Your new adventure doesn't start well

For the second time, Lince was leaving his home. The first time was when he visited the capital with Rude. At that time, he was young, and he could hardly remember the minor details, but he still recalled talking to King Algus. The king even took him to the top of a tower, where he could marvel at the view of the entire city of Luzia protected by its white wall. This memory was still vivid in his mind.

However, the reason for this new journey was quite different from just paying a visit. His destination was the prestigious Camélia Academy, a place Lince only knew by reputation. After all, the academy was famous throughout Edeenvir for being a place where young elites from the Kingdom of Asterl came together for three years of their lives to learn about magic and many other subjects relevant to this world.

Knowing this made him a bit insecure. Lince even fantasized about what his upcoming years would be like, living with young people his age and learning the same things they did. Despite being a peasant, he had some education, could read and write in the continent's language, and could do enough math not to be fooled by any cunning merchant, but studying was never his strong suit.

As for the decision to attend a place he never imagined belonging to, it was not his choice. Lince simply obeyed what Lord Micaelo and his father decided for him to do. So, he felt insecure, although deep down, he also wished to experience this adventure.

There was another academy student sitting beside him. Rude, being a year older, was going for the second time. It was around this time that their friendship began to deteriorate to a point of no return. Lince wanted to ask him about the place, but Rude would surely ignore him. So, he sighed, bored. He hated long journeys.

The journey continued, and gradually, Lince resigned himself to boredom. When the sun rose high in the sky, his stomach rumbled softly. At that moment, he remembered the snack that the Aspriel family cook had given him as a gift for this trip. He took the small smoked meat sandwich from his inner shirt pocket and devoured it slowly.

Unfortunately, it was just one, Lince thought, as soon as his snack was gone.

After wiping his mouth with his hand, he glanced sideways at the red-haired youth beside him. He saw the same gloomy expression on his "former friend's" face that had persisted throughout the journey. Rude sat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, although he didn't seem to be sleeping. Lince didn't know how to break the tension between them, and depending on what he did, he could make the journey even worse.

With nothing better to do, he started to observe the landscape outside. Lord Micaelo's lands had already been left behind; now they were crossing a small forest with low trees as the carriage moved along a bumpy and rocky road. For a long time, the vehicle moved slowly, and the interior shook quite a bit. Rude was more restless than usual, and he seemed to be deep in thought. Lince could tell just by looking at his face. Anything could happen from there, so Lince thought it best to stay alert. And... nothing happened. The journey continued in uncomfortable silence while boredom consumed his mind. Then, in the middle of the afternoon, Rude's voice took him by surprise:

"Here is good," he said aloud, as if speaking to someone far away.

Lince noticed the carriage was slowly stopping by the side of the road. He looked out the window, seeing only an open field and small rocky hills in the distance. However, his eyes didn't see anything beyond this scenery.

"You're going to stay here."

This time, Rude was talking to him and wearing a malicious smile. Lince stared at him, recognizing that smile. It meant that Rude was up to something. Something very bad, perhaps.

"What's going on, Rude?" he asked, apprehensive about finding out the answer.

As he waited for Rude to explain, the door on his side opened, and the coachman grabbed his arm, forcibly pulling Lince out of the carriage. With no way to prevent the fall, he hit the road face-first. It was a painful fall.

"Damn! That hurt," he grumbled.

"Don't take it personally, kid," the coachman muttered without even looking at Lince. He headed to the back of the carriage.

After recovering from the fall, Lince brushed the dirt off his body. He had no injuries, but his clothes, a gift from Lord for this trip, were dirty from the ground. He saw a small envelope on the ground and picked it up quickly. It was something important, so he carefully wiped it to avoid creasing and put it back into his shirt pocket. Then, he looked at the red-haired youth inside the carriage, puzzled:

"What are you doing, Rude?"

Through the carriage door, Rude looked at Lince with a satisfied expression on his face.

"I don't know what my father thinks, but that academy isn't a place for someone like you. It's better to go back to where you belong, in the middle of nowhere," Rude said, almost as if giving advice in his arrogant manner. Then, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, returning to his previous posture.

Up to that point, Lince thought it was all a tasteless prank. However, the coachman also removed his luggage and tossed the bags into the middle of the road. Then, he returned to his seat, where he shook the reins, urging the horses to move the carriage again.

"You can't leave me here! Rude!" Lince shouted as he tried to chase the vehicle desperately.

He still hoped it was a cruel joke. The carriage would stop up ahead, and Rude would get out, laughing. But that didn't happen because it didn't stop anymore, and in no time, it disappeared around the bend in the road.

Even if he tried to run after the carriage, Rude wouldn't let him in. After all, he hated him for some reason, but Lince had no idea of the real reason behind it. Just as he also never imagined that things could come to this point.

"Rude, you bastard!" He used the last of his breath to shout.