After the allocation of all students to their respective sections and the coronation of the 16 Guardian Angels, the handsome prodigy spread his hands. "Okay, students, from now on, we will just meet for every elimination challenge. I'll introduce you to our Head Proctor for this Batch, Head Proctor ARC." Proctor ARC stepped onto the center of the stage. "All your inquiries, complaints, and concerns will be handled by her," the handsome prodigy added.

She was a stunning human girl, clad in a full set of warrior armor that shimmered in the dim light. Despite her imposing appearance, there was a relaxed confidence about her, like she was entirely in control but didn't need to show it off. Kyren, always observant, felt a positive shift in the air as she stood before them, while Hiro leaned forward, his eyes lighting up with interest.

"Hiro, that's the teacher Patricia was talking about," Kyren whispered.

Hiro's lips curled into a grin. "She’s cute. But is she really strong, too? Or just looks the part?"

Kyren rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, Proctor ARC’s voice rang out, smooth yet commanding. "Hello, students. Nice to meet you all. We will have a full day off today, and we will start our first-ever class tomorrow. For now, we will be giving you your uniform and badge that indicates your section."

The official began handing over the uniforms—a blinding white with gold linings—and badges to Kyren and Hiro, the symbol of XVI gleaming on them.

"Always present this badge at the canteen, your dormitory, library, training hall, and weapon storage," Proctor ARC continued, her tone both authoritative and warm. "Your proctors might ask for it before lessons and like during the qualifying exam—protect your badges at all costs."

Kyren took his badge, his fingers running over the symbol, while Hiro fiddled with the edge of his uniform, a frown forming on his face.

“These colors are a bit much,” Hiro remarked, tilting his head as if the brightness hurt his eyes. “Not my type.”

Kyren sighed, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement. “Yeah, I just realized this, bright colors often give me a headache.” He recalled Rayn and her light’s root. “But it’s what we have to wear.”

"True," Hiro said, shrugging. "Anyway, wanna drop our stuff at the dorm and then check this place out? I’m sure there’s something cool around here—like maybe a hidden stash of better uniforms."

Kyren chuckled softly. "Yeah.”

As they entered the dormitory, the sense of age and neglect hit them like a wave. The building was ancient—paint peeling off the walls, cobwebs clinging to every corner, and a musty smell that lingered in the air, as if the room itself had given up long ago. Dust coated the floors, and the windows were so grimy that only slivers of light managed to slip through.

The person in charge of the dormitory barely acknowledged their presence. He sat slumped in a chair, cigarette dangling from his lips, exhaling smoke in slow, lazy spirals. His indifference was palpable.

"So you guys belong here," the man rasped, his voice rough, like it had been scraped raw from years of smoke. His eyes, half-closed behind the haze, flickered briefly over Hiro and Kyren with a disinterested glance.

"Yep! That’s right!" Hiro replied, a little too cheerfully, flashing the man their badge. His forced enthusiasm bounced right off the caretaker’s indifference.

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The man grunted and waved them off. "Just find a room without someone in it. And remember, you’ll have to share with two more, ‘cause this place is too damn small for all of you. We’re cramming everyone in."

Hiro leaned closer to Kyren, muttering under his breath, "And I thought this place was supposed to be prestigious. Feels more like a haunted house."

Kyren gave a subtle nod, his brow furrowed. "Let’s just find a room and get out of here. The sooner we drop our stuff, the better."

They wandered through the decrepit dormitory, each room more dilapidated than the last. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling like old, forgotten memories, and the floors creaked under their steps as though the very building protested their presence.

"It’s like they didn’t care about this dormitory at all," Hiro muttered, shoving aside a pile of debris with his foot. "Seriously, did they just dump all the unwanted stuff here and call it a day?"

Kyren nodded, his gaze scanning the dim corridor, half-expecting something to leap from the shadows. "It’s not ideal, but at least we’re here... right?"

They finally settled on a room, though “settled” was a generous word. The beds were sagging skeletons of their former selves, the frames groaning as if on the verge of collapse. The sheets were stained beyond recognition, and the walls had been defiled with crude graffiti. Vulgar jokes and curse words leered at them from every surface, mocking the very idea of this place being called an academy.

Hiro sighed dramatically, flopping onto one of the beds, which responded with a loud creak. "Well, looks like we hit the jackpot! A top-tier, luxury dormitory experience!"

Kyren gave a humorless laugh, sitting on the edge of his bed and inspecting the graffiti with a weary glance. "I didn’t expect much, but this... this is something else. Still, it’s better than the forest, right?"

"Just barely," Hiro muttered, pretending to check under his pillow for lurking cockroaches. "At least the bugs in the forest don’t insult you with graffiti."

"You know, Kyren," Hiro started, his voice softening as they sat in the quiet room, "I’ve been thinking about what that guy in the event hall said—about us being here by luck. What if he’s right? What if we really don’t belong here, and we end up failing... or worse?"

"It was a gamble, really," Kyren admitted, recalling their tense moment during the qualification exam. "I thought, in that moment, that if they could steal our buttons, then the mechanics of the buttons dictate that those close by would be the ones teleported, not necessarily the original owners. But really, it was all theory in my mind and not necessarily the truth that he would be the one teleported if I hit the button on his hand."

Kyren continued, closing his left eye and aiming for the trash bin with a piece of trash he picked up from the ground. "At first, I was really thinking of aiming for his hands, but suddenly an idea popped up that I assumed he'd block whatever I threw at him because he wouldn't know what I had thrown; it could have been a bluff like I did, or maybe a knife. Luckily, he remained unaware that he'd been holding the button all along. It was pure luck that it worked."

"You're truly a genius, Kyren," Hiro complimented, pondering his own capabilities. "It makes me wonder if I'm truly human race. I don't feel smart enough to devise plans like that."

Hiro chuckled, his playful grin returning. "Genius or gambler, you’ve got skills. Makes me wonder if I’ll ever keep up. I feel like I’m just winging it compared to you."

Before Kyren could respond, the door to their room slammed open, and four students barged in, the atmosphere instantly thickening with hostility.

"This is our room. Get out," one of the students barked, eyes narrowing.

"We’ve already settled in," Hiro said, flashing his usual grin. "How about we share the space?"

One of the students kicked the trash bin towards Hiro, who blocked it with a quick reflex. The tension in the air grew heavier.

"So you’re the bottom-feeders who barely scraped by?" the kicker sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Two out of five humans in the section, and you think you belong here?"

Kyren placed a firm hand on Hiro’s shoulder, his tone serious but calm. "Let’s go. It’s not worth fighting over a dirty room."

Hiro hesitated, then sighed, standing up. "Yeah, Makesense."

Outside, Hiro glanced back at the chaotic dormitory. "This place is a mess. What’s our next move? Still up for exploring the academy?"

Kyren looked at Hiro, his expression softening. "It’s up to you."

Hiro grinned, shaking off the tension. "Let’s hit the cafeteria. Maybe we’ll find something decent, like food that’s not as depressing as this place."

Kyren nodded. "Good idea. Let’s relax for a bit."

Together, they headed off, leaving the chaos of the dorm behind, determined to make the most of their new life at the academy—despite its rocky start.