Julius staggered down the dirt road, his legs weak beneath him. His vision blurred. His body ached from the wound on his shoulder, from the hunger gnawing at his insides.
"I can't die here-."
He had escaped the village but he hadn't dared to stop moving down the path, he didn't know if they were still chasing him, he didn't want to enter the forest on either side of the path, which he was sure was full of beasts far beyond his imagination.
"Not like this."
His breath came ragged, his steps uneven. The world around him spun—his head felt light.
Don't tell me... I die to exhaustion... Because of my cardio...
Then, suddenly—his mind succumbed to tire.
When he awoke, he was no longer on the road.
The first thing he noticed was the slow, rhythmic creaking of wooden wheels. The gentle sway of movement beneath him.
Am I dead? No, too much back pain for that. This is definitely still life."
A carriage?
Julius opened his eyes, groggy and disoriented. He was lying on a rough, worn-out bench, covered in a thick woolen blanket. Across from him sat an extremely old man in a dark hooded robe. His hands rested on top of an oak-wooden staff.
"Ah, you're awake," the old man spoke, voice dry like brittle parchment. "Good. I was beginning to wonder if you'd fallen into an endless sleep."
"You aren't the grim reaper right?"
"I have no idea who you're talking about."
Julius sat up too quickly—pain shot through his shoulder. He hissed, gripping it instinctively.
"I almost died out there... This world is terrible, even worse when I'm on my own." Gosh, why did Kaelan just have to go like that?
The old man watched him, unimpressed. "Injuries, starvation, exhaustion. You are in no condition to be traveling alone, boy."
Julius blinked at him. "Sorry but who are you…?"
"I am Headmaster Aldric of Ruloy Academy," the old man said, adjusting his robes. "A school to qualify youngsters into power and knowledge. I was on my way back when I found you collapsed in the middle of the road."
Why does he sound like a bit of a con artist?
Julius swallowed, still trying to piece everything together. His mind was hazy, but he remembered running. The village. The doctor. The food.
And before that—
Vielli.
Aldric tilted his head. "Tell me, boy. What wounded you?"
Julius hesitated. "…A ghoul, a powerful one at that."
The moment he said it, Aldric's expression darkened.
"A powerful ghoul." He exhaled through his nose, his grip tightening on his staff. "That is a serious issue."
Julius frowned. "What do you mean? Am I going to become a ghoul?"
"No." Aldric leaned forward slightly. "Once a certain level of ghoul has bitten you, it marks you with the Scent of Dread."
Julius felt his stomach drop. "The… what? Do I smell bad?" Aldric began to ignore him and continued speaking.
"The bite itself is not the problem. It's the connection it creates." Aldric's voice was grave. "From now on, that ghoul will never forget your scent. No matter where you go, it will find you. The hunger inside them will grow stronger and stronger… until eventually, they won't be able to resist hunting you down."
Julius sat in stunned silence, the weight of Aldric's words pressing down on him. "So basically it's like a bad subscription that I can't cancel..."
Vielli would hunt him?
"Really..." He muttered. "Maybe she'll remember the friendship we had and decide not to eat me."
She had seemed… strange, but not like a monster. She had run away. Didn't that mean she didn't want to kill him? She was a hero, at least he heard them call her that.
But now…
Would she change? Would she lose control? Had he made a mistake?
Aldric watched him carefully. "I assume you do not wish to be eaten, boy."
"…No," Julius muttered. "Atleast not in a non-romantic context."
"Then you require protection," Aldric said simply. "And I am willing to offer it."
Julius looked at him warily. "That's very kind of you. Why?" Is he the fifth person who wants to eat me?
Aldric chuckled dryly. "You are of the right age to be a student at Ruloy Academy. We take in those with potential, those who can grow into powerful warriors or mages." His gray eyes gleamed. "You will be safe within the academy's walls. No ghoul would dare trespass there."
"So it's Hogwarts?"
"It is a school like no other."
Julius sat up straighter. "And you'd let me join… just like that?" Gotta look out for the tees and cees.
"Of course not," Aldric said, amused. "That would be unfair to the others. You must fill a form to prove you are qualified, I mean your age and your background. Then you must pass the entrance exam."
Julius clenched his fists. "What kind of exam?"
Aldric smirked. "You'll find out when we arrive."
"Well if it's an exam based on magic or fighting skill I'll probably have better chances with the ghoul."
Nevertheless, Julius exhaled. This was his chance. Perhaps I am destined for greatness.
He met Aldric's gaze. "I accept."
Aldric smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Fill out this form."
Julius took a sheet of paper from Aldric's hands, on it were two questions written in fine ink.
Name?
Julius Ferd
What is your age?
15, September 22nd.
"What is september?" The headmaster asked in confusion.
Julius blinked.
"Eh? You don't know? It's the... Ninth month?"
"Boy, we call the months in their order. The first month, the second month, so on. Where you're from I guess they give them special names. Anyways please put down the ninth month to avoid confusion."
Julius did as he said.
"Where are you from, Julius?"
"A place very far away from here. Earth." Julius sighed.
"I have not heard of that place."
"Makes sense, nobody has apparently."
Where were you born?
Earth.
Julius wrote it down reluctantly.
The headmaster anylazed his form and grinned.
"Splendid."
And then he opened a notebook and began jotting things down, Julius took the time to endorse himself with a quick nap.
"Oh." Julius yawned. "How long has it been?"
"3 hours." the headmaster stated.
He shifted slightly, adjusting himself on the rough wooden bench, still feeling the dull ache in his shoulder. He wrapped the woolen blanket tighter around himself, his gaze flickering to the man sitting across from him.
Headmaster Aldric.
There was something strangely calm about him, despite his old and fragile appearance. His deep blue mage robes draped loosely around his thin frame, but the way he carried himself—upright, composed, and without hesitation—made Julius feel like he was in the presence of someone powerful, in the leagues of someone like Kaelan. The kind who carried mass destruction in his hands.
And yet, there was kindness in his gray eyes. A patient warmth, as if he were watching over a lost child. Again, he was like Kaelan.
Julius hated that. It reminded him of how he had been the reason Kaelan had met his fate, whether that be death or imprisonment.
The old man studied Julius for a moment, then spoke again. "You have not eaten in some time, have you?"
Julius stiffened slightly.
"It wasn't so long ago, but a lot has happened. I don't think I'll need to eat immideatly."
I don't think I should give someone else a chance to spike my food...Is this what trauma feels like?Julius thought inwardly and scrunched his eyebrows.
Aldric sighed, shaking his head. "There is no need for suspicion. If I wanted to harm you, I would have left you on the road to be eaten by wolves." He tapped his staff lightly against the wooden floor. "You are still alive, boy. That should tell you enough about me and my driver. A merchant carriage would've simply ran you over."
Julius exhaled through his nose, looking away. "I've just had… a rough time lately, especially considering what my life used to be." And the large chunk of my body that's missing right now.
Aldric's eyes sharpened, but his voice remained gentle. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
"No." Julius' response was immediate.
Aldric chuckled. "Understandable. You are wary, as you should be. The world is not kind." He adjusted his sleeves, leaning back against the carriage wall. "But you may find that not everyone is cruel."
Julius furrowed his brows. "If you have power, I'm sure few people dare to go against you. Do you fear everything in this world?"
The headmaster's expression softened. "No, I do not. But I have known hunger before. And I have seen what it does to people." His gaze turned distant, as if recalling a long-buried memory. "It makes beasts of men. And men of beasts."
Julius frowned. "What does that even mean?"
Aldric smiled slightly. "It means that desperation can turn even good men into monsters. And sometimes, even monsters can show mercy."
Julius remained quiet, staring at the wooden planks beneath his feet.
Vielli.
Was she a monster showing mercy? Or just a monster who hadn't gone completely insane yet?
Aldric observed him for a moment before continuing. "We are on our way to a small village just ahead. We will stop there for the night."
Julius tensed. A village. He didn't want to deal with more insane people.
Aldric seemed to read his mind. "Do not worry. This village is not like the one you came from." His eyes darkened slightly. "I know of that place. Its people… they have lived too close to the 'Other Side' for too long. Their minds are no longer as they once were. Unfortunately, whenever we tried to move those villagers away they were stubborn. They didn't want to sacrifice their crops, and the insanity they were affected with is a silent killer."
Julius blinked in surprise. He knows?
Aldric smirked at his expression. "You are not the first to flee from there. Though most who try to leave there become dinner."
Julius swallowed. He was inevitably grateful Vielli had broken those chains.
"Once we arrive at the village, we will feed the horses, eat, and rest at an inn," Aldric continued. "After that, we will head toward Ruloy Academy."
Julius shifted. "And… you still want me to take some kind of exam?"
"Of course." Aldric's expression turned serious. "You are young, but I cannot offer you protection without reason. Every student at Ruloy earns their place."
Julius clenched his fists. "And what happens if I fail?" Don't tell me...
Aldric sighed. "Then you will have to find your own way in this world. I cannot take in every lost lamb. Thus, the exam is not going to be easy."
Julius looked away, shoulders tense. Right. Nothing's free. Perhaps I should just practice begging already. From the looks of it I'm going to fail this entrance exam and end up on the streets.
But… he had nowhere else to go. No food, no plan, and now a ghoul that would eventually hunt him down. If this place really was safe…
He exhaled slowly, then met Aldric's gaze. "I suppose I'll have to put my all into this exam."
Aldric smiled, but there was something behind it—something powerful, something unwavering.
"Good," he said. "Then let us see what potential lies within you."
"You won't find much." Julius said quietly.
Aldric simply raised his hand, as if he was about to grab Julius by the head and lift him up.