown, and silver plates and cups sparkled like little stars. A wide stone fireplace burned at the far end, throwing out heat and a soft crackle. Laughter and the clink of dishes filled the hall, and the smell of bread and roasted meat drifted through the room.
People hesitated at first...
"Well," King Neal through his arms up in joy, "The food doesn't stay warm forever!"
Then, hunger won. The clang of dishes and the low murmur of conversation filled the air.
Everyone took a seat on the long wooden benches tightened just beneath the table.
Ready to eat.
I took a seat near the far end of a table, Renji and Emilia beside me. For a while, we ate without speaking. The food was rich, too rich for someone used to Vly's rations, and the warm spices curled in my chest. She can cook, though... but she barely ever tries to do it for me.
Finally, Emilia broke the silence. "You really meant it back there, didn't you? About being heroes."
I swallowed a mouthful of bread. "I meant every word."
Her gaze softened, but worry still edged her voice. "Let's just hope we live long enough to see if you're right."
I looked across the hall at the other recruits, at their tired faces lit by torchlight and hope. Heroes or not, we'd stepped onto a path none of us could leave.
Somewhere deeper in the palace, a low hum began to rise, like a pianist.
Beautiful.
Tomorrow we have to be ready.
I tightened my grip on the cup in my hand and felt the weight of the choice settle fully for the first time.
No turning back.