Tommy folded his hands, frowning. "I can’t believe this was your stupid solution."
Soren sighed heavily. " too."
At the mont, Bloodshine embraced him tightly from the side, a huge smile on her face, and a suitcase by her side.
Soren tried hard to persuade her, but it was not possible. Only when he said she could co along did she stop her pouting.
Frankly speaking, he felt like he might have fallen for a trick, but the words had already fallen from his lips when he realized this.
Right now, they stood at the south gate, lugaged packed and ready to move.
Tommy took a breath in, and then out. "Since it has co to this, they is nothing that can be done about it.
Just make sure you are back in a week’s ti, okay, we have yet to properly practice battle formations."
"Yeah, sure will." Soren nodded. "I just have a question. Why are they coming along?" Soren pointed to Vass and Polystar behind him.
The initial people planned for this trip were; himself, Cynthia, and Sophia.
Now, they were; Himself, Cynthia, Sophia, Bloodshine, Vass, and Polystar.
A total of six people.
Tommy smirked as he dug his nose comfortably. "Since you didn’t want to listen to , I decided its only fair that I take matters into my hands."
’I only started living a comfortable life in the academy because of your reputation of not ssing with your friends, they is nowhere i am letting you waste your life out there.’
Tommy thought to himself.
Cough
"I told them that you were going for an errand that would last a whole week." Tommy peeked at the two.
—Vass brooding at the corner, and Polystar, wiping his glasses with a piece of cloth.
Then looked once more at Soren. ’They must have thought he is going to train for the winter gas in a secret location and did not want to be left out.
Then again, telling them Dr Kaya was sponsoring the trip must have pushed that idea into their heads.
Like I care.’
He shrugged. "I have requested that they bring you back in a week’s ti, even if they have to carry you on their heads."
Tommy warned sternly.
"Sure... why not." Soren nodded.
Both boys stared at themselves for a while.
"Pencil ended not coming to say goodbye." Soren broke the silence.
"Yeah, you know how he is. Good bye at the dormitory was enough.
If he saw you walk through those gates, he would probably break into tears."
Tommy leaned back into his wheelchair.
"You are right." Soren patted Tommy’s shoulder. "Please, make sure to take care of him."
"Dude, do you have eyes at all, I am the one in the damn wheelchair." Tommy protested. But he understood. "Don’t worry, I already had it covered."
Soren wondered how.
What he did not know was that Tommy had sent word to Aegon about Soren feeling uncomfortable, because a friend of his was a subject of constant bullying.
Those three usually finding little ways to pick on Pencil would have a hard future ahead of them.
The thought made Tommy proud of his hard work.
It was ti to leave.
Soren turned to face the gate.
Even now—after everything he had seen within the academy—the sight of it still forced a pause from him.
The South Gate stood like a wall ant to deny the very concept of escape.
Massive.
Oppressive.
Old.
By Soren’s estimation, it rose no less than two hundred ters into the sky, its peak vanishing slightly into the drifting veil of cold mist above.
Its surface was forged from a dark soul–steel, black as a starless night, yet faintly reflective—like it drank in the world and returned only a dim echo of it.
But it was not the size that commanded attention.
It was what had been carved into it.
Across its entire surface stretched a battlefield frozen in eternal motion.
Humans—knights clad in heavy armor—rode forward on towering warhorses, their expressions etched with fury, desperation, and unyielding resolve. Spears thrust forward. Banners tore in unseen winds. Blades clashed against enemies that did not belong to this world.
The Eldritch horrors they faced were grotesque beyond reason.
These were towering figures with too many limbs.
So creatures with hollowed faces that scread without mouths.
Things that looked half-ford—like reality itself had failed while trying to create them.
So knights were shown mid-charge.
Others—
Mid-death.
One was being torn apart, yet his blade still reached forward, as if refusing to accept the end.
Another had already fallen beneath a beast, yet his hand still clutched his sword.
The art work pulled one in. It was not a carving ant to inspire hope.
It was a reminder.
Of what waited outside. Of what humanity fought against.
Soren exhaled.
Then he stepped forward.
The others followed.
The cold near the gate was sharper. Not natural cold. Sothing deeper. Sothing that pressed lightly against the skin like an unseen warning.
They approached the base of the structure, where a smooth panel had been embedded into the black surface.
A biotric board.
It waa seamlessly fused into the gate as though it had grown there.
Soren stepped up to it and placed his palm against the surface.
For a mont, nothing happened.
Then—
A faint hum.
The surface beneath his hand lit up with thin lines of pale blue light, spreading outward like veins recognizing their master.
The board ca alive.
A soft chanical voice followed.
[Scanning..."]
The light intensified, tracing every detail of his palm.
Then—
[Identity confird. Cadet Soren.]
There was a pause.
Then the voice continued.
[State purpose of leave.]
Soren did not hesitate.
"Gathering evidence for my next court proceedings," he said calmly, his tone steady despite knowing this was a fat lie.
He had no reason to use his free leave fir tge month when he had a loop hole in the rules that could be expolited.
"With Sophia and Cynthia as my current witnesses."
The board flickered slightly.
Then—
[Accessing cadet Soren’s files.]
The light dimd and brightened intermittently, as though the system was sifting through layers upon layers of information.
Then—
[Review complete. Leave granted on special occasion.]
The gate responded imdiately.
A deep, grinding sound echoed outward as sothing within the structure shifted.
The ground beneath their feet trembled.
Snow from the upper edges began to fall, shaken loose by the movent.
Then—
The gate began to open.
Slowly.
The sheer thickness of it beca apparent as it moved.
Each side was as thick as a house—layers upon layers of reinforced soul–steel designed not just to keep things out...
But to keep things in.
The opening was narrow.
Just enough for two people to walk side by side.
Nothing more.
Beyond it—
Cold.
White.
Endless snow stretched outward into the unknown.
Soren stepped back.
Cynthia moved forward next, placing her hand against the board.
The system scanned her.
[Cadet Cynthia. Registered.]
Sophia followed.
[Cadet Sophia. Registered.]
A brief pause.
Then—
[Status: Witnesses accompanying Cadet Soren.]
Behind them, Bloodshine stepped forward next.
She placed her hand against the board.
[Cadet Bloodshine. Registered.
Monthly leave request acknowledged.]
Polystar followed, adjusting his glasses slightly before placing his palm down.
[Cadet Polystar. Registered. Monthly leave request acknowledged.]
Vass ca last.
His hand pressed against the board without a word.
[Cadet Vass. Registered. Monthly leave request acknowledged.]
Tommy sighed as he watched them walk away.
(Author’s note: Of course I am cooking sothing in the far future concerning the South gate. Duhhh...)
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