Finding an Escape

Six months had passed since the house arrest incident. Our memory of that time had faded, but its lessons lingered. We had learned that recklessness had consequences, even for aspiring adventurers.

One thing - however - had remained constant from house arrest.

Pure, unadulterated boredom.

Glancing around our room, I sighed. I had been here for nearly a year, and I couldn't stand it. The repetition of waking up, eating the same food, going to class, coming back exhausted, eating once more, then sleeping was destroying us all.

However, one hope kept me going. We were on the brink of our first official mission for the Adventurer's Academy, and everyone was excited.

Thorne had accidentally leaked a few details last week. Though the specifics remained a mystery, he had advised us to prepare. It would be the hardest challenge we had faced so far.

We had no doubt - the mission would be incredibly challenging and dangerous. Our chance to show our mettle.

Amid the buzz of excitement in the dorms, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. It wasn't about the mission itself – I was eager for the adventure and the opportunity to prove myself.

In a low voice, nearly drowned out by the chatter around me, I whispered a single word, "Status."

Instantly, a translucent screen materialized before my eyes, visible only to me.

==============================

Name: Alex, Son of Gerald

Age: 13 years old

== Overall Stats ==

Strength: 36 (+8)

Agility: 30 (+10)

Stamina: 42 (+12)

Mana: 14 (+6)

Charisma: 10 (+2)

== Traits ==

Determination (Level 8), Focus (Level 6), Survival (Level 4), Pain Tolerance (Level 6), Intuition (Level 1), Leadership (Level 2), [■■■■■]

== Skills ==

Sword Apprentice (Level 9), Thrust (Level 7), Slash (Level 6), Evasion (Level 4), Acrobatics (Level 2), Detection (Level 2), Carving (Level 1), Caregiving (Level 3), Stealth (Level 5), Negotiation (Level 3), Engineering (Level 1), Spellcasting (Level 1)

==============================

I had spent much time mulling the bottom half of my Status - I had taken the Traits and Skills for granted for the majority of my life on Wardenas.

However, on second thought, these were not just numbers and words. Indeed, after taking classes with Orion for months, I discovered something I had not expected.

Each skill was a channel of its own, much like a spell. When I focused on thrusting, for example, my will would be manifested more securely than without the skill. Thus, with repetition, as the channel became more defined, I would see the skill become more defined and it would make me more capable.

And in this world of magic and mysteries, such abilities could mean the difference between life and death.

....

Jonas, Eliza, and I had a secret plan that we had been working on for months. We were determined to find a way out of the Adventurer's Academy before our mission began.

We wanted to see Subterra; we even intended to perhaps visit the Black Market which existed in its heart. I had never been within its confines because Tobias had always prevented me from exploring it. However, I was sure it had goods that would help us become better adventurers, or would at the minimum protect us during out mission.

Throughout all this, we had been careful to keep our exploration secret. Our concerns weren't for ourselves; we were budding adventurers, after all. Instead, we worried that Subterra would become exposed.

As much as we trusted Caspian, it was not our risk to take.

Armed with lanterns and cloaks to conceal our movements, Jonas, Eliza, and I ventured beyond the boundaries of our dormitory, slipping into the inky darkness that cloaked the Adventurer's Academy.

Each evening held the promise of discovery, a chance to uncover a path to the sewers that would grant us freedom. Our mission was twofold – to escape the confines of the academy and to visit our home, Subterra.

In the midst of our clandestine explorations, the days morphed into weeks, and the academy's hidden corners became our second home. We traversed its winding halls and secret chambers with the ease of familiarity, our nightly escapades taking on the cadence of routine.

Fate intervened one rain-soaked night. The downpour had driven us indoors, leaving us restless and yearning for adventure. It was the perfect opportunity for another exploration, one that would forever alter the course of our nocturnal journeys.

As we ventured into the labyrinthine lower corridors of the academy, our lanterns cast eerie shadows upon the time-worn stone walls. Our soft footsteps resonated through the passage, their cadence almost inaudible, a testament to our stealth and experience.

"Alex, Jonas, you guys see that tapestry over there?" Eliza whispered, her voice barely audible above the rain drumming on the roof.

I nodded, and Jonas replied, "Yeah, what about it?"

"I don't know," Eliza said, her eyes narrowed. "It just looks... different. And... can you hear the flowing sound? That's what made me notice it."

Curiosity piqued, we quietly approached the tapestry. The intricate design depicted a forgotten era, and Eliza was right; there was something peculiar about it.

"Pull it aside," I suggested, my heart racing with anticipation.

Eliza stepped forward, her fingers gripping the edge of the tapestry. With a quick yank, she revealed a hidden passage behind it.

"Whoa," Jonas muttered, his eyes widening.

Jonas, his disposition ever cautious and analytical, began to voice his thoughts, his words barely more than a breath above the hushed hum of running water. "Could this be it? The entrance to the sewers, maybe?"

Anticipation coursed through me, my heart quickening at the prospect. The sewers represented freedom from the confines of the academy, a chance to explore beyond, and to visit Subterra once more.

As we stood before the concealed entrance, our lanterns casting long shadows on the damp stone walls, determination outweighed fear. We had made our choice. Now, there was no turning back.

Jonas, his expression resolute, was the first to speak. "We have to check. To do this, for our own sake."

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and excitement. "Let's go, then."