The outside of his room was a simple slanted hallway housing numerous other doors just like his. Looking in both directions, Daniel jolted when he saw something moving along the wall, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a marvel of magic.

A high-definition image was projected on the wall of a small classroom consisting of ten students and a teacher. Unlike any of the teachers on Earth, the white-bearded wizard had a magical staff in his hand, which was spouting water into the air. Then, one by one, the students picked up similar staves, miserably failing at producing the same results.

Such images dotted every wall, depicting the same old wizard performing a variety of different tasks. Whether it was conjuring mountains or riding dragons, he had done it all and more. Daniel’s progress crawled to a stop as he observed every single one of them. If that wasn’t the founder of the guild, it had to be a grand hero of some sort.

He had gotten so entranced by the tale of the old man that he didn’t realise had already reached the end. Instead, Daniel found himself staring at a staircase leading down to an expansive room filled with a variety of colours and aromas, magic flashing on every corner. The stone floor was cut from a reflective blue crystal, small fireflies lighting up the steps of whoever was walking. Large phantasmal constructs in the shape of men flew from one table to another, delivering dazzling platters of food.

The heat of the room washed over him, drawing his attention to a magnificent fireplace that burned with seven different flames. Above the fireplace hung a large cauldron, releasing puffs of colourful smoke. Large couches surrounded the fireplace and several of the older members animatedly argued over the glass of red wine. There, he spotted Lucius, sitting deep in thought.

All throughout the room were dozens of tables made from rich, polished wood, and even more apprentices that sat on large padded chairs. Some were nursing their wounds, and some were flashing their new spells, which faded long before they could do any real damage. A waving hand caught his attention in the corner of the room.

There sat three of the four trainees that had barged into his room. The girl with the scarlet hair was excitedly beckoning him over, which drew more than a few gazes. Soon, half the room’s attention was on him, though Daniel tried not to pay it any mind. The slight blush spreading on his cheeks told a different story.

“Oh, that’s the dying guy they found in the forest,” he overheard one of the younger girls say, not realising her voice was still raised. He glanced at her, to which she responded by lowering her head and avoiding eye contact, her friends roaring with laughter.

Daniel quickly made his way across the room, trying not to marvel at his steps lighting up. He took the only remaining seat opposite the apprentice with the green hair. He looked up from his food, nodding at Daniel.

Figuring he should take initiative, he looked at the trainees before him, speaking up, “Once again, thanks for saving me.”

Now, all of their attention was focused on him. Remembering vague theatre class lessons, he looked each of them in the eye, acknowledging their presence.

“Well, the credit mostly goes to Finnean here,” the girl with the scarlet hair gestured to the man opposite of him. “He was scouting ahead and saw a herd of beasts running from the forest, which prompted us to investigate.”

Daniel glanced at her, taking in her narrow grey eyes and crystal blue earrings. Her long scarlet hair was neat and tidy, though something was unsettling about how she looked at him.

“Eris here said we shouldn’t investigate. It would be too dangerous,” Finnean quipped, setting down his silverware. The meal was barely touched.

“I said we should take some time and not rush in,” she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Right,” he laughed. “That’s what happened.”

A few tense seconds of silence passed, and just as he was about to speak, Eris piped up once again.

“Regardless, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Daniel. My name is Eris. This here is Finnean, and the girl so deeply entranced by her book that she can’t even say hello half the time is Brielle,” she said, gesturing to the girl next to her.

A girl with curly purple hair, a pair of glasses, and a glass necklace waved at him, a gesture he mimicked. She resembled a small owl, which no doubt played into the stereotype, but there was indeed a heavy tome open halfway on the table, with runes he could somehow understand, even if they were backwards.

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“Wasn’t there a fourth member?” Daniel asked.

“There was, but he’s too busy to hang out with us,” Eris replied condescendingly.

“He’s busy making a living, being an alchemist and all. A tough concept to fathom at this table, I’m sure,” Finnean’s gaze narrowed on Eris, but he stopped to look at Daniel as well. In a sense, he was right. Daniel had only worked a few summer jobs as a teen.

“I worked in my family’s library for some time,” Brielle spoke, her voice quiet but confident.

“How about you, Mr noble,” Finnean gestured with his fork, pointing at Daniel.

He stopped for a moment, racking his head. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand how Finnean had considered him a noble.

“I’ve had a few jobs during breaks when I wasn’t studying,” he said, keeping it vague. “And, I’m not a noble. Just a regular person.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit too aggressive towards the guest?” Eris immediately spoke up, an edge hidden in her voice.

“Perhaps. I certainly wasn’t the one talking about him for the entire day and how much I’d like to know him more.”

If one were to compare Eris’ blush and a tomato, she would be redder.

Daniel sat in awkward silence, wondering what he had gotten into - this wasn’t the friendly group of apprentices he had imagined. The moment dragged on until a phantom servant served him a piping hot meal. The only thing he recognized on the plate was some mystery meat, covered in five different spices.

Surely they wouldn’t be serving him something inedible. With those thoughts in mind, he tasted the blue crystalline jello and some long, ridged strips of yellow, vaguely resembling a potato. He was pleasantly surprised by the taste, but perhaps that was because hospital food was utterly bland. The mix of sweet and sour offended his palette somewhat, but not enough to distract from the overall experience.

Halfway through his meal, Eris spoke up again. “So, how did you end up killing the deer? I wouldn’t risk doing it alone, more so now when I’ve seen what happened to your shoulder.

Daniel winced in phantom pain, memories flooding back. He thought for a moment, wondering how much he should reveal. He had read enough stories to know that telling someone you’re from another world was a sure way to end up in the fantasy equivalent of a mental hospital. But, perhaps not.

“Well, the story’s simple. I had accidentally wandered into the forest, and when I came to, I heard a loud crash in the distance.” He raised his hands in mock surprise.

“It was then that I saw the horrific beast, and before I could retreat, it started to charge at me.”

He was downplaying the story as best he could, but he had still somehow caught the interest of everyone at his table.

“I ran into a clearing, and, unfortunately, I missed my first spell. The thing impaled me, and god, the pain was one of the worst I’ve ever experienced,” he winced just thinking about it.

“It must’ve thought I was as good as dead because it dropped its guard. Using that opportunity, I managed to cast my spell again, cleaving its head from its body.”

Had he told this story to his friends, they would’ve been half asleep already, but Eris’ eyes sparkled, the other two deep in thought.

Eris’ eyes wandered over to his shoulder, looking at the burned cloth. “I can’t imagine the pain, but you should get that fixed. Finnean here has a common tailor class, he can mend that in no time.”

A look of annoyance settled on Finnean’s face, but he nodded in agreement. Daniel also noticed a sour expression marring Brielle’s complexion. The venom that accompanied the words ‘common’ surprised even him.

“Oh, but that reminds me. You simply have to show us the spell,” Eris spoke, scooching closer to him. Daniel looked at the other two, and for once, they were in agreement.

He briefly considered rejecting the request, seeing that it was his only offensive spell, but he had seen others casting spells, so it shouldn’t be that unusual to do so himself. This time, he decided to try something different. He mentally focused on a dot in mid-air in the corner of the room. His lips were silent, but in his mind, he uttered the words “Soul Scythe.”

To his surprise, the skill went off without any trouble. An alabaster hand grabbed the phantom scythe, cleaving through the air. It went largely unnoticed, but Eris immediately went silent, avoiding his gaze.

“Ooooh, how menacing,” Finnean spoke with exaggerated fear. “It’s a nice spell, though it would be best for us not to ask Daniel’s class,” he glanced at Eris, and then Brielle, whose eyes lit up like stars.

“Right, I’m done with the friendly dinner. Best not to linger amongst sour company for too long lest you shrivel up and turn into a prune,” he chuckled. “I can fix up those strange clothes of yours, if you wish. Got a word of advice as well,” Finnean stood up, turning his head towards Daniel.

He wasn’t done with his meal, and frankly, he was still quite hungry, but it was probably better than enduring the awkward mood that had settled over the table. Daniel stood up, excusing himself. He made eye contact with Lucius, but the other simply nodded his head. Strange. Then, he glanced backwards, looking at the spectral river leading outside the guild. That would have to wait for another time.

Finally, the both of them made their way back upstairs, his being the closer room to the right. Finnean didn’t spare the mage drawings a second glance, his steps long and hurried.

“What a snake, am I right?” he said, opening the door to his room.