The walk back to the dorms was filled with a kind of tired excitement—the kind that only came after a long day of training, surprises, and way too many close calls. The four of them—Leo, Drex, Aliya, and Mary—laughed about small things, teased each other about earlier mistakes, and argued over who was the weakest or strongest. The faint glow of the academy lanterns lit the path, giving the night a warm, peaceful feeling.
By the time Leo and Drex finally escorted the girls to their rooms and headed toward their own dorm, the energy had drained out of Leo completely. His footsteps felt heavy, not from physical exhaustion, but from the weight sitting constantly on his mind.
The system.
He lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling, the quiet of the dorm settling around him. Drex was still happily rambling about something—leo wasn't listening. All he could think about was the single question that haunted him every night:
Why don't I have any quests yet?
He clenched his fist.
Quests meant EXP. EXP meant levels. And levels meant power.
Power he desperately needed.
Elemental abilities alone weren't going to cut it. Sure, mastering them could make him stronger, more skilled, more dangerous, but leveling up made everything easier—it boosted stats, unlocked abilities, and gave him the kind of growth normal training couldn't match.He thought about all the novels he had read
That was why he picked elemental classes in the first place.
But what was the point of having a system if it didn't do anything?
He sighed deeply, letting the frustration drain out of him as sleep slowly pulled him under.
This is only getting harder…
---
Morning came much faster than he wanted.
Leo blinked awake to the sound of a door creaking open. Light spilled into the room, followed by a wave of warm steam. Drex walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.
"Oh, you're awake?" Drex said with a grin. "Good morning. I thought you wanted to be late again."
Leo groaned. "What time is it…?"
"Time for you to stop being half-dead," Drex replied. "We have Elemental Focus this morning. Remember who's teaching?"
Leo rubbed his eyes. "Not really."
"Miss Elena," Drex said firmly, pointing a finger at him. "The strictest teacher in this entire academy. She hates lateness more than she hates noise."
"That sounds impossible."
"It's not." Drex folded his arms dramatically. "And she's the best teacher they've got. If you want to get better with your elements, she's the one who can whip your sorry self into shape."
Leo gave a half-hearted nod. "Whatever you say."
He dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom. The shower was quick, but the warm water helped clear his mind a little. When he stepped out and got dressed, he felt slightly more awake—but the stress about the system sat in his chest like a stubborn rock.
As soon as they stepped out into the hallway, they nearly bumped into two figures standing outside.
Aliya and Mary.
Aliya had her hand raised like she had been about to knock.
"What brings you guys here this morning?" Drex asked, tilting his head.
Leo stopped short, blinking. Somehow, Aliya looked sharper in her uniform this morning—maybe it was the light, or maybe he was still waking up, but he found himself staring for a moment until he snapped out of it.
He quickly added, "Yeah, what brings you here this early? Something you need?"
"No," Aliya said flatly. "You guys are always coming late, so we came to pick you up. This wasn't my idea—it was Mary's."
Mary rolled her eyes. "If we're late for our first real class, I'm blaming all of you. So let's move."
The four of them started down the hallway. The academy was more awake now—students walking around, chatting, practicing small elemental tricks in the air. Blue sparks, tiny flames, spinning pebbles, and floating drops of water shimmered around the corridor as students warmed up early.
Drex nudged Leo gently. "You sure you're okay? You look… stressed."
"I'm fine," Leo replied quickly.
He wasn't.
But he couldn't tell them the truth.
No one knew about the system—not Drex, not Aliya, not Mary. And Leo intended to keep it that way, at least until he understood it better.
Aliya glanced at him. "You're sure? You're being weird this morning."
Leo forced a nod. "Just tired."
They reached the courtyard, and the cool morning breeze carried a faint hum of magic through the air. It was like the academy itself came alive during mornings like this—symbols carved into stone walls glowed faintly, and the ground vibrated with low elemental energy.
Then something happened.
A faint ding echoed at the edge of Leo's awareness.
His heart skipped.
A system notification?
He blinked hard and focused—
Nothing.
Yeah keep playing with my feelings you damned system he screamed internally
No reply as expected
No window. No text. No chime.
Aliya looked over. "You look like you saw a ghost."
"Nothing," Leo said quickly, walking faster.
But inside, his thoughts spiraled.
What was that system? Was it pranking him? Or was it another glitch?
Before he could think more, the academy bell rang loudly across the courtyard.
"That's our cue," Mary said. "Move!"
They picked up pace, weaving through the crowd of students. Some were running, some were calmly strolling, and some looked exactly like Leo felt—still half-asleep. The closer they got to the Elemental Hall, the stronger the magical energy became.
The building was massive—tall columns shaped like spiraling flames and swirling wind, water-like carvings running through the walls, and glowing stones arranged in elemental patterns on the floor.
"Come on," Drex whispered. "If we're late, Miss Elena will turn us into training dummies."
Leo wasn't sure if he was joking.
They rushed inside, slipping through the doors just as the second bell rang.
The classroom was large, shaped like a semi-circle, with platforms for demonstrations and tall windows letting in bright morning light. Students were already seated, some reviewing notes, others showing off tiny elemental tricks to their friends.
Leo took a quiet breath.
Still no quests.
Still no EXP.
Still no levels.
This day better give me something… anything.
Aliya and Mary slid into their seats, Drex following. Leo moved to the row behind them and sat down, the wooden chair creaking slightly under him.
He exhaled slowly, bracing himself.
And just as his body settled into the seat—
Class began.