Life at the academy was structured to the extreme.
Students woke at dawn, attended theoretical classes in the morning, trained with their beasts in the afternoon, and studied at night. There was little free time, and what existed was generally devoted to socializing or political intrigue.
Vaelor avoided both as much as he could.
His room was small but functional, located in the east wing of the first-year dormitory. He was assigned a roommate, a nervous boy named Theo who seemed intimidated by everything and everyone.
"Y-you're the one with the mask, right?" Theo asked the first night. "I heard you defeated Cassian Valoris in the exam."
"It was just a practice fight."
"Just a…" Theo swallowed hard. "Cassian is heir to House Valoris. One of the five great noble families. No one had ever defeated him in combat."
Vaelor filed that information away.
"And what about you, Theo? Where are you from?"
"I'm… from a small town in the empire's center. My father's a blacksmith. I never thought I'd get in here, but my beast…" The boy pointed to a small lizard sleeping in a corner. "It's a Salamander. They rarely appear this far north."
"A Salamander is a good beast," Vaelor acknowledged. "Fire affinity, heat resistance. With proper training, it could be very useful."
Theo's eyes lit up.
"Do you really think so?"
"I wouldn't lie about something like that."
From that night on, Theo stopped treating him with fear.
◇ ◇ ◇
Classes were… disappointing.
Vaelor had expected to learn advanced techniques, secrets of master tamers, knowledge he couldn't get on his own. Instead, most of the first-year curriculum consisted of basic theory and repetitive exercises.
"Patience is the first virtue of a tamer," Professor Kael, the bond instructor, reminded him every time Vaelor finished an exercise before his peers.
"With respect, professor, patience is useless if the knowledge I'm waiting for never comes."
The professor looked at him with a mix of irritation and curiosity.
"And what knowledge exactly do you expect, young Vael?"
"Advanced contracts. Forced evolution techniques. Methods to bond high-rank beasts." Vaelor listed the topics that truly interested him. "All that's in upper-year texts, but they have us studying basic species classification."
"Those topics are for experienced students."
"And if a student already has the experience?"
Professor Kael was silent for a moment.
"I'll speak with the director about your case," he said finally. "No promises, but maybe we can… accelerate your curriculum."
It was a small step forward.
◇ ◇ ◇
Afternoon training was more useful.
Students worked with their beasts in supervised practice fields, learning to coordinate attacks, communicate through the bond, and develop combat strategies. Vaelor used these sessions to study his peers, identifying strengths and weaknesses.
Gris was his official companion at the academy, the only bond he had declared. Keeping his other beasts secret was crucial; a first-year student with multiple contracts would attract too much attention.
"Your bird is… unusual," a student commented during a group session. She was a girl with black hair and green eyes, a snake coiled around her arm. "I've seen many tracking birds, but this one seems… smarter."
"It's been with me since I was a child," Vaelor replied vaguely. "I guess we developed a deeper connection over time."
"I'm Mira, by the way." The girl extended her free hand. "Mira from Green Valley."
"Vael."
"Just Vael? No last name, no house?"
"Just Vael."
Mira studied him with curiosity but didn't press.
"Interesting," she murmured before walking away.
◇ ◇ ◇
Nights were for surveillance.
While the rest of the academy slept, Vaelor sent Gris to explore the grounds. The bird reported movements of professors, secret meetings among students, and anything out of the ordinary.
It was during one of these nocturnal explorations that he discovered something disturbing.
In the forbidden wing of the library, there was a room always guarded. Two elite soldiers stood watch day and night, and occasionally hooded figures entered and left at strange hours.
"What are they hiding there?" Vaelor wondered as Gris observed from the ceiling beams.
One night, he got his answer.
One of the hooded figures left the room and removed their hood. Vaelor recognized the face immediately: Lady Morwen, the same woman who had suggested his assassination years ago at Ashford Castle.
"So she's connected to the academy."
It was valuable information. Lady Morwen had proven an ally of his father and an enemy of his. If she was involved with whatever was happening in that secret room, it was probably nothing good.
Vaelor decided to investigate further.
But carefully. Very carefully.
◇ ◇ ◇
By the end of his first month at the academy, Vaelor had learned several important things:
First: The academy system was designed to favor nobles. Students from powerful families received better equipment, better instructors, and more opportunities than commoners.
Second: Cassian Valoris had not forgotten his humiliation. The noble constantly watched him, seeking chances for revenge. His followers, a group of aristocratic sycophants, did the same.
Third: Hidden factions operated within the academy. Lady Morwen was only one piece of a larger puzzle Vaelor still did not fully understand.
And fourth: He needed allies.
He couldn't infiltrate such a complex institution alone. He needed people to trust, or at least people whose interests aligned with his.
Theo was a start. Mira seemed promising.
But for what was coming, he would need much more.