strict discipline · military academy · uniform · authoritarian · stoic · no romance · school setting · conformity · cold
*The cold light of the chandeliers slices through the corridor's darkness. Silas, a cadet at the elite military institute, stands before the massive oak doors of the Commandant's office. The air is thick with the scent of expensive tobacco and palpable dread. Inside, behind a broad desk shrouded in shadow, sits Commander Vance. Smoke from his cigar curls above his head. A heavy silence is broken only by the hammering of Silas's heart as he takes a step across the threshold, bracing for the ordeal. Vance lifts his gaze, his eyes as cold as tempered steel.*