It’s raining.

Of course it is. Their weather is nothing if not theatrical. Perhaps it’s magic that drives the raging grey storms to sweep across their campus today of all days.

Alexi doesn’t bother with breakfast. He doesn’t bother with the rest of the cadets at the institute. He just wants to get away this morning.

Driving rain stings his skin as he strides across the campus. Alexi pulls his white jacket tighter to him and lowers his head in a futile attempt to hide in his collar. It’s hard to even make out the path ahead of him through the curtains of rain. Even their great sun’s protective light has been snuffed out.

The glass shelter Alexi has been heading for finally comes into sight but he pauses. There’s a shape within the shelter. Someone’s already inside. Alexi twists a strand of dark hair around his finger, tugging and twisting until his scalp hurts but he’s rooted to the spot. He doesn’t want company - not today, not now, not another cadet who’ll know everything and is no doubt waiting to sneer behind his back - and yet he can’t bring himself to turn away and return to the dorms and the constant gossip.

However, it seems the other has already spotted him and is moving to the doorway.

“Alexi! You’re going to catch a chill if you stand out there all day! Come inside, I’ve got tea!”

It’s Cadet Galene. There’s laughter and warmth in his voice, cutting through the near freezing rain. Isn’t that just like him though? Absolutely no sense or care for his surroundings.

Alexi’s feet move without thought though, carrying him to the entrance of the glass shelter in only a few hurried strides across the sodden ground. He pulls open the door to the glass shelter, only to stop once more, hit by a wall of hot air just inside the entrance.

The shelter’s usually clear panels are misty, blocking it off from the outside world almost completely. Galene is lying on the floor, half wrapped in a blanket, illuminated by the water beneath. There’s something very odd about Percival Galene. He’s pale and the wild flicks and waves of his hair are the dark blue typical of Garin House. He’s top of every class and there’s no path closed off to him. That’s where typical for his family ends. Clear blue eyes instead of deep, rich browns. A short stature and round face instead of towering, statuesque and imposing. Fickle and childish rather than stern and orderly.

He’s certainly doesn’t look like a descendant of their greatest god.

“You’re letting the warm air out, Alexi,” Galene says. He doesn’t take his eyes from the water below the glass floor, just wipes the steam from the surface with his sleeve. “Why don’t you come in?”

“This isn’t the sort of place you come for company,” Alexi replies.

Even so, he steps inside and shuts the door behind him. Galene seems to be making himself a nest. Besides his blanket, his uniform jacket has been tossed to one side, there’s a bag and what looks like boxes of snacks inside. He’s even in pyjamas.

“Why’s the water glowing?” Alexi says, slipping off his shoes.

Of all the questions, that’s the one he asks?

“The storm’s churned up some bioluminescent plant life,” Galene says. The glowing pool beneath the glass lights up his face in an eerie blue. “This is the top of a cave system. It’s churned up out in the ocean, but the currents and waves can’t reach them here, so they just collect. I wanted to be here for it. Class can wait.”

“Must be nice to get away with whatever you want.”

Galene lifts his head from the water and looks directly at him for the first time. “You think I can do what I want?”

“Can’t you? You’re the son of the most powerful man in the empire. Her Majesty’s right hand. Her Majesty’s favourite. You know they say you’re secretly a prince? Why else do you get to do whatever you want?”

“Because I’m a really bad soldier,” Galene says, as if it’s all obvious, “and I don’t so much care so much for consequences or punishments. I don't get away with it, anyway. I get punished all the time. I just don’t care and no one cares to see it.”

Alexi frowns. He’s never noticed Galene being punished. He’s always sitting around campus, gazing out at the ocean, wandering around as if there’s nothing wrong in the world and nothing between his ears. Then again, you can probably afford to be utterly careless if you lived a charmed life like Cadet Galene.

“Why are you here if you don’t want to be?” Alexi says. “You could have just thrown the entrance exams if you didn’t want to be a knight.”

Galene laughs and shakes his head. “I want to be here. I just want to get out to the Far Dark Worlds. I want to fight Nightmares.”

“No one wants to fight Nightmares,” he replies. What a ridiculous idea. “That’s why convicts are sent to do it.”

“And the top Golden Knights,” he argues. “That’s what I’m training for. I want to protect people. I want to be a hero.”

“Aren’t you going to get dragged back to the palace?”

Galene pulls at odd face, turning back to the water. “Sounds boring.”

“Boring?”

“If I never go back to that place, it’ll still be too soon.”

Alexi frowns. Everyone wants to be good enough to serve in the palace. It’s the greatest honour to protect Her Majesty and her court. At least, Alexi had always believed that. That’s what they’ve always been told.

Maybe he should be questioning that more, given all that’s happened.

“Is life in the lap of luxury really that bad?” Alexi says.

“You want me to tell you Her Majesty and the royals are actually monsters?” Galene says. It's not really a question. “You want me to tell you Mika might have been a traitor to the empire, but his actions weren’t without merit? That he was the one in the right?”

Maybe not in so many words. Maybe Alexi can’t handle the knowledge that his best friend had been lying to him for so long. Maybe he is searching for someone to tell him Mika wasn’t really a traitor looking to destabilize a fair and thriving empire with a loving motherly queen at the helm.

What difference would it make though? Mika had already been put to death. Only two days ago, Alexi had stood there helpless as Mika was pulled away by Her Majesty’s knights, put to a swift death with little trial yesterday. He can’t do anything. He can’t change it. So what’s the point in looking for answers or excuses when it can do nothing to change things?

“I’m not sure what I want to hear,” Alexi admits. “If Mika was a traitor, he lied to me for years. If he was doing something right, he’s been murdered for trying to save people from an evil they can’t see.”

“And so you’ve come out here to hide from everyone and your problems?” Galene says.

“Are you going to tell me that I shouldn’t run away from my problems?” he says.

“If you’d like.” He sits up, reaching out and unbuttoning Alexi’s blazer. “You should get that off though. It’s soaked. Here. Stay and get warm for a while.”

He helps Alexi out of his blazer and wraps the blanket around his shoulders inside. It’s soft and warm against his chilly, clammy skin and Alexi can’t help but cuddle up into it. Galene smiles and Alexi tilts his head away.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” Galene says. “It’s nice to have company when you’re ignoring your problems.”

“I guess so,” Alexi replies with a slight nod. “Galene, why are you-”

“Percy.” Alexi frowns and Galene beams. “My name is Percy. Please, use it. We’re not soldiers yet.”

“...Percy…”

How something as simple as a name can make someone’s eyes light up like that is really beyond Alexi. Even so, he smiles back, although it’s probably a little awkward. He’s not really sure what to make of Galene right now.

“But back to the question, why are you out here?”

Galene’s smile fades a little and he turns back to the glowing water. “Running away and hiding. Oh look, jellies!”

Alexi stares at him for a moment. Running away and hiding? From his problems, from the world, just like him? 

“It’s nice to have company when you’re ignoring your problems.” 

Just what does someone like Galene have to hide from?

It seems Galene is rather enchanted by the jellyfish glowing and flashing red and white beneath the surface now. They are rather beautiful, Alexi has to admit. Galene’s family is supposed to be descended from their sun god but watching him now, Alexi wonders if Galene got contaminated by water deity somewhere along the lines.

“You’re staring, Alexi.”

“O-oh!” He smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, I just-”

“Come sit here,” Galene says, patting the spot next to him. “We can share the blanket and body heat and I’ll teach you about the jellies.”

Alexi’s not too sure about the marine biology lesson, but he is still chilly. He scoots closer and Galene leans against his arm, pulling the blanket to wrap around them both. He points at the jellyfish in turn, telling him all about them as promised, with a look of almost childish excitement across his features. He really doesn’t understand Galene, but seeing him talk so passionately about something he obviously loves is rather endearing.