New Year, Old Attitude

I’m sitting on top of a wall right now, where I’m absolutely not supposed to be. The discipline committee’s probably having a collective aneurysm trying to figure out how I got up here without anyone noticing. I’ve got my legs dangling, Faultspike resting against the stone beside me, and I’m watching the new batch of Academy students trickle in. They all look so… shiny. Untested. Some of them are already showing off their fancy combination weapons and magic tricks. It’s like they think they’re invincible just because they’ve got some fresh parchment and a uniform that still fits.

I don’t recognize any of them yet, but that’ll change soon enough. They’ll either learn my name when I challenge them to a duel, or when they try to follow the rules and get themselves killed. I’m not planning on going easy on anyone just because they’re new. If anything, I’ll be harder on them - better to weed out the weaklings before they become a liability. The question is, do I give the discipline committee the satisfaction of watching me get hauled down from here? Or do I just ignore them and keep observing the fresh meat? Honestly, it’s not like either option will get me in much trouble. I’m Rei fucking Verrin - who’s dumb enough to try ordering me around?

As I watch the newcomers stumble around with their maps and schedules, I can’t help but feel a twinge of… not nostalgia, exactly. But maybe a reminder of how far I’ve come since my first year here. I was just as green as these kids once, trying to prove myself to everyone - especially my father. Now look at me: second-year student, infamous pit duelist, and still very much alive despite all odds. My next move? Find out which of these shiny new students thinks they can take me on. Time to show them what it really means to be an Earthborne warrior.