Kaiden rode into the academy, his horse hooves clacking softly against the stone path. The air felt different here, kind of heavy but calm at the same time. There wasn't really much to see at first, not like what he imagined. Just a big hall up ahead, massive in size, with wide stairs leading up to it and a giant statue standing right before the entrance. The statue looked like it had been there for hundreds of years, maybe even thousands. Its face was half broken, but you could still tell it was carved to look powerful. A man holding a staff in one hand and a sword in the other, his cloak flowing behind him like he was about to walk right off the pedestal.
Kaiden stopped and just stared for a bit. For some reason, he could feel something weird from that statue, like it was watching him back. He didn't know if it was his nerves or just his imagination acting up. Either way, he didn't like how it made him feel.
He finally turned away and guided his horse to the side of the hall where there was a small stable. A few other horses were tied there too, some armored, some plain. The smell of hay mixed with sweat and leather hit his nose as he got down. He untied the bags on the horse's back and threw them over his shoulder.
Giving the horse one last look, he patted its neck softly.
"This is probably the last time I'll be seeing you," he muttered.
The horse snorted softly and rubbed its head against his arm like it understood. Kaiden smiled weakly and gave it one last pat before stepping away.
He sighed as he turned toward the big hall. His feet felt heavier with each step, and his stomach twisted for no reason. There wasn't anything scary about the place, but he felt nervous. Maybe because this was it, the start of something new. Maybe because he didn't know what waited for him behind those big doors.
He clenched his jaw and whispered under his breath, "What the fuck."
It slipped out before he even realized.
"What the fuck?"
Kaiden froze.
He turned his head quickly to see a boy standing behind him. He looked around Kaiden's age, maybe a little younger. Brown hair, kind of messy but not dirty. His eyes were a clear blue, and his face carried that curious look like someone who always asks too many questions.
"Huh?" Kaiden muttered.
The boy tilted his head slightly. "What the fuck? What's that word?"
Kaiden blinked and then let out a small sigh. Oh great, not again. First the knight, now this. He really needed to stop saying that word in this world. Nobody seemed to understand it, and he didn't want to start a trend or something.
He rubbed the back of his neck and said quickly, "Nevermind. It's just… a word I use when I'm frustrated or confused."
The boy chuckled lightly. "Weird word," he said, but his tone wasn't mocking. More like he actually found it interesting. He stretched out his hand suddenly and said, "Gareth."
Kaiden looked at the hand for a second, then smiled a little and shook it. "Kaiden."
"Nice name," Gareth said as he let go.
Kaiden nodded. "Thanks."
For a short while, they both just stood there awkwardly. Then Kaiden took a quick glance at Gareth's clothes. Simple. Clean. Not fancy at all. His shirt looked like it had been washed a hundred times, and the bag hanging from his shoulder looked light. Like it only had one or two things inside.
"Not one for the road, huh?" Kaiden asked with a faint smirk.
Gareth shook his head and looked around. "Nah, this is just all I have." His tone wasn't sad or embarrassed. He said it like it was normal, like it didn't bother him.
Then his eyes stopped moving and fixed on the giant statue. He stared up at it with wide eyes. "Damn, that is one hell of a statue," he muttered. His voice carried a bit of awe, like he'd never seen anything like it before.
Kaiden followed his gaze and nodded slowly. The statue really was something else. Massive. Detailed. It made him feel small.
But what caught his attention more was the way Gareth looked at it, like he was trying to figure out who the person was.
"You know who that is?" Kaiden asked.
Gareth shook his head. "No idea. You?"
Kaiden shrugged. "Nah. But whoever that person was, he sure was a great figure."
They both stood there in silence for a bit, watching the statue like it might suddenly move.
Kaiden's mind drifted again, thinking about how weird it felt to be here. Everything about this place was so different from what he expected. He thought there'd be loud students, or maybe some kind of welcome banner, but there was nothing like that. Just the quiet hum of the wind and the faint sounds of distant footsteps echoing from the hall.
He could feel his heart still beating faster than normal. The whole thing just made him uneasy. It wasn't fear exactly, but that feeling like something was about to happen.
He looked back at Gareth, who was still staring up at the statue. The boy didn't look nervous at all. Maybe that's why Kaiden felt a little calmer just standing next to him.
He looked down at his own hands, slightly dirty from the ride, and muttered softly, "Guess this is where it starts."
Gareth didn't respond, just gave a small nod, still admiring the huge figure in front of them.
Kaiden took a deep breath, feeling the strange energy of the place flow through him. Whatever this academy was, it wasn't ordinary. Even the air here felt thicker, heavier, charged with something he couldn't describe.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Just two strangers standing before a massive hall and a statue of a hero, both wondering what waited behind those doors.