"My lord… are you absolutely sure about this?" Tobias asked uneasily. "That fortress is dangerous! And it borders the Aeralith Empire, too. I've heard apprentices go missing there all the time… It's still not too late to reconsider—"
"I've made up my mind, Tobias."
Standing outside beside a large carriage, Zephyrion regarded his ward calmly. Kaiden and Fiona were also present, their expressions equally grim, while Lumi stood a little farther away, avoiding his gaze entirely.
A few days had passed in the blink of an eye, and it was finally time for the cadets to leave for their apprenticeships. The academy had long since emptied out, with most cadets having already departed.
Nedra, Lucien, Draven, and Kaelith were no different, each having left after an awkward round of goodbyes. Unfortunately, while they'd each only had to endure it once, Zephyrion had gone through the same ordeal several times.
