The ritual military academy of Karagata was buried in a greenish haze. It floated above the floor, so dense that I could hardly distinguish my own legs. I didn’t want to go blindly, I didn’t know what I would get into, so I froze near the entrance, examining with interest a round stone pool filled with slightly luminous poisonous green water. Its hue was so piercing, like a fermented potion. Apart from him, there was nothing remarkable in the tiny room: bare gray walls and dimly burning oil torches. After making sure that the most interesting is concentrated in the center, I took a closer look at the pool.

“The...