[ 6 weeks later ]
It had been a day since they left the Dreadmarch behind, and now the massive walls of Rendely finally ca into view. They stood like monunts of stone and history, shadowing the winding outskirts that sprawled before them, crowded markets, cracked streets, and worn faces.
The scent of smoke and spices lingered in the air, mingling with dust. rchants shouted, children ran barefoot, and the broken voices of beggars echoed beneath the guard towers.
Even among all this, Dune and the others walked without issue. Clad in clean new clothes, they looked like they belonged sowhere else.
Then Cadogan and Mindya slowed to a stop just before the main checkpoint.
Dune, Atlas, and Ned turned back.
"We'll stop here," Cadogan said, calm and certain. "Mindya's entrance is separate. She has to take a private exam before being placed. If all goes well, she'll join academy with you guys after the test."
Dune gave a small nod and stepped forward. He extended his hand toward Cadogan, firm and sincere. "Thanks. We wouldn't have made it this far without you."
Cadogan blinked, a rare flicker of surprise crossing his face. Then he chuckled and pulled Dune in, locking an arm around his neck and dragging his head against his chest in a headlock.
"You getting soft on now, bastard? Tch, if any of you fail, I swear I'll kill all four of you."
They laughed. All of them. Ned, Atlas, even Dune, rubbing his neck after Cadogan let go.
As the laughter faded, they exchanged quiet farewells. Ned gave Cadogan a nod and a grin, Atlas bumped fists with him, and then they turned toward the gates. Dune lingered a little longer, his eyes drifting toward Mindya.
She was quiet, arms crossed, face turned slightly away. Her usual sharp, reactive energy was gone, replaced by sothing still and unreadable.
"Hey," Dune said softly as he stepped toward her. "You okay?"
"I... yeah." Her answer ca slow, like it wasn't fully ford.
He held out his hand, smiling gently. "See you at the academy."
She looked at it for a second, then reached out and shook it. Her grip wasn't strong, but it wasn't weak either. She gave a small nod, her lips pressed together.
As Dune turned and started walking, Cadogan stood beside Mindya, arms folded.
"You sure you don't want to say more?" he asked, his voice low. "This might be the last ti you see him. If either of you fail..."
Mindya's fingers twitched.
For a mont, she didn't move. Then her feet took over before her mind did. She dashed forward, her boots tapping sharply against the stone path. When she got close enough, still a few steps behind him, she stopped.
"Dune!" she shouted, her voice echoing louder than she ant.
He turned around, eyes wide with surprise.
Mindya's heart was pounding. But her voice stayed strong.
"Good luck, Don't fail! Try your best!"
Dune blinked, then grinned.
"Of course," he called back, raising his hand in a wave.
Mindya waved, and for a second her grin returned, wide, awkward, but real. "Byee!"
Dune chuckled and turned back toward the gates.
In just a few weeks, they'd gone from strangers to sothing more. They fought together. They learned and trained together. They saw things most people never would. And now, it was ti to part ways.
Dune felt the weight of that as he walked forward. But he didn't stop.
Beside him, Ned stepped up and nudged him with a light kick to the shoulder. "She probably likes you."
Dune didn't answer at first, only shaking his head. "Be quiet. Focus on the test."
Atlas grinned. "After all that training with Cadogan, there's no way we're failing."
Ned chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head. "We survived a god's trial. What's an academy entrance test compared to that?"
They kept walking, shoulders brushing, footsteps in sync, as they passed beneath the archway and into the inner city.
Rendely towered above them now. The walls behind were gone. The noise of the outer district faded. Before them stood cobblestone roads, carved bridges, noble banners fluttering in the wind, and the distant silhouette of a grand spire, the heart of Bloodrose Academy.
The city was unlike anything they had ever seen, massive, sprawling, and enclosed by two colossal walls. The outer wall, though tall and sturdy, was nowhere near as fortified as the inner wall, which lood in the distance, encircling the heart of the city.
Beyond that second wall, rising high above everything else, stood the Black Castle. Even from here, its dark, jagged spires pierced the sky like the fangs of so ancient beast. Positioned atop a towering hill, it dominated the skyline, casting a long shadow over the city beneath it.
The three of them made their way toward the outer gate, where a long line of travelers, rchants, and refugees waited to be inspected by city guards and Neba users.
The outer district of Rendely was known as the Outskirts, a place for the poor, the unwanted, and those not fortunate enough to live inside the inner wall.
Dune adjusted his scarf, feeling the weight of his hidden Zeten mark pressing against his skin. If they were caught... that would be the end.
As they stepped forward in line, a group of heavily ard guards watched from raised platforms, crossbows in hand. Below them, officials draped in deep blue robes inspected travelers one by one, using their Neba abilities to scan for any abnormalities.
Dune's breath hitched as they reached the front. A stern-faced woman with sharp eyes raised her hand, her yellow Neba forming a faint orange glow around her fingertips. She pressed her palm against Dune's chest, her energy flowing through him.
A tense silence.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, then relaxed. She moved on to Ned, then Atlas. Each ti, the process was the sa. A mont of pressure. A flicker of Neba. Then a nod of approval.
Dune exhaled slowly as the official finally stepped back. "Clear," she said, waving them through.
They didn't waste a second. Without looking back, they stepped past the outer gate.
As Dune, Ned, and Atlas moved deeper into Rendely, the city gradually transford around them. The further they walked from the outer wall, the less cramped and filthy the streets beca.
The tightly packed slums gave way to larger, sturdier houses, and the stench of unwashed bodies and smoke faded into the crisp air filled with the scent of fresh bread, roasting at, and perfu.
Ned spun around as they walked, his eyes wide with excitent. "This is weird, it's like the city is getting better as we move forward.
Atlas let out a small chuckle, but his sharp eyes stayed focused, scanning the crowd. "We're still in the Outskirts," he reminded. "It's just that the rich live closer to the inner wall."
Dune, walking beside them, was quieter, observing their surroundings. "Look at the animals," he murmured.
Scattered among the bustling streets were creatures Dune had never seen before. Tall, muscular horse like animal with horns.
Enormous, six-legged oxen pulling carts. Exotic birds with bright feathers perched on rooftops, their eyes glowing faintly as they chattered to each other.
Even among the people, so had small, glowing animals clinging to their shoulders, Neba-infused companions.
Ned ran up to a rchant who was displaying a tiny, winged fox, its fur flickering like candlelight. "How much for this thing?" he asked, eyes sparkling.
The rchant, a burly man with a scar across his chin, gave him a flat look. "Fox? More than you can afford, kid."
Atlas sighed, grabbing Ned by the back of his hoodie and pulling him away before he could argue. "We don't have ti for pets."
Ned groaned. "Co on you rode a flying horse, why can't i do sa with a flying fox? That's just too cool."
Dune ignored their banter, his attention fixed ahead. The inner wall lood closer now, a towering structure of polished black stone. The Outskirts felt like an entirely different world compared to the grandeur that awaited inside.
After walking for few more minutes, trio decided to take Carriage to the second wall. After travelling for few hours they finally reached the stop point.
The carriage rolled to a stop before the massive black wall, towering a hundred ters high. But the wall wasn't what caught their attention, it was the guards.
Two massive figures stood at the gate, each at least five ters tall. Their armor was thick, their faces strangely perfect, too symtrical to feel real. They looked human, but sothing was off.
Dune, Atlas, and Ned hesitated.
"What are those?" Ned whispered.
Atlas didn't answer, his hand inching toward his weapon. Dune took a cautious step forward.
One of the giant guards turned its head toward them, moving with an eerie smoothness. Without a word, it raised a massive hand and gestured for them to step closer.
Dune swallowed hard but stepped forward. The guard placed its enormous palm on his chest. A strange warmth spread through his body, a tingling sensation running through his veins.
"Pass"
Dune, Atlas, and Ned passed through the second wall as the guards let them through without question. The mont they stepped forward, the sight before them took their breath away.
The city stretched wide under the golden daylight. Towering spires covered in ivy stood beside shimring blue lakes that reflected the bright sky. Trees with thick erald canopies lined the streets, Birds with shimring feathers soared overhead, while strange creatures crawled over moss-covered walls or basked in the warm sun.
Ned let out a low whistle. "Okay, this is way cooler than I expected."
Their eyes darted from one marvel to another.
A group of students rushed past them, talking excitedly.
"Hurry up! If we don't move faster, we'll be late for the Academy's entrance test!" one of them said.
Dune glanced at them, noticing their uniforms, black and red, with a crimson rose embroidered on their shoulders.
Bloodrose Academy.
His stomach clenched. "Guys," he said quickly, nudging Ned and Atlas. "We need to hurry. If they're heading to the test, that ans we're almost late too!"
Ned groaned but picked up his pace, grinning. "Last one fails!"
"Hey wait for !" Atlas shouted. And together , they broke into a run, weaving through the sunlit city, racing against ti.
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