CHAPTER 119: ROOM ALLOCATIONS AND CLASS DIVISIONS

The walk felt endless, every step dragging on as if the Academy itself wanted to test their endurance before allowing them inside. But when the main campus finally came into view, a hushed awe rippled through the group.

Here was the Academy, not just a school, but a place that looked alive, as though it had been waiting centuries for them.

The dormitories were the first stop. Each room could house three students comfortably, with polished wooden floors, sturdy wardrobes, and clean linen folded neatly upon the beds.

The air smelled faintly of lavender, as though someone had taken pains to welcome them.

It wasn’t luxurious as there were no golden trimmings or velvet curtains, but the stone walls held warmth, and every item inside spoke of craftsmanship. It was enough to make sure these students felt both secure and respected.

Beyond the dorms stretched long avenues lined with towering trees.

The grass had been trimmed so neatly it looked like a green carpet rolled out for them, and when the wind stirred, a cool breeze carried the faint rustle of leaves.

Some students tilted their heads back, drinking in the freshness, and for a moment, they forgot the unfortunate events of earlier.

The dining hall was also very large, and at that moment, they could already smell delicious food being prepared, though they saw no other people. But a few students compared it to what they’d smelled from the camp the previous night, and they couldn’t help but notice that one was better than what they were smelling at the moment.

The training grounds were very large as well, and divided into several sections for more intensive training.

Finally, they made it to a library, and classrooms.

When they were done with the tour, they were led back to the assembly ground.

Most of the students groaned at the distance from the main campus to the assembly grounds, but felt excited to be a part of the academy. It was better than they expected.

Ilthane drifted forward, his shadow stretching unnaturally across the floor. When he spoke, his voice was not loud, yet it seemed to shake them all into silence.

"Listen carefully. What I say now is not advice. It is the law. Break it, and this Academy will break you."

The shift in his gaze didn’t allow a single soul to look away. All his calm was stripped away, replaced by something cold and merciless.

"First, idleness is weakness. You will rise at dawn, and you will stand at morning assembly. No excuses. If you are too injured, then you should not have survived.Second thing to keep in mind is that knowledge and training are sacred here. The classroom is not a place for sleep or chatter. The training grounds are not for cowards. Violate either, and you will learn why others feared to come here.And finally, respect is survival. You will show it to your instructors, to your seniors, and to this Academy itself. Failure to do so will mark you as prey, and prey does not last long."

The grounds thickened with unease. Some students swallowed hard, their faces paling. Others stood straighter, as though afraid even their posture might be counted as disrespect.

Ilthane let his words hang in the silence like chains, and his eyes swept over them one by one. "Remember this: this Academy does not bend to you. You bend to it. Those who cannot will have no choice but to leave this place. However, I cannot assure you of how well you will fare if you choose that path."

He paused and singled out Aramith and Aris. "Step forward, you two."

Under everyone’s gaze, they made their way to the front. Mozrael frowned, but didn’t act this time.

"Now, for your punishment."

Aris felt his heart thump. It was like it was going to jump out. He glanced at Aramith, who looked calm and composed even under the gazes of everyone.

Dormitories have been divided for your stay, and you are all going to be served food in the dining room at set times. However, for the two of you, you will be given no rooms to stay in, and you are not permitted to eat the food served by this institution. You may use the library and join in the training grounds, but you cannot join in the classroom during studies."

His words struck a final blow.

"How are they going to survive?" Someone asked in a whisper.

Aris looked at Father Ilthane, shock evident on his face. How are we going to survive?

"Well, they deserved it."

"Isn’t this a bit too much?"

"I think he’s even going easy on them."

"Just leave them alone to suffer."

But a hand was raised amidst all this. Mozrael.

Father Ilthane looked at her and smiled without letting her speak. " You can join them in their punishment if you want, but I will have to increase the punishment. Males are not allowed in female dormitories, so you can’t help him in that way. And you won’t be allowed to take food out to them either."

Mozrael dropped her hand, though angry.

Some smirked, and there were even a few idiots who liked the course of events; they were interested in Mozrael. If Aramith wasn’t going to be there by her side all the time, then they could do something.

Aramith accepted the punishment without complaint. In fact, he was okay with this. This didn’t sound too harsh to him, but Aris was trembling. How was he going to stay alive in this academy while going through all this? Were they even students at this point?

Father Ilthane didn’t give them enough time to process it.

"Now, for the rest of you, separate yourselves. The young men move to the left. The ladies go to the right."

They moved reluctantly and slowly to their specified locations.

Fathers Atta and Prince went to stand before the females.

And Ilthane and Garrun went to the males.

"Follow us to your dorms so we can divide you and allocate your rooms.

As they passed, Mozrael told Aramith to wait for her, then she gave Aris a cold, threatening glare. The poor boy shrank back in fear and shame.

Aramith and Aris were left alone in silence. The day was only starting, and they were already having it so hard.

In a way, Aramith felt this was for the best.

He wasn’t sure of how best he could control his beast form in the academy. It could very well cause him trouble in the presence of so many people. Being only allowed to go to the library, where he would enjoy privacy, and the training grounds would help.

Aris, on the other hand, nd didn’t know how he was going to survive. He looked at Aramith, feeling regret and pain for causing this.

"I—" he paused and gulped before speaking. "I’m sorry I caused this to happen. I don’t know if—"

Aramith raised a palm to silence the boy.

"I made my choice."

Aris opened his mouth, but closed it. Maybe B—Aramith knows how to deal with this?

Mozrael was shown into her room, where two girls were already waiting. The first was a small, bright-eyed girl who looked as if she could vanish in a crowd, plain at first glance but softened by the kind of smile that made approaching her seem effortless.

The other, however, was her complete opposite. White hair cascaded around a pale face, and her crimson eyes burned with quiet pride. She hadn’t spoken a word, yet her lifted chin and calculated expression announced what her silence didn’t—that she considered herself above everyone else. Her gaze swept the room as if measuring its worth. She could only wonder where this girl hailed from.

Mozrael remained quiet, uncertain whether she should take comfort in the first girl’s warmth or brace herself for the frost in the second.

Hours slipped by as rooms were assigned and roommates introduced, the bustle finally settling by the time the sun was high above their heads.

At noon, they were guided to the dining hall, the clatter of trays and muted chatter filling the space as plates of food were set before them. Mozrael’s thoughts strayed toward Aramith — she longed to check on him — but the rules were clear: no one left until the meal was done.

Once the last plates were cleared, the students were ushered outside, sunlight washing over them as they stepped onto the wide stretch of the training grounds.

Here, Ilthane waited. With his usual calm authority, he explained the structure: eventually, their classes would be sorted by attributes, and later, by the number of gates they had opened. For now, however, their groupings were nothing more than chance.

Mozrael glanced at the faces around her and found herself in the same class as her quiet roommate. The girl’s expression remained as closed as ever, detached from the world around her, not sparing even the faintest acknowledgment toward anyone else.