Ares stood in the doorway of what had once been his dorm. It was empty now, both him and his roommate had finally done it. Months of study, frantically trying to make sure everything was done on time, had finally paid off. The ceremony was soon, and after? After they would part ways. He had decided on going to Asterion. They had an engineering course there that he would put himself through. He’d already scouted the area and found a decent apartment. He would work on what commissions he got, along with the part-time job he’d picked up at the carriage place. The apartment he’d picked was big enough for two, if he could find a suitable partner. As it was, he would have it to himself for the time being. Well, himself and his handful of familiars. The vespercats would adapt well to the change, the revenant too. He’d have to make sure to keep an eye on the kiddens. They could be more than a handful if he wasn’t careful. He might not have as much time as he hoped to exercise them, so he’d have to find a way to make sure they stayed out of trouble. But that would have to wait for another day.
The imp stretched, fidgeting with his graduation outfit. There was a bag with a change of clothes in the dorm, the only thing left of all his various trinkets and gizmos. He would go to the graduation, then come back and change into something more comfortable.
It was strange, to say the least; the thought of leaving the academy. He’d been a cache orphan, born and raised there. Now he was leaving, and the only way he would come back is if he were visiting. Most of his friends were already graduates, out in the world, living how they wanted. That had been part of the reason he’d put his nose to the grind. Now that the moment was at hand, he felt almost melancholy.
All the good memories he’d made, in and around the academy. All the friends he’d hung out with, cheering them and being cheered in turn. Everything he’d ever done had been within the city around the Academy. Asterion would be a whole new experience.
That thought brought a grin back to his face. New teachers, new places, and new faces. There would be other students who were just as interested as he was in his projects. Teachers who would encourage him on his chosen path. Just because he was leaving the only home he’d ever known, didn’t mean he couldn’t make somewhere new his home. Even if it turns out he hated his new place, if the neighbors sucked, if the landlord was a jerk, he could change all of that.
He wasn’t tied down, trying to chug through classes in order to pursue something he wasn’t interested in. Heck, he didn’t even have to take all his engineering classes consecutively. He could take a semester off if it got to be too much for him. Ares took a deep breath. It was over, but that just meant it was time for a new beginning. He would keep his hopes high, and look forward to what the change would mean.
With that in mind, he closed the room to his dorm and turned to go to the ceremony. It was time.
