Gregory and Marcellus stood outside of the headmaster's office, both of the boys not looking at each other.

A wad of tissue was in Marcellus's nose, and there were bandages and salves wrapped around Gregory's waist, pressing against the newly made scars on his left side.

"You went too far," he hissed at Marcellus.

The Dosyrian only scoffed and looked away from the other boy.

"She's weak," he huffed. "She needs to be strong if she's ever going to make it in this school."

Gregory glared at him, a faint golden light reflecting in his eyes. But before he could retort, the office door opened, and the two Transcendants looked at Lady Corice and Lord Giorgos.

Lady Corice regarded them with a firm look before she gestured for them to go inside.

Gregory swallowed before he walked into the office with Marcellus following.

Headmaster Prokopios was frowning deeply. "Marcellus Kramer, Gregory Parker."

"Headmaster Prokopios," the two boys greeted calmly, almost quietly.

Headmaster Prokopios sighed deeply, rubbing the space between his eyebrows. "Honestly, I expected this from Marcellus, but Gregory, you did not have to attack him. Lady Corice had it handled."

"I'm sorry, Headmaster," the Irilian apologized, lowering his gaze.

Headmaster Prokopios only hummed in response before putting his hands together. "Ten whips for each of you. After that, you are to help with tomorrow's chores."

Marcellus clenched his fists tightly. "Yes, sir," he relented, clenching his jaw.

Headmaster Prokopios shifted his gaze to Gregory.

"Yes, sir," the Irilian said quickly.

The headmaster nodded to Lord Giorgos, who nodded back.

Gregory and Marcellus followed him out of the room.

As their footsteps faded, Lady Corice walked up next to Headmaster Prokopios's desk.

"Was it necessary to have Paige spar against Marcellus?" she asked cautiously.

Headmaster Prokopios frowned deeply, "...yes. It will strengthen her. She will need it."

"Not that I'm protesting, Headmaster, but... she was born prematurely," Lady Corice reminded. "I just think that, perhaps, there may be another way for her to become stronger and reach her full potential."

"No," Headmaster Prokopios replied sternly, standing up. "Just as she will soon spar on the school's courtyard, she will be sparring in the gym. There will be bruises and blood, but that's what it takes to strengthen the students' souls. Understood?"

Lady Corice stared at him for a moment before she nodded. "Understood," she relented.

"Dismissed," he said, turning to the window.
Lady Corice turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.

In another room, Gregory and Marcellus were standing in the middle of the room. Their hands were pressed on a table, and their uniform tops were off.

Lord Giorgos paced behind the two of them before he struck Marcellus on the back.

"Hn!" The Dosyrian hissed, tightening his grip on the tablecloth.

Lord Giorgos whipped Gregory on the back.
"Tsk!" The Irilian winced, closing his eyes tightly.

"You don't get it," Marcellus whispered to the other boy. He winced as Lord Giorgos whipped his back again. He gave Gregory a side-glare.

"You don't see what I see," he hissed in a low voice. "This academy is going to break her... just like it'll break all of us. She'll just be the worst of us. You won't even recognize her when this academy is through with us."

Gregory glared back at him, the same golden light flickering in his eyes.

In the healer's room, Paige slowly opened her eyes, and she groaned as she rubbed her head.

Nurse Yiannis walked over to her. "Hello, sweetie," she greeted with a gentle smile, "how are you feeling?"

"I... I'm okay, ma'am," Paige replied.

Nurse Yiannis felt the Evaran's forehead. "Any headaches?" She asked.

"No," Paige answered.

Nurse Yiannis hummed before nodding. "Well, if you start getting headaches or feel dizzy, let me know. I'll give you some medicine."

"Thank you, ma'am," Paige replied as she got up and walked out of the medbay.

"Paigey!"

She looked over at the other Protectors as they hurried over to her.

She grunted in surprise when Ivan hugged her.

"H-hey, guys," she said with a reassuring smile. "I'm okay."

"It's only been our second day here, and one of us has ended up in the medbay," Osiris huffed softly with a shake of his head.

Paige pursed her lips into a tight line and she hummed softly before she looked over at Gregory as the Irilian walked toward them.

Kaitlin walked over to the Irilian and placed her hand on his arm. "How's your back?" she asked quietly.

"It's okay. I'll probably be sore for a while, but nothing rest and some ice won't fix," Gregory assured her.

"What's Marcellus's problem anyway?" Zethus frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yeah..." Brenda frowned, and she looked at Paige. "You two barely know each other, and he just tried to kill you."

"Kill isn't the word I'd use," Yalonda murmured with a grimace.

"Let's just survive today, shall we?" Leorah asked, offering a reassuring smile.

Slowly, everyone else smiled back and nodded.

After a while, some of the thirteen-year-olds, fourteen-year-olds, fifteen-year-olds, and sixteen-year-olds were in the music classroom.

"Do you play any instruments, Melody?" Nash asked curiously.

"Well, I play the piano," Melody answered. "Paigey and I took piano lessons with our grandpa during the summer. Do you play anything?"

"I play the drums," Nash answered with a proud grin.

Hazel rolled her eyes. "That's not the only instrument you play, dude."

The Iceclitian grumbled, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Fine. I also play guitar," he huffed.

Melody giggled, and Kit smirked.

"Pay attention, class!" The teacher, Lady Marietta, called out, clapping her hands once. "Now, I know most of you would rather play drums or any other loud instrument, but as far as I know, the Headmaster doesn't allow that. He only allows violins, cellos, nylon-string classical guitars, and pianos."

"Awww," Chandler, Mikaela, Tyrell, Georgia, and Orpheus pouted simultaneously.

Lady Marietta playfully rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, but now is the time to learn classical music," she said. "Practice your finesse with your magic being in tune with the music."

Melody hummed softly as she held her violin. She looked at Hazel, who was holding her bow and cello.

Suddenly, there was violin music playing, and the two girls looked over at Jasha.

He was standing on the stage, playing his violin.

"Who's that?" Melody asked curiously.

"That's Jasha Stormare," Kit answered. "He's Dual-Blooded; Lunzorix and Dolrion. Apparently, he's also Leorah's love interest."

"He's good on that thing," Andromeda complimented.

Melody stared at Jasha curiously as the Lunzorixian continued playing his violin.

"Such talent," Lady Marietta murmured, amazed. Then she noticed that the girls were staring. Well... the heterosexual and straight ally girls were staring.

Lady Marietta snapped her fingers. "Hey! Back to work, girls! Focus!" She said sternly.

Lovella quickly ducked her head, and Mabel blushed harder, looking away.

Leorah poked her head into the room, a soft smile on her face. She watched Jasha play his violin.

"Leorah," a familiar voice spoke up beside her, and she looked up to see Headmaster Prokopios standing behind her.

"You know better than to sneak out of your main class," he said in a calm voice.

"Sorry, Headmaster Prokopios," the Dolvadian replied, "I just wanted to see Jasha play."

Headmaster Prokopios hummed and looked toward Jasha, who was still playing.

"He is talented," he said. "Still, you should head back to Lady Angeliki's class. I'm sure she is wondering where you've slunk off to."

Leorah nodded before she hurried past the headmaster.

Headmaster Prokopios watched her go before he looked back at Renwick who was playing piano.

He hummed softly before he turned and walked away.

Outside, the courtyard shimmered under the afternoon sun.

Golden light spilled across pale stone and flowering vines curled up on the academy walls like constellations being made in the night sky.

The air smelled of warm earth and rain.
Nineteen-year-old, eighteen-year-old, and seventeen-year-old students were gathered in a wide circle as Lord Argiris stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back, his long skirt nearly brushing the ground.

"Students, I know this is your second day," he began, "and you are still growing accustomed to being in this academy, but it is important that you grasp the dangerous lessons that will save your life someday."

"What do you mean, Lord Argiris?" Campion asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean... that you will be learning how to fight," he answered calmly, crossing his arms.
Several students straightened immediately, some looking significantly less enthusiastic.

"You will spar in your animal forms. You will spar with weapons. You will learn restraint, survival, and control. And before the end of your first term..."

His silver eyes swept across the crowd.

"...you will enter the Hollow Sphere."

Confusion rippled through the crowd of students. Some murmured to each other.

"The Hollow Sphere?" Ulysses repeated in confusion.

Lord Argiris lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.

The courtyard trembled.

A deep metallic groan echoed beneath the academy grounds.

Several students stumbled as pale gold runes ignited across the stone floor beneath them, spreading outward in enormous circular patterns. Vines recoiled from the glowing symbols as if frightened.

And then—

the center of the courtyard split apart.

Massive stone plates slid backward with deafening slowness, revealing a colossal shaft descending endlessly into darkness below.

A cold wind surged upward from its depths.
The air smelled like rain on metal, ancient dust, ozone, and something electrical... and alive.

Far below, impossibly distant, a white-gold light pulsed softly in the abyss.

Some students stepped back instinctively.

Others moved closer despite themselves.

The shaft was so deep that the bottom should not have been visible at all, yet strange landscapes could be glimpsed impossibly far beneath the academy: floating bridges, upside-down mountains, drifting lights, storms moving sideways across an artificial sky.

A low hum reverberated through the courtyard floor.

Like the heartbeat of something enormous.
Lord Argiris turned toward the opening with unsettling calm.

"The Hollow Sphere," he said quietly, "is where Primordial Starlight Academy teaches truth."

The students stared downward.

Far below them, suspended in the impossible darkness, the Artificial Star burned like the eye of a sleeping god.

Blaze swallowed. "...That's beneath us?"

"Yes."

"That seems wildly unsafe."

"That is because it is."

A few students laughed nervously.
Lord Argiris continued as though discussing the weather.

"The Hollow Sphere is older than this academy. Older than several kingdoms. It is both training ground and living mechanism. Its environments adapt. Its ecosystems shift. And it does not tolerate carelessness."

A seventeen-year-old near the back slowly raised her hand.

"...Has anyone died in there?"

Argiris tilted his head slightly.

"Recently? No."

The silence afterward was profound.

"Recently is a horrifying word," Cindy muttered.

A few others nodded immediately.

Lord Argiris ignored them.

"In three weeks, you will begin preliminary combat trials within the Sphere. Eventually, you will undertake the Celestial Gauntlet itself."

Several other professors watching from the balconies above suddenly looked far too entertained.

Joanna stared down at the Hollow Sphere below. The deep rhythmic sound vibrated through everyone's bones.

Lord Argiris finally looked back toward them. A faint smile crossed his face.

"Welcome," he said softly, "to the Academy."