The Tower on the Cliff

It took some effort to get up to the Academy.

Nestled away from the city on a cliffside, anyone who wanted to get there had to take the numerous bullheads that were employed to ferry potential students and Academy associates up to the otherwise inaccessible school.

With the city down below him, he stared out of the window blankly, unable to focus on everyone chatting away around him. Excitement was thick in the air, their idle conversation all sounded like a drone in his ears. His reflection was the only thing he could focus on. One tired blue eye stared back at him, bags under from the lack of sleep he'd been struggling with, but the thick white bandage was the most noticeable thing on him outside of the bull horns.

A few others tried to strike up a conversation with him. Some Faunus, some humans, but all of them were scared away as he barked at them. "Leave me alone."

With shocked expressions or annoyed mutters, every person who attempted to converse with him went back to their original friends. He didn't care. He wasn't there to make friends, and he especially wasn't there to be friendly to any humans.

Thankfully, the ride up to Beacon was only a short one. Soon enough, the famed Academy peered through the clouds, the sight of it having all passengers rushing to the giant windows to get a glimpse of what would potentially be their new home. With as much space as he could get in the confined space, he too was in subdued awe at the sight of Beacon Academy.

Now able to get a closer look, he could see so much more than he could while on the train. Whitestone carved with intricate details made up most of the buildings, scattered across the huge space that the Academy occupied, with the main hub standing right in the centre. The tower standing high above all else was impossible to miss. The silhouette blocking the sun behind it, a wide shadow was cast over the greystone path leading from the landing bay.

Slowly, the bullhead descended onto the landing pad below. Closer and closer to the ground, Adam could see people already walking about, noticing students wandering in groups of friends while chatting about things that he couldn't hear. Some gave a fleeting glance to the incoming bullhead, others just went on with their day.

As soon as the ship landed, the applicants were surprised with a holographic woman appearing suddenly. Over the blue-tinted screen, her smartly dressed outfit and tight bun sitting at the base of her head, she peered at them all through glasses that sat low on her nose.

"Welcome." She started, pushing her specs up her nose. "As you should know, we here at Beacon Academy only accept the best of the best. You are all here to prove that you deserve a spot at our prestigious school."

Trying to get closer through the crowd of teenagers, Adam managed to listen as the woman continued. "So, when you exit the Bullhead, you will make your way to the main hall where we are accepting applicants. Be warned that there are tests today to prove you have the physical prowess to keep up with our high standards."

Tests? Adam tightened the grip on his sword in anticipation, a rare smirk on his face while he listened in closer.

"If you don't believe you have what it takes to complete said tests, then please... don't get off the ship." She finished with a stern voice.

All said and done, the hologram fizzled out, leaving the potential students alone when the sound of grinding gears echoed through the ship's interior.

With a loud groan, the door leading to the outside world slowly opened downwards. Sunlight beamed through the cracks. Blinding, Adam squinted with a hand provisioning some shade for his delicate eye, watching the door fully open and provide a ramp down to the ground. As soon as the ship had completely landed, the applicants all around him rushed to unboard the Bullhead.

Excited and cheerful, they made a beeline for the main building of the Academy. Adam followed after them, keeping some distance from the back of the group as he took in all around him, finding his attention dragged away from the chatter and laughter to the buildings surrounding him.

Isolated from the giant buildings and the main hall, an unknown tower stood tall with students surrounding it. Dressed in their casual clothes, they seemed to have been enjoying the time off from doing schoolwork and completing missions. Smiles and quiet conversation, they were less eccentric compared to the new teenagers that had arrived, having already gotten their curiosity and wonder about the new school environment out of their systems.

He wondered what the tower was even used for. That wonder quickly vanished when he felt himself walk right into something. Whatever it was, it was solid.

With a grunt, he fell backwards onto his behind. Shock quickly gave way to anger, his eyebrow furrowing as he snapped. "Hey, watch it!"

"Woah, sorry. Didn't even know someone was behind me." The stranger apologised.

On the floor, Adam shook his head in pain, managing to shake off the dizziness from the rough fall. Angrily, he got a proper look at the culprit.

Tanned skin warmly glowed in the sun that managed to get past the tower behind them, with golden hair messily draped on his head and a pair of round lion-like ears sitting on top of his head. With a single lock between his eyes, Adam was surprised to find slit pupils staring back at him, lacking any irises. With a gloved hand stretched out, he smiled softly as he offered. "Here, lemme help you up."

Adam glanced at the hand, noting the gold metal vambraces strapped tightly to his forearms. They were certainly complicated, small mechanisms and gears visible behind the chipped metalwork, and running just behind his knuckles, Adam could make out deep holes for who knows what reason.

Eyes moving back to the hand, Adam accepted the Faunus' offer and took his hand. "Thanks."

"No problem." With Adam off the ground, the stranger put his hands on his hips. "So… you here to apply for Beacon, too?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah…" Well, this was awkward.

Both just stood there quietly. Any attempt for conversation was quickly dropped, neither of them knowing exactly what to say to the other. Adam was good at many things, but small talk was not one of them.

Finally, the other teenager reached out his hand and smiled. "I'm Zanthus, by the way. Zanthus Nemeós."

"Adam Taurus." He replied, forgoing the handshake as he moved past Zanthus, following after the applicants that had already gone inside the main hall.

He wasn't walking alone for long. Quickly, Zanthus appeared by his side again, having gotten over the rude brush off and instead of attempting to small talk again. "Soooo… this weather, huh?"

Silent, Adam glanced over at the blonde-haired lad as he continued with a nervous smile. "Pretty warm, though it's Spring so… that probably explains it. I'd like Spring more if it didn't make my nose itch and my eyes water."

How long was he going to blabber on for?

"Though Vale isn't as bad as Mistral. The cherry blossoms would be blooming about now, and that just sets my allergies off real bad." Ears swivelling around with noise all around them, he added shyly. "So, you from Mistral, too?"

"No."

"Oh, sorry. You just look Mistrali." Zanthus excused. "You have family from there?"

Pausing at the giant, heavy oak doors leading into the building, Adam's face turned solemn. He didn't say anything at first. Rather, he watched the commotion from within the building, seeing so many new and eager faces crowding tables that had been set up to deal with the newcomers.

Without looking at Zanthus, he answered while entering the building himself. "My mom was born in Mistral."

"Huh, I see where you get the fashion from, then. Where's she from?"

"...I don't know." It felt horrible to say that about his mother, but Adam was honest as he added. "She never talked about it."

Zanthus hummed at that. Right by Adam's side, he crossed his arms over his chest and confessed. "If her fashion sense is anything like yours, I'd say she's from Northern Mistral."

"Probably."

The conversation stopped there. Now inside, the two were surrounded by people. Weaving through the crowds, Adam didn't keep an eye on Zanthus, unsure where he was behind him, as he glanced at the countless faces around him.

Claustrophobia couldn't even describe the crowded feeling washing over him. It was too compacted, people nearly brushing against him as they wandered past, too in awe of the school to even notice. He did. Each touch sent him recoiling back, his shoulders tense and his frown deepening into a scowl. He would've thought that a school this big would give everyone enough space to move. At least enough that he wasn't practically sharing breathing space with ten other people.

Suddenly, he noticed an empty spot by one of the registration tables. Taking the chance, he quickly slid into the open space, noticing the woman sitting behind it. Immediately, he could see that it was not a human.

A blue-tinted holographic sat before him. Typing away on a computer set up at the table, she didn't seem to even notice Adam until he cleared his throat.

Eyes looking up from the computer screen, the woman stopped typing immediately and smiled. "Welcome to Beacon Academy. Are you here to register for the new school year?"

Even though her voice echoed slightly, it sounded like an actual human was sitting there and talking to him.

Nodding quietly, he stood there as she went back to typing at the computer. "Did you come straight from a Primary Combat School?"

"No, is… is that gonna be a problem?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Not at all!" The woman replied cheerfully. "We have plenty of applicants that never attended the Primary Schools. We just need you to fill this form here…"

Without turning away from the screen, the secretary continued typing as a blue holographic popped up in front of Adam. Surprised, he glanced down at the small projector that was emitting the forms, an eyebrow raised before he simply shrugged and started filling the forms out.

The typical stuff. Name, age, place of birth, all the boxes were ticked save for a few. When he finished, the form disappeared and the computer pinged loudly from beside him

"Form received. Adam Taurus, seventeen, born in Mantle of the Atlesian Kingdom." She readout. "Previous residence… Asile, Menagerie. We've got one other applicant from Menagerie."

"From Menagerie?" A spark of hope ignited inside of Adam as he asked quickly. "Who was it?"

"I'm afraid I can't give other applicants' information, sir." He hid his disappointment as well as he could, but the crushing feeling reflected in his eye.

Any spark of happiness vanishing as his chest constricted tightly. Falling silent, he heard her pipe up again. "As we don't have any graduation papers to determine your fighting prowess, I have to ask that you go and wait in the Examination Room. One of our faculty members will be with you shortly."

"What am I gonna do in there?"

"Just some physical exams. The faculty member assessing you will explain further." She pointed just past the elevated stage that stood at the far end of the hall.

Leaving her to the patiently waiting applicants queuing up behind him, Adam followed her directions. Passing the stage, he quietly sighed in relief when the crowds thinned out considerably. No longer did he have to brush up against strangers, having to find a spot where he could have some personal space, and finally he could get away from those prying eyes.

Even with the bandage on, he could still feel that nagging thought in the back of his mind. What if they could see his scar?

Slowly, he fiddled with the bandage, trying to pull it so that the small bits of scarred tissue that was visible was covered, but it was just not possible to cover it all up. With an agitated grunt, he left it alone and went searching for the room he was told about.

There. A lone door tucked away behind the stage, he first noticed the sign taped to Examinations.

Honestly, he expected more people there when he entered the room. Even with a small room with a few chairs for applicants to sit on, there were only a handful of nervous students sitting there. Eyes stared right at him as soon as he stepped inside. Watched, he stared grimly back at them, the scowl on his face and the energy he was no doubt giving off scaring enough students into looking away.

With a casual strut, he walked past the taken seats to the back of the room. Fewer were around, though he didn't have anywhere to sit with every available seat taken. How few people did they expect to take these exams?

Still, it wouldn't hurt him to stand for a little while.

Back against the wall, he crossed his arms and drifted off into his thoughts. Everything around him was silent. So much so that Adam could've sworn he could hear a pin drop in the hallway outside. Even with the few glances he got, no one made an effort to approach him, and soon enough no one wanted to even look anymore.

It was quiet, but it was quiet that he craved. Too much noise set his nerves off, and with the impending exams bearing down on him, his nerves had to be made of steel.

"Oh, you're new!" A new face appeared right in front of him.

Hands wrapped around his mouth as a shocked scream nearly escaped. Unable to stumble backwards with the wall pushed up against him, Adam stood there with widened eyes as he stared into those blood-red eyes.

The girl in front of him seemed friendly enough. Too friendly. With her blue and white horned headband holding black dreads up, the pearly white grin she gave him was dazzling, almost as white as the pale clothing she wore. It certainly wasn't appropriate for Vale's temperate weather.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't scare you, did I?" she asked, hands raised in a nonthreatening manner. "So little people here, I was waiting for a new face!"

"Waiting?" He questioned quietly, looking up and down at her suspiciously. "For me?"

"Well, for anyone. But that's not the point! I've been waiting in this room for so long! I'm so excited for this exam, but I don't think anyone else feels the same way."

Looking back at them, both Adam and the girl saw the nervous expressions on everyone's faces.

Dryly, Adam shot back. "I wonder why."

"There were more, but the professor overseeing the examinations took them away." The girl's grin lessened for a moment. "Between you and me, she scares me."

"Scared? You think you'll get into Beacon when a professor scares you?" His harsh tone made her flinch.

Standing there with hunched shoulders, she seemed disheartened by his words. However, before he could get another word in, that bright spunkiness came back stronger than ever, and she responded to his cynicism with an upbeat attitude.

"Nothing'll scare Eirian Esna outta this Academy! I got the skill, the attitude, and-" She paused, grabbing something out of a back pouch secured to her heavy belt. "I got this!"

Holding it out in front of her, Adam stared at the object in her hand before pointing out in annoyance. "It's a flower."

"Not just a flower! This is a Nefertem flower, and they're pretty lucky back home!" She explained.

With a gentleness unseen in her previous excitable mood, she caressed the blue lotus with a soft smile. "I dried plenty when I was little. They're meant to be good luck, so I gave everyone here a petal so that they can do their best!"

Adam's scowl softened when she plucked a petal from the flower and held it out. "It's my last one, but I want everyone to have the best chance to achieve their dreams. So, here! You can keep this!"

"This…" He thought about taking it. Hand lifting slightly from where it was hanging by his side, he stopped it and finished his sentence with his scowl returning. "... is childish nonsense."

"Huh?"

"Luck doesn't help you win. Strength and conviction do, and I got enough of that without some stupid flower." His hands clenched together while he looked away. "I don't need a human's charity. I don't want it."

Anger egging him on, he didn't falter even when Eirian's voice softly replied. "Right… Okay, it's no biggie. I'll keep a hold on it in… in case you change your mind?"

He didn't give her an answer. Even though he wouldn't look at her, he noticed her retreating away from the corner of his eye. Despite the happiness in having some peace, that small niggling feeling of guilt bothered him. He shouldn't be feeling that way. Not for a human, not for any of them. Loathing and anger reacted violently inside of him, scratching and clawing at the surface to be released.

He tried to keep a lid on it as best he could. With the others that were waiting longer than him finally being called to the exam by a professor, he felt the anger fading slightly. That didn't mean it vanished. When Eirian herself was called to the test, he watched her go with the conflicting emotions swirling in his gut.

At least he could sit down. Dropping the bag he had been carrying, Adam took the seat near her own, sitting down for a moment before he felt something underneath.

"What the…?" he grumbled to himself, feeling around momentarily until he found the annoyance.

A flower. Blue petals plucked from its bud, there were only a couple left, but he recognised it instantly. That girl's flower.

Thoughts of crushing it, throwing it in the trash, even stomping on it with his boot. She left it on purpose, didn't she?

He didn't want her luck or her pity. He didn't need it, he told himself he didn't, and with it crumpled in his hand, he tossed the broken remains on the floor with a grunt. The few around him said nothing. They didn't dare.

Did she think he needed it or something? Was he so weak and vulnerable that a human had to come to his rescue? He never needed the luck to get him as far as he had come. All his life, he fought and fought, and that made him strong. It's his strength that would achieve his goals, not the childish belief in luck and Gods.

As he sat there steaming, a stern voice called out. "Adam Taurus?"

He immediately looked in the direction of that voice.

Standing in the doorway, he saw a professor standing in the open doorway. Immediately, he could see the reason why Eirian was scared of her, feeling himself under pressure just from that stare alone.

Green eyes sat behind a pair of smart glasses, and with her blonde hair tied tightly into a proper bun at the base of her skull, a curled part separate that framed the right side of her face. She looked like a professional Huntress. So many had faced the White Fang before, Adam could be able to spot one from a mile away.

Up to his feet in an instant, he approached the woman as she instructed sharply. "Follow me."

Together, they left the room of applicants and made their way down the hallway. Heels clicked loudly in the silence. The only noise between Adam and the examiner, he kept to himself while walking behind her, occasionally glancing up at the woman before focusing on the floor or the walls. Once he even stared straight up at the ceiling.

The silence started to get suffocating. Teeth grinding together in impatience, countless thoughts ran through his mind. The exam, what it entailed, if he could even pass, they swirled around deep inside. He was about to come out and ask her the questions plaguing him, but the examiner stopped walking suddenly and turned to him.

"You'll be examined in this room," she explained, pointing at the door in front of him with her whip. "There are no rules, only that you are not permitted to leave until the professors and I have given our verdict."

Frowning deeply, Adam stared at the door as he asked. "What am I expecting when I go in?"

"You'll find out. Be prepared to adapt to whatever situation you'll find yourself in."

There were no words of encouragement or advice beyond that. With all said and done, she turned on her heel and walked off quickly, leaving Adam standing there in confusion.

Quietly, he turned to the closed door. Standing there, he breathed in deeply, hoping to calm down the twisting sensation in his gut. The apprehension was strong, but there was a little bit of excitement too. The thought of not knowing what he was jumping into made him eager to plough on ahead.

With a quick exhale, he bit the bullet and went inside.

Immediately, he was daunted by the size of the room. Columns towering over him lined the walls, holding up the high rise ceiling that hung far above his head. Footsteps echoed on the marble floor as he walked to the centre of the room. There, he could see the Vale symbol etched into the stone beneath his feet, the meticulous artwork repeated in the symbols that decorated the plain brownish-green walls.

With light beaming in the massive glass windows, Adam paused for a moment. The silence was stifling. No one around him, he was left only with his thoughts, wondering where everyone was.

Suddenly, microphone feedback screeched. The painful noise had him clutching his ears, looking around everywhere to see where that unholy sound was coming from. As he glanced around, a voice piped up from before, catching Adam's attention as he finally noticed a glass spectator box high above the arena.

"Adam Taurus, the applicant for the new school year at our prestigious Academy." That was not the woman's voice from before. It sounded deeper, softer, and even when he ordered Adam, it lacked any of the sharpness that the other woman had. "Please, ready yourself for what is to come. If I believe your life is in danger, the exam will end, but you will be marked as failed."

Failed. He couldn't have that happen.

With the clear threat hanging over him, he got into his stance and, with a hand holding tightly onto the handle of his sword, he waited.

The silence before a fight was always the worst.

A loud grinding noise echoed through the room. Floor rumbling under his feet, Adam glanced around in shock. There, he saw the floor moving apart, leaving large holes between each hexagon-shaped slat. What were they doing?

Darkness was all he could see when he looked into the gaps. When the floor finally stopped moving, Adam was left alone. There, in the darkness, he suddenly saw red eyes staring back at him. He was not alone.

Leaning back quickly, he saw large claws missing his face by mere inches. With a brief stumble, he prepared himself as he saw a Beowolf landing right in front of him. The sheer weight of it shook the ground under its feet when it landed. With smoke radiating off its black flesh and stark white bones jutting out, the creature looked inhuman, and the foul aura it gave off only made his apprehension worse.

Small ears on the top of its head perked as he felt his gut twist in fear. Jaws lined with sharp teeth open as a low growl rumbled from the beast, claws flexing when more of its ilk appeared from the shadows. Outnumbering Adam three to one, they pounced.

It was no more difficult evading the Beowolves than it was the androids back on the train. Rolling out the way of the first one, Adam drew his sword in a horizontal arc with the second one right in front of him, watching it slice right through the Grimm's abdomen. As it disintegrated into dust, he turned to the first that he just dodged and, with rifle pulled from his belt, shot the creature through the back.

No sooner than he took the attention of the slain Beowolf than the third and final one attacked him. Ducking out of the way as it slashed at him, Adam sliced at its exposed leg, feeling the resistance on his sword and seeing the way it was cut in half. The Beowolf collapsed on the ground, barely able to pitifully whine before he drove Wilt through its skull.

Seeing those red markings decorate the white bone gave him pause. There was no time to focus on trivial things.

A brief moment to catch his breath. A couple of seconds were given though, as from the darkness around the platform he was standing on, more of the Grimm materialised from it. Red and yellow eyes all around him, and they all focused on one target.

He wouldn't say the fight was a breeze. Dodging relentless Beowolves, slashing and stabbing his enemies that got too close, he could barely think. His feet moved on instinct.

Sliding between one of the Beowolves' legs, he shot at another one that was standing behind the first. Quickly, he rolled out of the way as another tried to pounce him, jumping to his feet with his sword shoved back into the sheath. Without hesitation, he fired his sword straight at the Beowolf he just dodged, rushing forward as soon as it hit the target straight into the muzzle.

Stunned, it couldn't react as Adam jumped up on its bent knee and threw himself into the air, grabbing the spinning sword as he stabbed downwards in a fluid motion. The crimson blade pierced straight through its skull, giving Adam a perch as he shot another Beowolf running towards him. Power flared through him momentarily, lighting up the red all over his body, and with that power, he pulled his sword downwards with his weight.

Like a knife through butter, the Beowolf he had stabbed was split in two, vanishing into dust that settled down on the white floor.

That power inside him egged Adam on. The strength he was born with would be unleashed, and with pride fading to arrogance, Adam became reckless. Constantly flaring up with his Semblance, he paid no attention even when exhaustion crept into his limbs. His grip on his sword weakened, his legs wobbled slightly with each step, and even his reflexes were being affected.

When he tried to rush another Grimm, he barely noticed anything until claws slashed him across the face. The force sent him flying, the teen grunting loudly as he collided with the hard floor. After a few rolls, he came to a stop, feeling the pain and tiredness finally set in. Even with his Aura holding up, that blow still hurt, and it hurt bad.

Panting, he lifted his head, noticing the Beowolf that struck him readying for another blow. Claws digging into the floor, it rushed towards him, jaws wide open as it moved to clamp down on his head. He had to move.

Without a second thought, Adam thrust his sword forward just as the Grimm reached him. The blade pierced right through the open jaws of the Beowolf, sticking out of the back of its head with black blood staining it, dripping down onto the floor while the heavyweight of the beast vanished. Disintegrated, Adam was left lying there with none left around him.

He'd done it. He'd passed.

Slowly, he got to his feet, letting out a pained grumble when the left side of his face ached. Reaching up tenderly, he was grateful that the bandage hiding his scar had managed to stay on. He didn't even see the Grimm come up when it attacked. The truth about his blindspot left him feeling angry, weak, and with clenched fists, he promised that he wouldn't let the enemy get that advantage over him again.

Turning back to the viewing box, he was eager to hear that voice over the comms again, telling him that he had passed their little test. Yet it didn't come.

Confusion vanished as soon as he heard a bellowing roar behind him. Spinning around, he couldn't stop the feeling of dread hitting him when out of the darkness, a massive beast pulled itself onto the platform.

Much larger and bulkier than the Beowolves, its stout face and spines sticking out of its back, this creature towered over him when it reared up on its back legs. Eyes focused on him, it let out another roar that shook the room and stopped his heart. An alpha Ursa.

Where did they even get it?!

He couldn't give it much thought as it charged straight for him. Its heavyweight made it slower, but as soon as Adam had dodged it and tried to counterstrike, he found his strikes barely doing anything to its armour-plated flesh. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a massive paw swinging for him, barely able to lift his sword to block it when it hit him.

The sheer force behind it sent Adam backwards. However, he managed to land on his feet, kneeling for a moment as he tried to regain what little stamina he had. Every strike with Moonslice took a part of his Aura, his energy, and with his showboating before, he found himself drained.

.

The fight dissolved into Adam dodging for his life, and Ursa trying to pin him down with each attack. Jumping out of the way just in time, he felt the ground rumble again when the Ursa crashed its paws straight into the marble, hitting the spot he had just been in. Under that weight, he was shocked to see the marble itself cracking.

He couldn't block many of its attacks. The power and strength behind it were too much for him to handle, and so he was forced to jump and roll to dodge any attacks it threw his way.

Feeling its claws swiping just above his head, Adam noticed a few strands of red hair falling in front of his face. Too close. Even when he continued to dodge, the Ursa showed no signs of slowing down, while his Aura and stamina were taking a beating after beating. He would not be able to go on for much longer.

Wilt glowed red as Adam blocked a glancing blow, wincing at the sparks that flew off the blades when claws scratched it. Skidding backwards, he could feel the kinetic energy in his sword, almost like a well that was slowly but surely being filled with water. If he could get an opening, he could use a final attack and break through the beast's thick armour.

But if he missed, his Semblance would take what little Aura he had left, and Adam would be left too exhausted to move. He had to make the one-shot count.

Holding Wilt in its sheath, Adam gritted his teeth as he forced that power deep inside him to flare up again. Even with all the energy, he had stored in the fight, it was nowhere near the amount he felt on the train. Would it be able to get through?

He had to do it. Not backing down, he watched the Ursa charged towards him again. Broken shards of marble shook by his feet, the mere sight of this creature made of bone and shadows charging towards him filling Adam with dread. The negativity emitting from him was like a beacon. A signal to every monster that there was prey. He couldn't turn and run.

He had to wait. Just one opening.

When the Ursa reached him, it lifted itself onto its back feet and lifted one of its massive paws. There.

Adam struck.

With one swift draw of his sword, he sliced right through the exposed underbelly of the Ursa. All the power he had stored upshot out of him in a wave of red light. Strengthened, Wilt's blade sliced right through the giant beast, bisecting it into two halves. The top half soared over Adam's head, slamming into the ground with a loud thud before dissolving to smoke and dust.

Just as soon as the power had left him, Adam's Aura gave up and the red light glowed over his body. A faint sound of glass breaking echoed in his ears. With the fragmented light fading off his being, exhaustion overwhelmed Adam, and the teenage boy collapsed to his knees while panting heavily. He at least managed to stop himself from face planting the floor by holding his hands out.

Every gulp of air burned terribly. Lungs on fire, it was nowhere as bad as the aching sensations that affected every fibre of his being, his arms shaking as he slowly sat back onto his legs. It wasn't as bad as his last attack with a fully powered Moonslice. Thankfully, he didn't store enough energy that it would leave him completely immobile.

Sweat dripped down his face as he wiped it away, his heavy breathing slowing down when he noticed the doors just under the examination box opening. Stepping out, he recognised the stern woman from before, but the man standing beside her was a stranger to him.

Tall and slender, he was certainly dressed like a professor, with a black turtleneck and green jacket giving to the vibe just as much as the long cane he had in hand. Every step he took, the cane tapped against the marble. He seemed so sure and confident, but none of that unapproachability came from the man that did radiate from his female companion.

When he reached the tired teen, the professor stopped and offered his hand without hesitation.

"You fought well." He complimented, his soft voice recognizable as the one that spoke over the comms just before the exam. "You certainly have the skills to join our Academy, Mr Taurus."

"He has a lot to learn with that Semblance." The woman critiqued from behind the man, adjusting her spectacles while Adam scowled at her.

Rejecting the man's hand, Adam pushed himself to get back on his feet, wincing at the painful reactions in his legs. Despite the rude refusal of his hand, there was no anger or offence on his pale face. Rather, his smile remained, and his voice stayed that calm tone as he continued. "We all can learn from our weaknesses. Hopefully, your time at our school will help you overcome these obstacles."

"I don't see how my Semblance is an obstacle." Adam shot back.

"It is certainly powerful, but it comes at a price." The woman pointed out. "And the attitude certainly doesn't help matters, either."

"That is a lesson for another day. For now, I'm sure you'd want to rest after this whole ordeal." He wasn't wrong. Adam was practically swaying from where he stood.

Steadying the poor boy, the professor guided him gently back to the door while explaining. "As the school year won't begin for another couple of weeks, all first-year students are being housed in the city until they begin the initiation."

"An initiation? What'll we do in them?"

"That is something you can worry about at a later time." The professor brushed off. "For now, Professor Goodwitch will see to it that you find your way to one of the hostels that is housing students unable to stay home."

Gesturing to the woman following after him, the professor turned back to Adam with a final word. "I am Professor Ozpin. I'll be looking forward to you attending Beacon Academy for this year."

"Professor Ozpin?" Adam replied in surprise, looking the man up and down as he confessed. "I was expecting something… more."

"Unsurprisingly, I get that often. Still, I would advise you to see past looks, as they can be quite deceiving." Ozpin's advice stuck to Adam. With a hand on his shoulder, the headmaster moved to his side and smiled. "Go and get some rest."

With that, his hand released Adam's shoulder and Ozpin disappeared back into the exam room. He barely got a glimpse of the mysterious professor before the doors shut, and Glynda took his attention away from it by leading him back down the hallways. On their way, they stopped by the room he had been waiting in for Adam to retrieve his bag, before being on their way.

Every step ached. Hiding the pain under a neutral expression, he barely paid attention to Glynda as he reflected on what Ozpin said to him. The critique on his Semblance had him chewing the inside of his cheek to stop the anger from spilling out. Critiquing one's Semblance was already a taboo in Remnant. It was one's entire being, their soul, and Adam's had saved his life more times than he could count.

Without it, he would've been trapped back in Mantle.

It was also a matter of fact that his pride felt especially bruised. Insulted and embarrassed, he was practically steaming until Glynda spoke up sharply.

"The hostels in the city will give you a room to stay in until the school year begins. You'll need one of these seals to prove that you are an accepted student of the Academy." Something was handed to him.

Taking it, he stared at the green, reflective seal stamped onto a piece of paper. A gear, as green as the writing above confirming Adam to be a student of Beacon Academy, he turned the paper slightly and watched the light reflect off the hardened wax. While he was paying more attention to the piece of paper, Glynda continued. "Many of the nicer ones have been completely booked by applicants that had come earlier."

"I was wondering why the Academy was taking in applicants so close to the new school year."

"We have been accepting potential students for months now. Luckily, you've seemed to have earned a spot despite your poor timing." Adam scowled at the minor insult.

As they made their way through the main hall, the applicants from before had begun to thin out, leaving only stragglers desperate for one spot in the prestigious school. So many wouldn't get in. It all made Adam pleased with himself, proud that he had proven himself capable and deserving of the limited spots to Beacon.

That smile disappeared when he heard a familiar voice call out. "Hey, uh, Grumpy!"

Not her.

From the corner of his eye, Adam spotted Eirian rushing towards him, holding onto a suitcase that was tucked under one arm. He thought about pretending to ignore her and make a run for the Bullhead ferrying people back down to the city, but he was too slow and tired to even get a foot before she caught him.

Skidding to a stop, Eirian grinned brightly. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Guess who aced that test?"

He didn't respond. Eirian didn't seem to notice, or at least pretend she didn't, as she continued. "Me! Bit of a close call, though! Those Grimm can work up a sweat, huh?"

"Miss Esna." Glynda piped up, turning back to the two teens. "I thought you would've gotten the ship back down to the city."

"Ah, yeah. I, uh… wanted to wait for my friend here." She gestured to Adam.

Seeing Glynda raise an eyebrow at Eirian's confession, Adam quickly shot down with a frown. "We're not friends."

"Pfft, he's just acting cool." Eirian laughed nervously, quickly changing the conversation with her hands clenched into fists in front of her chest. "I noticed your seal! I'm so happy you got through, now we can just ace this initiation the headmaster was talking about, and then it's smooth sailing to becoming Huntsmen!"

"As I told you before," Glynda interjected. "If you don't get to the hostel of your choice soon, you might find it already booked up. I would move along if I were the two of you."

Pausing in her excited bouncing, Eirian pursed her lips in thought for a moment.

"Good point!" With that, she grabbed Adam's wrist and practically dragged him towards the Bullhead with surprising speed.

He could barely keep up with her. When they boarded the ship, students around them jumped out of the way to avoid being knocked down by the excitable girl. Glowering stares and grumbles faintly reached Adam's ears, the annoyance they felt something he could relate to.

As the Bullhead took off, Eirian glued herself to the giant window as she looked over the massive city. Giddiness could barely be contained, her feet bouncing in place while she blathered nonstop. "I love the City of Beacon. Did you know this has been Vale's capital since the kingdom's creation under King Aueulius? The natural cliff sides known in this part of Vale gave the capital a strong defence against the Grimm and the elements, and the Valerian Empire grew exponentially with Aueulius building his castle right where Beacon Academy stands?"

Her shaking increased as she continued. "Or that before Atlas came about, it was Beacon that pioneered in technology and weaponry? Imagine what it could've been like if Atlas didn't have access to such vast amounts of Dust in its kingdom!"

"Do you ever shut up?"

"Not when there's so much history and culture here!" Hands sticking to the windowpane, she turned her head to Adam and added. "I mean, this is where the kingdoms merge! So many cultures mixing, how can you not get excited being here?"

"I'll take that as a no."

She kept going on all the way back down to the ground.

When the ship landed and the students unboarded, Eirian practically stapled herself to Adam's side, following after him while he tried to find one of the hostels he was told about. The city was so big. How could he find anything in the countless streets?

"I have to visit the Mistral Town soon." Eirian babbled. "I heard that so many Mistral natives settled in that part of the city when they moved here, so all the traditional food and clothing can be bought from there. Good thing too, I' you starving too?"

"No."

"Really? I was ready to eat a whole horse after that exam. I wonder what students from the Primary Combat Schools had to do if this is what we're expected to already do?"

Adam tried to block out her inane chatter. As she went on and on, he found his already thin patience thinning even more, and no matter how fast he tried to walk so he would lose her, Eirian was right beside him every step of the way.

Just before he could snap, she pointed at something with a smile. "I think that's what we're looking for!"

Following her finger, he was surprised to find one of the hostels that were dotted across the city. It was nothing impressive, but it was certainly a step up from boarded windows and graffitied walls that he was so used to seeing. As they came closer, he noticed a sign on the window.

Beacon students are allowed here! Inquire further inside. ID needed.

"Perfect! Let's hope they have some rooms left." The dark-skinned girl gasped, rushing inside with Adam in tow.

The inside was just as unremarkable as the outside. Wooden floors were bare and walls covered with antique wallpaper, there was minimalistic furniture that decorated the small waiting room off to the left of the main entrance. A musty smell wafted into their noses as soon as they came inside. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was difficult to ignore as Adam waved in front of his nose.

"Whew… That's a certain smell." Eirian muttered, losing some of that sparkle and shine momentarily.

As soon as she saw the front desk, she was immediately dashing for it, leaving Adam in the dust. Blinking, he walked more slowly to the desk, watching as she hit the little bell earnestly. Light ringing echoed through the empty room.

They didn't have to wait long when an elderly voice called out. "Coming!"

Suddenly, a small figure walked through the door leading to a back room. Adam could barely see her from behind the desk, only able to see grey hair that had been cut into a bob, and a pair of beady eyes hidden behind a pair of thick glasses. Her fashion certainly matched the dated look of the hostel.

Hopping up on the chair, the little old lady adjusted her glasses and welcomed the two. "Why, hello there. Can I help you?"

"Ah, well, we were wondering if you had some spare rooms for us?" Eirian asked with a nervous smile, quickly pulling her seal from one of the pouches secured tightly on her belt. "My friend and I are gonna be attending Beacon Academy this year. Here are our seals to prove it."

"I can tell you two are students just by looking at ya." The old lady glanced down at Eirian's abdomen. "You've seen battle already, haven't you?"

"Ah, um… I…" All the bright energy that radiated from Eirian vanished as she awkwardly rubbed her abdomen.

Under her hand, Adam could see what the old woman was talking about. Three deep scars are torn into her dark flesh, the paler skin around healed over with stitched tying together the edges of the wounds. It didn't look like a professional had taken a look at it ever.

While she rubbed the back of her head, Adam moved forward and snapped. "Do you have the rooms or not?"

"Such a temper! Give me a moment, young man." She scolded, looking through a dusty old book that she pulled from a filing case sitting on the desk.

The two teens watched her mutter to herself, running a finger through the pages. While Eirian seemed visibly nervous, Adam just seemed annoyed and cranky. His body still ached, his Aura was charging so slowly with him not taking the time to rest, and he was stuck with a human who wouldn't leave him alone and wouldn't be quiet.

Thankfully, the hostel's owner piped up with a smile. "I have a few rooms left on the second floor. Seals, please."

Eirian and Adam handed their seals over. Taking them quickly, the old lady filed them away with others and passed over a couple of keys gladly. "Enjoy your stay here, dears."

"Thank you!" Eirian bowed slightly, holding her key while picking up the suitcase she had dropped onto the floor.

Adam kept quiet as he followed her up the stairs. Creaking wood under his weight, he stayed silent, staring at the back of Eirian's head while she led him up the old stairways. Surprisingly, she didn't say anything. He wasn't complaining. It was a relief after so long of her talking his ear off, but he couldn't help but feel like something was off.

Regardless, he couldn't dwell on it long when someone came round the corner and collided right into Eirian. At least, that would've happened if they didn't flip her over themselves and let her land straight on her back.

"Oof!" Eirian grunted, laying there on the ground as the two stared at the newcomer.

The first thing that caught Adam's attention were the fins sticking out of the girl's long blue hair. Scales decorating her pale skin, she dressed in a blue kimono top and hakama pants, the slits in her pants showing a white jumpsuit underneath. Mistrali wear. Adam recognised it, but as she turned around to pay attention to the downed Eirian, he noticed sheathed dual knives strapped to her white belt over a navy blue obi.

"I'm okay! I'm okay!" Eirian called out, struggling back to her feet while the girl watched her carefully. "Whew, that was a rush. Nice moves."

The girl didn't reply. Looking Eirian up and down, she simply passed the human without a single word uttered, making her way up the stairs while the others could only stand there.

"Nice to meet you!" Eirian called after her. After still no response, she could only awkwardly turn to Adam and shrug. "That coulda went smoother."

Shaking his head, he passed Eirian and walked down the hallway towards his room. Footsteps thudded behind him, that same voice calling after him as Eirian tried to grab his attention. "So, I'll see you around, huh?"

"No."

"Oh." She stopped, standing there quietly before she added with a hopeful tone. "Well, I hope we see each other at school. My dad always told me that the best part of school is making friends."

"We're not friends." Adam shot back, finding his door as he turned around to look at Eirian with a scowl. "Just leave me alone."

With that, he unlocked the door and entered the bedroom. Slamming the door shut, he could finally relax in the peace, glad to have some time to himself. As he walked further into the simply decorated room, he tossed his bag onto the single bed and wandered over to the window.

Outside, he could see the street below. People walked by. Talking to each other, getting shopping done, they paid no attention to the Faunus that was watching them from above. Quietly, he watched them, unable to see over the towering buildings that blocked the other streets from view.

The capital was so big. If Blake was here, it would take him a long time to find her in the sea of faces. Still, he had to hope. There was nowhere she could go. She had to be here. He had to believe she was.

Even if it takes months, years, he won't drop his goal of finding his sister.