Sitting inside the enormous aircraft that had come solely to pick him up, Kyle couldn’t shake the feeling that he didn’t belong.
Rows of soldiers occupied the cabin, each clad in full combat gear with featureless helmets concealing their faces. Modified rifles rested in their hands, their silence making them seem more like machines than people.
The atmosphere weighed heavily on him. Even if no one was openly staring, it felt as though every gaze in the cabin had settled on him.
’God... who would’ve thought my first time riding something like this would be this awkward.’
He let out a quiet sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.
Compared to a commercial airplane, this was an entirely different world.
Wide aisles ran between sleek rows of dark leather seats. The polished alloy walls curved effortlessly into the ceiling without a single visible seam, rivet, or exposed cable.
Soft white light drifted through recessed panels like flowing water, bathing the cabin in a gentle glow while leaving almost no shadows behind. Every surface looked as though it had been sculpted from a single flawless piece of metal.
A translucent display suddenly materialized before one of the passengers. Streams of data flickered across it before the screen dissolved into thin air as smoothly as it had appeared.
Then the aircraft began to move.
There was no roar of engines, no violent lurch, and certainly no runway. It simply rose from the top of the clock tower with impossible grace, as though gravity had quietly decided to let go.
The aircraft rose steadily into the sky with barely a whisper. There was almost no vibration beneath his feet, and the silence was so complete that it felt unnatural.
Kyle eventually unbuckled the seat belt he had fastened out of habit. There wasn’t the slightest hint of turbulence as the aircraft climbed higher.
His attention drifted to the window just in time to see the massive wings begin to change.
Their metallic surface shimmered before melting into the same pale shade as the surrounding clouds. Within seconds, the enormous craft blended seamlessly into the sky.
"Camouflage."
The voice drew his attention away from the window.
A short blonde-haired woman approached him with an easy smile.
She wore a dark green formal suit lined with thin white stripes that complemented her slender frame.
There was nothing particularly imposing about her, yet the warmth in her expression made her instantly approachable.
"Hello. My name is Serena. Serena Dames."
She extended a hand.
Kyle accepted the handshake. "Astortia Kyle."
Serena settled into the seat opposite him. The seats were arranged in a U-shaped layout, leaving just enough distance between them for a comfortable conversation without either needing to raise their voice.
"I was told you missed breakfast," she said. "If you’d like, someone can prepare whatever you’d like to eat."
He felt a little awkward saying it out loud, but if he hesitated now, he had a feeling he would spend the rest of the day doing the same.
"Something light and energizing."
Serena gave a small nod and tapped across the transparent terminal hovering above her wrist.
"That should be here in about a minute."
Kyle nodded in acknowledgment.
"Tell me, Cadet," she continued, "how was your first day at the academy?"
A wry smile tugged at his lips.
"I believe you already know. It was... eventful."
He would rather not relive yesterday.
So much had happened that it felt as though he had spent an entire week at the academy instead of a single day.
It had begun with petty bullying, escalated into an unexpected examination, and somehow ended with him exchanging blows against a deity.
"You may not know this," Serena said, her tone turning nostalgic, "but I once fought alongside your brother on the same battlefield. I know a little about you."
Kyle’s brows shot up.
"You did?"
That was the last thing he had expected to hear.
"And what battlefield would that have been?"
As far back as he could remember, Blake had always been immersed in the family’s affairs.
Unlike Kyle, his older brother had never shown any desire to walk his own path. Blake had always placed the clan above everything else, and considering the weight resting on his shoulders, Kyle had never blamed him for it.
With Kyle’s carefree personality, someone had always needed to shoulder the responsibility of leading the Astortia family.
"The final graduation exam at the academy requires every team to clear a rift," Serena explained,. "Blake and I were assigned to the same squad. It was supposed to be a routine operation since the rift was only second grade. But things didn’t go as planned, and we ended up stranded on an island for two weeks."
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
"That was when you were both around sixteen, wasn’t it? I remember the uproar back home."
Back then, he had simply been told that Blake had gone on a trip and lost contact with the family. It seemed the truth had been far less ordinary.
Serena nodded.
"Yes. We spent those two weeks relying on each other to survive. We had plenty of time to talk, and that was when I first heard about you."
A gentle smile lingered on her face as she rose from her seat.
At that moment, a soldier approached, carrying a breakfast tray.
The sight felt oddly uncomfortable to Kyle. Watching a fully armed soldier serve him food was something he doubted he would ever get used to.
Serena accepted the tray before offering it to him.
"That’s why I know you like noodles."
Kyle let out a quiet sigh as he looked down at the meal.
A steaming bowl of broth noodles topped with eggs, sliced meat, and fresh vegetables rested beside two neatly wrapped rice balls.
He did like noodles.
Just... not for breakfast.
Then again, his stomach had been roaring for some food since this morning. At this point, he would gladly eat anything placed in front of him.
Once Kyle started eating, Serena settled back into her seat.
"Your belongings will be transported to the base," she said. "When you return to the academy, you’ll be able to bring back any personal items you want."
"How often do you think I’ll be allowed to go back?" Kyle asked.
His biggest concern wasn’t the relocation itself, but his studies. To his own surprise, he had become genuinely interested in the academy’s curriculum.
Learning how each rule had been shaped by history was far more fascinating than he had expected.
"It won’t be that restrictive," Serena replied after a brief pause. "You’ll likely be allowed to return about once a week. You’ll also have opportunities to visit your family."
She sounded reassuring, but the slight hesitation before her answer made Kyle suspect she wasn’t entirely certain herself.
He let out a quiet breath.
"Can I at least borrow some books from the academy?"
"There’s no need," Serena assured him. "The base already has every book you’re likely to need. And if you’d like, I can arrange for someone to tutor you from time to time."
Kyle gave a dry smile.
"No. The books will be enough."
Serena nodded.
A moment later, her eyes swept across the cabin. After making sure no one seemed to be paying attention, she stood up and casually moved to the seat beside him.
Kyle looked at her in confusion.
Lowering her voice to barely above a whisper, she said, "The higher-ups would probably be furious if they found out I did this... but I have a feeling you’ll need it."
She slipped a hand inside her jacket and pulled out a long, rectangular phone fitted with a small antenna and a physical dialing pad.
"Every call made inside the base is recorded for security reasons," Serena said quietly. "I doubt you’d be comfortable with that."
Kyle immediately shook his head.
The first thing he had planned to do after arriving was call Amanda. Now that he knew every conversation would be monitored, the idea no longer seemed appealing.
"That’s why I’m giving you this."
She placed the device in his hand.
"Anything you say on it will be transmitted as a text message instead of a call, so it won’t be recorded. Just make sure no one catches you using it. It’s restricted military equipment."
Kyle turned the unusual phone over in his hand before looking back at her.
"Why are you helping me? We only just met."
His eyes narrowed as another thought crossed his mind.
"Wait a second."
He looked at her suspiciously.
"Are you trying to get in touch with my brother through me or something?"
Serena froze.
"W... What are you talking about?" she stammered, her composure crumbling. "I know he’s already engaged, so why would I... ahaha..."
Kyle stared at her in silence.
"..."
His brother’s engagement had never been made public. Only a handful of close relatives knew about it.
A suspicious thought slowly surfaced in his mind.
Could she be a stalker?