Ray stood at the foot of the city wall, staring at the glistening moon that never changes. Behind him, Elaira sat straight, eyes closed, and palms connected. She murmured something Ray couldn’t understand. The moonlight reflected off Elaira’s ruby necklace, contrasting with her white hair and grey garments. Sera had gone out to search for a place for them to stay, and she also dragged Jon with her. Sun Oh Tian sat farther away, gobbling down whatever was in front of him. His beard caught the crumbs that his mouth couldn’t fit.

  Ray shook his head. “So, where are you from?”

  Sun Oh Tian looked up, his mouth full, and mumbled something that made no sense. Ray frowned, then sighed, “We’ll talk after you finish eating.”

  Elaira opened her eyes and began eating slowly and elegantly.

  Meanwhile, near a dimly lit stone street, unlike the dusty one at the market, Sera and Jon wandered, searching for a place to rest for the night. The smell of food and liquor surrounded them, along with murmurs and footsteps of guards. Jon knocked on the inn door. Despite his repeated knocking, nobody opened the door. He frowned. “What the hell? Why is nobody opening the doors? This is the fifth one already.”

  Sera called him, “Jon! Come’re.”

  He kicked the door one last time and rushed towards Sera. “What happened? Did you find anything? Is it an inn? What is it?”

  Sera glared at him. “Quiet,” and then a deep breath followed. “There’s nothing here; let’s go back.”

  Jon stared at her blankly and nodded.

  At the wall, Sun Oh Tian wiped his mouth and stood next to Ray. “I’m done, kid. Ask yer questions.”

  “I’m guessing you’re from the Eastern Continent.”

  Sun Oh Tian blinked. “How did ye–Wait, what do ye know about JinSong?”

  So, the eastern continent is called Jinsong.

  Ray shrugged. “Just that there is a continent to the east.”

  Sun Oh Tian squinted his eyes and said, “I see.” He took a deep breath and continued, “JinSong—my homeland — is in turmoil. His Imperial Majesty’s younger brother rebelled against the throne. I fled westward with his majesty’s only daughter.” He glanced at the night sky, his eyes longing for something.

  Something’s not right. I feel that what he says isn’t a lie, but it also isn’t the complete truth. “So… where is she right now? The princess.” Ray asked, his tone low and calculated.

  Sun Oh Tian smirked. “Why would I tell yer that?”

  “You’re right. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  Following a pause, Ray then spoke, “What is the emperor like?”

  Sun Oh Tian’s smile widened, and pride filled his eyes. “His Imperial Majesty is the sun of our dynasty. He is our pride.”

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  Ray nodded. “And what about his younger brother?”

  Sun Oh Tian’s smile faltered, only for a moment, but it had the same pride as before: “His Majesty protected our dynasty for decades from the Khyats.” His smile faded. “But he thought that made him the rightful heir, as he protected the people and started a rebellion two years ago.”

  Ray stared at him for a moment.

  I understand now. This guy fled not with the emperor’s daughter, but with the rebellious younger brother’s.

  As the thought crossed his mind, Sera and Jon returned, their faces gloomy and tired. Elaira clapped once, signalling her meal had finished. Jon muttered, “Nobody wants to shelter us. They hate us. They don’t want us here. Do we have to sleep out in the open? But then we’ll look like beggars. And then the guards will capture us. And we will have to—” Sera punched him in the gut and glared at him. “Shut up, will you?”

  Jon groaned, fell to his knees, and looked up at the stars as his back touched the ground. Sera walked over to Ray and said, “There is no place for us to rest. All the inns are full.”

  Ray scratched his temple and looked around. He spotted two guards in white armor trimmed with red leather walking down the market street. He walked up to them and asked, “Can I ask you a question?”

  The guards stopped, and one of them, who had a spear, said, “Yes, you can.”

  “The entrance exam of Acacia is tomorrow, right? So why are there almost no applicants here in Teqa?” Ray asked, his tone calm and polite.

  The guard sighed, “The applicants from prestigious families rarely pass through Teqa. They take the other route.” He pointed beyond the forest. “And those who do pass through here arrive on the day of the exam.”

  “And what about common applicants?”

  The guard pointed at the back gate of Teqa, which was barely visible under the moonlight. “There is a place, a few steps away, where one can stay, but only for the night. That is where the lowborn applicants rest.”

  Ray crossed his arms. “Outside the walls of Teqa?”

  The guard nodded. “The gatekeepers are subordinates of the headmaster of Acacia.”

  Oh, so a place explicitly built for the lowborn. But only for one night? I wonder why…

  “I see. Thank you.” Ray bowed and then called out to Sera and the others.

  Ray frowned. “Where’s Tian?”

  Sera pointed to the top of the wall. “He jumped over.”

  Must be headed towards the princess. Ray thought as he shrugged it off.

  The group continued towards the place mentioned by the guard. Elaira nudged Ray. “Listen here; where are we going?”

  “To that structure over there,” he said, pointing at a bronze statue. They stopped in front of the statue. “Who’s this?” Jon asked, eyeing the statue closely.

  “It’s the headmaster, the one who created Acacia,” Ray replied, walking past it. The three followed him until they spotted a giant gate with a sign reading ‘Acacia Guesthouse’.

  “Acacia guesthouse? What the hell?” Jon groaned, eyes half shut.

  Ray hushed him. “I think this place is a testing ground for commoners who want to take the entrance exam.”

  Sera blinked. “A testing ground? But why? We’ll be tested at the entrance ceremony anyway.”

  Ray sighed, “I’m not sure. But if we can only stay here for one night, then that must mean something.”

  He then looked around at the trees surrounding them and listened to the distant chatter coming from inside the building. Nothing seems wrong so far.

  “Let’s enter,” he said as he pushed open the giant iron gate. The murmurs inside the building immediately went silent, leaving only the chirping of crickets.

  The eerie silence surrounded them as they walked toward the now-silent building. Ray’s eyes widened as he heard the tension of string against wood. He turned around, grabbed Jon’s head, and shoved him aside as an arrow grazed past where his head had been. Elaira and Sera immediately straightened up around Jon. A deep chuckle followed as Jon gasped.

  “Well done, young apprentice.” A voice called out, calm and deep. “You pass.”

  A tall man with glasses emerged from the building, dressed in a dark blue overcoat. On his left lapel was a golden sword insignia, its tip angled downward.

  Ray glanced at the dark windows, feeling other gazes. Murmurs from inside the building caught his ears as he asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

  The bespectacled man chuckled, “A test, just like you said before you entered.”

  “So, we passed?” Ray asked, his eyes locking with the man’s as his smile faded.

  “Only you.” He then looked at Elaira, Sera, and Jon. “They didn’t.”