I sat in a carriage close to Astar.
I wasn't the only one riding in it.
Grandfather Gregorio kept me company during my journey to the city.
He would also be staying in Astar for the foreseeable future. He'd taken up residence not far from the academy itself, close enough that visiting him wouldn't require planning or ceremony. Our lessons would continue there, just… far less frequently. Plus, he could keep an eye on me, or I could go to him when I was in trouble.
That was his decision, not mine. Over the years, his and my father's relationship had gotten… easier, so to speak, and the fact that Gregorio was close to me eased his worries.
Grandfather had told me most of what he thought I needed to hear.
The Hollowstar way was, mostly, fully revealed to me.
Honestly, most of what he told me about the family and his life was useless.
I hate to say this, but he was kind of a slut. Now, thinking that a man could get a lot of women might be a good thing, but this world has mostly reversed gender norms.
Imagine a woman traveling through the world, never saying no to anyone who approached her, and then coming home to settle down with someone who doesn't know about her past.
Not so great, is it?
But Gregorio was fully ready to embrace and embody that.
I know it wasn't a good thought, but I had just a bit less respect for him after hearing about his escapades.
He thought that all the rest of the life experience I should have would come with time - the ups and downs, and the mistakes that came with it.
He said that there were no more great revelations waiting to be uncovered or told. Not really. The life philosophies of Gregorio Hollowstar had been revealed to his youngest kin, but I was sure he'd left out pivotal moments.
Some of them were very obvious. Like: who was the person who gave him his first seed of chaos magic?
But when I asked, he wouldn't tell me.
Strange? Yep. Suspicious, too.
He never lied to me outright. He just… curated the truth.
Maybe that was the Hollowstar way.
So I let my thoughts about him go.
It took a few days of steady travel to get to Astar. It was slow. I wasn't used to this kind of speed when traveling long distances. I kind of hated it.
From Endil to Astar took about a week by carriage. By my own power, I could cover that distance in a day. If I channeled chaos magic into a three-word speed spell, it would be easy.
Even though Gregorio must have had access to far higher speeds than me, he didn't seem to mind it one bit.
I wondered what school was like. It wasn't just any school. It was an academy - for those like myself, who were held in high esteem in society and had the money to send their children there, or geniuses whose talent needed to be nurtured.
I was lucky that my father had friends in the right places, because I couldn't imagine that paying tuition for three children was cheap.
I wasn't worried about any of the classes. I thought I'd be smart enough for at least the first year - it might be different when it came to the later years.
It would be only about two weeks until the year started, and I'd be there for five.
Each school year began in summer and ended in spring. We also had weekends off, leaving some room for relaxation, and a few holidays in between.
Jakob and Maren had already been there for three and two years, respectively.
From the letters they sent, and the visits each year, it seemed that they excelled in their specialties.
Maren was captain of the fencing team, a high-ranking member of the wrestling team, archery team, and football club, which was to be expected - though I didn't know how she managed all of that.
Jakob was an honor student, vice president of the student council, and the library assistant.
How was I going to measure up to them?
Maren, the prodigy of muscle and motion. Jakob, the brilliant mind everyone respected without trying. The Lightbane siblings.
And then there was me.
I didn't want to be the other one. The brother people mentioned only after the impressive ones were already named. Oh right, there's a third Lightbane too.
I had enough going for me to be impressive - people just didn't know.
Damn. I really didn't want to be the loser brother.
I sighed inwardly. I'd manage somehow.
Acomet Academy wasn't just a school. It was a machine, and that machine created people who would influence the future of the country.
So I should make a few friends. I guessed I should keep any hostility away from the place - or my fellow students.
That was my biggest worry. The other students. Could I even relate to them?
I tried to picture my future classmates, and the image refused to settle into anything flattering. Children of nobles and merchants, mostly. Heirs and non-heirs.
Spares. Kids raised to repeat what their parents already believed, or to chase approval with perfect posture and rehearsed smiles. I didn't doubt they'd be competent, but competence wasn't the same as depth.
Most of them would still be children in my eyes, even if the world insisted otherwise.
Where would that leave me? My mind was too old to fit in neatly.
There had to be a few mature souls in my class. Or I could try to be more immature. There were many moments when I didn't act my age, mentally or physically.
I wasn't looking forward to pretending to care about the same things the kids did.
Man. I just wanted some normal, platonic friends. Was that too much to ask for?
I mean, there was Shadowboon, but he was kind of… me, wasn't he? That didn't count.
He was also going to the academy. I wondered if he'd be in my class, and if so, what we should be to each other. Best friends? Just normal friends? Associates? Maybe rivals?
I could figure that out when I actually went to school.
Living on campus could be cool. Would there be curfews? Would I have to share a room with somebody? I hoped not. I'd rather have a whole room to myself.
Maybe I was naturally just kind of a loner.
At the same time, all of those thoughts were in my mind, I felt kind of relieved. I craved some kind of structure.
A nine-to-five I could get behind, even if it meant going to school again.
And having an easier time getting into contact with Shadowboon was great, too.
He had Geshich's book right now. I wasn't feeling any dread at the moment, so I guessed he'd written something satisfactory in it to keep it at bay.
He would have to bring it to the school, because the usual time we swapped was coming.
I looked out the window of the carriage and saw grasslands pass by. Endil, the Hronaya Forest, and the manor were behind me.
Gregorio dozed across from me in his old-man form, arms crossed. It wasn't just that he looked like an old man - it really felt like he was. A bit of drool had gathered at the corner of his mouth.
I wondered, not for the first time, if I'd end up like him.
Not the whore part - hopefully - but being a master of chaos magic. Being young for a long time really was desirable. Fending off death at any point was great.
Not having to die at all would be the best.
There was a worry in my mind - one I didn't like to think about. This was the part of the story where things should go well. Talented boy leaves home. Big city. Prestigious academy. Endless potential. Yadda, yadda.
But I'd seen enough stories to know how often that wasn't how it went. Reality - and fiction - preferred far messier narratives.
You know how it goes in the movies. A young aspiring woman, maybe an actress, goes to the big city to fulfill her lifelong dream, only to get chewed up by it.
I pushed those thoughts aside, and did so easily. I was delusional enough that after hyping myself up a bit, even I believed in myself - to an unhealthy degree.
I closed my eyes and slept for a bit. Who knew when the next time I'd get good rest would be?
I didn't know how long it was, but the carriage rocked me awake gently, the wheels crunching against the road.
Astar came into view slowly. First the outer roads, then the farms and estates, then the walls.
I'd spend the next five years here. Five years pretending I was just a talented boy from a family of talented individuals.
Eh. I could do that.
I mean, role-playing seemed to be one of my strong points.