"Oh? Well, ready?" Aria called out gently as Luna stepped out of the Great Hall of the mansion.
Luna glanced over, eyes widening in awe.
Aria and Nyx looked stunning.
They stood draped in white and grey, every inch of their uniform steeped in command and ceremony. Golden pins glinted across their chests, a jeweled brooch shimmered at the collar, and a dark crystal scepter hung at their side. Regal, refined—dangerous in silence.
"What's that you're wearing?" Luna asked playfully, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"This?" Nyx glanced down, patting himself awkwardly as if trying to figure out what part of him she was talking about.
"Oh, the uniform! It's the Academy's. Every student wears one. Cool, right? Super cool," he added, repeating the word as if trying to brand the idea into Luna's mind.
Aria smacked the back of his head.
"OW!" Nyx yelped, rubbing the spot. "What was that for?!"
"You know exactly what for," Aria said, shooting him a look sharp enough to kill.
"Pfft," Luna giggled, her laughter soft and bright.
"You all look so cool… I wish I could attend the Academy too," she added, a barely noticeable shadow flickering across her small, sweet face.
"Come on now, let's go." Aria reached her hand out to Luna.
Luna took it without hesitation, walking side by side with them.
They climbed into the Academy's carriage—ordinary in appearance, no different from any other, yet filled with a quiet thrill of promise. The door closed behind them, and the journey began.
Time passed. The distance between the House of Lockheart and the Academy was roughly fifteen days.
They traveled, they rested, they ate, joked, and dozed. Day by day, the rhythm settled into a comforting monotony—ride, sleep, repeat. And yet, somehow, there was always something new to laugh about.
Six days into the journey, they decided to make camp under the stars. A fire crackled in the center, casting dancing shadows as stories began to flow like warm cider.
Guard One leaned forward, poking the fire with a stick. "The Elven-Fairy War..." he began, his voice low. "Ruthless as it was, at least it ended." He shook his head slowly, as if the memory itself weighed him down. "Still can't believe how cruel it got."
Guard Two, loaf of bread in one hand and a mug of ale in the other, chimed in with a hiccup. "The worst memory of my life? Easy. The Ashen Cult's attack on Bordic City—that place near the Lockheart and Hillmere border." He took a long gulp from his mug, then muttered, "The fires were... merciless."
Moments later, his words slurred into sleep. He slumped over, snoring mid-hiccup. Guard One sighed and stood, grabbing his companion by the arms. "Garry... again? Well, I guess that's how you lived through it, huh?" He hauled him toward the tent, muttering something half-affectionate, half-annoyed.
Luna stared into the flames, her voice soft. "Nyx... what was your worst memory?"
Nyx hesitated. Aria glanced at him, and the flicker of firelight caught the way his jaw tensed.
"Ahem—" Nyx coughed into his fist, then gave a sheepish shrug. "Losing to Father," he said. "The way he taught me was... intense. I don't think he meant harm, but that ruthlessness—" He laughed dryly. "It left me restless whenever I'm alone." A flicker of something dark passed through his eyes.
Luna turned. "What about you, Aria?"
Aria didn't answer right away. She gazed into the fire, the warmth not quite touching her face. Her silence spoke louder than words, and an uneasy quiet fell over the camp.
"Luna, Nyx," she finally said, forcing a small smile. "It's time to sleep, isn't it?"
She stood and turned toward the tent.
"Luna, come on. You're sleeping with me tonight." Her voice was light, almost playful. "Come on, come on!"
Luna dashed after her, wrapping her arms around Aria's waist in a warm hug. Nyx trailed behind with a yawn, heading to his own tent.
The fire dimmed. The night faded. And for a little while, the heaviness in their stories melted into sleep, and the rhythm of the journey carried them gently forward once more.
At last, they arrived.
In the distance, the Empire Royal Academy of Luvr came into view.
"There it is! We're here! Nyx! Aria! Look! Look!" Luna cried, pointing excitedly.
Even from afar, the Academy's breathtaking architecture was visible to Luna's keen eyes.
"How can you even see that far?" Nyx asked, squinting hard in the same direction.
"Leave her," Aria said, her gaze drifting toward the glade outside, a faint memory playing across her face. A barely noticeable smile tugged at her lips. "She's different."
They rode along the Silver Spine, the greatest road in all of the Luvr Empire.
Luna leaned against the carriage window, eyes wide. The road sparkled so brightly it sent flickers of light into her face. She winced and shielded her eyes with her arm.
"What's this road?" she asked, squinting through the glare. "It's so shiny!"
Aria turned to her, grinning with delight—an opportunity to teach something new always made her happy.
"Good question," she said, gesturing proudly out the window. "That road is called The Silver Spine."
She paused, her gaze lifting slowly toward the far-off silhouette of the Academy.
"It's the most magnificent road ever built in the Empire. It was created by none other than the Bloody Emperor."
"Bloody Empe—what?" Luna blinked, clearly intrigued and confused all at once.
"Ah. Any Vaix Luvrien, the fourth emperor of Luvr," Aria said with a flicker of reverence. "They called him the Bloody Emperor because of his obsession with conquest and construction. A ruthless man—but a visionary."
She turned away from the window and glanced over at Nyx, who had dozed off, his head lolling against the carriage wall.
Then Aria looked back at Luna, her expression softening. She gently took Luna's small hands into hers.
"Half of the Empire's territory today? That's thanks to him. But the roads… this road," she said, nodding toward the Silver Spine, "was his true masterpiece."
Her grip tightened slightly, her tone turning firm.
"But listen carefully—when you meet anyone from the royal lineage, never call him the Bloody Emperor. That nickname is considered an insult to them."
"An insult?" Luna tilted her head. "But it sounds cool. If I were him, I'd love it!"
Aria sighed. "Maybe. But they don't. And saying it in front of the wrong person could get you into a lot of trouble."
She let go of Luna's hands and, without warning, slapped Nyx's leg hard.
"OW! What the heck?!" Nyx jolted awake, clutching his thigh. "What did I do?!"
Aria and Luna sat upright and composed themselves in perfect unison, acting like nothing had happened.
A beat of silence passed.
Then both of them burst into laughter.
And so the carriage rolled on, wheels whispering over the Silver Spine as the towering gates of the Empire Royal Academy loomed ahead. With a final creak, the iron gates closed behind them, sealing the world of nobility and magic within.