From the outside, the Department of Magical Studies didn't look any different to the other buildings on campus. It was clean and modern. But the moment Suho stepped in, there was a different kind of tension in the air.

“Good morning.” Lucian greeted the woman at the front desk with a nod. “Is Professor Hwan in?”

“He’s in his office on the second floor."

“Thank you.”

They headed past her, but Suho could feel her eyes following him.

“The magic department is smaller than most of the others,” Lucian explained, noticing his nerves. “She knows you’re not someone who’s usually here.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Who knows?”

The tone of his voice was always playful, but it had taken on an edge since they got here. Suho tried to brush it off—he didn't know the professor very well.

“You’ll be coming and going pretty often, so at the very least she’ll get used to you.”

They stepped into an elevator, and Lucian pushed the button for the second floor.

“What will I be doing here?” Suho asked.

“I’m bringing you to Professor Hwan Dongho,” he replied. “What exactly you’ll be doing will depend on him. Have you met him before?”

“I don't think so.”

“Figures. He teaches a pretty esoteric third year elective. Statistical Analysis of a Post-Dungeon World. He’s mostly active in the university section.”

“Are you normally in charge of assistant placements, professor?”

“No, not at all.” Lucian chuckled. “I’m just another instructor, like the rest of them. But Professor Hwan is in need of an assistant, and he refused to come get you. So I’m the messenger today.”

“Why was he unable to come?”

A tense silence fell between them. The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open.

“You’ll see,” Lucian finally answered.

He stepped out into the hallway. He normally came off as soft and unassuming, one of the most friendly faculty members. But the lazy smile that graced his face today somehow resembled a cat looking at a fish on a chopping board.

“Let me give you a bit of advice,” he said. “When you meet Professor Hwan, keep your hands behind your back and don't touch anything. Let me handle him. He’s quite particular.”

“…I will be careful.”

He felt a little bad for Suho. Of all people to be placed with, Professor Hwan would not have been on his list of people to hang out with. But a punishment was a punishment. And it truly hadn't been on purpose—any new assistant would've been destined for this place.

They reached an office door. Lucian looked at Suho and nodded silently to his hands. He obediently held them behind his back.

Lucian entered without even knocking. Instantly, a mug sailed at his head. With a flick of his finger, it hit a magic barrier midair, fell, and shattered across the ground.

“Nobody gave you permission to enter.”

Professor Hwan, a man in his forties with thick glasses, was glowering at him from the opposite side of the room. His office was an organized mess—papers, boxes, and pens scattered everywhere, yet right where they needed to be.

“I know you’ve been dreading our visit all day,” Lucian replied. “You were watching us the moment we entered the building.”

“That still doesn't mean you can come in.”

“You allowed this, though? The one who applied for an assistant was you.”

A paper in his hand crumpled as he formed a fist.

“I applied for a magic department student assistant,” he said. “Why on Earth am I getting a melee hunter kid?”

“Because you need one,” Lucian replied. “Your project is starting imminently, and you’ve got no one to work with. Well here you go.”

He pushed Suho forward.

“This should be more than what you requested. Suho’s a great student. He’s ranked sixth among the hunter class.”

“I don't care how high anyone ranks among the hunter class. We’re running experiments here, not laps!”

Lucian sighed. So obstinate. Professor Hwan was usually an incredibly qualified, intelligent man. But some things just set him off, especially when it came to his work. He was picky to a fault.

Lucian flicked a finger. The pieces of broken mug on the floor floated and started to piece back together.

“Regardless of what you think about it,” he said, “the placement is set in stone. It’s approved by the headmaster. Suho’s capable of everything you need an assistant to do, so he’s all you’re getting.”

“I’ll wait on the next student assistant.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“And I will be rejecting your next application.”

Professor Hwan’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Lucian.

“You’re not in charge of placements,” he said.

“Neither are you,” Lucian replied. “But look at how you’re acting. I’m just telling you ahead of time—nobody’s going to accept a placement with you.”

That left him in silence. Lucian completed the mug, though the seams where it had cracked were still visible. He gingerly placed it back on Professor Hwan’s desk. He was clearly still unhappy, but Lucian was right. There was no time left until he needed to start his work. And nobody had applied to work with him.

“Fine,” he replied. “But if anything goes wrong, the kid’s getting sent right back.”

“Please use his name. I know you know it.”

“Enough. Did you come here just to fight with me?”

Lucian chuckled. Suho’s image of him was starting to get warped. From his point of view, Professor Hwan was being excessively stubborn, but Lucian seemed to naturally provoke him. It looked like he was maybe even enjoying it. Where was the friendly and easygoing person that people knew on the outside?

“I suppose I have said enough,” he said. “Be nice to Suho. He’s a good kid.”

“I’ve heard. Suspension for a week, remedial classes, and half a semester locked up here. So good.”

“So our opinions differ. I think the fun kids are the best.”

Lucian turned around and sent Suho a smile.

“Good luck.”

“Thank you, professor.”

He went out the door. The moment it slammed shut—

CLANG.

The barely-mended mug shattered all over again without Lucian’s magic to hold it together. The pieces scattered across the floor and the desk. Suho and Hwan made eye contact. After a tense moment passed…

“Clean up the mess.”

Hwan gave him his first job.

⊕

Student assistants didn't normally work on weekends. They could be expected to now and again, but that usually amounted to no more than sending some emails or checking in. Suho maybe should've been offended to be made to sweep a broken mug up on a Sunday, but he was honestly relieved that it was something simple and familiar. Cleaning was easy. Doing experiments and keeping track of data, which he expected would soon be on his docket… that was a world he had no knowledge about.

Professor Hwan had disappeared soon after to prep his laboratory, in a different part of the building. He’d left with a warning to not touch any of his papers, so Suho had busied himself with dusting off the windowsill, misting the neglected plants, and cleaning coffee stains from the desk. By the end of the day, Hwan had clocked out without even returning, so Suho did as well.

He made his way to the cafeteria. Sunghyun wasn't replying to messages, but Kitae said he’d be there. They met up as planned.

“How was the disciplinary hearing?” Kitae asked as they sat with their trays.

“It was alright,” Suho replied. “I started today at the magic department.”

“They’re making you do assistant work? That’s harsh.”

“Is it? I didn't know.”

He’d tried to read up on everything he could before coming to National, but there were still things about this school that he hadn't heard of. Kitae glanced over at him after taking a bite of his food.

“That’s right, you don't have anything to do with the magic department,” he remarked. “It’s not an easy place. Mages are really particular people. It’s a bit of a stereotype, but of the ones I’ve met… they don’t exactly go against the grain.”

Kitae was in the basic magic class, and he was also taking an elective on magic theory. Not to mention, he’d seen Yuna and Hyuna in action. He may not have the deepest look into the magic community, but the mages he did know certainly were a type.

“Have you heard of Professor Hwan?” Suho asked.

“Oh yeah. He teaches the dungeon statistics class. I was thinking of taking it next year.”

Kitae’s eyes widened.

“Wait, is he who you’re assigned to?”

Suho nodded.

“That’s, um… How has it been?”

Kitae didn't want to throw him off with what he’d heard from rumors if they could be false. But by the look that went over his face, maybe they were right.

“It’s been alright so far,” he replied, “but the real work starts soon. I’m afraid I’ll mess up.”

“Was he hard to deal with?”

“He threw a cup at Professor Loren’s head.”

“Oh. Yeah. I’ve heard he’s a bit temperamental. And super strict.”

“Why did you want to take his class then?”

Kitae shrugged.

“I’ve heard he’s actually really good at teaching if you listen to him,” he said. “But he’s so into his work that if you don’t listen, he gets pissed off. He’s also unawakened, so he finds the hunter class a bit hard to handle.”

Suho’s eyes widened. Suddenly, things were starting to make sense. It wasn't uncommon for unawakened people to be sensitive around hunters. That combined with his original personality…

He was already getting tired just imagining it. Kitae noticed his change in expression.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

Regardless of how difficult it might be, Suho had to do it. It was too late to regret what he’d done to get himself into this situation now. And he had nothing against Professor Hwan. They were both in a bad spot, unfortunately at the same time.

“Can you give me a crash course on magic basics?” he asked. “I need to catch up before he asks me to do stuff.”

“Sure thing,” Kitae responded. “Grab your notes and come to mine later.”

Since they’d entered National at the same time, they lived in the same building. It was easy to go over to Kitae’s dorm to study. Suho smiled a bit. It was nice to have some support.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll be there.”

⊕

Thorn darted through the trees under the cover of darkness, on a mission. He was just outside of Seoul, going to meet someone. Or something.

It had taken them some time to determine their next plan of action. Fleur had lost her usual cold rationality now that they were closing in on Cielo, and she’d been sensitive about every choice they made. Thorn had finally been able to convince her to be patient and wait until they had the proper allies on their side.

Gates were the method through which monsters ended up on Earth. They were also how the fire spirits like him and Fleur had arrived here. They formed when pieces of their original dimension split off and crash landed on this planet—whether on purpose or on accident—but the problem was that people who arrived through the gates could never return the way they came. If they needed help, then they had to search for it among the “otherworlders” who were already on Earth.

There was a network, but it wasn't fast. People like them were all living while hiding from human eyes, after all, and they were spread out across the entire world. It’d take time to find the person they needed. But Thorn was sure they were out there.

He stopped in a valley between two mountains. A stream bubbled through the trees. It was a desolate place, if you ignored the crickets.

“I call upon the servants of Múspell.”

Instantly, a spark of fire appeared in the air above him. A fire sprite. They weren't the most intelligent monsters, but they made good couriers. They couldn't be found in the city of Seoul because there were too many hunters around.

“Relay this message,” he said, “Team Red Elf is getting close to the target. We require an imitation specialist as soon as possible.”

The fire sprite held for a second, then bobbed up and down as if showing that it understood. It flew up into the sky, its light slowly blinking out, and disappeared.