The tall iron gates of the Solaris Royal Academy usually filled Kairos with a sense of pride. Just a few months ago, walking through these gates meant he had escaped his dusty farming village. It meant he was someone important.
Today, the ornate iron gates just looked like the bars of a fancy cage. Kairos walked across the pristine cobblestone courtyard. The midday sun was shining brightly over the green lawns and the marble statues of past headmasters. The academy was bustling with life. Hundreds of noble students dressed in crisp, clean uniforms were hurrying to their afternoon lectures. They carried textbooks on basic elemental theory and complained loudly about their upcoming written exams.
"I completely ruined my new leather boots yesterday," a young noble boy said to his friend as they passed by. "A stray E-Rank slime spat acid on the heel. The dungeon instructors are too harsh on us."
