The two men who stood before the massive, black-iron gates of the academy looked more like statues than guards. They were tall, armored in polished steel that gleamed beneath the pale light of the twin suns above. Every inch of their posture screamed authority and disdain — the kind of quiet arrogance that only came with power and years of guarding something sacred.
Avin and Sylas stood several paces away, staring up at the gates that loomed high like a wall against destiny itself. The sheer size of it made Avin feel small again, like a child caught in the storm of a world that had long since stopped caring for him.
He cleared his throat, trying to hide the awkward crack in his voice."Um…" he started, voice wavering with forced courage, "can we come in?"
The silence that followed felt heavier than it should have. One guard didn't even move — his face remained blank, his eyes dull as stone. But the other… stepped forward.
