Father William turned back slowly and faced Bryce, and Eva, who was standing behind him.
"Well, I cannot tell you everything. Some things you will have to find out for yourself," Father William said in his calm voice.
"Tell me what you can then," Bryce replied.
Father William began walking around the hall slowly with his hands behind him. "You know, this place used to be a church. I'm sure you could tell when you walked in. But in the world we live in now, there is no use for churches anymore."
Bryce tried to understand why Father William suddenly mentioned that. But then he remembered back at the orphanage, Father William would always go off-topic before circling back to what he truly wanted to say.
"Back in the room, I told you that humanity suffered great losses when the wall between realms was broken. Demons and their kind almost wiped us out," Father William continued.
"You said almost, meaning there's a reason we're still here. Humanity found a way to fight back. How are humans fighting back?" Bryce asked, anger rising in his voice.
"I can see the fire in your eyes, the anger and the desire for vengeance. I cannot stop you from what you want to do, but I can warn you. The path you choose will forever change you." Father William stopped walking. "We are in a citadel, which was once a Catholic house. This place is also an academy, where young people like you are trained to fight for humanity against the demons."
Bryce remembered the people he had seen in the hallway earlier. Now things were starting to make sense.
Father William was right about his emotions. All Bryce wanted was to find a way to fight demons, avenge his friends, and fix the disaster he caused.
"So, I'll be able to fight demons in this academy," Bryce said with a small sense of relief, though he still wasn't satisfied. He knew it would take a long time before he became strong enough to kill demons.
"That is the purpose of the academy," Father William said. "This session of the academy is new, it began last month. You can join the classes and learn. I advise you to take things slow. You've been asleep for two years, so control your emotions and relate well with other students."
"When can I start?" Bryce asked.
"You can start classes tomorrow. Eva will show you your schedule and the activities of your class. I've already arranged everything with the academy management," Father William said. "How do you feel now, Bryce? Health-wise?"
Bryce didn't understand why he was asking. He knew the question was more than simple concern. Apart from weakness, he felt fine. "I'm okay. You don't need to worry about anything," he said.
He felt he had to lie. He wanted to take control of his life and of the world, before letting anyone else get close.
"That's good," Father William replied.
"Is there anything else?" Bryce asked.
"We are still trying to find out what really happened inside the mansion, the wall separating the realms, the purpose of the mansion itself. You are key to finding that out. If we understand what happened, we might be able to fix the wall."
Bryce had already decided he would do all of that himself. He was the one who brought his friends to the mansion. He caused the apocalypse. So it was his responsibility to fix it, at least, that's how he saw it.
"You will be crucial in uncovering the truth. Like I said, I will need you to tell me exactly what happened inside the mansion. But that will be later. I don't want you reliving that night when you just woke up."
Bryce had stopped listening deeply at this point. Father William's words faded into the background. Bryce only had three things in mind which were, killing demons, avenging his friends, and fixing the damage he caused.
"One last thing," Father William said, causing Bryce to stop. "I believe no one knows about you being there that night. And for now, that is for the best. If you need anything, my doors are always open."
"I went into the mansion with a camera that night," Bryce said as the memory returned. "It should have videos of what was inside the mansion. Did you manage to get it?"
"Unfortunately, no. Your fall broke the camera into pieces. Nothing could be recovered from it."
Bryce's heart sank. He had hoped the video might help him understand the mansion.
"I have a request," Bryce said.
"What is it?"
"Take me to the class. I want to start the academy now. I've been asleep for two years, resting is not what I need. I feel much better, and I want to understand more of what is going on."
Father William thought for a moment. "…Okay, I will take you," he said. "Follow me."
He walked to the exit, and Bryce followed him. As they left the hall, Bryce noticed for the first time that Eva didn't follow them. She just stood where she was. Bryce wondered why.
Back in the hallway, Bryce took his time to observe everything. The building had many hallways, meaning it was massive.
"I know you're wondering why Eva won't be joining us," Father William said. "Well, that little girl is… I would like to use the word special, but I believe everyone is special in their own way. Eva is taking a different type of lesson, so you won't see her in your classes."
Bryce wanted to ask more, but he knew he would find out eventually. And his mind was occupied with more urgent things.
After a short walk, they reached their destination. Bryce looked ahead and was surprised.
In front of him was an open space. The ceiling was open, allowing sunlight to pour in. The area was designed like an arena, and many people were inside.
"This is one of the training grounds in the academy," Father William said. "Those people are students like you. Come on let's go in."
They walked into the training ground, and Bryce kept observing everything. The students were standing in a circle, and in the middle was a small stage.
"Your few weeks behind," Father William said. "They are about to start combat training. You won't be able to do anything today… but you can watch and see how far humanity has come."