After hearing that he would leave in three days, Cain spent the time helping the villagers and Reon as much as he could. He didn't say it out loud, but a part of him didn't want to go. This place — the mountains, the quiet, the warmth of people who smiled when they saw him — it had become something close to peace. Something he didn't know he needed.
Yet, even peace can feel like a lie.
For nights, Cain had been waking to the same strange feeling — a voice, distant yet familiar, whispering his name. The dreams were always the same: a dark sky, blood-red moon, and hands reaching toward him from the shadows. He never told Reon. How could he? He didn't understand it himself. But each morning, he woke with that same cold unease buried deep in his chest.
Finally, the day of his departure came.
The villagers gathered to see him off, offering warm smiles and kind words. Reon stood apart, watching him quietly. Cain bowed deeply, then turned toward the road that would take him away from everything he had known.
The wind stirred. The mountains seemed to whisper. And though Cain didn't look back, something inside him did — like a silent goodbye to a life that was never really his.
On the way he wished Reon had followed him to the acadey but it was obly a man who escorted him, he dudbt kbow him so he didnt talk, just kept quiet untul they reached there.
A whisper of awe escaped Cain as he saw the academy for the first time. He had never imagined anything this large — bigger than any village building, bigger even than the mountainside towns he had passed through. The spires reached toward the sky like fingers grasping at the clouds, and the walls gleamed faintly in the morning sun.
The escort led him through the massive gates, and Cain's eyes widened at the sight of the sprawling courtyards, grand halls, and intricate towers. Every detail of the academy was magnificent — far beyond anything he had ever seen.
As he walked through the grounds, he noticed other students moving about, chatting, or heading to their classes. He wasn't the only one enrolling today, and the thought made him quietly satisfied.
He remembered Reon's words: "You're smart for learning quickly. Don't waste that gift."
Cain's heart stirred with quiet determination. He would learn. He would absorb every piece of knowledge the world had to offer. If Reon believed in his potential, he wouldn't let it go to waste.
For the first time in a long while, Cain felt a sense of purpose — simple, steady, and entirely his own.
But not everything goes according to plan..