The room was painted white with golden patterns, furnished with a study desk, chair, and a spotless bathroom.
I lay on the insanely soft bed, sinking into the plush pillows, a small grin creeping onto my face.
My plan—the one I crafted back on Élodie—had worked perfectly. Pretending to be weak was a success.
If I had shown my full strength, they might've put me in an advanced class or even skipped my grade. But after observing carefully, I realized something—classes here weren't based on skill level. They mixed students of all levels together.
If they suddenly added me to a high-level class, the balance would be off, right?
That meant... they put me here to stabilize my class's overall power level.
"Hahahahaha!" I laughed alone in my room like a crazy person.
So now, I just had to keep acting weak until I graduated.
Ting! Ting!
A chime echoed through the room, snapping me out of my thoughts. I got up and opened the door.
In front of me was a neatly folded brown school uniform. But there was no one around.
Did the school have illusionists or something?
I picked up the uniform and tossed it onto the chair before collapsing back onto my bed.
Tomorrow was going to be exhausting.
As my eyelids grew heavy, I drifted into my first night at the academy, stepping into a new chapter of my life as Nao.
---
The Next Morning
I woke up stretching, letting out a huge yawn.
Glancing at the clock on the table—9:00 AM. Still early.
I lazily got up and started getting ready, enjoying the fresh new routine of my life.
I picked up my uniform, but as I unfolded it, a small paper slipped out and fell to the floor.
Huh?
I picked it up and took a look.
A schedule? Time? Date?
I froze for a second.
No way…
I glanced back at the clock. 9:23 AM.
SHIT! CLASS STARTED AT 9:00 AM!!
Panic surged through me as I grabbed my stuff at lightning speed, moving faster than I ever had in my life.
SHIT, SHIT, SHIT—AM I IN TROUBLE?! THIS IS BAD!
I bolted out of my room, locked the door in a rush, and sprinted down the hallway.
Wait… where the hell was my class?!
I ran while fumbling with the schedule, flipping it open.
There! 1-A!
I folded the paper and dashed towards my class.
Why the hell was the dorm so far from the classrooms?!
---
After an unexpected morning workout, panting for breath, I finally found Class 1-A.
Thank God.
Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly to calm my racing heart before walking toward the door.
Through the window, I saw the teacher already in the middle of a lesson.
I stood at the entrance, waiting for someone to notice me.
Cloc.
Cloc.
Cloc.
…
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO STAND HERE?!
"A new student?" The teacher finally acknowledged me. Took you long enough!
I stepped inside casually. "Yes, I'm the new student." I smiled.
"In that case…" The teacher tapped his desk, drawing everyone's attention to me.
"Introduce yourself—name, age, and level."
I stood proudly, facing my classmates.
"My name is Nao, I'm 17 years old, and my level is…"
I paused dramatically before saying it loud and clear.
"Unawakened."
Soft chuckles spread through the class. Some students smirked, clearly looking down on me.
Perfect.
"You can take that seat over there." The teacher gestured toward the last seat by the window.
I walked slowly toward my desk. Whispers filled the room—murmurs of mockery. Yes, just as planned.
I pulled out my chair and sat down.
The guy next to me had wavy brown hair, big dark eyes, and wore large glasses.
Just from his appearance, I could tell—he was weak, just like me.
I turned my attention to the lesson, scanning my classmates.
"Who knows the answer to this question?" the teacher asked.
Silence.
Then, a guy with bright blonde hair and striking blue eyes raised his hand confidently.
"I know. The answer is…"
He explained everything perfectly, making me raise an eyebrow.
Was he actually smart?
"Correct," the teacher nodded.
Interesting.
I glanced at the clock.
Wait… it's only been 5 minutes?!
SHIT. I'M ALREADY BORED.
My eyelids grew heavier.
And before I knew it…
I fell asleep.
---
Tok! Tok! Tok!
A loud knock on my desk jolted me awake.
I looked up, and my eyes met the teacher's.
FUCK—I FELL ASLEEP.
I sat up straight, trying to act normal.
"What's your name again?" he asked.
"Nao," I answered shortly. Not like you'll remember anyway.
"Nao, in Sir Arsene's class, you're not allowed to sleep or arrive late. Understand?"
His tone was calm, but firm.
So, his name was Sir Arsene. Got it.
"Sorry, Sir. It won't happen again." I slightly bowed.
"Good." He turned back to the board and continued teaching.
Two mistakes on my first day. Damn, I was amazing.
I refocused on the lesson, though honestly, I had no clue what he was talking about.
But I pretended to listen anyway.
After what felt like forever, Sir Arsene finally said something important.
"There are three types of humans—Natural, Blessed, and Cursed.
Natural refers to people who haven't awakened yet.
Once they awaken naturally, they become Blessed.
But Cursed are different—they are people tainted by dark magic."
I raised my hand, making everyone look at me.
"Yes, Nao?" Sir Arsene acknowledged me.
"If someone becomes Cursed, can they turn back into Blessed?"
"Theoretically, yes," he explained. "But only if the corruption hasn't sunk too deep.
The key is simple—don't let the Cursed energy consume you."
"Got it. Thanks," I nodded.
Sir Arsene resumed his lesson.
---
"Alright, class dismissed. See you tomorrow," Sir Arsene announced, leaving the room.
Now it was break time.
I noticed the guy next to me stand up, looking defeated.
He walked toward a huge, red-haired guy.
Before anything could happen, I called out to him.
"Hey, sorry to bother you." I put on my most innocent face.
"Hm?" He turned to me. "What is it?"
"I… don't know where the cafeteria is."
"Oh, just go straight and turn—"
"Could you take me there?" I cut him off, smiling.
He stared at me for a moment.
"…Fine. Follow me."
As we walked, I peeked at the red-haired guy again.
He didn't look happy.
"Nao, right?"
"Yeah. And you?"
"I'm Tetsu. Nice to meet you."
I smiled. "Tetsu… I'll be counting on you from now on."
He smirked. "Sure."