Tides of History

" Everyone calls them cursed, mostly," Milo said, his voice lowering slightly as they walked through the hallways. "The children of the night. So, most people tend to stay away from them."

Ezra glanced at him, curiosity sparking. "And you?"

Milo shook his head with a quiet laugh. "Not me. But I'd like to talk to him. Soren seems… scary though." He paused, glancing around at the other students. "There's a hierarchy here. Most of the students come from wealthy, influential families. As you can see, most of them are male—it's rare for females to be accepted. We've got just two girls in our year."

" Are you from one of those families?" Ezra asked, glancing over at Milo.

Milo chuckled softly. "Me? I wish. I'm from District 3—just a kid who worked too hard in school and got lucky enough to be accepted here.

Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Why here?"

Milo's smile faded slightly, a touch of quiet determination in his voice. "For a better life, more opportunities. After I graduate, I'll probably land a good job in the Inner District. Then, I'll go back to my mom. It's just the two of us, you know? She's sick right now, so I want to bring her here, get her the best treatment. Then… maybe buy a house. I'd even bring you to meet her if we're still friends by then." He looked over at Ezra, a hint of hope in his gaze. "What about you? Why'd you choose Blackspire?"

Ezra stared ahead for a moment, his expression distant. "I didn't choose. Don't really have any plans. I guess… just honoring a friend's death."

Milo's brow furrowed. "He must've been important to you."

Ezra's eyes hardened slightly, but his voice remained steady. "He was."

"C'mon, hurry up!" Milo urged, already sprinting down the corridor. "We've got to make it to class. Professor Grimm doesn't care if we're late, but Professor Coraline? She's a stickler for punctuality. And trust me, she's got a temper."

They sprinted down the corridor, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls, until they slid into the next classroom. It was smaller than the others, the tables arranged neatly in rows. At the front stood a teacher, holding a long, slender stick in one hand. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she wore a sleek, long skirt paired with a buttoned-up shirt, exuding an air of quiet authority. She glanced at them with a barely noticeable frown as they took their seats.

"You're late," she said, her voice sharp.

"We're on time, according to the calendar," Ezra replied.

The teacher's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you are…?"

"Ezra Valentine. New student."

She gave a curt nod, though her eyes remained cool. "I don't tolerate tardiness in my class. No latecomers. No excuses for missed homework," she said, walking slowly toward a student's desk. Without a word, she tossed a packet of crisps onto the desk, then tossed the empty wrapper into the bin with a flick of her wrist.

"Here, I demand absolute respect. If there's anything you don't agree with, you leave. Do we have an understanding?"

"Today's class will be discussing the fall of the Xian Empire," she continued, her voice steady and authoritative as she paced in front of the class. She raised her stick, tapping it lightly against the desk to draw attention.

The lights dimmed as the projector flickered to life, casting a pale glow over the board. The map of the continent appeared, showing the different nations and their borders. Professor Coraline tapped her stick against the map, drawing the students' attention to the sprawling area in the center.

"Here," she said, her voice steady, but with a hint of pride, "is Arcanis, the beating heart of the world. Our districts span across vast regions, a testament to the strength and unity of our people. We are a nation that, despite challenges, has thrived under a system of unmatched discipline and efficiency."

She let that linger for a moment before subtly shifting to the next part of the map. Her stick moved down to a region marked with the remnants of a once-great empire.

"And over here," she continued, her tone taking on a quieter, more reflective quality, "lies the former domain of the Xian Empire. Huànyáng, once a city of grandeur, now lies in ruin. They were an ambitious people, far too ambitious for their own good. They believed they could challenge the established order of the world."

A small pause. Professor Coraline's expression remained calm, but her eyes seemed to flicker, a hint of something unspoken in them.

"The Xian Empire once held the Celestial Archives—an invaluable collection of knowledge and power. But," she added, her voice slightly softer, almost as if she were offering an observation, "such things are rarely preserved when a nation stretches itself too thin, when it tries to stand against the tides of greater powers."

Her eyes swept over the students, then back to the map. "Their fall wasn't just the result of one war, but a series of miscalculations and fractured leadership. When you seek to dominate others, especially those who have already established their place, there are consequences."

Professor Coraline's stick pointed briefly at the regions around Xian—Sylvanna, the Moravean Wastelands, Arcanis, Aerothis—but she moved past them quickly, offering only cursory mentions.

"Of course, the Xian Empire's neighbors, like Sylvanna or the Moravean Wastelands, were… never truly in a position to intervene. Their internal issues often kept them occupied." Her voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible trace of dismissal. "And Aerothis, well, they were more concerned with their own alliances, choosing to watch from the sidelines."

She stepped back, allowing her gaze to linger on the map for a moment. "The Xian Empire's pride, their desire for greatness, led them to their end. In the end, it was their inability to adapt, to accept their place in the world, that sealed their fate."

There was a brief, almost wistful silence before she turned back to the class, her tone shifting back to its usual controlled firmness.

"Today, we will analyze their decline, the internal failures that led to their downfall, and how their knowledge was ultimately lost. Perhaps it's a cautionary tale for those who forget that power is not simply about might—it's about understanding your place in the world, and knowing when to yield."