The hallway was wide, much wider than the one downstairs, with enough space for several students to pass each other comfortably. The floor was made of dark wooden planks, creaking softly underfoot. Benches were placed along the walls at intervals, some occupied by students chatting, others empty.

Voices echoed lightly through the corridor, mixing with the occasional laugh or the faint hum of magic being practiced somewhere nearby.

As I walked, the hallway opened up into a much larger space.

It wasn’t a corridor anymore, but a common area.

The ceiling rose high above, supported by thick stone pillars that gave the room a sense of weight and structure. Tall windows lined one side, letting in soft daylight that spread across the polished floor.

Couches and padded chairs were arranged in loose clusters, some facing each other, others turned toward low tables covered with books, cards, or scattered belongings. A few students lounged there, talking or resting.

Near one of the pillars, two students stood facing each other, quietly casting small spells. Faint glows flickered between their hands, lighting up their faces for a moment before fading again.

Along the walls stood marble statues of armored figures, each carved in a different pose, their surfaces smooth and pale under the light.

The whole place felt lived-in. Comfortable. Like people actually spent time here. I glanced around for a moment, then shook my head and turned back.

Not my destination.

I followed the signs again and stepped into a narrower hallway branching off from the common area.

This one was tighter, quieter. Doors lined both sides, closer together now, each marked with a number. I slowed down, checking them one by one as I walked.

209... 211... 213...

By the time I reached the end, the corridor split into two directions.

Left and right.

I turned left.

A few more steps, a few more doors...

215...

Then finally.

217.

I stopped in front of it, pulling the key from my pocket as I stared at the number for a second.

Then I stepped forward and brought the key up to the lock.

"Huh... not locked?"

Seeing that it wasn’t locked, I took out the key, then paused and just turned the handle.

The door opened into a small room.

The space was narrow but organized. Along the right wall stood a bunk bed made of dark wood, the frame sturdy but slightly worn at the edges. The lower bed was neatly made, while the top one was occupied.

A guy sat up there, his back resting against the wall, one knee raised while the other leg hung off the side. He held a book loosely in one hand, his eyes half-lidded like he’d been forcing himself to read out of boredom.

Blonde, messy hair. Blue eyes. Around my age. Maybe a little shorter than me. He noticed the door opening, blinked once, then broke into an easy smile as he closed the book.

"Hey! So you’re the new guy, huh?"

"Yeah... hey."

The far wall had two tall windows set side by side, letting in soft daylight. A small wooden table stood beneath each one, both scratched up from use. Between the tables were two narrow wardrobes, one slightly open with clothes stuffed inside, the other empty.

Other than that, the room was bare. No rugs, no decorations, no personal touches yet.

The guy hopped down from the top bunk with a light thud and tossed the book onto the nearest table.

"I’m Ken Noi. Nice to meet you."

"Ace Walker. Nice to meet you."

I glanced around again. Two people in one room made sense, I guess. There were way too many students for everyone to get their own space.

At least he didn’t seem like a problem.

"Woah, buddy," Ken said suddenly, pointing at me. "You need to wear your ring all the time. That’s your divine mark."

"Oh... yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck, not really wanting to get into that. "Which class are you in?"

"1-C." He said. "You?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"1-F."

"Oof. F, huh?" He grinned. "And here I thought I had it bad. You actually made me feel good about myself."

I just shrugged.

"Man, I’m starving..." he muttered, rubbing his chin. "But we’ve still got half an hour before dinner. How about we practice?"

"Practice?"

"Yeah. We’ve got an arena here too, just not as big as the one at the academy." He nodded confidently. "It’ll be good. Trust me. Best way to kill time, I tell you."

"You’re ranked C, and I’m F, Ken." I let out a slow breath. "I’d rather not get hurt, if I’m being honest."

"It’ll be fun!" He grinned, giving my shoulder a firm pat. "Come on, come on, come on!"

"Eh... I’ll pass," I replied. "I’ve got something else to do anyway. Need to finish a... quest."

"Aw, man."

"Yeah." I gave a small shrug. "Still, it was good meeting you, Ken."

"Same here, Ace."

Dodging what would’ve probably been an absolute beating, I turned my focus to the task ahead: hunting ten wolves. The reward was thirty-five EXP and with whatever I’d gain from the kills themselves, I might even level up. Not bad.

"Don’t be late for dinner, though," Ken called out, climbing back onto the top bunk. "It’s at six, about four hours from now."

"Got it. Thank you."

"Of course." He stretched, then suddenly froze. "Ah... I left my book on the table..."

He raised a finger, pointing at it. The book trembled, then slowly lifted into the air. A second later, it shot upward, smacking into the ceiling before crashing to the floor. The spell fizzled out, and Ken sighed in frustration before hopping down to pick it up.

"Still can’t cast a proper wind spell," he muttered. "Need more practice."

Deciding I’d pushed my luck enough, especially with flying books involved, I stepped out into the hallway.

Alright... ten wolves. But where was I supposed to find them?

"Okay..." I murmured to myself. "Ten wolves. Let’s get moving."

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎