February 7th, 2012 — 12:15 PM
Asura Academy — Dungeon Gate, Outer Pavilion
Perspective: Kaiser Everhart
The dungeon gate was a monolithic arch of black iron, standing at the far edge of the academy grounds. It hummed with a low, oppressive frequency.
Around the pavilion, students from various classes sat on stone benches, adjusting their weapons and chugging stamina potions. Class C had divided into specialized groups led by Elfie and Rigel. I was currently sitting on a shaded stone bench near the perimeter, watching groups of five cycle in and out of the gate.
Over the past 4 days, Class C had operated with surprising efficiency. We had mapped the primary trap trigger zones on the first two floors. We standardized our retreat formations to minimize casualties. We tested the exact delay of the academy's emergency teleportation bracelets. We cataloged monster spawn timers, and we calculated the exact mana cost-to-damage ratio for basic elemental spells.
To me, the entire exploration process had been child's play.
When my group went in, I didn't draw a weapon. I simply stayed close to Elfie. Every time a shadow-wolf or a cavern crawler lunged toward me, she vaporized it before it could enter a three-foot radius. She moved ahead of me, clearing the path with rapid bursts of ice and starlight.
It almost looked like she was my caretaker.
A shadow fell over the bench.
Someone sat down next to me.
It was Kayla Caroline.
Her black hair was slightly tangled, the silver pins sitting askew. Her stoic expression was intact, but her shoulders slumped.
She looked entirely exhausted.
"The monster respawn rate on the second floor is unnecessarily heavy today," Kayla said. She stared straight ahead at the gate.
"You should breathe in a four-two rhythm," I said. "It regulates the oxygen intake when mana thins the air."
Kayla turned her blue eyes toward me. "Are you planning to do something during the exam?"
"Are you?" I asked.
"Nah." She leaned back against the stone wall. "It's too risky during actual exams. Losing here gains us nothing except self-expulsion."
I watched a group of Class B students jog past us. "True."
"What's your plan, then?" Kayla asked.
"I have no plan," I said, my tone completely flat. "I trust Elfie to lead the class to victory."
Kayla stared at me for a long moment. She didn't blink.
"That's wishful thinking. A leader needs more than just raw power to carry 25 students through a dynamic ecosystem."
"I trust her."
Kayla let out a short, quiet breath. «𐰉⊙Ⱑ𐰂∋ 𐰗Ⱑ𐰁||| † Ⱄ⊙𐰉†Ⱄ Ⱄ|₸₸Ⱄ∋ 𐰅∋₸.»
«You're such a loyal little pet.»
She said it in Varkha, the Beastkin tongue.
She cleared her throat, shifting back to common. "The academy hasn't given us all the rules yet. Based on the history of the entrance-exams and the metrics they track, I've mapped a few logic branches."
"Go on."
"First," Kayla raised a finger. "The entrance fee. They charge 10% of our base credits just to enter the gate. That means they want to punish repetitive, uncoordinated exploration. Second, the clearing bonuses. They don't just scale by floor depth; they scale by completion speed. Third, the academy prioritizes efficiency. I bet there is a hidden point penalty for over-exploring the same floor and wasting time."
She was right. Her logic trees were exceptionally accurate.
She looked at my silent, unmoving face for a second, then muttered under her breath.
«𐰉⊙Ⱑ𐰂 ⊂ⰔⰡ∋ ∋𐰉∋𐰗 †𐰂∋ 𐰗⊙ 𐰅𐰂∋₸₸𐰉.»
«Your blue eyes are so pretty.»
"Probably," I said. "I assume the monster respawn rate also accelerates the more groups enter the same specific zone. It forces classes to spread out."
Kayla nodded slowly.
"Also," I added, "the true metric isn't survival. It's resource management. The academy tracks how many potions and disposable items are consumed per group. If you clear the floor but burn your entire inventory, your net score drops."
Kayla pulled a small notebook from her pocket and jotted that down. "That makes sense. It aligns with the military-officer training doctrine."
"We don't need to do anything right now," I said. "It'll be obvious soon."
Kayla closed her notebook. She reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of water, taking a long drink.
«Ⰾ†𐰉⊂∋ |∨ 𐰉⊙Ⱑ ∨∋𐰂∋ Ⰾ𐰉 𐰅∋₸, |Ⰴ ∨∋∋Ⰴ 𐰉⊙Ⱑ ⊂∋₸₸∋𐰂.» Kayla murmured in Varkha, a faint, almost invisible smile touching the corner of her lips.
«Maybe if you were my pet, I'd feed you better.»
Again, I ignored it.
"How was your exploration?" Kayla asked in common, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Mine is done," I said. "Elfie and I went first."
"I just returned," Kayla sighed. "My group was respectively slow. Xavier keeps on slowing things down."
"What are you doing for the rest of the day?" I asked.
"I plan to enjoy my day," Kayla said. "I was invited by Delyra to have lunch with her circle."
Delyra Nysira was quickly making social moves to establish a strong circle. I had heard she was already building connections with students in other classes. Maybe she had a use for Elfie that was more than just being a friend. It was something to monitor.
"Kai."
The voice was sweet, soft, and completely devoid of any real warmth.
I looked up. Elfie was walking toward us. Her pink hair caught the midday light, and her blue eyes were fixed directly on the space between me and Kayla.
She was smiling.
"Kayla." Elfie said, her voice bright. "Could you meet with your group? We need to go over the trap placements on the second floor."
Kayla looked up. "My practice session is done, Elfina. I'm resting."
"We had some plans to review," Elfie insisted gently.
"I can do it later," Kayla replied, leaning back and closing her eyes.
I think it's high time.
Elfie hated seeing me sitting privately with someone else. Her smile wasn't fooling me.
I stood up. "I have to go."
Before I could take a step, Elfie moved. She closed the distance between us, her hand shooting out to grab my wrist. Her grip was tight. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make it perfectly clear that I was not leaving without her.
"Let's go, Kai." Elfie said, her smile returning to a possessive one as she looked up at me.
She pulled me away from the bench, leading me down the stone path, putting as much distance between us and Kayla as possible.
The stone path narrowed as it curved toward the courtyard.
"You're squeezing my arm." I said.
She immediately let go, her hands dropping to her sides. She didn't look at me.
"I'm not."
"You were."
"I was just keeping you safe."
"From Kayla?"
Elfie walked a little faster, her boots clicking sharply against the stone.
I matched her pace. "She was just talking about the exam rules."
"You can talk to me about the rules." Elfie shot me a brief, sharp glare before looking forward again.
"I didn't understand what she said. It was complicated."
"She shouldn't talk to you like that. She doesn't even know you."
I watched the tension in her shoulders.
"She thinks I'm your lackey," I said. "It's exactly what we want."
"She was still talking to you."
"She was gathering data."
"You let her." Elfie finally stopped walking. She turned to face me. The blue in her eyes was slightly darker than usual. "You're upsetting me, Kai."
I didn't say anything. I simply stepped forward, reached out, and rested my hand on top of her head. Her pink hair was soft, carrying the faint scent of vanilla. I gently smoothed it down, letting my fingers linger.
Her rigid posture broke instantly.
"I'm looking right at you," I said softly.
She looked up, her cheeks dusted pink. She immediately puffed them out, crossing her arms again to pout. "I'm still upset."
"I know."
"You're awful."
"I know."
"You need to buy me strawberry shortcake to make up for it."
"I have 1 silver and 42 coppers to my name."
"It's fine I'll get one for you."
"Don't you have to go back to the tavern?"
"No, they're closed today."
Before I could calculate the interest rate on a crepe, a sharp, rhythmic clicking of heels interrupted us.
"Elfina."
We both turned. Delyra Nysira was walking down the path. Her brunette curls were perfectly styled, and her posture was as rigidly aristocratic as ever. She stopped a few feet away, her violet eyes assessing the two of us before settling on Elfie.
"All practice sessions are officially concluded for the day," Delyra announced, crossing her arms. "I'm putting together a gathering this afternoon. I've invited about 8 students from our class. We're going to the upper district cafes. You're coming too!"
It was an expectation.
Elfie offered her a polite, practiced smile. "Thank you for the invitation, Del. But I really can't today. I want to spend the afternoon with Kai. We haven't had much time together because of the exams."
Delyra frowned slightly. She shifted her gaze, looking past Elfie and finally registering my existence. Her violet eyes swept up and down my entirely unremarkable uniform.
"Who you?" Delyra asked.
"Kaiser Everhart."
"Right." Delyra tapped a manicured finger against her arm. "Well, Kaiser. You should come along as well. It'll be fun. Besides, I haven't ever actually spoken to you. It's only fitting I evaluate the company our class representative keeps."
"I'm busy." I started to say.
"The upper district cafes serve complementary artisan pastries and delicacies." Delyra added.
"I am available."
Elfie whipped her head around to stare at me, her blue eyes wide with betrayal.
Delyra smiled, a triumphant smirk crossing her face. She looked back at Elfie. "Now that he is coming, you must come. I refuse to take no for an answer."
Elfie side-eyed me, a silent promise of future violence entirely visible in her expression.
"See you later." Delyra said. She turned on her heel and walked away.
Once she was out of earshot, Elfie rounded on me.
"Why did you agree?" she demanded, her hands on her hips. "We were supposed to have our own time!"
"They might give us free food." I argued back. "Do you know how expensive artisan pastries are? That's a net positive."
Elfie stared at me for three seconds before breaking. She let out a sudden, loud laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.
"You sold me out for a free croissant," she laughed, shaking her head.
"It was a calculated strategic investment." I corrected. "And I expect you to eat at least four of them so we extract maximum value."
"Only if you feed me one."
"You have hands."
"My hands are tired from vaporizing monsters."
"You vaporized them with your mind."
"My mind is tired, too." She bumped her shoulder against mine as we started walking again, her pout completely gone, replaced by a radiant smile. "You're carrying my bag."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'll drop it."
"Then I'll freeze your shoes to the floor."
I let out a quiet breath. The threat was entirely genuine. I was carrying the bag.
I walked beside her, watching her hum happily under her breath.
I looked down at the stone path, my expression flattening.
Delyra Nysira was an aristocrat. Aristocrats did not invite the academy's weakest student to an exclusive gathering out of the goodness of their hearts. This hangout wasn't a celebration.
It was a profiling session.
Going with them would give me the perfect opportunity to see Delyra's true intentions.
February 7th, 2012 — 1:45 PM
Upper District — Meridian Hall Cafe
Perspective: Elfina
The cafe was luxurious, to say the least.
That was the first thing I noticed.
The Meridian Hall Cafe was nestled on the second level of the upper district's commercial row, its wide arched windows overlooking the canal. The tables were round and dark-lacquered, the chairs cushioned in deep burgundy. Someone had arranged fresh cream-colored flowers in small glass vases at the center of each table.
Delyra had reserved the large corner table.
By the time Kai and I arrived — I was still holding his arm; he had not commented on it — most of them were already there.
The boys had settled on one side of the table without any apparent discussion about it, as if it had simply been decided by some invisible social agreement. Rigel sat closest to the middle, broad-shouldered and elbows-on-table, already watching the door when we came in. Xavier sat next to him with his leather notebook open on his lap. Kai took the seat at the far end of the boys' side, slightly back from the table, like he was attending a meeting he'd been accidentally copied on.
And there were 2 faces I didn't fully know yet.
One boy — tall for fifteen, with a calm, open face and pale grey-brown fur at his ears and along his jaw. Beastkin. He sat very straight, very still, like he had been practicing what "sitting with people" was supposed to look like and had landed somewhere close to correct. His hands were folded neatly on the table. He glanced at me when I walked in, then quickly looked away.
The girl next to him was the opposite in every imaginable way.
She had short, dark hair that looked like it had been cut with scissors she'd found on the floor. Her horns were small and slightly asymmetric — demon-born. Her posture was collapsed sideways onto one elbow, her legs probably crossed wrong under the table. She was already eating a bread roll that she had clearly taken from the basket before anyone else arrived.
The girls' side: Delyra at the head, Vivienne beside her with her notebook already out and pen clicked. Cressida at the far end, dry violet flower behind her ear, tea cup in hand. Leena next to her, swinging one leg lazily. Kayla beside me, silent and composed.
"Excellent!" Delyra said, clasping her hands together once Kai and I had sat. "Now that everyone has arrived, I think it's only proper to make some introductions."
"We already know each other." Rigel said.
"Most of us." Delyra corrected, her violet eyes moving coolly to the two unfamiliar faces. "I invited Serena and Espen on purpose. Class C is a class. We should function like one." She straightened her back. "So. We'll go around the table. Name, one interesting fact. Something fun, not a rehearsed line."
Serena — the demon girl — already had her hand in the air. "I'll go."
"Serena Sylvester. 14. Demon, which I know everyone already noticed. My interesting fact is that I have broken 4 school rules since the start of term and I've been caught for exactly none of them." She seemed genuinely pleased about this.
"Anyway. Hi."
A moment of silence passed over the table.
"Hi!" said Leena, cheerfully.
"Hi, I'm Espen. I'm 15, a Beastkin from the eastern ridge settlements." He said, calmly.
"My interesting fact is that I have never eaten a meal with more than 3 people before attending the academy."
"That must have been lonely." Leena said, which was the kindest possible response.
"It was," Espen said. He seemed genuinely relieved that someone had said something. "I preferred it."
"I'm Rigel Ravin," Rigel said. "My group cleared Floor 2 in under 12 minutes this morning, and our average entry speed has improved by 6% over the last 4 days."
"That's impressive." I said.
"Thanks."
Xavier went next. He cleared his throat, staring down at his open notebook.
"I-I'm Xavier Reyes," he said. Delyra looked directly at him, causing him to swallow hard, but he managed to continue. "I-I'm good at mapping and earth magic..."
He looked faintly proud, though he quickly closed the leather notebook as if hoping no one would ask a follow-up.
"Kayla Caroline." Kayla said, her face expressionless. "I like mystery novels."
"Cressida Vael." Cressida said, setting her cup down with a delicate click. "My family is from the northern reaches. And my interesting fact is that I'm very picky."
"I'm Vivienne Hartwell." Vivienne said, offering a warm smile. "My interesting fact is that I have already filled 6 pages of notes on everyone at this table."
"I take it as a compliment." she added.
"Leena Grelynn." Leena said, leaning forward to rest her chin in her hands. "I'm an elf from a human frontier village. And my interesting fact is that Elfie here was my first real friend in the academy."
She grinned at me when she said it.
"Mine too." I said, before I could stop myself.
Which was unfortunate timing, because I was technically next in the rotation.
"We know Elfina." Delyra said, gesturing for me to continue anyway. There was a small, knowing smile on her face that I had learned to distrust.
"You don't need to introduce yourself." Vivienne added helpfully. "We're aware of you."
"We're very aware of you." Serena said.
"Class Representative." Cressida said. "Rank 0. First-ever perfect Celestial score in academy history. We've all been briefed."
"I was in every class bulletin since day one," Leena confirmed. "Elfina Lunaris, bold and italicized."
"There was a diagram of your achievements." Xavier said quietly.
I looked at Kai. He was holding his teacup with both hands, staring into the middle distance with the exact expression of someone who had found a very comfortable distance from a situation and intended to remain there.
"I'm not that remarkable..." I said.
The table made a collective noise.
"I genuinely work hard." I said. "And Rigel helped a lot with the strategy for the practical—"
"I didn't help with the Celestial score," Rigel said immediately, raising both hands.
"The celestial score was — different circumstances—"
"She solved an 800-year-old paradox," Serena said. "On a test. For entrance exams."
"Could you explain how?" Delyra asked. She laced her fingers together. "I'm genuinely curious. Celestial magic is the least studied field in academia. The theoretical framework alone requires understanding quantum resonance across seventeen distinct stellar classifications. How does a 12-year-old approach a problem that graduate scholars couldn't solve?"
I opened my mouth. I had no idea how to answer this.
Rigel stepped in before I drowned.
"Celestial magic." Rigel said, with the calm authority of someone who had clearly prepared this speech before, "is unique in that its highest forms operate on intuition rather than logic. Classical scholars failed the paradox precisely because they tried to solve it mathematically. Elfie's magic is instinctive at its core — she doesn't translate the problem into a language, she feels the answer before she consciously understands it. That kind of magical sensitivity can't be taught. It's intrinsic."
He said all of this very sincerely.
It was complete and elaborate nonsense, but it was well-delivered nonsense.
Rigel.
Bless him.
I owe him a treat.
"That makes sense," Delyra said, nodding slowly.
I kept my face perfectly still and made a private promise to myself that I would absolutely let Rigel have the last pastry.
I let my eyes drift to the other end of the table.
Kai had not spoken since we sat down. He was holding a small cup of plain black tea and had ordered a slice of dense rye bread with a thin layer of honey — the cheapest thing on the menu, probably, because I knew for a fact he was counting his coins. He looked calm. Not uncomfortable-calm, not performed-calm. Just genuinely existing in a room full of people without any particular reaction to any of them.
I could never figure out how he did that.
"And Kaiser," Delyra said, her eyes shifting to the end of the table. "We are still waiting on yours."
Kai set down his teacup.
"Kaiser Everhart." he said. "12. My interesting fact is that I'm not particularly good at anything and I have no opinions."
A brief silence settled over the table.
"That's..." Vivienne started, her pen hovering. "interesting."
"It is." Kai agreed, and took another bite of his bread.
---
Rigel, having warmed up, began talking about the exam.
"If we look at the data," Rigel said, leaning forward and tapping the table. "Our primary obstacle for the 9th floor isn't the monster density. It's our transition efficiency between rooms. Group A's average delay is 14 seconds per room. Over a full run, that's a loss of nearly 3 minutes of active combat time. We need to implement a strict pacing protocol."
Vivienne was writing frantically. Rigel stared at him, looking like he was debating the physics of magical malfunction, before Leena put a hand on his arm.
She picked up her tea and said, with great cheerfulness: "Rigel. It's a day off. The exam is in 2 days. Stop."
"I'm not—"
"You've need to stop obsessing over the practical."
"That's normal!" Rigel protested.
"Relax and take a break before you give yourself a stomach ache."
Rigel closed his mouth.
"Fine..." Leena said pleasantly.
---
"Is it true you grew up in a human village?" Serena asked, leaning across the table toward Leena. "Like, a real one? With muddy roads and no magic?"
"Yes," Leena said, taking a sip of her tea. "My parents left me there when I was young."
Espen tilted his head. "Why?"
"Elves don't like things that don't fit," Leena said simply, her tone completely even. "They asked me to leave when I was about 10. I didn't really understand it back then. I just packed a bag and eventually ended up at the academy, me and Rigel are childhood friends."
"You fought Elfina in the entrance exam." Vivienne said.
"Yes."
"And then became friends immediately afterward."
"She cried," Leena said. "I cried. It seemed like the natural next step."
"I was having a hard day." I said.
"You were having an excellent day." Leena said.
Then the questions came toward me again, the spotlight inevitably returned no matter where the conversation wandered. Serena leaned forward with the kind of direct, fearless curiosity that apparently came with having no social filter and said:
"Alright. Tell me how you actually did it. The Rank 0. Not the instinct speech, the real one."
"I'm just different." I said. "I think about magic differently. I don't follow the standard models."
"Everyone says that," Serena said.
"She really does, though." Rigel said. "Most celestial mages try to calculate orbital resonance as a fixed value. She does it instinctively. That's a completely non-standard approach."
"She's that brilliant." Rigel added.
He's saving me again.
He gets two cakes.
I snuck another look at Kai. He was still not talking. He had finished his rye bread. He was now holding his tea with one hand and looking at the canal through the window, and the afternoon light was landing on his face in a way that made him look —
I looked back at the table.
Delyra had pulled up her Dwarvian Phone.
"Before we talk about where everyone came from." she said, "I want to mention something."
"A few boys have been paying attention to our class representative." Delyra said, eyes moving to me with a very precise, composed expression.
I felt something brace inside me.
"That Axel kid." Delyra said. "He stares. In the corridor. It's every time."
"It's a bit much." Cressida said.
"He might confess to her." Kayla said, almost conversationally. "February 14th is close."
"What happens on the 14th?" Leena asked.
Rigel blinked. "You don't know?"
"I don't..." Leena said. "We never celebrated it right Rigel? What is February 14th?"
"It's Valentine's Day." Rigel said. "It's a holiday where students confess their feelings to someone they like. Usually, they buy chocolates or write letters, and the academy even sets up a special delivery service for it on the 14th."
Leena frowned. "Buying chocolates? If you like someone, shouldn't you just tell them rather than buying them chocolates?"
Rigel let out a small, rare laugh. "Normally, yes. But here, they prefer to make it complicated."
I had never heard of it either. In Celestine, we had a spring celebration called the Starbloom Festival — offerings left at the water for people you loved, songs at dawn.
Nothing like this.
I hadn't heard of buying chocolate for someone. Or confessions at sunrise. Or the specific social danger of the 14th.
I moved my eyes to Kai, which I wasn't thinking about, it was just where my eyes went.
He was eating something new. He had ordered a small portion of warm mushroom soup — I knew because it was the second cheapest item on the menu.
And he was eating it slowly, not paying attention to anyone, the way he always didn't pay attention and always was.
How was he always so calm.
He existed in rooms like a piece of furniture that had come to life but had no particular interest in announcing it.
It was —
I realized Delyra was looking at me.
"Do you?" she said.
"Do I what?"
"Like him. The boy who stares at you."
"I don't even know him," I said. The words came out without effort because they were simply true.
"He's sent some strange messages. I don't really think about him."
Delyra's eyes moved — slowly, deliberately — down the table.
They landed on Kai.
There was a pause.
"Everyone," Delyra said, in a completely different tone. "I think we should play a game."
Vivienne's pen clicked instantly.
"What game?" Rigel said.
"It's called Hot Seat and Honest Answers," Delyra said. "The girls ask the questions. The boys have to answer. All of them. Same question, one by one."
Every single boy at the table had a different reaction.
Xavier looked immediately terrified.
Espen looked quietly calculating.
Rigel frowned like he was identifying a rule violation he couldn't quite place.
Kai looked at the canal.
"That's unfair," Rigel said.
"Yes." Delyra agreed.
"We should get turns too." Rigel said.
"You can have turns after." Kayla said.
"How many questions for you?"
"3."
"Each?"
"Total."
"That's not fair."
"Rigel." Leena put her hand on his arm. "It'll be fun."
"Leena."
"Look at Serena. She's excited."
Serena had both elbows on the table and was grinning in the specific way of someone who has been waiting for an opportunity and has now been handed one.
Espen, across the table, looked at Serena.
"I'm fine with it." Espen said, very quietly.
Rigel stared at him. "You just met these people."
"That's true." Espen agreed.
Rigel looked at Kaiser, who had still not spoken or reacted in any way.
"Kaiser. Thoughts."
Kai looked up from the canal. He looked at Rigel. He looked at the girls' side of the table. He looked at Delyra.
"What's the prize if we answer well?" he asked.
"The satisfaction of having shared something real." Delyra said.
"No free food involved?"
"The pastries are already paid for."
"Then I have no particular objection." Kai said. He looked back at the canal.
Rigel appeared to consider abandoning the social contract entirely and leaving the building.
He did not. He sat back. "Fine. Fine. Whatever."
Question 1 was asked by Vivienne, who uncapped her pen and said: "What do you actually want to be when you leave this academy? Not what your family expects. What you want."
She had clearly been waiting to ask something like this since she arrived.
Espen was quiet for a moment before he spoke.
"I don't know exactly..." Espen said. "But I've spent most of my life alone on the ridge. I think I'd like to do something where there are people around."
He said it with perfect composure, as if it were a completely ordinary admission.
"Like some sort of social work?" said Leena softly.
"Yes." Espen agreed.
"Ohhhh," said the rest of the girls' side.
Rigel straightened slightly.
"I want to be a field commander." Rigel said. "Not an advisor or a planner. The one in front of the Asura forces. I want to be in the position where my decisions change the outcome of a battle."
The way he said it made it sound like a certainty he'd been carrying for years.
"Ohhhh, that's actually really good," Vivienne murmured, writing it down.
Xavier looked down at his notebook, then up, then back down.
"I want to make maps." Xavier said, his voice small but steady. "Not based on country or region. The completed one. I want to map the places that have never been mapped."
He looked faintly surprised that he had said it out loud.
The girls were very quiet.
"Xavier." Vivienne breathed, pressing her pen to her mouth. "That's actually beautiful."
"OHH THAT'S SO SWEET!" Serena said.
Xavier went very red.
"Kaiser." Delyra said.
Kai looked up.
He considered this for a moment. He put down his tea.
"I want to have a consistent sleep schedule." he said.
The girls stared at him.
"That's the vision." he added.
"...Oh." said Vivienne.
"Oh." said Delyra.
"Oh." said Leena.
"Oh. Nice." said Kayla.
Kai picked up his tea again.
Rigel pressed two fingers against his forehead.
---
Question 2 came from Kayla, who waited until the table had settled and then asked, without any preamble: "What is one thing you genuinely cannot do that other people assume you can?"
"I cannot read a room." Espen said immediately. "Not in the social sense, and not without significant effort. I'm working on it, but progress is slow."
He spoke without any embarrassment, stating it like a missing tool.
"You're doing fine!" Leena said, with complete sincerity.
Espen looked at her like this information was a discovery.
Rigel frowned slightly.
"I cannot accept losing." Rigel said. "Not well. I know how to behave after a loss, but I can't accept it without it becoming a angry at myself and I cannot sleep. I always need to analyze and fix it, which isn't always useful."
The girls were watching him more quietly now.
"I cannot fight under real-time pressure." Xavier said, looking at the table. "I've built my whole strategy around never having to do it. But in the dungeon, when there isn't time to build a wall, I panic. I know I slowed everyone down."
"You didn't slow us down." I said.
He looked at me. He looked like he didn't fully believe me but appreciated the attempt.
"Kaiser." Kayla said.
Kai looked at her for half a second.
"I can't ever contribute properly to our class."
Nobody said anything.
"Oh." said Vivienne.
"Oh. Nice." said Delyra, with the careful expression of someone who had heard something and wasn't sure what it meant.
Kai drank his tea.
Rigel was looking at the wall.
---
Question 3 came from Leena, who stood up slightly — she always stood up slightly when she wanted the whole table to hear her — and said: "Tell me something you're scared of. Really scared. Not spiders. Not the exam. Something underneath."
The table went quieter than it had been all afternoon.
Espen looked at his hands for a long moment.
"Being forgotten." Espen said, his voice calm. "Being someone who came and went, and nobody noticed."
"Espen." Serena said, and for once, her voice was completely soft. "That's really sad."
"It's fine," Espen said. He looked at Serena. "I'm working on making people notice."
"OHHHHH." the girls' side erupted.
Serena appeared extremely flustered and went back to eating bread.
Rigel spoke quickly, as if he wanted the words gone.
"I'm afraid of my class failing because of a call I made." Rigel said. "It's not the failure itself. It's being the reason for it."
"You won't be." I said.
"You don't know that." he said.
"I know Class C." I said.
He looked at me. He nodded once, very slightly.
"That's so mature." Vivienne whispered, frantically writing.
"I'm afraid of open spaces and conflicts." Xavier said, very quietly and without a stutter. "I know it sounds irrational, which is why I don't talk about it."
"It doesn't," Leena said. "It sounds like someone who processes safety differently."
Xavier looked at her with visible shock, like she had said something he had been waiting years to hear.
"LEENA!" Vivienne hissed. "That was perfect."
"Oh my," said Cressida, which was the most emotional anyone had ever heard Cressida be.
"Kaiser!" Leena said.
Kai put down his soup spoon.
He thought for a moment.
He said: "Running out of money."
Silence.
"Oh." said Vivienne.
"Oh." said Cressida.
"Oh, nice." said Leena, smiling.
"Oh." said Kayla.
"He really doesn't have any opinions does he?" Vivienne muttered.
Kai picked the spoon back up.
"That was terrible." Rigel said, somewhere between relieved and appalled.
"I thought it was good," Kai said.
"It was the least honest thing said at this entire table."
Serena was laughing with her whole body, her head dropped toward the table.
Espen, next to her, was smiling — the first real smile he'd shown all afternoon, uncertain and a little surprised at itself, like he wasn't used to having a reason to.
I looked at Kai. He was looking at the window again. The canal light was silver now, tilting into late afternoon.
Honestly, how does he do it.
He sits in the middle of all of this and none of it touches him and he still makes the room better.
I don't know how that works.
I looked back at my tea and decided not to think about it too carefully.
---
Delyra tapped her Dwarvian Phone and slid it into the center of the table, instantly lifting the mood.
"This," Delyra announced, "is what the boys of Asura Academy have been doing instead of studying for the exam."
The girls leaned in.
It was a list. Title: Top 10 Most Beautiful Girls in Year 1.
Leena frowned. "Why would they do such a thing? Isn't it rude to rank people based on their appearance?"
Delyra glanced at her screen. "Nah. Besides, Rigel voted for you."
Leena froze.
Rigel immediately started coughing, turning to stare at the window as if the canal had suddenly become the most fascinating thing in the world.
I looked at the screen.
1. Rose Valentine (Class A)
2. Sylvia Somerset (Class B)
3. Cecily Isha (Class A)
4. Delyra Nysira (Class C)
5. Belial (Class B)
6. Ivy (Class B)
7. Leena Grelynn (Class C)
8. Elfina Lunaris (Class C)
9. Vonia (Class B)
10. Sonya (Class B)
"4 from Class A, 3 from Class B, and 3 from C," Xavier muttered, analyzing the spread. "It's an accurate distribution."
"I am the highest in our class!" Delyra said, brushing a strand of her brunette hair behind the ear. She looked extremely pleased with herself.
"4th overall. A respectable metric, given I'm competing against literal royalty."
Leena was still staring at the 7 next to her name. "People think I'm... pretty?"
Rigel stopped coughing. He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes firmly on the wall, but his voice was steady.
"You are. Objectively. Really cute..."
Leena went very pink and hid her face behind her teacup.
"Look at them." Serena said, nudging Espen. "They're blushing."
"It is an interesting data set." Espen commented calmly. "Though beauty is entirely subjective, the consensus forms a fascinating curve."
I stared at the screen.
Number 8.
I'm in the top 10 in the entire academy.
But... why 8th? Why am I lower than Rose? Lower than Leena? Lower than Delyra?
"So," Delyra said, lacing her fingers together and looking at the boys' side of the table. "Who voted for who?"
"That is strictly personal," Rigel said quickly, recovering his composure.
"The votes are public on the server," Delyra argued pleasantly. "I can just ask my friend in Class A who leaked this to pull your specific ballot."
Rigel sighed, pressing two fingers to his forehead.
"Fine. The rules stated each boy had to vote for at least 3 girls to make it a fair distribution. I voted for Leena, you, and Rose Valentine."
Leena smiled warmly. "Rose does deserve it. The Crowned Princess looks absolutely magnificent."
"What about you two?" Delyra asked, turning her violet eyes to Xavier and Espen.
"I-I voted for You," Xavier stammered. "Because you're... uhm... nice. And Leena. And Elfie."
"I voted for Serena," Espen said. "She's very loud. It's memorable. And Cressida, and Elfie."
I looked at Kai.
"I haven't voted yet." Kai said before anyone could ask.
He held out his phone toward Rigel. "Rigel. Add me to the group."
"Sure." Rigel said, tapping his own screen.
Delyra returned her attention to the list. "If we look at the metrics," she said, examining her nails, "I would argue I should be 3rd. Cecily is too quiet. I have a much stronger presence. My facial symmetry is superior."
"You are definitely top 3, Del," Vivienne agreed, writing it down.
"Class C's jewel," Cressida added dryly.
I kept staring at the screen.
8th.
A memory surfaced, uninvited. Cold stone floors in the orphanage. The other children pointing at me.
You look like a freak, a boy had said, pulling on my hair.
Pink eyes. Pink hair. Like a demon.
I had spent years trying not to be seen. I had thought, if I just kept my head down, no one would judge me for how strange I looked.
But here I was. Ranked. Weighed against the rest of the academy.
And I was 8th.
"Why am I 8th?" I asked out loud.
I hadn't meant to say it. My voice sounded smaller than I wanted it to, thin and fragile.
The table went entirely quiet.
Leena immediately slid closer, putting an arm tightly around my shoulders. "Elfie, what are you talking about? You're gorgeous."
"You really are," Delyra said. Her tone softened entirely, the competitive edge vanishing in an instant. "Your hair is striking. Your eyes are completely unique. You're beautiful, Elfina."
"The list is stupid anyway," Serena declared, scowling at Delyra's phone.
"You're Rank 0." Cressida pointed out softly, setting her tea down. "Some boys are probably just intimidated by you. It skews the voting."
I looked at them. They were looking back at me with absolute, genuine sincerity.
I felt my chest tighten, but in a good way.
"Thank you." I whispered. My voice was still thick with emotion.
They were just saying that because they were my friends. They were nice people, and they felt pity because I had asked the question out loud and sounded so small, so insecure. Pity is easy to mistake for truth when you want to believe it.
But a magical academy hadn't changed my face. I still had the same strange pink hair. The same pink eyes. I was still the weird kid from the orphanage, just wearing a more expensive uniform. They were just trying to make me feel better.
"Why do you look so sad, Elfie?" Leena asked, leaning close. "You should be happy! You're in the top 10 in the entire academy!"
"She's right," Delyra said, looking up from her phone. "You absolutely deserve that rank, Elfina. In fact, if the boys had any taste at all, you would be higher. Your features are incredibly pretty."
"Rigel," Kai said, tapping his screen. "Add me back to the group."
Rigel sighed heavily, briefly distracted from staring at Leena. "I sent the link twice already. It's in your messages."
"It's not."
"It is. Refresh."
"You have an ethereal quality," Delyra continued, gesturing with her cup. "People notice it. It's not just standard beauty; it's striking."
"Exactly!" Xavier said quietly, his eyes fixed on his notebook. "The way your magic manifests... it makes you look like you're glowing sometimes. It's a very beautiful aesthetic."
"Rigel." Kai said again. "The link."
"I just sent it a 3rd time, Kaiser. Use your eyes."
"I did. It's not there. Add me back."
"I can't add you back if you're already in the chat, Kaiser!" Rigel snapped, his patience wearing thin.
Leena ignored them, holding my hand. "We all think you're pretty, Elfie. You don't have to doubt it."
Maybe they're right... I thought, letting out a slow breath. Maybe I left all of that behind. Maybe the past really is just the past, and people here see someone different.
But what if it's a joke? What if the boys who voted for me only did it because I'm Rank 0? Because I'm a novelty? What if nobody actually thinks I'm pretty at all?
"You're overthinking it, Elfina!" Delyra said, leaning across the table and speaking with absolute conviction.
"The boys in this academy are complete idiots, but even they have eyes. You're the Class Representative. You're Rank 0. And you're easily one of the most stunning girls in our year. Do not let whatever doubts you have make you feel like you don't belong here. You earned your place, and you deserve to be recognized."
"8th is honestly too low for you."
I wanted to believe her. I really did. I tried to tell myself that the past was gone, that the kids who used to pull my hair and call me names had no power over who I was now. I was a student at Asura Academy. I was strong. I was supposedly beautiful to the people around me. I had to stop living in the shadow of things that had already happened. The past was dead.
But the shadows have a way of clinging, no matter how bright the light gets. A part of me was still that little girl hiding in the corner, waiting for someone to point and laugh.
"I disagree," Kai said, putting his phone face-down on the table.
He was looking directly at us.
Kayla's eyes snapped to him, and a small, sharp smirk appeared on her face, as if she had been waiting exactly for this.
Delyra frowned, her violet eyes narrowing. "You disagree with what, exactly?"
"With what you just said." Kai replied.
"That Elfina deserves the 8th rank?" Delyra asked, her tone suddenly very cold.
Kai nodded once. "Completely."
A heavy silence dropped over the table.
Leena looked at him, completely confused. "Kaiser... why would you say something like that? That's so mean."
"So you think Elfie isn't worthy of being 8th?" Kayla asked, leaning forward, actively throwing fuel onto the fire.
"Yes." Kai looked at her. He didn't hesitate.
I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach.
He thinks that way...?
He's right. He always just sees things the way they are. He doesn't bother with pity or politeness. He knows I shouldn't be on there. It was all just a joke.
I'm not pretty. I never was. The pink hair, the pink eyes... I'm just a freak. He's the only one honest enough to say it.
My hands gripped the edge of my skirt under the table.
"If she doesn't deserve 8th?" Delyra said, her voice dropping to a dangerous, deadly calm, "then who does?"
"Someone else." Kai said simply.
Delyra slammed her hand on the table, her face flushing with anger. "Apologize to her. Right now, Kaiser. I'm not kidding."
"It's fine..." I said quickly, my voice shaking. "It's okay, Delyra. I know I don't... I know. I shouldn't even be on a list with people like Rose or Sylvia."
"I'm not like them. It's really okay."
"It is absolutely not okay!" Vivienne said, her pen hitting the table with a sharp crack. "Why are you defending him? He's being a jerk!"
"You shouldn't let him speak to you like that," Serena said, glaring at Kai. "That's so mean and insensitive!"
"I said it's fine..." I repeated, staring very hard at my half-empty teacup so I wouldn't have to look at any of them.
"He's just being honest. It's better to know the truth than to live in a lie just because people are being polite to me."
I'm fine. I'm completely fine. My chest just feels like it's collapsing in on itself, but it's fine.
"He's acting like a heartless idiot!" Delyra muttered, her eyes burning as she stared at Kai.
"Please don't call him that..." I whispered, looking up at them. "Don't call him hurtful things. He doesn't mean it like that. He's just... Kaiser. He's just being honest."
Please don't hate him. He's the only one who doesn't lie to me.
"Worse than rude!" Delyra snapped, ignoring my plea. She leaned forward, glaring at Kai.
"You're lucky to even have a friend like Elfina, Kaiser."
"You don't deserve her."
"If you don't think she deserves that rank, then who did you even vote for?"
"I voted for Elfie." he said.
Delyra blinked, the anger on her face faltering into confusion. "And?"
Kai took a slow sip of his tea.
"Only Elfie." he said.
"She is the most beautiful girl in the world, and I don't care if you don't think so."
"She's my Elfie, and I'll always love her, no matter what."