"Mr. Sommer," a bulky man in his fifties addressed him with an unreadable expression. He had pronounced bags under his eyes, which were partially covered by a pair of silver spectacles and was wearing suit pants and a white shirt instead of the traditional jewelry-adorned Academy violet robe typically reserved for Royal Headmasters. The scruffy beard and calloused hands of a warrior contrasted with his thoughtful gaze that gave the impression of an intellectual.

Surprisingly, despite the ostentatious waiting chamber he had been waiting in before the receptionist escorted him inside, Alt found the headmaster's office to be fairly barebones, prioritizing function over a gratuitous display of wealth. Besides the massive shelves which were full to the brink with various encyclopedia-sized tomes, surrounding the desk that separated him from his visitors, and the Baignard Crest embroidered in gold that dominated the back of the room, there was little distinguishing it from the office of a nameless small-time bureaucrat.

"Uh... yes, Your Excellency Marquess Debussy," the surprise at his unexpected surroundings was apparent in Alt's voice.

"None of that Your Excellency stuff, at least not while we are alone here in this office," the bearded man spoke in a worn-out voice, with a raised hand. "Here, I am just the headmaster. Now, the school year hasn't even started, so why am I hearing your name more often these days than that from our valedictorians?"

"It was not at all my intention, Headmaster," Alt sheepishly replied. "I was trying to have a peaceful start to my Academy life, but things just got out of control somehow."

"Quite the definition of 'peaceful’ you have there, if the story my assistant told me about your prior encounters with Mr. Kamar is to be believed. So, what happened this time?"

Altair's face contracted at the mention of his nemesis, and he struggled to come up with the right words that wouldn't make him look like a snitch or as the bad guy.

"Go on, speak freely," the headmaster encouraged him. "This is your chance to help set the record straight. I doubt Mr. Kamar will be as reserved in his account of events as you have been so far, and I need to hear from you to make a fair judgment."

Just as Altair was about to open his mouth, he noticed a full-body rendition of the headmaster's earlier life as a high-ranking officer in the Royal Corps hanging on the wall.

"A fair judgment?" Alt scoffed, losing his composure, his brow twitching in hatred at the sight of the velvet uniform with orange stripes, a fact that didn't escape the older man. He remembered those colors vividly from his nightmares, where they kept unleashing indiscriminate pain and destruction to his homeland, those black boots trampling so many innocent lives...

"I just wanted to protect my friend," he spoke after taking a heavy breath. "These cret... classmates... they keep harassing and coming after us almost every day simply because of our origins. It's not fair." As he continued the explanation, the headmaster's cold expression appeared to mellow and even offer hints of sympathy.

But no, that couldn't be true.

"That is indeed the reality of the world you have entered by enrolling in this Academy. Ask yourself, what is it you want to achieve during your time here? Is it to become a full-fledged citizen of Levantia, or to make a name for yourself and your family? Whatever your goals are, I am afraid you will have to overcome many hardships," the bearded man mused.

"What I want to achieve? I guess, I would like to make my parents proud... and be able to help those in need to live a better life", Altair responded, bewildered at his interlocutor's frankness.

"Well then, as it stands, you have two possible options ahead of you the way I see it. Either you fully submit to the expectations our society places on those without backing or merits, or you can try and carve your own path in life. But whatever you choose, no half measures will do. I could shelter you from Mr. Kamar and the likes now, but what good will that make for when the son of a Duke feels you looked at him the wrong way, and his parents demand retribution? After all, my reach is limited, even within the confines of this school. The laws of our Kingdom are harsh, but clear. Only status and power matter, and those who have neither get trampled on. We can pray all day that things were different and fairer but changing a millennia-old tradition is going to take more than wishful thinking. Do you understand what I am getting at?"

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"Either become so strong that everybody has no choice but to acknowledge me or to just mind my own business while flying below the radar?" Altair summarized.

The headmaster nodded.

"Easier said than done," Alt replied, with frustration. What would this old geezer know anyways?

"Exactly. Think carefully about how you will act when classes start a week from now. Now, regarding your punishment, since technically this incident happened during the break, we should be able to keep it under wraps – the last thing we need right now is for outside investigators to get involved. It will still go on your student record, but with enough merits you can get it expunged in the future. There also remains the material damage to cover."

Alt lowered his head, suddenly remembering the fancy, intricately laid patterns covering the vase, afraid of learning how many zeroes its price-tag carried. It sure looked expensive, now that he remembered it in more detail.

"I realize it will be nigh impossible for you to pay for it at this point. I will think of a suitable arrangement where you will perform community service for the good of the Academy. You will hear about the available positions from my assistant before the Entrance ceremony."

"Thank you for your kindness, headmaster", Alt said with a bow, swallowing his pride, realizing that the conversation could have gone in a much worser direction. Maybe this man hasn't actually participated in those atrocities. He did turn into an educator after all.

"Will this affect my scholarship?" he used the chance to tackle the remaining elephant in the room.

"Not if you complete the community service properly. There is also the matter of the excessively violent conduct that we should address proactively, before some overzealous parents use it as an excuse to make an example out of you in the future. I will schedule you to a weekly psychiatric evaluation session with Dr. Raisa until further notice."

"Understood," Altair agreed. He wanted to ask if there would be any consequences for his assailants but decided not to push his luck.

Now I can brag to Ronel that not only I am a bad boy, but a crazy one too, Alt consoled himself self-deprecatingly.

"With that matter settled, it's time for you to go. I still have this mountain of paperwork to take care off before my break starts," the old aristocrat dismissed him and Alt stood up, giving a small bow of farewell.

***

Altair sneakily returned to his empty apartment, taking extra care not to bump into any potentially problematic characters on his way up, but luckily the boys’ dorm was nearly deserted with most of the summer camp partakers having already left. He enjoyed the quiet atmosphere and if he'd be totally honest with himself, he would much prefer for it to stay that way forever, but alas, soon the parties and events would make a strong comeback.

Inside, he noticed that Sattan's belongings remained untouched. He's probably staying overnight at the infirmary. I should go check up on him tomorrow, he thought, promptly remembering Dr. Raisa's stern warning to stay away. Better I just text him, he arrived at a compromise with his conscience.

"Hey man, how are you holding up?" Alt messaged, seeing his friend was still offline. Then, using a search engine he found an image of Milena in a skin-tight nurse outfit, winking seductively while holding an oversized syringe.

That should cheer him up a bit, the teen boy chuckled, imagining the surprised reaction of the bigger boy. With Alt's reserved nature, it was a bit out-of-character for him to engage in such outright nerdiness, but he let his defenses down because of the circumstances.

The cafeteria would not re-open until the eve of the Entrance ceremony, so he just heated up some instant noodles and decided to crash early. Their place was a bit cramped but had all the modern amenities necessary for a comfortable existence and was certainly an improvement over the run-down apartment he shared with his parents before. It did however pale in comparison with the neighboring dorm buildings, reserved for the more affluent students which had spacious bedrooms and designer furniture often in use by a single occupant.

Alt felt his back press against the soft mattress and saw the events of the day flash before his eyes, agitating him and crushing any hope he had left of falling asleep quickly. To distract himself, he thought of Ronel, the unlikely second friend he had made throughout in summer camp. With all the chaos, he had totally forgotten to make plans with her for tomorrow. The teen boy had been thrilled to hear she was considering not going home during the break and was looking forward to hanging out together without the disapproving looks of her better-connected friends and without her witnessing him getting harassed by any self-proclaimed alphas. While her social circle consisted of the cream of the crop from the summer camp attendees (which still amounted to minor nobles) she had treated him nicely from the beginning despite being the daughter of a Baronet, and he thought that underneath all her care about appearances there was a kind, down-to-earth girl.

It's not too late yet, I should text her...

Alt turned on his right side and grabbed the phone from the top of the nightstand.

“Huh?”

As he had begun typing her name, his vision faded and the background around him disappeared. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the middle of a lush forest, with the phone gone from his hand.

“Did I fall asleep? Is this a lucid dream?” he pondered, disoriented from the sudden change. The sun rays caressed his face, slashed by the tall, sequoia-like trees. Birds chirped melodically, and the whole place was bustling with life, giving him an idyllic sense of tranquility and interconnectedness. He did enjoy hiking and spending time with nature, so he figured it was no wonder he dreamed about a place like that, perhaps as an escape to his daily chaotic life.