Stepping out of the classroom door, amidst the bustling students, Ryo walked toward the cafeteria. Of course, he was following someone—he still had no idea of the campus layout.
After a few minutes of walking, he entered the cafeteria and joined the line to order a meal.
Ryo sighed as he folded his arms, taking small steps forward in the line every now and then. "Ten years later..."
As Ryo got closer to the dinner ladies, his mouth drooled slightly, and his stomach rumbled at the smell and sight of food.
Steak, mashed potatoes... energy drinks.
He gasped, almost forgetting. "Energy drinks!"
Finally, when he reached the dinner lady, he smiled, relieved, at the mature-looking woman adorning an apron and a warm smile.
"Steak, mashed potatoes, mayonnaise, and salsa sauce. Also, pass me an energy drink for good measure." Ryo was already accessing his wristwatch to transfer credits.
"Sorry, honey. We don't do energy drinks on academy grounds. Only zero-sugar drinks are allowed," she said, her voice warm and calm, her head tilted slightly as she carried on. "These things were mentioned during the induction, dear. Were you listening then?"
Ryo's hand froze as he looked up at the dinner lady with a frown.
'No energy drinks? Is this place a prison disguised as an academy? Fuck school!'
Seeing the dinner lady's confused look, Ryo snapped back to reality.
"Oh, alright. I'll take water then."
'My day is now ruined, thanks for nothing.'
He then transferred 50 credits and walked away from the line, looking around the cafeteria.
Azkala, Azkala, Azkala. Where is Sloth hiding?
His eyes locked onto the sleeping figure resting his face in his arms, alone at a table.
Found ya.
Ryo walked through the tables before sitting on the other side of Azkala, placing his tray down.
Ryo cut his steak and brought it to his mouth, chewing slowly as he watched Azkala sleeping for a moment.
"Azkala. Nice meal you've got. Gonna eat it?"
Azkala did not budge for a moment before raising his head, looking at Ryo with a confused expression.
"Huh?"
"My name is Ryo."
Ryo held out his hand to Azkala, a smile on his face.
Azkala looked at his hand for a moment with indifference before placing his face back into his arms.
"Having a nice talk in your sleep?"
Azkala slowly raised his head once more, his brows furrowed slightly.
"What?"
"You heard me, Azkala. Having a nice talk when you're sleeping."
Azkala looked at Ryo for a moment, the silence between them stretching on for a tense moment.
Azkala's hand shot forward in a blur, grabbing Ryo's collar and yanking it toward him.
Ryo's eyes snapped wide as he got manhandled.
"What the...?"
"Elaborate. Ryo. Tell me, what did you mean by that?" His voice was sharp and firm.
Ryo's hands went to reach for the wrists that were holding him for a moment before dropping them down to the table.
Ryo smiled awkwardly, his eyes meeting Azkala's. "Well, you know, I'll just say it simply. I know who you talk to every time you sleep. I know why you're actually lazy. You're not just a wasted talent, are you?"
Azkala froze for a moment, his fingers trembling slightly. "How... did you know? Nobody has ever..."
Ryo interrupted. "People do know. Including your parents. Why do you think you always had those two guards around you when you were young, until you entered the academy? They were there to keep you down if you ever became a threat."
Azkala's hands let go of Ryo's collar, his eyes wide with shock as his hands clasped together. "What? That can't be. Mother and father would never... why would they?"
"The being you talk to when you're dozing off or daydreaming is not actually your friend, Azkala. It's a demon from the demonic dimension," Ryo whispered slowly, sipping from his bottle of water.
'Hehe, being an author comes in handy, huh?'
Azkala just stared at Ryo for a moment as if processing his words, before letting out a disdainful laugh. "Why should I believe you? Raphael has always had my back. Always been there for me when nobody else has."
Ryo placed his bottle down and clasped his hands together, elbows resting on the table as he stared down at Azkala. "If you call a friend having your back by slowly corrupting your soul, then maybe Raphael does. Azkala, he is corrupting you... he will possess you with demonic power, and he will succeed if nothing changes."
Azkala looked down for a moment in realization, his hands turning white from holding them together so tight. "Is that why I'm always so tired?"
"Yes. When you're sleeping, that's when your soul is at rest. It's easier for demonic corruption to speed up the process while you're asleep. So the demon will influence your mind to induce that," Ryo nodded slowly as he spoke.
Azkala looked conflicted for a moment before speaking. "How do you know this?"
Ryo simply smiled. "I know what I know. But what you must understand is that only I can help. The reason your parents stayed quiet is because they knew but had no way of saving you. The grief hit them hard."
Azkala glanced away for a moment before yawning. "Why would you do that for me? You gain nothing."
'This guy... is strange, but... if what he's saying is true, and I think he's telling the truth... what hope do I have?' Azkala's mind raced.
Ryo held out his hand once more. "Be my ally. I will help you when the time comes, and you... protect me until then."
Azkala's fingers twitched subtly before reaching out and shaking Ryo's hand. "Alright. I hope you're not all talk."
Beep.
Both of them glanced at their watches for a moment before seeing what the notification stated.
[Be at the combat hall for your second lesson - Class D Professor.]
Ryo pushed his chair back as he heard the sounds of students heading to their second lesson.
"Well, let's go. We don't know what that bitch will do if we're late," Ryo said with a chuckle.
Azkala stood up too, his eyes closing on their own as he fought to stay awake, laughing in a way that made him seem like a desperate drug user.
"Yeah. She is really sexy."
Ryo's eyelid twitched at his words. He had been expecting him to insult her, not compliment her looks.
He shook his head. This guy's got no hope.
They both exited the cafeteria.
I defied death once. The chance of it happening again is almost nil. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready for what's coming, but I'll be damned if I don't use my knowledge as the author to prepare myself for the future.