Nova sat in his room, eyes closed, his breathing calm and steady.

The day before, on his way back from the basement, he had summoned the first three people he came across, sending each to question Micah, Ren, and Colin. He wanted to learn more about their group.

The first he encountered was Jasmine, a commander, who had already been searching for him after hearing from Alaric that he'd finally returned. After a brief exchange and some complaining she finally accepted her assignment.

Since then, Nova had remained in his room, resting—something he hadn't allowed himself in quite some time. Some might have called it a well-earned pause.

Now, recalling Jasmine's words, he slowly opened his eyes, stood up and muttered to himself, "The Dean is waiting for me at the academy... I suppose I should go meet her. After all, she's also Jasmine's mother and I do have something to ask her too."

As Nova left his room and strolled toward the complex's exit, he was nearly at the door when Alaric spotted him and approached.

"Boss, where are you going?"

Nova offered a faint shake of his head. "I'll be back soon. I'm leaving the protection of this place in your hands. If anything happens, contact me immediately." He patted his general's shoulder once, then continued on his way.

Alaric watched him disappear down the corridor, a sigh escaping his lips.

"If only I were stronger... there wouldn't be any need to call for Boss."

His gaze hardened, the quiet frustration in his voice replaced by determination. "I need to work harder."

With those words, he turned and headed deeper into the building.

Outside, Nova walked calmly. He could have reached the academy in under a minute if he truly wanted to—but there was no need to rush.

Lately, the stronger he became, the more he found himself treasuring the ordinary moments. The silence. The peace.

As he walked from the periphery to the the heart of the city, Nova muttered to himself,

"Will I end up barefoot and sleeping in a cave once I'm as strong as those legendary beings who can destroy planets with a punch?"

The image of himself in tattered rags, feet dusty, lying on stone in some forgotten cavern made him shake his head with a quiet chuckle. "That doesn't sound like me. Although… walking barefoot does have its charm. I should try it sometimes."

He let the thought linger, allowing himself to daydream about a future where he could do as he pleased. But that didn't mean he would act recklessly, or even change all that much.

No—what he meant by freedom was having the choice to do everything.

Even if he were to remain still in an empty room for eternity, so long as he had the freedom to leave, to choose otherwise—that, to him, was true freedom.

It was that vision, that possibility, that kept him moving forward.

He didn't realize it, but the more he thought about what he would do once he was truly free, the lighter his steps became—as if a lifelong weight had quietly lifted from his shoulders.

Hours passed, and by the time the sun stood high at its peak, Nova finally arrived at Quarath Academy.

The building was nearly identical to the one in Univara, a testament to the Federation's fondness for recycling functional designs across its institutions. Uniformity, after all, was efficiency.

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As he approached one of the many security booths stationed in front of the academy gates, he spoke with casual ease.

"I'm here to see the Dean."

"The Dean?" repeated a bored, aloof clerk, drawing out the words as if to make sure he hadn't misheard. When Nova remained silent, the man gave him a slow, skeptical once-over.

Once he took a good look he muttered under his breath, head shaking in disbelief.

"Who does this guy think he is? As if any random Tom can just—"

But then he remembered what he was told the previous day by his superior and he froze mid-sentence.

Fingers crossed, hoping that he was wrong, he braced himself and asked "What's your name?"

"Nova."

After a few awkward seconds due to the clerk's surprise, his face paled slightly as recognition set in.

"Y-Yes, o-of course," he stammered.

Seconds passed. Nova, noticing the door hadn't opened, raised an eyebrow. The man was still staring at him in a daze, seemingly rooted in place.

"What about the door?" Nova asked, pointing a finger at the door in front of him.

Startled, the clerk jumped and responded a bit too loudly,

"Y-Yes!"

He fumbled for the key, unlocked the small gate, and bowed—perhaps more deeply than necessary—gesturing for Nova to pass through.

With a curt nod, Nova stepped inside and continued toward the main building.

The clerk watched him go, then wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

"I hope he didn't take that personally… and that the Dean doesn't make things difficult for me," he muttered. "He didn't seem like the type to care about formalities anyway... hopefully."

As he walked inside the academy, Nova found his thoughts drifting back to the clerk.

"An aloof clerk who flusters that easily... where did they even find someone like that?"

The whole encounter had been so absurd that, had he not experienced it himself, he wouldn't have believed it. Still, he didn't linger on the thought for long.

Approaching the main building, he passed several students along the way. As they caught sight of him, hushed whispers spread like ripples in a pond. Nova's ears twitched, and he listened in with a wry smile.

"Is that a new student?"

"He's either new or a follower of one. How else would he have gotten in? It's obvious."

"Perhaps..."

///////////

As Nova stepped into the main building, the ambient hum of conversation filled the air—students chatting, teachers walking briskly by, the steady rhythm of academy life.

Glancing around, he spotted several directional signs mounted on the walls. After a quick scan, he located the one pointing toward the Dean's office and began making his way through the halls.

The nearer he got to the Dean's office, the quieter it became. The crowds thinned; students became scarce, and only a few teachers remained scattered along the corridors. This section of the academy was clearly reserved for faculty—offices and administrative rooms lined the halls.

Nova's eyes wandered, taking in the surroundings. He was so relaxed as he looked at his environment that he didn't notice the petite woman in teacher's attire approaching from behind him—her pace increasing with each step.

Just as he neared the Dean's office, a sharp snort sounded behind him. He stopped and turned, brow faintly furrowed.

The woman stood a few steps away now, and Nova studied her with mild curiosity, silently trying to determine: Was that snort directed at me...?

"Students aren't allowed in this area. What are you doing trying to enter the Dean's office? Name and class—now. And if you try anything funny, I'll personally report you to your teacher."

The woman rattled off her words so quickly that Nova didn't have a chance to respond. Her sharp eyes locked onto him, body tense, ready to react if he so much as flinched.

'What is going on in this academy?' Nova mused with quiet amusement. Outwardly, his expression didn't have any change.

"I'm not a student," he said flatly. "I'm here to meet with the Dean."

He turned slightly, preparing to resume his approach—but hadn't even taken half a step before her voice cut through the air again.

"Stop right there!"

She quickly moved to block his path, posture rigid with authority.

"If you're not a student, then you're trespassing—and that's an even worse offense. Come with me quietly to meet your teacher and I'll let it slide with just a warning."

Confident in her control of the situation, she didn't even wait for a reply. Turning her back on him, she began walking away—away from the Dean's office—fully expecting him to follow.

Nova remained where he stood, watching the woman march away without a backward glance.

'This place is full of weirdos,' he thought, amused.

Without hesitation, he turned and calmly opened the Dean's office door, stepping inside without so much as a knock as if he owned the place.

Behind a large desk, Ynsara was busy reviewing the academy's daily reports. At the sound of the door opening, she looked up, her gaze meeting Nova's. For a brief moment, confusion flickered across her face—then recognition set in.

"You must be Nova, correct?"

Nova gave a small nod and walked over to the sofa in the middle of the room. Taking a seat, he spoke evenly "Your daughter mentioned you wanted to meet. So—here I am. What did you want to talk about?"

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