Fionn threw his arm toward himself, gesturing for Alphael to come along.
Alphael glanced once at the children's book Fionn had left on the desk, then hurried out of the tent's flap, zipping it shut behind him.
Outside, the duo saw the source of the commotion. The commander and his soldiers were gathering the Vangen again, much like they had that morning—only now the Vangen were groaning about sore, battered bodies.
They joined the end of the line, following as it was herded forward.
Alphael raised a hand to his abdomen.
"That heat… that feeling. It came back earlier, and now I'm less worn out? Did Fionn have something to do with it?"
His eyes drifted toward his frail but grinning companion.
"Maybe he did. He seems way too pleased for someone in our situation… in his situation."
Alphael turned.
"Are—are you going to be okay? Who knows what's in store now."
Fionn's smile faded and he sighed.
"You're going to start asking that a lot, aren't you? If you are, it's going to get really annoying."
Alphael rolled his eyes.
"Well dang, sorry for asking."
"As you should be," Fionn shot back.
Shaking his head, Alphael trudged along with the rest of the Humans. Instead of turning left past the building as before, they were led straight through the doors of the vast military base.
What lay beyond was a labyrinth of thick, drab walls that forked into endless hallways and rooms. Soldiers, medics, cadets, teachers, and captains all moved through the corridors of the first floor.
"This looks and feels way too much like school," Alphael muttered.
The group turned a corner and found themselves in a long corridor lined with countless doors.
Llywelyn began sending random numbers of Vangen through each one, seemingly without care.
On the last group of eleven, he personally escorted Alphael, Fionn, and the rest of the Humans to the farthest door.
Alphael entered behind Fionn—and froze.
It was a classroom.
To the right, a large blackboard and a wooden lectern.
To the left, tiered rows of seats split by a central staircase.
Axi filled the left side, proudly wearing their new military jackets, golden Matslavan emblems embroidered across their backs.
On the right sat the battered, bruised Humans—faces soured, eyes hollow.
Alphael's gaze darted across the room, cataloguing faces and exits. His eyes stopped on a familiar figure in the front row, one with blue hair.
"It's her! The six-second girl!"
He froze for a heartbeat, then continued down the stairs, glancing at Fionn—who was also watching her.
"Does he know her?" Alphael wondered.
"Fionn?" he whispered.
The frail boy flinched and quickly sped up the stairs.
Alphael raised a brow and followed.
They ended up in the back corner, looking down on the Axi and Humans alike.
"Well, you're excited, aren't you?" Alphael whispered.
A sigh escaped Fionn's lips.
"Of course I am. They might give us new information about the Frontier that I need—" his eyes shifted toward Alphael, "—that we need."
Alphael smirked, turning back toward the front.
"So they'll tell us why your grass is blue and green at the same time?"
Fionn smiled faintly.
"No, because I'll tell you."
Alphael turned to face him fully.
With glee, Fionn continued.
"Well, here in the Axis, when night falls, some of the local flora and fauna become bioluminescent—using Shroud to radiate an azure light."
He gestured with both hands, animated for once.
"This light signals other creatures—like the ones you encountered, the Chernyy Nightwatchers—to drive away pests stepping on them."
He pointed directly at Alphael.
"A.K.A. you and your group. You saw green because the light only spreads within a certain radius, making the normal grass appear green on the horizon."
He drew his hand back, closing his eyes.
"Because of this phenomenon—and its mirage-like illusion—soldiers and researchers call it The Green Oasis. An emerald plain they'll never reach… since they'll be dead before they do."
Fionn opened his eyes again, brow furrowed.
"A-are you going to stare or actually say something?"
Alphael grinned.
"It was just fun hearing you talk for that long."
Fionn folded his arms and turned away.
"Well… it's interesting stuff."
"I never expected you to say A.K.A.—figured that'd be an… Earth thing," Alphael said.
Fionn blinked.
"My dad was a genius if nothing else—but he also referred to himself as some one who was 'chronically online,' whatever that meant."
Alphael's tone softened.
"I see. I guess I can
talk a little more freely with you then."
Their chatter faded into the general murmur of the class—Axi and Vangen talking among themselves, a few glaring daggers across the divide.
Then, the door opened.
Two cadets stepped in, and the air thickened. Whispers rippled across the room.
One was the commander's son, Aiden, waving and smiling at his subordinates.
The other was a girl—tall, poised, and silent. Her golden hair reached just above her shoulders, and her piercing blue eyes shone like glass.
She ignored the greetings and stares, following Aiden with precise, rehearsed steps.
Alphael couldn't help staring.
"Zolota's here?"
"Who do you think would win between them—the Knight of Black Iron or the King's Architect?"
"Definitely Zolota! She's never even struggled in a battle!"
Alphael raised an eyebrow at Fionn.
Fionn sighed.
"She's beaten countless beasts without breaking a sweat. They say she's next in line for a captain position—she already acts like one. Her name's been drilled into my head since I was a kid."
Alphael nodded, then turned right—just in time to see Aiden and Zolota sit across from him.
He caught her gaze and froze.
"Do you need anything?" Her voice was calm, refined.
"N-no, I'm good. Sorry," Alphael stammered, quickly looking away.
He fixed his eyes on the blackboard.
"What's with her? Now I feel… exposed."
The door opened once again.
A tall woman entered, standing confidently at the front. A long white lab coat covered in badges, messy black hair down to her hips, and oversized glasses perched on her nose.
The entire room fell silent.
She cupped her cheeks dramatically.
"Ahh! Look at all those adorable uniforms! And you Earthlings are too cute!"
Alphael blinked. Like the rest of the Humans, he looked confused—while the Axi smiled warmly.
"And here I thought I was out of place!" He sang.
"This is the one! This class is the one for sure! You're all going to be the best soldiers—paving the way for new discoveries!"
Startled by her own excitement, she cleared her throat.
"Right, right! I almost forgot. I'm one of the main heads at the illustrious Research Commission. I'm Natalie—but teacher is fine!"
Alphael sighed and glanced out the window. Rain pattered lightly, darkening the soil.
"That makes the second of what I'm guessing is a person with high power and she's the weirdest one yet."
Natalie clapped her hands together, jolting his focus back.
"So! Let's begin today's lesson! We'll cover a few things you'll encounter in the Frontier!"
She spun to the board, grabbing a stick of chalk. Her hand danced across the surface, sketching something quickly and precisely—a masked crow, wings spread, stars above it.
"Once your expeditions begin, you'll be split into many groups with different roles. If you're lucky, you won't have to fight—but those odds are nearly zero!"
She stepped aside proudly.
"The Chernyy Nightwatchers! Common hostile creatures near the walls. As their name implies, you'll only see them at night—though the brave, or the starving, will hunt even past dawn."
She beamed.
"They're only four stars in lethality—so not too dangerous!"
Alphael's body tensed.
"Not too dangerous? They wiped out so many people! They had dozens of us in their beaks!"
Natalie stood on her toes and extended one arm, bending her wrist to be flat.
"They're about fifteen meters tall on average and—" she extended both arms "—have a wingspan of thirty! Double their height! But don't let appearances fool you—they're not your typical birds."
Alphael muttered, "Oh really? I didn't notice."
Fionn snorted quietly beside him.
Natalie continued, pacing cheerfully.
"Their wings function as arm-like appendages! If you look closely, you'll see muscular arms beneath the feathers. They even use them to prop themselves up—almost like four-legged beasts! Fascinating, isn't it?"
The class remained silent, worry creeping into their expressions.
A student raised their hand.
"Yes?" Natalie asked brightly.
"Teacher, we get that they're powerful, but… how do we fight them?"
Natalie froze mid-step, then laughed nervously.
"Ah! Right, sorry! Their weakness is light—it stuns them, but that's barely enough."
A smile cracked along her lips as she adjusted her glasses.
"To truly defeat a Nightwatcher… no. To survive anything in the Frontier, you'll need to awaken a Mask. Their power fuels us—and the creatures of this world. But something tells me you can't quite comprehend that scale yet."
She stepped forward, voice ringing across the room.
"Can the students who have one… demonstrate the sheer power of what a Mask can truly do?"