Dorian's POV
The academy had become like a second home to me. Its stone walls and tall towers looked intimidating from the outside, but inside, it was alive with chatter, footsteps, and the smell of ink and parchment. By now, almost everyone knew my name. Not because of my family or title—though being Damian’s son carried its own weight—but because I had made a reputation for myself. I was always at the top of the class. The professors loved me, the students either admired me or envied me, and I carried myself with the quiet confidence that came from years of discipline.
Still, none of it really mattered to me. The praises, the stares, the whispers that followed me down the hallways—I took them all in stride. I was my father’s son, yes, but I didn’t want to live in his shadow. I wanted t
