The academy courtyard was still dark when Rei arrived at the eastern gate.
Only a few lanterns burned along the stone walls, their dim light barely pushing back the early morning mist that clung to the ground. Most of the academy was still asleep. Even the training yards stood quiet for once.
Rei adjusted the strap of the large travel pack resting against his back and stood beside the gate in silence.
A few minutes later, footsteps approached from behind.
“...You’re going hiking or something?”
Rei glanced sideways.
Shin Raiga walked toward him, hands tucked lazily into his pockets. The lightning mark on the side of his neck flickered faintly in the lanternlight.
Shin stopped beside him and stared at the bag.
Then he looked at Rei.
Then back at the bag again.
“That thing’s bigger than you.”
Rei didn’t react.
Shin leaned closer, inspecting the straps and rolled blanket tied to the top.
“Did Hale say we’re moving into the border permanently?”
“No.”
“Then why do you look like you’re about to cross a continent?”
Rei looked forward again.
“I packed supplies.”
Shin raised an eyebrow.
“For a half-day carriage ride?”
Rei didn’t answer.
Shin stared at him for another second before shaking his head with a small laugh.
“You’re weird.”
More footsteps approached from the courtyard.
Mira Solenn arrived first, walking casually with a small satchel slung across her shoulder. Elira Voss followed just behind her, holding a modest bag with both hands.
Mira slowed when she saw Rei.
Then her eyes traveled slowly down to the enormous pack.
She stopped.
“Oh come on.”
Elira peeked around Mira.
The moment she saw the bag, her shoulders bounced slightly as a quiet giggle escaped her.
Mira pointed at Rei.
“What is that?”
“A bag.”
“That’s not a bag. That’s a mobile storage unit.”
Shin snorted.
“See? I told him.”
Mira walked a slow circle around Rei like she was examining some strange new creature.
“You realize we’re not moving to the border permanently, right?”
Rei didn’t respond.
Elira tried to suppress another giggle, covering her mouth.
“I think it’s… practical,” she said softly.
Mira raised an eyebrow.
“Elira, that bag probably has its own ecosystem.”
Rei remained completely still.
No explanation.
No defense.
He just stood there.
Which somehow made it worse.
More footsteps echoed across the courtyard.
Valen Drayke approached with calm, measured strides. Cassian Virel walked beside him, looking only half awake.
Both carried small travel bags.
Cassian noticed Rei first.
His eyes dropped to the pack.
He stopped walking.
Then he burst out laughing.
“You cannot be serious.”
Valen said nothing.
But his gaze lingered on the bag slightly longer than necessary.
Cassian wiped his eyes.
“What exactly were you planning, Takeda?”
Rei turned his head slightly.
Cassian gestured toward the pack.
“What went through your mind when you packed that thing?”
Rei answered calmly.
“I prepared for the worst.”
Cassian smirked.
“The worst?”
“Yes.”
Cassian shook his head.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Shin leaned against the gate wall.
“He thinks we’re walking to the border.”
Mira laughed.
“Honestly? At this point I wouldn’t even be surprised.”
Elira giggled again.
Valen finally spoke.
“A carriage will likely be waiting somewhere outside the academy roads.”
“That’s what I said,” Mira added.
Cassian stretched his shoulders.
“Well, enjoy carrying that monster of a bag until then.”
Rei said nothing.
A moment later the academy gate creaked open.
Professor Arcturus Hale stepped into the courtyard.
Conversation died instantly.
Hale looked over the group once.
His eyes briefly passed over Rei’s bag.
No comment.
“Good,” he said.
“Follow.”
That was the entire instruction.
Hale turned and walked through the gate without waiting.
The students exchanged glances before following him down the road leading away from the academy.
Morning mist clung to the forest path as they descended the hill.
At first no one questioned the walk.
Everyone assumed the same thing.
The carriage would be waiting farther down the road.
The academy slowly disappeared behind the trees.
The road narrowed into a forest trail.
Birds began calling somewhere high in the branches as dawn slowly brightened the sky.
For the first twenty minutes, conversation returned easily.
Mostly at Rei’s expense.
Cassian walked beside him.
“That bag must weigh half your body.”
“It’s manageable.”
“Do you have furniture in there?”
“No.”
Mira leaned forward to peek at the straps.
“Blanket?”
“Yes.”
Shin laughed.
“You packed camping gear.”
Rei said nothing.
Valen walked ahead beside Hale, occasionally observing the forest around them.
Elira stayed near Mira, quietly listening to the conversation.
The air grew cooler beneath the canopy.
Sunlight barely reached the forest floor.
After a while the teasing faded.
The group continued walking.
And walking.
And walking.
Eventually Mira slowed slightly.
She glanced down the path ahead.
Then behind them.
Then back toward Hale.
“…So where’s the carriage?”
No answer.
Cassian finally spoke.
“Professor.”
Hale didn’t stop.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Yes.”
“Where is the carriage?”
“There is none.”
Everyone stopped walking.
Shin blinked.
“…What?”
Mira stared at Hale.
“You’re joking.”
“I am not.”
Cassian frowned.
“You expect us to walk the entire way?”
“Yes.”
Silence spread through the forest.
Mira rubbed her forehead.
“Wait… how far is the border from here?”
Hale answered without hesitation.
“Three days.”
The reaction was immediate.
“Three days?!” Mira shouted.
Cassian looked genuinely offended.
“You’re serious?”
Valen frowned.
“We did not bring supplies for three days.”
Hale resumed walking.
“That is part of the visit.”
The students remained frozen for a moment before hurrying after him.
Rei adjusted the strap of his pack.
Then, for the first time that morning—
A small smirk appeared on his face.
Not obvious.
Not dramatic.
But very much there.
And then he followed Hale down the forest road.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
The forest path stretched ahead of them, quiet except for the sound of their footsteps against the dirt.
Then Mira slowly turned her head.
Everyone else did the same.
Five pairs of eyes landed on Rei.
The look was unanimous.
Suspicion.
Shin narrowed his eyes.
“…Hold on.”
Cassian crossed his arms.
“Did you know?”
Rei continued walking without looking at them.
“No.”
Valen stepped closer, studying him carefully.
“You packed supplies for three days.”
“Yes.”
“And the professor just told us it takes three days to reach the border.”
“Yes.”
Valen paused.
Then asked the obvious question.
“Did you know we would be walking?”
Rei shook his head once.
“I assumed.”
The word hung in the air.
Cassian stared at him like he’d just committed a crime.
“You assumed.”
“Yes.”
“Based on what?”
Rei adjusted the strap of his pack.
“Professor Hale.”
That answer alone was apparently enough explanation.
Behind them, Hale let out a short chuckle.
The students turned.
Hale continued walking calmly, hands behind his back.
“Correct.”
Everyone groaned.
Hale glanced over his shoulder toward Rei.
“Observation and pattern recognition,” he said. “Two useful skills.”
Cassian pointed at Rei.
“This isn’t observation. This is paranoia.”
Shin shook his head.
“No, this is Takeda being a nerd.”
Mira crossed her arms.
“You could have warned us.”
Rei finally glanced at them.
“You didn’t ask.”
Elira quietly covered her mouth, trying to hide a small laugh.
Cassian threw his hands into the air.
“This is unbelievable.”
Shin walked beside Rei now, eyeing the massive pack again.
“So you packed for three days?”
“Yes.”
“You have food in there too?”
“Yes.”
Shin sighed.
“…I hate you a little.”
Mira pointed accusingly.
“This is your fault.”
Rei blinked.
“How?”
“You knew.”
“I assumed.”
“That’s the same thing!”
Valen shook his head with a small smile.
“This is what happens when someone actually thinks ahead.”
Cassian looked irritated.
“Next time he assumes something like this, he should say something.”
Rei answered calmly.
“You would have laughed.”
Nobody had a counterargument.
Which made it worse.
The group continued down the forest path.
The forest grew denser as the sun climbed higher.
Tall trees stretched far above them, their branches weaving together to form a heavy canopy that blocked most of the sunlight.
Only thin streaks of light reached the ground.
The air felt cooler here.
Damp.
Occasional bird calls echoed somewhere high above.
At first the walk remained manageable.
But the terrain slowly began to change.
The path narrowed.
Roots twisted across the ground.
The slope dipped downward into uneven terrain.
The pace slowed.
One hour passed.
Then another.
Conversation gradually faded.
By the third hour, the difference between the group members became obvious.
Hale continued walking at the same calm pace he had maintained since leaving the academy.
Rei followed a few steps behind him.
Despite the large pack, his breathing remained steady.
Behind them—
The situation looked very different.
Shin dragged his feet slightly.
Valen still maintained decent posture but his steps had clearly slowed.
Cassian looked deeply offended by the existence of gravity.
And Mira and Elira were visibly tired.
Eventually Hale glanced back over his shoulder.
Only one person stood within a few steps of him.
Rei.
Several yards behind them, the rest of the group trudged forward like a defeated expedition.
Shin leaned forward with his hands on his knees.
“…Why… are we… still walking…”
Cassian looked ready to collapse.
“This is ridiculous.”
Mira pointed at Rei.
“He has a house on his back and he’s still fine.”
Elira nodded weakly.
“How are you not tired?”
Rei answered honestly.
“I walked here.”
That was not the answer anyone wanted.
Hale stopped.
“Break.”
The word instantly revived the group.
Shin nearly collapsed onto the ground.
Cassian dramatically dropped onto a rock.
Valen exhaled slowly and rolled his shoulders.
Rei calmly removed his pack and set it down beside the path.
Then he opened the top flap.
From inside, he pulled out a folded ground mat.
He laid it flat on the grass and sat down.
Hale walked over and sat beside him.
The mat had space for about two more people.
That realization spread through the group immediately.
Shin moved first.
Valen followed.
Cassian suddenly found a new source of energy.
All three of them approached the mat at the same time.
Then they stopped.
And looked at each other.
Shin pointed.
“I’m sitting.”
“No,” Cassian said immediately. “I am.”
Valen crossed his arms.
“You two ran yourselves into exhaustion. I maintained pace longer.”
“That’s not how sitting works,” Shin snapped.
Cassian gestured at the mat.
“There are two spots left.”
Shin glared at him.
“So move.”
Cassian glared back.
“You move.”
While the three of them argued—
Mira and Elira quietly walked forward.
Without saying a word.
They sat down.
One on each remaining spot.
The argument stopped.
Shin blinked.
Cassian stared.
Valen slowly looked down at the mat.
Mira leaned back on her hands, stretching her legs.
“Ahh.”
Elira smiled softly beside her.
“Much better.”
Cassian pointed.
“That was our seat.”
Mira tilted her head.
“The only girls in the group deserve rest.”
Elira nodded politely.
“Yes.”
Shin looked at Rei.
Then the mat.
Then Rei again.
His expression was pure betrayal.
Cassian also turned toward Rei.
Valen sighed.
The three of them stared at him with identical comic frustration.
Rei looked back at them calmly.
Then opened his bag again.
Inside—
More supplies.
Which only made the situation worse.
The three boys continued staring at Rei.
Rei looked back at them calmly.
Then he reached into his bag again.
Shin immediately pointed.
“No.”
Cassian narrowed his eyes.
“You’re not about to pull out something else useful, are you?”
Rei ignored the question.
Instead he asked something simple.
“Does anyone have food?”
Silence.
Shin slowly looked down at his tiny travel bag.
Cassian opened his.
Valen checked his as well.
Nothing.
Mira blinked.
“…I forgot.”
Elira looked embarrassed.
“I brought water…”
Cassian closed his bag again.
“No one packs food for a half-day carriage ride.”
Rei nodded once.
“Right.”
Hale, who had been sitting quietly beside him, spoke casually.
“The fruits in this forest are quite good.”
Everyone turned.
Cassian frowned.
“…Fruits?”
Hale gestured lazily toward the surrounding trees.
“It is the season.”
For a second nobody moved.
Then Shin stood up immediately.
“Well that solves that.”
Cassian cracked his knuckles.
“Finally something useful.”
Valen glanced toward the trees and quickly located one with clusters of orange-colored fruit hanging from its branches.
“There.”
The three of them walked toward it.
The tree was tall but not impossible to climb.
Shin jumped up first, grabbing a branch and pulling himself up with surprising agility.
Cassian and Valen stayed on the ground.
Valen lifted a hand slightly.
Flames flickered across his palm.
Cassian formed a small shard of hardened earth between his fingers.
“Try not to burn the entire tree,” Cassian said.
Valen ignored him.
He flicked his wrist.
A thin streak of fire shot upward and sliced through one of the fruit stems.
The fruit dropped cleanly.
Valen caught it in his hand.
Cassian scoffed.
“Showoff.”
He raised his hand.
A sharp earth spike shot upward, clipping another fruit loose.
It fell straight down.
Cassian caught it easily.
Above them, Shin stared.
“…You two are lazy.”
He grabbed a fruit from a branch beside him.
Then paused.
Actually…
He grinned.
“Wait.”
Lightning sparked along the mark on his neck.
A thin arc of electricity jumped from his hand.
The fruit stem snapped instantly.
The fruit dropped.
Shin caught it with a dramatic flourish.
“See? Efficient.”
The three of them admired their results.
Then they actually looked at the fruits.
Valen frowned.
His fruit was blackened across one side.
The fire had lightly scorched the skin.
Cassian examined his.
It had split slightly where the earth spike hit it.
Half of it was now coated in dirt and crushed pulp.
Shin stared at his fruit.
There was a perfectly circular hole burned straight through the middle.
The inside was charcoal.
Shin blinked.
“…Oh.”
Valen looked annoyed.
Cassian looked offended.
Shin looked betrayed by physics.
Behind them—
Mira and Elira had quietly walked over.
Mira reached up and simply twisted a fruit gently from a lower branch.
It came off clean.
Elira followed her example and carefully plucked another one.
Both fruits were perfectly intact.
Mira looked at the boys.
“…You idiots.”
Elira giggled softly.
Within a few minutes they gathered several more fruits the normal way.
Soon everyone had something to eat.
Everyone except one person.
Rei.
That part was intentional.
Shin carried the fruits back toward the resting spot.
Cassian smirked.
“He can watch.”
Valen nodded slightly.
“Natural consequences.”
Mira shrugged.
“He asked if we had food.”
Elira looked slightly guilty but didn’t argue.
Their plan was simple.
They would eat the fruit.
Rei could sit there with his giant useless bag.
The group returned to the mat.
Then stopped.
Both Hale and Rei were already eating.
Shin blinked.
Cassian froze.
Valen slowly lowered his fruit.
Rei sat calmly on the mat, holding a neatly wrapped sandwich.
Hale had another one in his hand.
A small paper bundle rested between them.
Inside were several more.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Cassian pointed.
“…Where did that come from.”
Rei took another bite.
“My bag.”
Shin stared at the sandwiches.
“You packed lunch.”
“Yes.”
Cassian looked personal
“You packed lunch for a three-day walk.”
“Yes.”
Valen rubbed his forehead.
Shin looked down at the fruit in his hand.
With the lightning hole.
Mira slowly looked at the intact fruit she was holding.
Then back at Rei.
“…I hate this.”
Elira tried not to laugh.
Hale simply continued eating his sandwich.
Looking completely satisfied.
The argument lasted longer than it should have.
Shin insisted the fruit had been harder to obtain.
Cassian argued that magical effort should count more than “bag preparation.”
Mira pointed out that burning holes through fruit was not a valid food gathering method.
Valen eventually ended the discussion with a simple observation.
“Everyone is hungry. Stop arguing.”
That solved it.
Rei passed the remaining sandwiches around while the others distributed the salvaged fruit.
Even Shin’s lightning-punctured fruit ended up sliced into usable pieces.
Within minutes the group had eaten everything.
Hale finished the last bite of his sandwich and stood.
“Break is over.”
A chorus of exhausted groans followed.
Rei folded the mat, rolled it neatly, and placed it back into the bag.
The others watched him do it with quiet resentment.
Cassian shook his head.
“That bag is starting to irritate me.”
Rei lifted the pack and secured the straps again.
Then the group resumed walking.
The forest changed as they moved deeper.
At first the trees had simply been tall.
Now they felt oppressive.
The canopy thickened until sunlight barely reached the ground.
Moisture clung to the air.
The dirt path slowly turned into uneven patches of mud where water had collected between tangled roots.
Every step required more effort.
Branches brushed against their clothes.
Vines hung low between the trees.
The air smelled of wet soil and rotting leaves.
Conversation continued, though it slowly shifted from playful teasing to simple complaints.
Shin wiped sweat from his forehead.
“I hate this forest.”
Cassian kicked mud off his boot.
“This path wasn’t here earlier.”
Valen pushed aside a hanging branch.
“It was. You’re just tired.”
Mira slipped slightly in the mud before regaining her balance.
“I’m starting to understand why monsters live out here.”
Elira quietly stepped around a puddle.
“It’s very… damp.”
Rei walked steadily near the front beside Hale.
His pack was still firmly strapped to his back.
Mud splashed across his boots like everyone else’s.
Sweat darkened his shirt.
But his pace remained steady.
Hale glanced back occasionally.
Behind them the group looked progressively worse.
Cassian’s once immaculate clothes were now streaked with mud.
Valen’s sleeves were rolled up, his hair slightly disheveled.
Shin had stopped pretending he wasn’t tired.
Mira and Elira both looked exhausted.
Rei wasn’t untouched by the journey.
Mud stained his pants.
Sweat ran down the side of his neck.
But compared to the others, he still looked composed.
The only sign of fatigue was subtle.
His breathing had become slightly heavier.
Which meant he was approaching tired.
The others had crossed that threshold hours ago.
Eventually Hale spoke.
“If we continue for another hour, we will reach open terrain.”
Shin looked up.
“Open terrain?”
“Plains,” Hale said.
Cassian groaned with relief.
“Finally.”
Mira wiped her forehead.
“If I never see another tree again, I’ll be happy.”
Valen looked toward the path ahead.
“How far beyond the forest?”
“Not far.”
That single promise carried them through the next stretch.
The path gradually began to slope downward.
The forest thinned slowly.
The canopy loosened.
More light reached the ground.
The air became slightly cooler.
And then—
The trees ended.
The forest simply stopped.
Beyond it stretched a wide open field of tall grass swaying gently in the evening wind.
The sky above the plains burned orange as the sun lowered toward the horizon.
After hours beneath dense jungle canopy, the open sky felt enormous.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Mira stepped out of the treeline first.
“…Okay.”
She took a long breath.
“That’s worth the walk.”
Shin dropped his bag onto the grass.
“I can finally see the sky again.”
Cassian walked forward slowly, stretching his back.
Valen studied the plains calmly.
Elira looked around in quiet awe.
Golden grass rolled across the land like waves under the evening light.
The air felt fresher here.
Less suffocating.
Rei stepped out of the forest beside Hale.
Hale looked toward the horizon.
“We stop here.”
Everyone visibly relaxed.
“Thank the gods,” Cassian muttered.
Then Mira pointed.
“Wait.”
A narrow river curved across the plains just a short walk away.
The water reflected the orange glow of the sunset.
Valen nodded.
“That’s a good camp location.”
Hale agreed.
“Correct.”
They walked the short distance to the riverbank.
The ground near the water was soft but mostly dry.
Flat enough to rest.
Open enough to see their surroundings clearly.
Mira dropped onto the grass.
“I am not moving for the next hour.”
Shin collapsed beside her.
Cassian sat down heavily.
Valen remained standing a moment longer before finally lowering himself to the ground.
Elira removed her shoes and dipped her feet into the river.
The cold water made her sigh with relief.
Rei set down his bag.
Everyone looked at it.
The realization spread slowly.
Mira blinked.
“…Wait.”
Cassian looked around the empty plains.
Shin turned toward Rei.
Valen folded his arms.
Mira pointed at the bag.
“Tell me that isn’t the only camping equipment we have.”
Rei unfastened the straps.
Opened the pack.
And began pulling things out.
A rolled sleeping mat.
A small blanket.
A compact cooking kit.
A metal cup.
Cassian stared.
Shin rubbed his face.
Mira slowly lay back on the grass.
“This is humiliating.”
Elira giggled softly from the river.
Valen simply shook his head.
Rei placed the mat down beside the riverbank.
Then looked at the others calmly.
“Next time,” he said,
“prepare for the worst.”
The others collectively decided they hated that sentence.
And unfortunately—
Rei was right.
