After taking a quick shower in the communal shower stalls, Caspian wandered the halls of the academy. Light gray stone surrounded him on all sides. An arched ceiling stood several feet above his head. Situated on the left wall were several large windows that had been evenly spaced a half a meter apart, allowing sunlight to travel in and provide natural illumination.

His bare feet padded along the dark gray tiles. He held his dark brown boots in one hand and black cotton pants in the other. Several droplets of water ran down his bare back and chest, and his shaggy red hair was still damp from the shower he'd taken just a few minutes prior. Wrapped around his waist was a towel, which kept his modesty intact.

Not that there was much reason to worry about modesty. Even if someone was awake, it wouldn't matter. This school had no female students. Only a few members of the staff were women, the maids, and they weren't allowed near the dorms except when they were cleaning, which happened when students were attending class.

It didn't take him long to reach his dorm room, despite how convoluted the academy's interior could be. He'd long since memorized the layout of this place. It helped that he'd been living at Arcadia's Knight Academy since he was ten. Upon opening the door to his room, Caspian was greeted by the sight of his roommate making a few last minute adjustments to his outfit.

“Oh, Caspian.” Turning around, a young man wearing a chipper grin greeted Caspian with an enthusiasm that made him sigh. “I knew you'd be coming back soon. You were out practicing this morning again, weren't you?”

Christopheles Siene el Ancor―Christo for short―was a youthful teen with short, spiky white hair and blue eyes. He was a little on the short side, standing nearly a head shorter than Caspian. This did not mean he could be underestimated, however, as there were few people who could match him when it came to wielding a dirk―a small dagger used for thrusting. There was a reason he ranked ninth in the academy.

Like most days, Christo was wearing the standard academy uniform: dark blue pants and shirt, a white vest, a blue shoulder cape, brown boots and a belt. Strapped across his lower back, attached to the belt, was a sheath containing his dirk.

He and Christo had been roommates since they were thirteen, the age most students were when they first started at the academy. Christo was a very cheerful young man, always smiling and always positive. Perhaps he was even a little too positive. His jolly demeanor, bubbly personality, and general exuberance were so overpowering that they seemed forced. It was simply hard to believe anyone could be that happy all the time.

“And? So what if I was?” Caspian walked further into the room, stopping by the dresser next to his bed and opening the top drawer to begin pulling his clothes out. “I fail to see how that's any of your business.”

Despite how cheerful and friendly Christo was, Caspian always tried pushing the other young man away. He didn't want to be friends with his roommate, or anyone else for that matter. It had nothing to do with Christo and everything to do with Caspian. He didn't like people, and with good reason, he felt.

Caspian had learned early on in life that nobles couldn’t be trusted. Between the backdoor politics, backstabbing, and general greed found within the nobility, anyone willing to trust a noble had obviously lost whatever sanity humans possessed.

Besides, there was only one person in the entire world who had earned his trust, and Christo wasn't her.

I wonder how she’s doing? Is she safe? Has she been studying hard?

Caspian shook his head. Despite trying to push Christo away, the young man never stopped trying. Every day the other boy would greet him with that large, obnoxious smile plastered on his face. He would then proceed to talk Caspian's ear off, blathering on about anything and everything. No matter what he did, Christo would proceed to pester him like nobody's business.

“Now, now.” Christo chuckled while Caspian set his clothes on the bed, letting the towel fall to the floor so he could get dressed. “There's no need to get defensive. I think it's admirable that you're so dedicated to your training. Very few people can wield a blade as well as you can.”

There was some truth to Christo's words. Caspian was ranked among the top ten sword users in Arcadia's Knight Academy. He currently held the title of second place. The title of first belonged to one of the older students, a quiet young man by the name of Darin Shivals Merikh. No one knew much about Darin, other than his current ranking as the top contender for becoming a Sorceress's Knight. Supposedly, he hailed from an ancient noble family that didn’t partake in politics, but it was just a rumor.

“Well, thank you for that. However, I'm not really in the mood to talk right now.”

“When are you ever in the mood to talk?” Christo asked, his tone making it clear that he was joking.

With a sigh, Caspian finished getting dressed in his own uniform, one nearly identical to Christo's. The sole exception was his sheath, which he strapped across his back via a bandoleer that contained a plain-looking broadsword.

Christo merely chuckled some more. He followed Caspian out of the room and, with the brightest and sunniest and most obnoxious grin he could muster, walked up behind Caspian and threw an arm around his shoulder. He studiously ignored the way Caspian grunted out a complaint under his breath. He also ignored how Caspian nearly stumbled at the unexpected―or maybe not so unexpected―maneuver.

“You never change, do you? Even after all the years we've known each other, you're still as grouchy as ever.” Christo didn't give Caspian any time to come up with a proper comeback before he started steering them down one of the many identical halls. “Come on, let's grab some breakfast before all the good food is gone.”