After everything settled, I left the student hall. The murmurs, the stares, the tension,p I left it all behind without a second glance.
No use clinging to unnecessary noise.
I made my way toward the administrative office, signed the final bit of paperwork, and received my dormitory key. The metal tag clinked dully in my hand. Room 307.
The sun was still high. Only 10 A.M. And yet, I felt drained. Mentally, physically, in ways I couldn't put into words.
When I opened the door to my room, what greeted me felt almost too good to be real. A soft bed. Clean sheets. Sunlight pouring in through the windows.
I didn't even bother to change. I walked straight over, collapsed onto the bed, and closed my eyes.
"Just a short nap," I murmured.
But when I opened my eyes again, it wasn't sunlight I saw. It was stars.
Endless stars.
"You're finally awake."
A familiar, divine voice echoed through the blank horizon. I turned my gaze and there she was, the Goddess Priscila.
"...You again," I muttered, sitting up.
"I owe you an apology," she said quietly, lowering her head. "I didn't expect a problem occur after placing you into Ellen Ymara's body."
I stared at her for a long moment before crossing my arms. "What is it?"
Priscila nodded solemnly. "You are gifted. Exceptionally so. A prodigy even among the chosen. But behind all of it... There's your body. It wasn't just compatible with that talents. It was built for it."
"And Ellen's body isn't." I said.
"Exactly." Her gaze darkened. "I couldn't transfer everything at once. If I did, your soul would have torn her body apart. That's why I had to do it slowly... over time."
I narrowed my eyes. "So what now? You planning to throw in another upgrade like a patch note update?"
She gave a small smile. "In a way. So far, only 20% of your original body's function has been integrated. Today, I'll increase it to 30%."
"That's it?" I scoffed. "At this rate, I'll be dead before hitting 100%."
"You won't. The flow of the story is in your favor. You know it, don't you? You're already adjusting faster than anyone else could."
I took a deep breath. "Fine. Do it."
Priscila raised her hand, and light enveloped me, warm and searing all at once. It was like my nerves were being rewritten, reconnected.
"This will hurt, just a little," she said softly.
I closed my eyes. "I'm used to that. Just get over it." It's a fuzzy memory. I don't really remember how it went.
---
Ellen opened her eyes.
Back in the real world. Her dorm.
She groaned as she sat up. Despite just "waking up," her body felt like it hadn't rested at all. Still tired. Drowsy. As if she'd just finished a day of sparring, not sleeping.
She rubbed her face and stood, trudging toward the bathroom.
"Guess I need a shower to actually wake up..."
The hot water was a godsend. As steam filled the air, Ellen felt her mind slowly catching up to her body.
Just as she finished, wrapping a towel around her neck, a soft knock came from the door.
"E-Ellen...? Are you awake?" A familiar voice called timidly.
Ellen tilted her head, recognizing the voice. Sylva.
With lazy steps, she walked over and opened the door.
"Morning," she said casually.
Sylva stood frozen.
Ellen, hair still wet, water trailing down her shoulders, had opened the door completely nonchalantly, with no clothes on. Only a towel around her neck.
Sylva turned bright red. "W-W-Why aren't you wearing anything?!"
Ellen dried her hair with the towel. "It's the girls' dormitory. Nothing to worry about."
Sylva stammered, her eyes darting to the side. "S-Still! A little piece of cloth wouldn't hurt..."
"Come in," Ellen said, turning around without care.
Sylva hesitated for a second, then stepped inside, still flustered. She'd come to thank Ellen and maybe walk to class together... but this was definitely not how she imagined their morning conversation starting.
---
"Sit anywhere you want." I pulled open the closet. Seven identical academy uniforms hung neatly.
Sylva hesitantly sat at the edge of the bed, watching in silence as I began dressing myself with the enthusiasm of a bored cat.
Hair wet. Uniform half-buttoned. Socks mismatched.
Sylva blinked. "E-Ellen."
"Hmm?"
"Are you... not a morning person?"
I frowned. "Where'd that come from?"
"N-Nothing. I'll help."
With a sigh, she stood and started fixing my collar, combing my hair, tying my ribbon.
---
Roughly twenty minutes later, the two finally stepped out toward class. Ellen, now looking much more presentable, walked with confident steps, while Sylva trailed behind her, exhausted.
She never expected to use so much of her morning energy just to help someone get dressed.
As they entered the classroom, a cheerful voice greeted them. "Morning, both of you! Here, take this!"
The girl handed them each a piece of candy with a bright smile.
"T-thank you," Sylva said softly, her face lighting up at the sweet gesture.
However, Ellen glanced at the candy, frowned, and handed it back. "I don't like chocolate. Got anything fruity?"
The girl's smile stiffened from the unexpected reaction, but she quickly recovered. "O-of course!" She offered a fruit-flavored one instead.
"Nice." Ellen took it and moved to an empty seat.
"Damn... not even a thank you?" a blonde-haired boy said as he approached.
Ellen looked up. "...? Who are you again?"
"It's Caelan! From the Valemont family!"
"Alright, alright. Also, thank you," she added nonchalantly before waving slightly to the candy girl.
The girl nodded with a warm smile. "You can call me Leanna."
Caelan pulled up a seat beside Ellen without hesitation. But Sylva, unsure of where to sit, hesitated before choosing the desk behind them.
Ellen turned around to look at her. "Why are you sitting there?"
"Huh? C-can I sit beside you?"
Ellen tilted her head in confusion. "Why not?"
Sylva lit up and quickly took the seat next to her.
Caelan turned with a bright grin. "Hello there, Sylva, right? The magic you unleashed yesterday was really impressive."
"Thank you... your duel with Ellen was also amazing," she replied shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Aw, you watched that fight? It's a shame your body gave up halfway through." Caelan chuckled, casting a glance at Ellen.
"Well, that was actually a good thing," Ellen said with a confident smirk. "Otherwise, you would've already lost to me."
"Oho? Nice confidence you've got there," Caelan replied, his grin widening.
Sylva sat between them, unsure how to join in their banter. Her fingers fiddled with the edge of her skirt, eyes shifting from one to the other.
Suddenly, Ellen reached out and pulled Sylva slightly by the arm.
"Hey, be careful. Can't you see what they're trying to do? Do you need glasses or something?" Ellen said casually, but her eyes were cold.
Sylva blinked, confused, until she realized what Ellen meant. A group of girls had walked past. Turns out one of them had tried to bump into her with a sharp elbow.
The girls paused and glanced back, surprised that their attempt had been noticed. One of them scoffed, but when Ellen narrowed her eyes at them, they quickly turned away and walked off.
Sylva looked at Ellen, startled. "T-Thank you... I didn't even notice."
"Of course you didn't." Ellen replied bluntly, letting go of her arm.
Caelan raised a brow. "Huh. Didn't expect you to be the protective type." He said with a teasing tone.
"I'm not," Ellen said, "I just don't like cheap shots."
Sylva smiled softly. Even if that was the reason, she's still happy to have someone protect her.
Moments later, the instructor entered the classroom, signaling the start of their first day.
The students immediately quieted down.
"Good morning class. I am your homeroom." It was profesor Ludger.