The attendant led the group along the marble streets of Aurelion, their boots echoing faintly against the stone. Lucas kept his eyes forward, taking in the towers, the glimmering bridges, the floating lanterns that still clung stubbornly to the morning haze.
He noticed Adithya walking beside him. The man was tall, lean, and calm—but something felt… different. The presence, the aura of unmatched skill that Lucas had remembered from the previous timeline, wasn't there. He looked ordinary. Human. Almost… soft.
"Adithya Maurya, right?" Lucas asked, careful.
The Indian glanced at him, expression neutral. "That's what my parents call me."
"Lucas," he offered.
Adithya nodded once, curt. Not cold—but measured, like someone weighing every word before it left their lips.
Lucas remembered the old timeline vividly: Adithya moving like a shadow with his spear, each motion precise, lethal. Here… he felt like someone else entirely. Someone who could have been a scholar or a poet, rather than the greatest spear-user after Leon.
They walked in silence for a while. Lucas didn't want to push. He had promised himself: no mentions of past lives. No comparisons. Not yet.
Finally, Adithya spoke, almost casually. "You seem… quiet."
Lucas glanced at him. "Just observing. This place… it's… alive."
Adithya tilted his head, scanning the city with a faint curiosity. "It is. Even if you didn't know it, it would notice you."
Lucas smirked lightly. "Notice me? Hard to believe I'd go unnoticed in Aurelion."
"You underestimate yourself," Adithya said simply, then returned his gaze forward, spear resting lightly against his shoulder.
Lucas realized he could have asked about Adithya's training—or lack of it—but something about the quiet composure, the way he carried himself without trying to impress… it wasn't worth breaking the silence. Not yet.
The attendant slowed near a large hall carved with twisting runes, the entrance flanked by floating glyphs that shimmered like liquid light.
"This is where you'll be stationed," the attendant said. "Everyone will be assigned quarters and mentors shortly. Follow instructions, and avoid trouble."
Lucas glanced at Adithya. "Looks like we're stuck together for now."
Adithya's lips curved into the faintest of smirks. "For now."
And with that, they stepped inside. The doors closed behind them, shutting out the bright morning—and for the first time, Lucas wondered if this timeline would be easier, or just… different enough to be dangerous in ways he couldn't yet see.