The rest of the teachers were the first to arrive a few days later, with the richer students appearing a day after that. Zack and Zara avoided them as much as possible, only leaving their dorm when it was time to eat or work. They had long since finished exploring the grounds and buildings and knew all the back ways to get around.

During their meals, they would select a table in the corner, away from everyone else. Both were content to avoid interacting with people they had little in common with. The life they had lived was vastly different from the nobles and other rich students.

Each night, they went to work for two hours and then left, after making sure that their hours had been properly recorded. True to Edith’s word, the teachers they had met to that point and the rest of the staff had given them the cold shoulder.

That was fine with them. As long as it was just a cold shoulder, then it meant little to them. It was the inevitable progression that came after, that would determine the sibling’s response.

The time they had spent alone on the academy grounds had familiarized them with the teacher’s housing area as well. Some of the teachers lived on the grounds during the year and then left during the breaks. Others lived close by and commuted each day.

If they wanted, they could get inside the educators’ living area and make their lives uncomfortable. It was not an action they wanted to pursue as that would set them on a slippery slope, but they were prepared just in case.

***

“I heard we have someone who tested off the charts this year!”

Zack stopped running abruptly and stuck himself to the side of the building. It was early in the morning, and he thought he could get in some exercise before the pampered rich kids began waking up. It appeared that at least some of them got up earlier than he had been expecting. He wasn’t interested in mingling with any of them just yet.

“That’s nothing. I heard that the school accepted a couple of orphan charity cases.”

There was a sniff of disdain as the voices walked closer to the corner where Zack was leaning against the wall. “I heard that as well, but I didn’t believe it.”

“Just wait until our parents learn of it, the academy will be made a laughingstock. The prestige of attending what was once considered to be the premier travelers’ academy in the country will entirely vanish!”

“Oh, don’t exaggerate, the academy always lets a few of the less fortunate in each year.”

“Yes, but they still come from the upper crest of the commoners, those who bound to elevate their family’s position. My father described it as the academy investing in their future in hopes of reaping future benefits.”

He had been expecting the news about them to make the rounds at some point. The expectation, though, had been for it to happen at some point during the first semester. Not for it to happen before classes had even begun.

They rounded the corner and almost ran into Zack, who was still casually leaning against the wall. His sweat-soaked shirt sticking against his lean chest. The last week of good, healthy food had already added a little meat and muscle to his otherwise painfully thin frame.

They both looked at him in disdain and stepped further away from the area he was occupying. It was only then that they deigned to continue their conversation, acting as though he no longer mattered.

“I see some of those commoners I just mentioned have already arrived. Honestly, they all act as though they can suddenly get in shape after being accepted. Don’t they know what our training is going to be like?”

“Of course, they don’t, they’re commoners!” They both looked back at him with a sneer and continued on their way. The sound of their conversation lingered, as neither bothered to whisper.

Zack paid no mind to their words and continued with the remainder of his run. He was used to hard work and was actually in pretty good shape. Well, good shape for someone who, until recently, had been getting the bare minimum in protein and nutrition.

Edith was waiting for him in the entryway of their dorm building when he returned. She was frowning, and her eyebrows were pulled together in a worried fashion. “The headmaster wants to see you and your sister after breakfast.”

“Why now?” He asked, a frown of his own appearing. “He’s been here ever since we arrived.”

“He probably decided he couldn’t keep putting it off. The semester does start in a few days,” Edith offered, the worry not leaving her face.

“Maybe,” Zack said doubtfully. “Fine, whatever. I’ll go wake up Zara and then we’ll head over to breakfast first.”

She nodded and held up a hand as he walked by, her voice coming out in a near whisper. “Be careful, don’t forget the headmaster has a grudge against you and your sister.”

“I know, but we still have the people who forced him to fire his brother-in-law at our backs.” He smiled reassuringly and continued into the dorm, thinking over what he had said.

It was supposedly the truth, but once again, the people from the military had seemingly disappeared. He hadn’t heard a word from them since they were dropped off at the academy. Maybe they believed they had done enough, or possibly they were simply busy. It was annoying to not understand or know what was going on, but he was used to it.

The inside of Zara’s room was busy with the stuffed animals that helped to comfort her. As always, Zelda and George held positions of honor and had been placed on her bed.

The first few nights they had spent in the dorm had seen her coming to sleep with him. She hadn’t felt the need to join him after that, as she came to understand that they were safe for the moment.

Gently, he shook her awake and then headed into the bathroom for a quick shower. She was ready to go eat when he came out a few minutes later, wisps of steam still coming off his freshly scrubbed skin. He was wearing most of the academy uniform, with the long sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The assigned uniform varied with the classes they would be attending that day.

Where one was made to be comfortable and stylish while inside a classroom or meeting area. The same would be less effective if they were training or going through the portal.

Zack had purposely left off the tie and suit jacket when he dressed. It gave him a certain devil-may-care image that fit well with his current general attitude. He had already decided on what he thought of the headmaster and wasn’t going to give him any more respect than he gave them.

He ran a hand through his damp hair and after seeing that she was ready and holding George; they left to get some food.

Breakfast at the cafeteria was one of the few times the richer students actively ate there. It seemed that they were content to mostly eat their other meals at the expensive restaurants around it. The siblings appreciated the quiet time, but knew it would soon come to an end. Regardless of whether the wealthier students decided to continue eating at the restaurants, the sheer number of students ensured the cafeteria would always be packed.

The Albion Academy for Travelers had dorms to support well over the typical five hundred students that attended it. The single cafeteria and restaurants remained open almost all day just to support them all.

“Where are we going?” Zara asked, as they left the cafeteria behind. Their bellies were pleasantly full of good food.

“Oh, that’s right. I didn’t tell you earlier. The headmaster finally wants to meet with us.” A look of disdain flickered across his face as he spoke, his lip curling upwards unpleasantly.

Her arms tightened around the worn bear. “I had hoped he’d forgotten about us.”

“Not likely, don’t forget, we’re the reason he had to fire his stupid brother-in-law.”

She turned her head away with a humph. “It’s the idiots’ own fault! He shouldn’t have treated you that way, to begin with, and especially not in front of another person he didn’t know.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.” Together, they climbed the gleaming stairs into the central building, both falling silent as they entered. The walk up the staircase that led to the spire was a long and difficult climb.