Kael Ethra Prime, Academy Dorm Room 10
Kael stood in front of the imposing oak door, the words "Dorm 10" imprinted in gold on its surface. His heart raced as he stared at the door, anxiety knotting in his stomach. He had tried to open it twice already, but each time, the weight of his nervousness had stopped him. What if his dorm mates didn't like him? What if they were all experienced squires who would look down on him?
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself to try again. Just as he raised his hand to knock, he heard footsteps approaching. Turning, he saw Leo walking toward him, a roll of clothes still tucked under his arm.
"Hey, Kael!" Leo called out, his goofy grin instantly easing some of Kael's tension. "What are you doing just standing here?"
"I was about to go in," Kael admitted, feeling a bit sheepish. "But I keep getting nervous."
"Don't worry about it! I'm in the same dorm as you," Leo said, his excitement infectious.
Kael's anxiety lessened significantly at that revelation. "Really? That's great!"
With a determined nod, Leo pushed open the dorm door, revealing a spacious common room. The sight took Kael's breath away. Several maroon couches were arranged around a transparent glass coffee table that looked like it could double as a computer interface.
"Wow," Kael breathed, stepping inside. The initial nervousness began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of excitement to explore their new home.
To the right, he noticed a kitchen area, and a long hallway stretched out before them, leading to five separate rooms. Just as the door to their new home shut behind them, a young man exited one of the bedrooms. He had blood-red hair and pale skin, so pale that Kael briefly worried about his health.
"Who are you?" the boy asked, his voice sharp and commanding. Kael and Leo exchanged glances, ready to introduce themselves, but the boy cut them off. "Your names aren't worth remembering until you pass the first month's mission and survive," he said, his tone haughty but not entirely unkind.
Kael felt a chill run down his spine. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to mask his apprehension.
The boy smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Many new squires underestimate the Academy. As a result, they die."
"Is it really that dangerous?" Leo asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Why doesn't the Federation do something about it?"
The boy's smile widened, revealing a hint of amusement. "This has always been the way they train new knights. You either live or you die." With that, he turned and retreated back into his room, leaving Kael and Leo standing in stunned silence.
"What did we get ourselves into?" Kael muttered, his mind racing.
He had always known that the life of a knight was dangerous, that many died in the line of duty. That was why they enjoyed so many privileges in the Federation. But he had no idea the training would be so perilous.
Kael reminded himself that he needed to be more cautious and learn as much as he could before they embarked on their first quest. The rest of their roommates hadn't even come out of their rooms, and Kael knew that each dorm housed squires from first to third years. Realizing they were on their own, he turned to Leo.
"Hey, do you want to be on my team for the monthly quests?" Kael asked, trying to sound casual.
Leo hesitated for a moment, a rare look of caution crossing his face. "I'm not against it," he finally said, his voice thoughtful. "But we should probably think this through. We don't know what we're up against."
"True," Kael agreed, feeling a mix of relief and determination. "But I think we can figure it out together. We'll learn from each other."
"Alright, then," Leo said, a grin breaking through his earlier seriousness. "Let's do it. Team Kael and Leo!"
Kael chuckled, feeling a surge of camaraderie. "Yeah, Team Kael and Leo. We'll make it work."
As they began to explore their new common room, Kael felt a sense of purpose begin to take root. The path ahead would be fraught with danger, but with Leo by his side, he felt a little less alone. Together, they would navigate the trials of the Academy, and perhaps even emerge stronger for it.
"Okay, so how many people do you think we should have on our team?" Kael asked, plopping down on one of the maroon couches.
"Five sounds like a good number," Leo replied, leaning back and stretching his arms. "But we can start with three. It'll be easier to manage."
"Right," Kael said, nodding. "And we should probably think about what we'll need for the mission. I mean, we have no idea what we're going to face out there."
"Definitely," Leo agreed. "We should gather as much information as we can. Knowledge is power, after all."
Kael's mind raced as he considered their options. "We need to learn about the different planets, their ecosystems, and the creatures we might encounter. And we should find out what kinds of missions we might undertake."
"Good thinking," Leo said, his eyes lighting up. "We can start by checking the Academy's library or database. I bet they have tons of information on past missions and the environments we'll be dealing with."
"Yeah, let's do that," Kael replied, feeling a sense of excitement building. "We'll make a plan and be ready for anything."
They spent the next few hours discussing strategies, jotting down ideas, and brainstorming potential teammates. Kael felt a sense of camaraderie growing between them, a bond forged in the fires of uncertainty and ambition.
Eventually, Leo excused himself to go to his room. "I'll catch you later, Kael. I need to unpack and get settled," he said, waving as he walked down the hallway.
Kael nodded, feeling a bit lonely now that Leo was gone. He glanced around the common room, taking in the cozy yet intimidating space. The maroon couches looked inviting, and the kitchen promised the comforts of home. But the looming reality of their training hung over them like a dark cloud.
As the silence settled in, Kael realized he was getting hungry. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, and the thought of dinner made his stomach growl. He wandered over to the kitchen, curious about what they had available.
The kitchen was compact but well-equipped. A refrigerator hummed softly in the corner, and cabinets lined the walls, filled with sealed containers. Kael approached the fridge and opened it, revealing a variety of food items. He scanned the shelves, his eyes widening at the selection.
"Wow, this is impressive," he murmured to himself, reaching for a block of cheese and a couple of slices of bread. He grabbed a few other items, including some fruit and a bottle of water, before closing the fridge.
As he explored the cabinets, he noticed small projected screens across the front of the containers, displaying information about their contents. "This is so cool," he said, marveling at the technology. It was like something out of a sci-fi movie.
After gathering his food, Kael set off to find his room. He walked down the long hallway, glancing at the doors on either side. Each one was labeled with a name, and he wondered who his roommates were. He finally found his door at the back of the hall, marked with his name.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside. The room was spartan, with a wardrobe, a sizable desk with transparent screens rising from the top, and a bed that looked way too big for him. But what caught his attention was the sleek armor standing in the middle of the room. Kael approached the armor, his heart racing with excitement. The gunmetal gray plates were sealed together perfectly, and he could see that each armor plate was backed by padding and insulation. He knew they were airtight since knights had to be able to fight even on planets inhospitable to humans, and sometimes even in the cold vacuum of space.
A blinking light at the back of the neck caught his eye, and he saw a small button at the base of the armor. Curiosity piqued, he pushed it, and the back of the armor opened, the plates at the spine pulling away and opening like some kind of zipper. It made it easy for him to just step inside the armor—no straps, no hassle, just cold efficiency.
He knew they weren't expected to wear the armor until the following morning, but he decided it would be better to start getting used to it. Stripping out of his uniform, he put on the close-fitting clothes he had been given to wear under the armor. He noted that these, too, were a perfect fit, not hindering his movement at all. Taking a deep breath, he reflected on how unbelievable this life had become. He had actual armor! He stepped into the armor, feeling its snug tightness around his body. Then he heard the hiss and click as the plates sealed themselves around him, making minor adjustments automatically. He left the helmet off for a while; they were only required to wear that when they were going to training. Moving around in the armor, he tested its fit and realized that it fit him perfectly, but he didn't remember them taking his measurements.
Kael glanced at the time in his node and realized it was already pretty late. He knew he had to get up early and wanted to set an alarm. Sitting down on his bed, he worried about how he would sleep in his armor. Would it be comfortable? Would he be able to move? He doubted he would get much sleep.
His thoughts drifted to his father and what was happening at the war front. He cut off that line of thinking, realizing that it wouldn't help to dwell on it. After some thought, he decided to familiarize himself with his node so that he wouldn't have trouble using it when he really needed it. He spent the rest of the night going through the different settings and options the node provided. He was excited when he realized his node had a combat mode and a civilian mode, but he was too nervous to activate combat mode, not knowing what it would do.
After a couple more hours of working on that, he decided it was time to sleep. Briefly, before he closed his eyes, he wondered how Mira was getting along in her dorm and how his mom and sister were doing. With those thoughts swirling in his mind, Kael finally drifted off to sleep, the weight of his new life settling around him like the armor he wore.