💎A Collision of Fates💎 (Straight to Gay) (MxM) (18+)

26 - Chris

The final convoy back to Sesstria was more emotional than Chris had expected. As they rounded the path in the sun forest, leaving behind the Academy, Chris turned back to get another glance at the place. Suddenly, in that moment, he realized that he had come to see it as home. The room he shared with Vinton, the commons, the classrooms, the main hall, the panae court, it had been his bedrock, his touchstone, for the last few months. Leaving it for an extended period of time was going to be tough.

The defenders marched around the group of students, eyes on the treeline and hands on their swords. Razors were more active in the cooler months, apparently, and they were concerned that the walk back to Sesstria for long break was going to be the most dangerous one.

Landel was looking around the group, eyeing the people closest to them with suspicious eyes.

"What's up, deelo?" Vinton said. "You look like you're trying to pick an assassin out of the crowd."

Landel, seemingly satisfied, turned back to the three of them and shared a look with Adam. "Alright. So... this is top-fucking-secret, ok? Don't tell anyone." He looked at Vinton and Chris until they gave him a nod, and then he continued. "We went to an abandoned mingot mine this morning, before the convoy. I'd read things about a crystal vein being discovered and we thought it might give us some clues as to who is sucking away the Goddess's soul."

"And?" Vinton said.

"We were attacked by that Shadow Knight again. The man's been sucking soul out of the Goddess through the crystal vein," Adam said.

Chris shook his head. "Wait? You were attacked?"

"Only got away thanks to Landel's quick thinking," Adam said.

The man had almost died, and he looked calm. "Are you alright, dude?"

"I'm mad," Adam said. "We need to find who it is."

"And we will. The second we get back, we're telling Yerda all about the mine, and, hopefully, dad will send some defenders to check it out and arrest the man and that will be the end of it."

"Almost sounds too easy," Adam said.

The sun forest shined around them as they followed the rest of the students over the bridge, through the other side of the lake, and, finally, into Sesstria. The convoy broke off at the Western Gate, and Landel, Chris, Adam, and Vinton strolled their way through the lively streets of Hilltown, up towards the castle.

When they reached the top of the hill, they were met with a grand display in front of the drawbridge. A few dozen servants stood in a row, hands clasped in front of them, Chris was able to pick out Maxil right away. He had a golden pin on the front of his purple uniform.

In front of them stood King Esteck, bedecked in medallions, Scholar Yerda in long, white robes, Breck, in defender's blacks, and their dads, Mark and Nick, wearing formal jackets. A smile split their faces the second they spotted Adam and Chris.

"What the hell is this?" Adam said.

"An official welcome ceremony," Landel said.

King Esteck's loud voice boomed over the courtyard. "Prince Landel La'Torrie, Vinton Xall, Chris Dalton, and Adam Fulton, I welcome you back to Sesstria and congratulate you on finishing another term at the Academy."

The gathered crowd of onlookers, and the servants that stood behind the King, broke into thunderous applause. Chris spun around, taking it all in. He hadn't really done that much. But, still, he felt proud. After everything he had been through during the last few months, it was nice to be adulated. He wasn't going to complain at least.