"The Academy consists of four towers, each representing one of the Four Families," he said, "along with the central building that oversees them all."
I tilted my head up, shading my eyes with a hand. "Why divide the Academy? Wouldn't that just create more problems?" My voice carried only a flicker of curiosity, but I could tell from the way Calix's mouth curved that he'd expected the question.
"It's easier to organize new recruits and avoid conflict in a single large military system," he replied smoothly. "This structure has proven efficient. Each tower serves as a recruitment hub for its Family, defends the front line, and ensures that new sinners understand the order and the Family's fighting style."
He gestured at the expanse ahead of us. The buildings loomed like giants, their roofs studded with banners. Wide marble roads divided the towers, each one lined with glowing markers and sigils etched into the pavement.
"The Browns," Calix continued, "hold the southern tower. Masters of the elements. Most family members control one element, though there are rare cases of sinners wielding two and even rarer, three." His tone suggested that such prodigies were legends rather than people.
He pointed toward the west. "The Ashfords. They specialize in physical and weapon-based combat. Every move, every strike is codified into ranking systems. They hold the highest number of sinners."
His voice dropped a note lower when he mentioned the next. "The Boldons' north tower. A hot-blooded family. If you were to rank them, perhaps they'd be second in power. Known for monstrous endurance and hardened bodies. Tanks in human form."
Finally, his steps slowed. His eyes flicked sideways toward me. "And the east. The Carvers. Your… family."
He hesitated. "They're different. Always have been. Their power bends perception and distorts reality itself. Even among the Families, they're treated with caution."
I didn't respond. I wasn't even sure what to say, or if I wanted to say anything at all.
Calix pressed on, his voice regaining its steady rhythm. "And in the center," he said, gesturing toward the colossal structure ahead, "is the seat of government. The heart of the Academy. They manage the Families, keep the balance, keep the peace or try to."
He glanced at me again. "Not everyone in the government is a sinner. Certain bloodlines are believed to be sinless."
The word lingered in the air sinless like a stone dropped into deep water.
We reached the gates.
"Your class," Calix added, turning toward me, "will be housed in the Government Unit. Today, you're free to explore. Get familiar with the grounds."
He reached into his coat and produced a sleek black smartwatch. Its screen flickered to life.
I raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"
"The watch shows your room location, class schedule, and a campus map," Calix explained. "You can contact me directly through it or ask for help if needed. Most staff will recognize your class… even if they don't accept it."
His tone sharpened as he stepped closer, his shadow falling across my shoes.
"And one last thing, Roy."
I looked up.
"Don't cause trouble."
His voice had lost all of its tour-guide smoothness. Now it was quiet steel.
"The principal put a lot of effort into organizing your class. But many—teachers, government officials, even some Family members doubt your kind has the right to belong here
They're watching. Waiting."
His eyes narrowed. "Give them a reason… and they will eliminate you."
The words hung between us like the edge of a blade. With that, Calix turned sharply and walked away, his coat flaring behind him. The guards who had trailed us as silent shadows dispersed, slipping back into the crowd as if they'd never existed at all.
But the air didn't feel empty.
Something lingered.
A presence. Watching.
I paused, turning my head slowly. The plaza beyond the gates stretched out, filled with marble paths, tall banners, and the gentle drifting of petals from unseen trees. Nothing moved oddly. No one stared.
Still, the feeling pressed against my back.
I took a deep breath. Couldn't pin it down. Fine. I'd deal with it later.
I stepped through the gate.
The Academy swallowed me whole.
It was vast beyond expectation. It didn't feel like an academy at all, or maybe it did, and I simply had no frame of reference. To me, it seemed like a small city hidden behind stone walls, alive and breathing.
Shops lined both sides of the wide corridor. Some sold weapons, swords, spears, guns, and strange tools I couldn't even name. Their displays glowed faintly, protected by thin barriers. Other shops offered armor, thick tomes, or glowing crystals suspended in glass jars.
I passed a restaurant that smelled of roasted meat and sweet spices, its warm scent curling into the corridor like a beckoning hand. Another place had long communal tables where students sat shoulder to shoulder, eating and talking over steaming bowls.
Signs hung overhead, their letters glowing faintly, some elegant, some jagged, some in languages I couldn't read. The air was filled with soft sounds: low conversations, boots tapping against polished stone.
Students moved in every direction. Some hurried as if late for a class; others clustered in groups, laughing, arguing, or leaning over maps. All wore the same style of uniform, a long coat paired with matching trousers and boots, but in different colors. I caught flashes of deep red, dark blue, silver, black, and green. Some students had metal stars pinned to their shoulders.
Maybe the colors marked their year. Maybe the stars indicated rank or experience. I wasn't sure yet.
I kept walking toward the central building, my thoughts swirling like storm clouds. I needed to learn the rules here, the ranking system, the expected power levels, and the meaning of the stars. And most importantly, what was happening at the frontlines.
That thought clawed at me, cold and insistent.
Maybe then I'd understand why demons had been appearing m