A place of war

As he turned to leave, Azrael felt a sudden tingling sensation in the air. It was as though an invisible presence was making itself known. Even onlooking students felt it, and they were stunned by the intense energy that seemed to radiate from it. It was a presence unlike anything they had ever felt before.

Approaching Azrael was the Headmaster of the Academy, a majestic looking old man with long white beards. As the Headmaster's approached Azrael his aura intensified, the Vice Headmaster seemed to be the only one calm in his presence.

"Good day, Headmaster. It's been a long time," the Vice Headmaster said with a smile.

"Oh, Vice Headmaster. I have been lazing around and leaving all the work for you," the Headmaster replied with a chuckle.

"Well, I can't let you overwork yourself and finally die. That'll be a problem for the academy," the Vice Headmaster laughed and replied.

Both the Vice Headmaster and the Headmaster shared a laugh, before the Headmaster turned his attention to Aaron.

"Oh, who might you be?" the Headmaster asked.

"My name is Aaron, sir. Zefron's first general's guard from the Silverblood family. I am here to recruit the boy named Azrael," Aaron answered, stuttering.

"Oh, so you came to take what I brought," the Headmaster replied with a hint of amusement in his voice, as his aura became even more terrifying than before.

"No, no sir. If you object, of course, I can go back and tell..." Aaron stuttered again, but the Headmaster cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Haha, don't worry about it. He is your empire's citizen after all. What right do I have to object?" the Headmaster said.

The Headmaster then turned to Azrael, his expression becoming more serious. "Listen, boy. This is where it begins. Do not cower in the face of your own power, no matter how terrifying it might be. Remember, you chose yourself, so embrace it."

"Well, let this old man not waste more of your time," the Headmaster said as he turned and walked away, leaving Azrael, Aaron, and the Vice Headmaster standing at the gate.

Azrael's heart pounded in his chest, his knees almost giving out in the presence of the Headmaster. He was left feeling even more confused, as the Headmaster's words echoed those of the man in his dreams. He wondered if there was any correlation between the two and why all of this was happening now.

Lost in thought, Azrael was startled when Aaron spoke up. "Azrael, it's best we start going. It's a long journey ahead of us." Nodding in agreement, Azrael picked up his luggage and followed Aaron to the waiting carriage.

As the carriage made its way to the army base, Azrael sat in silence, his mind racing with questions and fears. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had been gnawing at him since his nightmare. The thought of dying filled him with terror, and he wondered if the dream was a glimpse of his future.

Staring out the window, Azrael tried to make sense of it all. Aaron sat across from him, noticing his worry but remaining silent. The only sound in the carriage was the rhythmic clopping of the horses' hooves as they drew closer to their destination.

Seated in a dark room in Ryzel's dormitory, a girl meditated and absorbed ki. Suddenly, a figure appeared behind her and whispered, "The boy was taken."

Without opening her eyes, the girl asked, "What boy?"

"The boy who can't use ki," the figure replied. "It seems the Silverbloods sent a mandatory army recruitment."

"Hmm, are they really that desperate? But is this worth reporting?" the girl questioned.

"That man also showed up," the figure continued, causing the girl to abruptly stop her ki absorption.

"The Headmaster?" the girl asked calmly.

"Yes," the figure answered. "Was there any important reason he came out?"

"No, he said a few words to the boy and disappeared again. The last time he was seen before this was bringing the boy to Ryzel," the figure explained.

"The boy, what's his name?" the girl inquired.

"It's Azrael," the figure replied.

"Azrael. Who are you really?"

******

Soldiers could be seen around the Zefron Empire war front base, some training, moving supplies, or just sitting around. Two soldiers sat around a fire to warm their bodies from the cold evening breeze.

"Hey, did you hear?" Veno, one of the soldiers asked as he sipped the liquid in his cup.

"What now, Veno?" Herald, another soldier sitting across the fire, responded nonchalantly.

"We might be expecting a recruit from Ryzel," Veno said.

"Isn't that the school that only the kids of the highest elites get into?" Herald asked.

"Not just that, even if it's the son of a king without great talent, you don't get admitted," Veno said.

"So why would someone like that ever come here?"

Veno moved closer to Herald, looked around, then said, "The rumor is that he beat the general's son in a fight." Veno looked around again before continuing. "So they are forcefully recruiting him to save face or something," he continued.

"That makes no sense. Haven't they just dragged more attention to the situation by doing this? And shouldn't the boy also have strong connections? How would they let that happen?" Herald said, sounding more confused.

"The boy has no backing and is an orphan from a small town. I heard he can't even use ki," Veno said.

"Useless dumbass. So, you've been drinking again," Herald said as he whacked Veno in the head.

"No, it's the truth from a reliable source," Veno said, rubbing his head in pain.

"Both you and your source are idiots. You expect me to believe a normal kid with no prominent background who can't even use ki got into an academy like that? And not just that, the same kid beat the general's son in a fight? That's the most stupid thing I have ever heard," Herald said.

"I know. It sounds unlikely when you put it like that, but wh-"

"Unlikely?" Herald asked, cutting Veno off. "It's impossible," he said.

"Just wait. They'll probably arrive soon. When have I ever been wrong?" Veno said with confidence.

"When have you ever been right? Go get something to do instead of spouting crap, you ba-"

"Look, it's a carriage," Veno said.

As Herald turned, he saw a carriage approaching the base. As the carriage got closer, the Silverblood family crest could be seen on its side. The carriage stopped, and Aaron, whom they all knew, stepped out, followed by a handsome young man wielding a sword with dark hair and marvelous grey eyes, which seemed to almost give off a subtle glow. Herald realized Veno's absurd story might not be so absurd after all.