The Imperial Army Officer Academy was located north of Twellin, but the buildings, carved into the rugged mountains outside the capital, resembled a vast prison complex more than a school. Surrounded entirely by mountains connected to the north, and isolated from the central zones, the academy felt thoroughly cut off from civilization despite technically being within the capital.

“From today onward, you are proud cadets of the Officer Academy! The moment you stepped foot here, you must forget everything about your past selves!”

The academy’s headmaster began his speech on stage, veins bulging in his neck as he roared his words. Forget who you are, endure hellish training with unwavering resolve—his opening remarks set a firm tone. The new cadets, lined up in rows, gradually shifted from confusion to unease.

“I heard rumors, but this is seriously scary.”

“Right? Think we’ll make it out alive?”

The cadets sighed, already imagining the living hell awaiting them.

“Now, this year’s top incoming cadet, Theo Ledric, step onto the stage!”

At the headmaster’s summons, a young man in the center of the first row confidently stepped forward. His walk to the stage showed no sign of tension—each movement was clean and deliberate.

“Isn’t he the eldest son of the Ledric Ducal House?”

“Yeah. Imagine that—becoming a soldier from that great ducal family. He’s unusual, for sure.”

“They say he scored perfect marks in every section of the entrance exam. Maybe he’s naturally gifted.”

“And now that I see him up close, he’s good-looking, too. Why is the world so unfair?”

Amidst the murmuring stares of his peers, Theo ascended the stage. Saluting the headmaster, he proceeded to recite his oath as the top incoming cadet.

“…In conclusion, I, Theo Ledric, and all of us cadets pledge to dedicate our bodies and lives to fight for the glory of the Empire.”

As he read the final sentence of the oath in a detached tone, Theo’s gaze naturally swept over the crowd below. The cadets who entered alongside him stared up with various expressions—envy and jealousy, faint mistrust, or pure indifference. Theo was acutely aware of how he appeared in their eyes.

And just as he turned his gaze again—

“…”

In the front rows, a man stared back at him, meeting his eyes directly. His vivid gaze, reminiscent of autumn leaves, sparkled with an unmistakable fire. Like the others, his eyes carried jealousy, but beyond that, somewhere deeper, there was a confidence and ambition.

Among the hundreds of people gathered here, his eyes burned the brightest.

“…Theo, what are you doing? You may step down now.”

“Ah, yes.”

Snapped out of his thoughts, Theo bowed slightly and descended from the stage.

After the ceremony, dormitories were immediately assigned. Theo quickly organized his belongings and stepped outside to take a breather and familiarize himself with the surroundings before tomorrow’s rigorous schedule began. As he wandered, the sound of murmured voices caught his attention.

Following the sound, he rounded a corner and peered out. Three students stood together, clad in matching uniforms with green shoulder insignias, indicating they were fellow new cadets.

“Hey, you’re a commoner, aren’t you?”

Theo’s gaze shifted to the source of the voice.

“Yeah. So what?”

Surrounded by the three was a young man whose silvery hair gleamed as it scattered in the wind. Theo recognized him immediately—it was the same man with the striking eyes from earlier.

“A commoner? How did you get into the Officer Academy? Which noble family did you latch onto, huh?”

Clearly, this wasn’t a cheerful exchange of well-wishes among classmates.

Theo knew the type all too well. People who flaunted their family names and bloodlines to suppress others. The Officer Academy gathered the Empire’s elite noble heirs, and to them, commoners were nothing more than easy prey.

“I didn’t latch onto anyone. I got in with my own skills.”

“You probably barely scraped by the entrance exam. Sure, you’re in now, but surviving here will be a different story.”

“What are you trying to say?”

But the commoner showed no signs of intimidation. Even surrounded and insulted, he seemed more bored than angry.

“If you agree to act as our errand boy, we’ll make your cadet life a little easier. How about it? Sounds like a good deal for a commoner like you.”

Theo frowned instinctively. He could no longer ignore the situation. He was about to step forward when laughter suddenly echoed.

“What… What’s so funny?”

It wasn’t just Theo who was surprised. The three surrounding the silver-haired man scowled in confusion.

“Let me ask you one thing. Where did you place in the entrance exam?”

The three faltered before reluctantly answering—15th, 32nd, and 47th. To be fair, even placing in the top 50 was no small feat, as the academy’s entrance exam was notoriously difficult.

“I see. Then it looks like I’m not the one who should be running errands for you—you should be sucking up to me instead.”

“What?!”

“I placed second. In the entrance exam.”

Theo’s eyes widened slightly at the revelation. That confident gaze in the auditorium suddenly made sense—it was rooted in undeniable merit.

“S-second…?”

The trio froze, stunned, exchanging uncertain glances.

“For all the money your families poured into your education, it’s pitiful that you couldn’t even reach the heels of a commoner like me. Your parents must be devastated.”

“You… You bastard!”

The insult hit home, and the ringleader, the one who had taunted him most, raised his fist high. The silver-haired man smirked knowingly, neither dodging nor flinching.

“Enough.”

Theo finally intervened.

As the heir of the Ledric Ducal House and the academy’s top cadet, there wasn’t a soul here who wouldn’t recognize him. The troublemakers paled, sweat forming on their brows.

“No violence is permitted on academy grounds under any circumstances. Have you forgotten that?”

The leader, still frozen with his hand raised, hesitated before quickly lowering his arm. Darting nervous glances between Theo and the silver-haired cadet, they backed away and fled the scene.

“Are you all right?” Theo asked, turning naturally toward the silver-haired man. Though he had intervened to help, the man looked far from grateful.

“If you’d let them hit me, I could’ve driven them out myself.”

“What?”

Theo frowned instinctively. The sentiment wasn’t incomprehensible, but the idea of willingly taking a beating to win felt alien to him.

“You’re Theo, aren’t you? The one who placed first this year.”

“That’s right.”

The silver-haired man hummed softly, nodding before stepping closer. Theo didn’t back away. Those striking eyes, now focused solely on him, kept him rooted.

“For the first exam, I’ll take first place. And the one after that. And when we graduate, it’ll be me—not you—who’s the top cadet.”

“…”

His bold declaration almost made Theo laugh—not out of derision, but because it had been so long since anyone had approached him purely on their own merit.

“Then I’ll see you.”

“Wait.”

Theo called out as the young man began to walk away.

“What’s your name?”

The silver-haired man’s face twisted slightly, as if the question offended him. It was easy to tell from that one expression that he had a high sense of pride.

“Luke.”

“…”

“Remember my name.”

With that, Luke disappeared from Theo’s sight. For a long time, Theo remained where he stood, turning the name over and over in his mind.

***

The sky was just beginning to brighten. Theo slowly opened his eyes, lying still in his bed. On any other day, he would have risen immediately, tidied up the bedding, and prepared for the day. But today felt different.

“…”

Was it because of the unusual dream? Or was it because fragments of his past had appeared like broken shards within it? Theo found it difficult to move. Of all the moments, why had he dreamed of that? That first encounter with Luke behind the dormitory.

“...So many things beyond understanding.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Theo finally forced himself to sit up. The day had started with an unsettling hiccup, but that wouldn’t change anything. As always, he washed meticulously and put on his uniform with precision. He slicked back his hair, pinned the golden insignia of Commander-in-Chief to his chest, and left his quarters.

One unexpected dream wasn’t going to ruin his day.