Humanity's Hero Of Despair

Time skips to the beginning of the second year of Hero Academy…

The campus gates of Hero Academy loom ahead, their intricate engravings gleaming in the golden light from the sun. Nostalgia hits me unexpectedly as we walk through, a bittersweet feeling that pulls at my heart. It has been over a year since I last walked these paths, and while much has changed, this place still feels nostalgic.

Mistfall is rebuilt, and Stonelight is well on its way to becoming even more vibrant and lively than before. The scars of war are still visible in some places, but life has surged back, brighter and bolder. With the Eradicators defeated, and no signs of them anywhere, the people of Tarondar have found room to breathe and to feel hope.

But hope brings its own burdens.

As a newly minted teaching assistant for the Noble Combat class, I've discovered just how much responsibility comes with the role. First-years will soon flood the academy, and I'll be one of the people shaping their journey. Me, a guy who barely survived his own first year, who almost died several times.

The ruins that once devastated Keeper Academy have completely vanished. King Grey did an amazing job reforming Keeper Academy into Hero Academy. The students who are moving into the dorms seem happier, and the atmosphere seems a lot lighter than the first time I stepped onto campus.

I can finally be free and use my magic the way I want to use it.

Ivy, Neve, Zephyr, Estes, and my sister Maura are with me as we explore the new campus. Leena and Matteo couldn't make it with us, since they have to attend to some of their royal duties. Even though months have passed, I still can't believe Leena is a princess. The thought of it makes me giggle.

Once we finish doing a brief run around campus, we rest near the main building.

"Do you guys have any specific places in mind to explore?" I ask my friends.

"I want to visit the Garden of Watersia," Neve replies with excitement.

"The battle arenas are calling my name!" Zephyr responds while grinning.

"I personally would enjoy seeing the new libraries since the forbidden section doesn't exist anymore," Estes tells me calmly as he raises his eyebrow at Zephyr's outburst.

"They recently completed the full restoration of Sky Point. Nico, want to visit there one more time before school starts up again tomorrow?" Ivy says to me while smiling.

"Sure!" I respond back to her as I laugh. Then I turn to my other friends to give them a response.

"Since we all want to focus on different things, do you guys want to go our separate ways and then meet back up in about an hour here again?"

"That sounds good!" Zephyr agrees with me. It's a good idea.

Everyone else nods in agreement.

We then part ways for our own destinations.

Ivy and I walk side by side toward Sky Point. The familiar path and staircase strike me with nostalgia. The ascent is quiet except for the soft hum of magic that keeps the fortress aloft and the occasional flutter of wings as messenger gryphons pass us.

"It's been so long since I was up here," Ivy says, her voice carrying a note of wonder.

"Same," I reply. "Feels like yesterday we were watching the fireworks."

She glances at me, her cheeks tinting pink. "That was... a good night."

I nod, a small smile playing on my lips. A good night, indeed.

When we reach the top, the view steals my breath away yet again. This time, though, it's even more beautiful. Stonelight is in full bloom, bustling with activity. The once quiet and small village of Mistfall further out is now busier and bigger as well. People say it's because of my leadership as Baron of Mistfall, but in reality, it's because of everybody pitching in to make the community better.

Ivy leans on the railing, her hair catching in the breeze. "Do you think the new students will appreciate what this place means?"

"Some will," I say, joining her.

"Most will probably be too overwhelmed to notice. At least at first."

She chuckles, the sound blending with the wind. "Kind of like us, huh?"

I think back to my first day here, the weight of expectations and fear pressing down on me.

"Exactly like us."

For a moment, we simply stand there, soaking in the tranquility of the moment. But even as I try to focus on the surrounding beauty, a faint unease lingers in the back of my mind. Something about the air feels different. Not the literal air, but the atmosphere.

Sky Point is getting crowded as more students arrive at the viewing platform. Ivy and I descend Sky Point to walk around campus more to talk about whatever.

"Are you excited about becoming a teacher's assistant for the noble combat class?" Ivy asks me out of curiosity.

"That's a hard question not going to lie. I can't deny I am a little nervous. It should be an interesting experience at least," I reply back to her as I remember the time I had to fight the copy of Frost Fang as a first year.

The image of Ignis flashes into my mind as I recount how he saved all of us. It's too sad to remember that he's gone. Dead. It's been months, and it feels like many people have already forgotten about him.

Justus. He's gone as well.

Even my friends are slowly forgetting him. It's only me who can't forget watching him being vaporized into thin air all those months ago.

Something out of the corner of my eye catches my attention.

"Go on ahead of me. I will meet back with you and the others soon," I tell Ivy as I sneak closer to the source that caught my attention. Around one of the corners of the main building stand two people talking rapidly back and forth to each other. They both look like professors.

"How do we bring this up to King Grey and the others?" one professor whispers to the other.

"I do not know yet. We must be very careful. It is not even confirmed yet that the destruction was caused by the dragons. It just makes little sense they would attack Glozaria," the second professor replies in a hushed whisper.

Dragons? One of the most powerful magical beast species which remained out of sight during the Eradicator Era? Dragons aren't known to attack human settlements.

What's going on here?