Kaiden and the princess's knights finally saw the academy gate after hours of traveling. The road that led there was wide and clean, surrounded by old stone pillars covered with glowing runes. The gate itself looked massive, bigger than anything Kaiden had ever seen. Two giant statues stood on both sides, one holding a sword and the other holding a staff. Together, they looked like guardians watching over whoever dared to enter.
The gate wasn't just big, it was… intimidating. The metal had this strange glow to it, like it was alive, like it was watching him back. The closer they got, the more Kaiden could feel some kind of pressure coming from it. It wasn't scary exactly, but it made his chest feel heavy.
Kaiden stopped his horse and turned to the knight riding beside him. He gave him a small bow from where he sat.
"Thank you for letting me travel with you," he said honestly.
The knight smiled and nodded. "You don't need to thank us, Prince Kaiden. But remember, cultivate diligently when you get in there."
Kaiden grinned faintly and said, "Of course." Then he hit his horse lightly on the side and started moving ahead.
He barely went a few feet when a voice came from behind.
"Wait."
It was soft. Feminine.
Kaiden froze. His heart skipped. That voice… it came from the carriage.
Even the knights turned their heads sharply. He saw their expressions change. Some of them looked surprised, others looked like they just couldn't believe what they heard. One of them even blinked rapidly like he thought he imagined it.
The princess had spoken.
Kaiden looked back, confused, but before he could say anything, something flew out from the carriage. It shimmered under the light and spun through the air toward him. He caught it easily out of reflex, but the weight almost surprised him.
It was heavy. Solid gold.
He looked down at it in his hand. It was a small circular medallion, engraved with strange lines that met at the center, forming a glowing sigil. The Erevale sigil.
For a moment he just stared at it, unsure what to do or say. Then that same soft voice spoke again.
"Come meet me when you settle in the school."
That was all she said.
Kaiden blinked, still holding the golden medallion. Her voice was calm, but there was something behind it he couldn't place. Something that made him feel like it wasn't a request.
He didn't know why, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was, "Okay."
Then he pressed his heel lightly against his horse's side, and it started walking again toward the gate.
Behind him, the knights were whispering quietly among themselves. He didn't hear everything they said, but he caught parts of it.
"She spoke?" one of them muttered, like he was trying to make sure it really happened.
"Yeah," another answered quietly. "She's never spoken to a stranger before."
Kaiden ignored it. He just kept riding forward, holding the golden medallion loosely in his hand.
Meanwhile, back near the carriage, one of the knights leaned slightly toward it and asked softly, "My lady… may I ask why you did that?"
There was a pause, a small sound of movement inside the carriage. Then her voice came again, cold and calm.
"None of your concern."
That was the end of it.
Kaiden finally reached the main gate. Two guards stood there, both in silver armor with black cloaks. They looked bored out of their minds. When Kaiden stopped in front of them, they didn't even move at first. One of them just glanced at him up and down like he was trying to figure out why some random kid on a horse had stopped there.
"What are you here for?" one of them asked, his tone flat, almost annoyed.
Kaiden straightened a little. "I came here for the exams."
The guards looked at each other like they'd just heard something funny. One of them sighed, rubbing his face. "Another one," he muttered.
Kaiden frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Neither of them answered. They just kept staring at him blankly. He could tell they thought he was wasting their time.
Then it hit him.
"Oh right, right, the letter." He quickly reached into his bag and pulled out the scroll his father had given him. "Yes yes yes, I have a recommendation letter," he said quickly, trying not to sound nervous.
He tossed the scroll to them. The guard caught it, raising an eyebrow, and unrolled it lazily.
The moment his eyes scanned the seal at the bottom, his posture changed. His eyes widened slightly, and he quickly passed it to the other guard, who looked at it too. Neither of them said anything.
They both looked at Kaiden again, but this time their faces weren't blank anymore.
Without a word, one of them tossed the scroll back to him and turned around. The other grabbed the lever beside the wall and pulled it.
With a deep rumble, the massive academy gate began to move. The statues on both sides glowed faintly, their eyes lighting up as the gates slowly parted open.
Kaiden stared, his heart thudding lightly as he watched the space open before him. Beyond that gate was the start of something new, something he wasn't ready for but had no choice but to face.
The guard didn't say another word, just gave a short nod.
Kaiden caught the scroll and put it back into his bag. Then, without saying anything else, he kicked his horse forward and rode straight through the opening.