Behind a curtain, Aria fussed with her clothes.
"If you don't mind," she called out, "will you come with me to class today?"
Luna paused, visibly deep in thought, weighing the idea seriously — until a bright smile lit up her face.
Her pulse fluttered with nervous excitement, but she quickly shook her head, brushing aside her hesitation. With a determined breath, she looked up at Aria and smiled brightly. "Why not?" she said, her voice a little shaky but filled with newfound resolve. "I could at least learn something."
"I'll go... if it's with you."
At those words, Aria finished dressing and swept the curtain aside, beaming. She reached out, gently taking Luna's hand in hers.
"Then let's go," she said, her voice full of excitement. "I just know it's going to be fun."
Hand in hand, they made their way toward the door.
"Today's lesson should be... a mix of history, I think?" Aria said, frowning slightly as she tried to remember.
She mused to herself, "Oh well, if it's history, it might tie into geography too. It wouldn't hurt to learn it. Honestly, it's a bit shameful, but I know almost nothing about the geography of this land."
"What do you mean?" Luna asked, tilting her head curiously.
"Ah, well," Aria laughed, "the curriculum says today's about the Empire's history — the countries it conquered, the continental geography... and some of the important figures who shaped it."
She squeezed Luna's hand gently.
"I know it sounds boring, but for me? Learning about this stuff always makes me happy."
Luna gazed up at her, wide-eyed and quiet, studying her sister with such earnest admiration that Aria's heart melted a little.
"Ah," Aria added quickly, chuckling, "though... not as happy as being with you."
At that, Luna's face bloomed into the sweetest smile, and the two of them continued down the hallway, laughter quietly threading between them like sunlight.
Before long, Aria pointed ahead.
"Oh! We're here. Let's go in."
Luna nodded brightly, and together they stepped into the classroom, ready for whatever the day would bring.
They walked along the wall and climbed the stairs that led to the higher tables. Reaching the very top, Luna and Aria found seats and sat down together.
From below, a student called up,
"Hey Aria, who's that with you?"
A few more students, hearing the question, turned their heads to look.
"She's my younger sister, Luna," Aria said proudly, her voice carrying easily across the room. "I've invited her to watch me at the Tournament!"
She added, puffing her chest out a little with a sense of duty,
"And I brought her today so she could learn something — instead of just doing nothing!"
A concerned voice piped up from below,
"Wait... isn't she only eight years old? Will she even understand any of this lecture?"
Aria smiled confidently and looked down at him.
"She'll do just fine. Believe me — she'll do."
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall.
At once, the students hurried back to their desks, straightening up and settling into place.
Moments later, the doors swung open. The teacher had arrived.
He was quite tall, with straight black bangs falling across his forehead, framing a sharp jawline and a pointed chin. His skin was pale, making the rich blue of his rhombus-shaped eyes stand out all the more.
He wore a deep navy uniform trimmed with silver, woven with an unmistakable air of authority and tradition. Intricate crests embroidered the cuffs and hem whispered of long-forgotten honors. A silver chain clasped a velvet mantle across his shoulders, and at his hip hung a narrow scroll case, bound in dark leather. Sharp and dignified — he carried the quiet weight of knowledge with every step.
His footsteps echoed steadily as he made his way down the narrow corridor between tables, until finally he reached the podium. Behind him, towering blackboards stretched all the way to the ceiling.
Bubbling with excitement, Luna gave Aria's hand a little squeeze, her gaze bright and eager for whatever the lecture might bring.
Drawing a deep breath, the teacher spoke at last.
"Hello, everyone! I see not much has changed since the summer, has it?" His playful smile tugged at his lips.
"Today's lesson will be Mixed History," he continued, his voice lively with enthusiasm. "We'll be covering the Empire's world standing, the Kingdoms of the Continent, and some of the Empire's most famous figures."
"I know it might get a bit confusing," he added with a casual shrug, "but with the upcoming Tournament, we had to condense a few lessons into one."
He turned toward the large map behind him, pulling out a slender pointer. He tapped it lightly against the canvas, making sure everyone's attention was on him.
"This," he said, his tone shifting to one of pride, "is the Luvr Empire. It stretches from the Strait of Mistpoint—right here, where our academy is located," he indicated the spot with a flourish before sweeping the pointer eastward, "—all the way to the Draconic Lands at the far end of the Luneth Continent."
With a quick circling motion, he traced the vast empire.
"Our Empire spans nearly half the continent."
The teacher tucked away his pointer and looked out at the class.
"Any questions?" he asked casually.
Luna nudged Aria twice. Aria leaned down, listening.
"What's wrong?" she whispered.
Luna fidgeted, cheeks coloring.
"Can you... ask the teacher what the Draconic Land is?" she mumbled, too shy to speak up herself.
Moved by her sister's bashfulness, Aria gave a small smile.
"Sure," she whispered back, then raised her hand.
"What is the Draconic Land?" Aria called out.
The teacher paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
"Ah, the Draconic Land," he began, "also known as The Wyrmgrave, is a scarcely inhabited place. It's home to the Dracons, a race of dragonoid beings—half human, half dragon."
He shifted his weight, ready to explain further.
"Before it became part of the Empire, it was a country of its own—Dravger. The Draconic people lived there, but the land was so hostile that only the strongest could survive. When the Empire arrived, we worked to develop it, and now it can be inhabited, though the stigma from its past still lingers."
The teacher's voice lowered, and his gaze grew serious.
"It's a place filled with monsters far beyond human capacity. Not a hoax, I assure you. It's why most people are afraid to live there."
With a soft shrug, he continued, turning back to the map.
"Here," he said, tapping the map near the top right, "is the capital of the Wyrmgrave."
He clicked a lever on the side of the room, and the blackboard descended with a soft clatter, revealing a detailed drawing of the citadel.
"The Draconic capital is a fortress of unimaginable scale. Massive walls rise high, layered for defense, while inside, three colossal walls separate the heart of the land, each a stronghold unto itself."
He gave the class a moment to take in the drawing before he added,
"It's said that the land once held the most extensive knowledge of the region—the Dracvian Library. But during the siege of the capital almost 200 years ago, it was destroyed in the flames of war. Since then, much of what we knew about the Wyrmgrave has been lost."
The teacher sighed, his usual joviality replaced by a quiet weariness. He then turned back toward the class, offering an apologetic smile.
"My apologies if my teaching is a bit... scattered today. I haven't received proper guidance on how to structure the lesson, so I'm just going off memory."
With a faint shrug, he returned to his desk, burying himself in research papers.
The classroom buzzed with murmurs and lighthearted giggles, but Luna remained deep in thought.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Isn't it amazing? The kingdom's twice the size of the capital!" She almost bounced in her seat, her enthusiasm infectious.
Aria smiled softly, always delighted by Luna's wonder. "And that's just the start—"
But before she could continue, the teacher's voice cut through.
"Enough with the chatter! Let's move on to the second part of the lecture."
The room fell silent as the teacher moved to the other side of the blackboard. With a swift motion, he pulled a lever, and a second blackboard descended into place.
"This," he said, tapping his pointer against the new map, "is our world. For some of you who've never seen it laid out like this, take a good look. Pay attention, because I won't repeat myself."
The teacher's sharp gesture pointed to a region just south of the Empire.
"Here," he said, "is the Feymere Kingdom. It's ruled mostly by the fairy races, and the land itself is alive with magic. The meadows stretch endlessly, dotted with wildflowers and springs that sparkle like jewels. But don't let the beauty fool you—the deeper you go, the more dangerous the creatures become. Feymere is as wild as it is beautiful."
He moved his pointer eastward, to a neighboring kingdom.
"And here is Lorenthel, the land of the elves. Unlike Feymere's open fields, Lorenthel is surrounded by towering ancient forests. The trees are so tall they almost touch the stars, and their roots wind deep into the earth, guarding secrets older than any kingdom. The elves here speak a language of the trees and draw power directly from the land itself."
The teacher shifted his gaze to the next kingdom in line, a harsh land of desert and mountains.
"To the right of Lorenthel is the kingdom of ToR, formed through the Treaty of Raur. The land is unforgiving—endless deserts and jagged mountains—but the people of ToR are some of the most resilient. Once warring tribes, they united to conquer the land, and now they're known for their skill in crafting weapons from the rare ores found deep in Raur's caverns."
He pointed further north.
"Above ToR lies Grimwild—the land of the Beastmen. It's a place of ancient, twisted trees, home to creatures both feared and revered. The Beastmen have a deep bond with the animals of the Old Woods, and legends say they can call upon even the legendary Shadowfang, a creature so terrifying that no one dares enter Grimwild uninvited."
Finally, he tapped a region south of ToR.
"And here is Durandin, the Dwarven land. Masters of stone and steel, the dwarves build their great forges deep within the mountains. Their underground cities are vast, almost like kingdoms within themselves, and they're known for creating some of the most powerful weapons ever forged."
With a final tap of his pointer, the teacher returned it to his side, giving the class a moment to digest the information.
"Each of these lands carries its own history, its own myths," he said. "The people of these kingdoms have shaped the world in ways you might not realize."
He checked the clock, then smiled.
"Time's up. Let's wrap up for today."
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. As the students began to rise, the teacher lingered at his desk, his shoulders slumped as though the weight of the lesson had drained him.
His voice was soft, almost inaudible to everyone but Luna and Aria.
"Again... I couldn't finish on time..."
Luna and Aria exchanged a glance, their hearts heavy with sympathy. It was clear the teacher had done his best, even though time was never on his side.
Aria gave Luna's hand a comforting squeeze, her gaze filled with quiet understanding.
Together, they made their way to the door, Luna's mind already spinning with thoughts of Lorenthel and its ancient trees. "When I have the time," she mused, "I should visit. Something tells me it'd be worth it."
Aria smiled, her gaze softening with a knowing warmth. As the door clicked shut behind them, Luna couldn't shake the sense that there was still so much more to learn in this world—so much yet to uncover.