“I think I want to be a mage,” Lunia muttered, as she rested the side of her face on her bicep, staring straight at me.

“Why?” I distractedly asked, continuing to read the book in front of me.

“Far distance. You don’t need to get close.”

“Then just use a bow.”

She snorted.

“Please, weren’t you the one that made fun of me earlier for shooting badly?”

“I was joking.”

“I was too,” Lunia faintly chuckled, the sound reminiscent of a chick’s chirps, “But using mana just feels right to me. And the fact I actually want to learn magic certainly doesn’t detract from it’s appeal.”

As she suddenly went silent, I looked up from my book.

“What do you want to focus on?” she asked, beginning to space out.

“Alchemy probably?” I thoughtfully answered, “Only area of study where talent isn’t the main factor.”

“What about forging?”

“Too hot,” I immediately rebutted.

“True,” she laughed.

Absentmindedly looking at the clock hanging on the wall, Lunia suddenly shot up.

“Shoot,” she cursed, “The meet up is in an hour.”

“So?”

“Taking into account the amount of people leaving class, it’ll take at least thirty minutes to get back to our dorms, another ten to completely change, probably another ten to meet back up, and I don’t even know how much time it’ll take to get there,” Lunia blurted out, attempting to pull me up from my seat.

Sighing in annoyance that I wasn’t even 10% of the way through my book, I memorized the page number I was on, before closing it up.

Hopefully, after the student meet was finished, I would at least be able to finish the section on the first disciple before falling asleep.

Following Lunia into the silent hallway,

“I think I’ve already developed an intense hatred for going through here,” I muttered, cradling the thick, tar colored book closer to my chest.

“Same,” she shivered, “Gives me the creeps.”

I suddenly stopped,

“What’s that?” I nervously asked, pointing forward, my finger faintly shaking.

Just where the hallway began to curve, a humanoid, skin colored figure stood ramrod straight. Silent, completely and utterly silent, it just stood there, watching.

Despite it’s face being perfectly smooth, a nothingness from which no light nor emotion could be discerned, I could instinctually feel it’s gaze fixed on me, observing.

Illuminated by the dim, but also somehow cold lightstones embedded in the walls, ceiling, and floor, it should’ve been clear to identify, clear to distinguish what exactly stood before us. But it was impossible.

A chill ran down my spine. We were completely and utterly trapped.

Slowly backing up, I bumped into Lunia, knocking her to the ground.

I took her hand; it was clammy, slick with sweat.

“That… wasn’t there before,” Lunia nervously stammered.

My heartbeat quickening, I hurriedly pulled her up and towards me.

Gradually speeding up, we began to retreat back to the stone chamber, but even as we reached a near sprint, it always stayed within eyesight.

Even then, what should’ve been it’s legs weren’t moving.

Why weren’t they moving?

Backing up into the stone chamber, and gradually onto the wooden platform, the guardrails stopped us from going further.

It kept approaching us still.

Briefly looking back behind, I held Lunia tighter. She was already shaking in fright before, but now, standing this high up on the wooden platforms, she was only still standing because I was holding her up.

I clenched my teeth.

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Suddenly stopping, the faceless flesh thing raised its arm, it’s joints audibly creaking, as if they hadn’t been used in years.

Pointing directly at us, it charged directly at us, it’s movements jerky and unpredictable.

Screaming in terror, Lunia attempted to dive off of the platform, and had I not held her in place, she likely would have succeeded.

I steeled myself.

With it’s finger still pointed directly at my chest, I cautiously held the book in my arms out, to which the fleshy thing immediately snatched it away.

Securing what it wanted, it slunk back the way it came, still just as silent as when it first appeared.

Lunia hesitantly peeked through her fingers that covered her eyes, and confirming that the blank fleshy thing was gone,

“What the actual fuck,” she cried, her voice choking up, her teary eyes glistening in the library’s light.

***

“Do I actually need to come with you?” I exasperatedly questioned.

After leaving the library, I expected Lunia and I to separate, to separately change into the formal attire Thalric had previously bought for us, and then meet back up.

But akin to a shadow, she followed directly behind me all the way to my room, and had I not forced her to wait outside, she would’ve even done so as I entered the communal bathroom.

“Yes,” she seriously replied, “What if that thing is in my room?”

“I wouldn’t be able to do anything,” I sighed, “But fine, I’ll just wait outside.”

“Nope,” Lunia shook her head, “Inside.”

“You’ve got to be kidding? What-”

“Besides,” she shrugged, “It’s kind of your fault that thing showed up.”

In mock outrage,

“My fault?” I questioned, pointing to my face.

“Yup,” Lunia sanctimoniously nodded, “Yours.”

I turned around, beginning to walk away, all the while staying silent.

“Wait, wait,” she nervously followed behind, tugging on my shirt, “ I didn’t mea-”

Lunia stopped talking, too stunned to, as she watched me keel over in laughter.

She lightly slapped my back, before huffing in anger, and tugging me along to the S-grade dormitory.

Entering her room on the second floor, I marveled at just how large it was.

Taking up a little less than half of the floor itself, it had to have been 20 to 30 times the size of my own. But not only was it quantitatively better, it was also qualitatively, with floors able to be heated with the press of a button, a private bathroom, dozens of top of the line, ornate pieces of furniture, a private physical training room, and even a room specially devoted to alchemy, inside of which was a full set of gold plated alchemical instruments.

The only thing our two rooms had in common was both had a blood red magic circle embedded into the floor. The gateway to The Dream.

Her black dress over her arm, Lunia walked into the room’s bathroom, the hazy frosted glass door shutting behind her.

Letting myself fall back onto a red, plush couch, I shut my eyes, attempting to get what little rest I could, before shooting back up, having remembered a very important fact.

I hadn’t properly cultivated for about a day, and a faint, unexplainable sense of “wrongness” over came me at that sobering realization. It was as if because I hadn’t done this one thing, I couldn’t allow myself to feel one single ounce of joy.

Only able to fully cycle my mana once before Lunia finished changing, I let out the breath I was holding, before looking up, my voice getting caught in my throat as I did so.

Despite the fact that she had previously worn the dress not even a week ago, the air about her was somehow completely different than how I last remembered. No, she was completely different.

The silk black dress cascaded over her body, acting almost as a second set of skin. If Lunia once gave off a shaky, disharmonious feeling, she now felt more natural, more self-assured.

Leaving the S-grade dormitory, we quickly ran to building 21, the setting sun blanketing us in it’s warmth. Suddenly being stopped at the entrance, we were only allowed in after Lunia pulled out and handed over a flowery, ornate envelope.

Unlike the surrounding facilities, the exterior wasn’t the uniform, dull gray I had grown used to, with it instead being more reminiscent of a work of art than any other building I had ever lay eyes on, even taking into account the structures in Thaloria city.

Making our way inside, the interior was somehow even more opulent than the outside, being so luxurious it bordered on showy pretentiousness. The extravagant displays of wealth reached an apex in the main hall, the floor of which was embedded with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of tiny little diamonds, from which the light of the dozens of hanging crystal chandeliers bounced off of.

Despite our being delayed by the fleshy faceless thing in leaving the library, we were still relatively early, with the great hall being only half filled with people.

Spotting a table laid out with a myriad of small, dainty bits of food and refreshments, Lunia pulled me over, before filling a plate of whatever caught her eye.

Taking a pastry from the top of her hoard, the content of which I had absolutely no clue of, I gingerly took a bite of it, immediately being hit with a symphony of flavor.

It’s outer shell delicate and flakey, the mini open faced pie contained a light, slightly savory filling that left one feeling thirsty.

Slapping my hand away, Lunia threw a different morsel into her mouth, and thoughtfully chewed.

“Lunia,” a voice politely called.

Her mouth still full, Lunia turned, and were both met with the smiling Anne, the girl who had previously called out to her after our meal with the King.

Forcefully swallowing,

“Hey,” Lunia smiled, waving at her, to which Anne bowed in turn.

“You trickster,” she teased, “You didn’t tell me you were good enough to be assigned S-grade.”

“It just kind of happened,” Lunia awkwardly shrugged, “I didn’t even know there were grades.”

“Regardless, I’ve got someone I wan…”

Directing Lunia to set her plate down, Anne took her by the hand, and led her away.

A feeling of disbelief taking over my heart at what just happened, I moved to a corner, not knowing what I was supposed to do, when a boy with dark brown hair suddenly walked in front of me, his hand outstretched to me.

“Greetings,” he smiled, “My name is Thane, grade A, rank 7, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

I shook his hand. It was covered with calluses, not unlike my own.

“Sol, C grade, rank 4.”

“Sol,” he thoughtfully looked at me, “No family name? You’re a commoner.”

Seeing me nod,

“Then I’ll be direct,” Thane smiled, “Come under me.”

Remaining silent, I waited for him to continue.

“Let’s walk and talk,” he moved to the table filled with food, handing me a glass of some bubbly liquid, before taking one for himself.