Azrael's mind went blank. The Ethereal Nexus Academy. The place where the real story began. The place where the threats became real, the stakes became life and death.
"I am not going there," he said, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them. "Never."
Celestria's warm expression vanished, replaced by the familiar, chilling cold. "I didn't ask you," she said, her voice like ice. "I ordered you."
He could feel the tension snap back into the air between them, thick and suffocating. 'What do I do? What do I do?' his mind screamed. He needed a way out, a logical reason, not just a flat refusal.
"I am weak," he said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "I won't survive there." It was a logical answer. It was the truth.
She dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. "That's not a problem. I have seen people there, weak ones. I think you won't be the last weakling to walk its halls. Maybe you'll even find a weak buddy there too."
