The morning sun had barely climbed over the horizon when Corin was already standing outside. The fresh air filled his lungs as he stretched his muscles. Old habits were not so easy to break, for years he had had to get up early to survive.
He started with simple exercises, push-ups, squats, jumps to wake up his body. Then came the spear. Even in its shrunken form, he felt the weight on his wrist as if it had already dug into his existence. With a simple thought, he unfurled it.
He let it glide through the air, getting used to the feeling of balance. His movements weren't perfect yet, but that didn't matter. A little better every day, that was all that mattered.
After an hour, he returned to the dorm. Cearen was still stretched out in his bed, half wrapped in the blanket. It was only when Corin disappeared into the bathroom that he heard a sleepy grumble from the other bed.
"Are you always so bloody busy?"
Cearen's voice sounded tired but amused.
"Habit."
Corin turned on the tap and let the cold water run down his face.
By the time he had finished, Cearen had finally peeled himself out of bed and sat on the edge of the bed, his hair disheveled.
"First day, huh? What lesson do you have?"
"Pathology."
"I´ve some errands to run. See ya during the break?"
Corin nodded, picked up his bag and left the dorm.
The path to the lecture hall led him through wide corridors lined with marble pillars. Other students were streaming in the same direction, some in groups, others alone.
Corin entered the huge lecture hall and let his gaze wander over the rows. Most of the seats were already filled, the students' voices echoing through the room as groups of nobles whispered in small groups. As expected, some familiar names had already gathered, the nobility kept to themselves.
He chose a seat in the middle rows, far enough away not to attract attention, but close enough to hear everything.
"Quiet."
A single voice cut through the babble of voices like a sharp blade. The room fell silent almost instantly.
Elric Dorne, his teacher, had entered the hall.
He was a slender, middle-aged man with stringy, dark blond hair that fell in messy strands across his face. His long coat looked worn, his eyes sharp and penetrating, as if he could scan every single person in the room with a single glance.
"There are two kinds of students here."
His voice was calm but penetrating.
"Those who want to learn something. And those who think they already know everything."
His gaze wandered through the rows.
"If you belong to the second type, leave. Don't waste my time."
No one moved. A wry smile flitted across Elric's face.
"Good, then let's see which of you at least understands the basics."
Dorne let his gaze wander over the rows, then crossed his arms.
"Who can explain the origin of the paths to me?"
Corin leaned forward imperceptibly. This was what he had been waiting for. Answers at last.
A student from the front rows straightened up, a young man with straight, dark hair and a calm, almost bored voice.
"The most common theory is that there was once a single deity that split into two Divinities. One of these Divinities created the constellations from which the Paths sprang."
Dorne nodded.
"A solid answer. At least as far as our research goes. But remember: this is and remains a theory. None of it has ever been confirmed. The truth is..."
He let the sentence hang in the air for a moment, as if to increase the tension.
"...we don't know."
He let his gaze slide over the students as if he was waiting for someone to contradict him. But no one did.
"Next question."
Dorne leaned against the desk.
"Why did this Divinity create the constellations?"
This time it took a moment for someone to answer. Then a voice rose from the back rows. A young woman sat casually in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. Her hair was a dark brown, but the light caused red streaks to flash.
"To protect the world from the second Divinity. From corruption."
Dorne smiled tightly.
"That's right. Or at least as far as we understand it. The second Divinity... the great unknown. Its influence is corruption, that which runs rampant outside the cities in the death zones. What exactly corruption is, why it exists, that is a question you will study in more depth in courses about the Death Zones."
His gaze sharpened, piercing the class like a blade.
"But remember: corruption isn't just a threat. It is a part of our world. An enemy we do not understand is an enemy we will never defeat."
Corin felt his fingers close around his pen. This wasn't just knowledge. It was the foundation of the world he now lived in. And if he wanted to survive, he had to understand it.
Dorne let his words resonate before he straightened up again.
"Very well. Now that you know what we're talking about, let's go one step further..."
"Now we come to the true essence of the paths: the constellations themselves."
He slowly took a few steps to the side, as if to give his words more space.
"Everyone here should know that there are exactly eleven paths. Eleven constellations that make it possible to obtain powers, the so-called Blessings."
He paused for a moment, then twisted the corner of his mouth slightly.
"But... why eleven?"
His voice was deliberately emphasized. A trick question. Corin noticed how some students tensed up, while others relaxed as if they had the answer ready.
A boy with short, light brown hair raised his hand. Dorne nodded to him and he spoke in a confident voice:
"The number eleven is meaningless. Once upon a time, there were countless constellations that traversed the entire sky. Once there were not just eleven, but far, far more."
Corin frowned. What? He felt his grip on his pen tighten. His gaze unconsciously wandered to the window, out into the sky. But no matter how many times he had looked up in his life, it had only ever been eleven.
Dorne nodded slowly.
"Very good. The oldest writings speak of a sky that was littered with constellations. Countless constellations that shone like the essence of the universe itself. But if you look into the sky tonight... you will only see eleven."
He paused. There was a heavy moment in the air, as if he wanted to make sure everyone understood what that meant.
"So a new question arises." His gray eyes sparkled. "What happened to the others?"
Silence.
Corin felt a faint tingle run down his spine. He had never thought about something like this before. But now that it was spoken, it seemed obvious to him.
Eleven. Why only eleven?
Dorne let the question hang in the air before continuing with a sharp smile.
"I see you are beginning to understand that knowledge is not just an accumulation of information. It is a journey. A journey that will take you where you perhaps never wanted to be."
He turned to the board and slowly wrote two words on it.
'The forgotten ones.'
Then he turned back to the class. "But that... is a topic for another day."