Kael woke to the faint scent of medicine and clean sheets.
The infirmary ceiling stared back at him—smooth white stone with glowing runes pulsing softly along its edges, their light gentle and rhythmic, like a heartbeat.
The air was cool and still, carrying with it the faint herbal sweetness of healing tonics and enchanted salves.
His ribs ached with a dull, persistent throb.
His arms felt like overcooked noodles. And something in his back popped every time he breathed too deeply, sending sharp little reminders that yesterday's fight had absolutely happened.
He sat up slowly, groaning as the stiffness in his spine greeted him like an old, unwelcome enemy.
The bed was far too soft—almost swallowing him whole—but he wasn't complaining.
Not after sleeping on academy dorm mattresses that felt like stone slabs with delusions of comfort.
The room itself was eerily quiet. Peaceful, even.
Until the door opened.
Theo stepped in, looking entirely too well-rested for Kael's liking. Not a wrinkle marred his uniform. Not a speck of dust clung to his impeccably clean glasses. His hair was perfect. His posture immaculate.
'Of course.'
"Oh," Theo said, seeing him upright. "You're already awake."
"Disappointed?" Kael rasped, his voice still rough from sleep.
"No. Just surprised." Theo adjusted his glasses, a hint of amusement in his tone. "I honestly thought you were planning on sleeping for a week. Just like you said."
Kael rolled his eyes, then immediately winced as pain shot through his ribs. "Please don't make me laugh. Something in my ribs is definitely broken."
"The healers said you'd be fine by tomorrow." Theo walked over and handed him something small and heavy.
A badge.
It was circular, made of dark metal—obsidian, maybe—with a faint silver glow pulsing at its center.
The academy's crest was etched into its surface: the fang piercing through a shield.
Kael frowned, turning it over in his hand. "What's this?"
"Your token," Theo said simply. "You passed Test Two."
Kael blinked. "Wait. Seriously?"
"You held your ground, didn't surrender, and apparently impressed at least one of the evaluators." Theo's tone was matter-of-fact, but there was something approving in his gaze. "Congratulations."
Kael stared at the badge, his thumb brushing over the engraved crest.
I passed.
A small, stupid smile tugged at his lips despite the pain.
"Does this mean I'm finally a real student?"
Theo tilted his head slightly, that familiar analytical look crossing his face. "No. It's not that easy."
Kael's smile faltered. "Of course it's not."
"This just means you're now eligible to take the final exam—the one that actually determines your placement."
"Wow." Kael slumped back against the pillows, the badge still clutched in his hand. "No pressure at all."
"Exactly." Theo's lips twitched—barely—in what might have been amusement.
Kael groaned. "Do you have any idea what the third test might be?"
Theo shook his head. "Just assumptions, but it's definitely going to be team based. We'll have to wait and see."
Before Kael could respond, a familiar golden glow flickered at the edge of his vision.
'Oh you've got to be kidding me. Don't I get sick days?'
"..."
The screen materialized, cheerful and insistent.
[Daily Subtask: Acquire Knowledge]
[Ask 10 questions about this world and retain the answers.]
[Progress: 0/10]
[Penalty for Failure: Memory disruption - You will forget the names of everyone you meet for 24 hours.]
[Time Remaining: 15hrs.]
Kael stared at it.
Then at Theo.
Then back at the screen.
"...Huh."
"What?" Theo asked, noticing his expression.
"Nothing. Just... thinking." Kael scratched the back of his neck. "Actually, I do have some questions. About some stuff. The academy. All of it."
Theo's eyebrow rose slightly. "This is new."
"What do you mean?"
"You've never asked questions before. You just... seemed to accept things and move on."
Kael shrugged, wincing at the motion. "Yeah, well. Maybe I'm tired of being clueless."
Theo studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. Ask."
◆ ◆ ◆
They left the infirmary together.
The academy felt... different today.
Where before the air had been thick with nerves and anxious silence, now it buzzed with motion and energy.
Students wandered the walkways, talking animatedly, their voices overlapping in a constant hum of excitement and relief.
Some sparred in practice fields, their weapons clashing with sharp, rhythmic clangs. Others raced up staircases toward upper floors, their footsteps echoing against stone.
Magical glyphs shimmered across walls, vibrant and alive, casting shifting colors across the pathways.
Floating rune-lights drifted lazily overhead, bobbing gently like luminescent jellyfish.
The sky was clear and brilliant blue. Banners hung between towers, rippling in the breeze, their colors bright and bold.
It felt like the academy had exhaled.
Kael looked around as they walked the winding garden path that cut through the central plaza, taking in details he'd been too exhausted to notice before.
Towering archways of blackstone etched with glowing runes. Floating sigils pulsing above doorways. Sparring fields crackling with magic and the gleam of weapons catching sunlight.
The whole place looked like a mage's fever dream combined with a war college.
And it was... kind of impressive.
"So," Kael began, his hands in his pockets. "What happens now?"
Theo glanced over. "Now? Nothing. Today's a rest day."
"No surprise test?"
"Nope. They're giving everyone time to recover. Test Three is tomorrow."
"And that's the final one?"
Theo nodded. "The third test determines class placement. After that, you'll be sorted into your year group and assigned instructors. Right now, everyone's technically 'unranked.'"
Kael processed that, filing it away.
[Progress: 1/10]
The notification blinked faintly at the edge of his vision.
'Right. Keep going.'
"I've been meaning to ask," Kael said casually. "Where are all the second years and above? I've only seen one second-year student this entire time."
Theo looked at him, genuinely surprised. "You saw a second-year?"
"Is that not possible?"
"It's... unusual." Theo adjusted his glasses, his tone thoughtful. "The reason you haven't seen any upper years is because they're in the real academy. And we're not."
Kael stopped walking. "...What?"
Theo turned to face him fully, his expression serious.
"Did you really think they were just going to mix us—unproven candidates—with official students of the academy?"
Kael opened his mouth. Closed it. "...I guess not?"
"Exactly." Theo gestured around them—at the towers, the walkways, the entire sprawling complex. "This place you're standing in now is more of an illusion. A constructed space designed to house first-year candidates and filter them out. The real academy is in a completely different location."
Kael blinked, his brain struggling to catch up. "Wait. This entire place is... fake?"
"Not fake. Just... separate." Theo's gaze drifted upward, toward the towers. "It exists in a pocket dimension—anchored to the real academy but isolated from it. Everything here is real enough to touch, but it's maintained by magic. Once you pass the final test, you'll be transferred to the actual campus."
Kael stared at him.
Then at the buildings around them.
Then back at Theo.
"That's... actually kind of insane."
"It's efficient," Theo corrected. "Thousands of candidates every year. Most fail. Why waste space on the real campus?"
[Progress: 2/10]
Kael exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "Magic is wild."
"You're only just realizing this?"
"Shut up."
They resumed walking, the path winding through a garden filled with glowing flowers that pulsed faintly in the daylight.
"So," Kael said after a moment. "What about that second-year I saw?"
Theo's lips twitched. "Probably a delinquent who left campus. Upper years can come and go as they please, as long as they're not breaking curfew."
'She sure looked like one,' Kael thought, remembering the green-haired girl vandalizing statues.
[Progress: 3/10]
"Can you explain the academy structure to me?" Kael asked, changing the subject.
Theo gave him a side glance, then sighed—but it was a resigned sigh, not an annoyed one.
"Obsidian Fang operates on a four-year cycle. Everyone here is either a first, second, third, or fourth-year. We're First Gens—bottom of the chain."
"Obviously," Kael muttered. "We're the ones limping."
Theo's lips twitched again—that almost-smile that meant he was amused but refusing to show it.
"After Test Three, students are divided into four classes per year: A, B, C, and D. Each class gets two instructors—one for combat training, one for theory and strategy."
[Progress: 4/10]
"And the ranking determines what?" Kael asked. "Better teachers?"
Theo nodded. "Better teachers, better resources, more Archive access, higher-tier training facilities. Class A students get priority for everything. Class D students... don't."
"So it's basically a fast-track system."
"Essentially. The academy rewards talent and effort. If you're strong, you advance faster. If you're weak..." He paused. "You either catch up, or you fall behind permanently."
[Progress: 5/10]
Kael absorbed that, his mind working through the implications.
"What about inter-class competition? Can you move up?"
"Yes. There are ranking tournaments every semester. Win enough, and you can challenge someone from a higher class for their spot."
[Progress: 6/10]
"And what about resources? What kind of stuff are we talking about?"
Theo thought for a moment. "Better training faculties. Spell libraries with advanced techniques. Access to rare materials for weapon forging. Private sparring sessions with high-ranked instructors. Dungeons."
Kael's eyebrows rose. "Dungeons?"
"Pocket dimensions with real monsters. Controlled, but dangerous. Upper years use them for experience and loot."
[Progress: 7/10]
"Loot," Kael repeated flatly. "Like a video game."
"I don't know what that means."
"Never mind."
They walked in silence for a bit, the sounds of the academy filling the space between them—distant laughter, the clash of training weapons, the hum of magic in the air.
Kael glanced at Theo. "What class do you think you'll end up in?"
Theo didn't hesitate. "A."
"Confident."
"Realistic."
Kael nodded. "Fair enough." He paused. "What about me?"
Theo considered for a moment, his gaze thoughtful.
"Depends."
"On?"
"Whether you actually start trying."
Kael groaned. "You sound like a disappointed parent."
"I'm being honest."
"I know. That's what makes it worse."
[Progress: 8/10]
They reached a bench overlooking one of the sparring fields and sat down. Students were practicing below—some clashing with swords, others flinging spells at enchanted targets.
"A few more questions," Kael said suddenly.
Theo glanced at him. "Alright."
"First: What happens if you fail out of the academy entirely?"
Theo's expression darkened slightly. "You're sent home. No Archive advancement. No second chances. You're stuck at whatever rank you achieved before entering. Most people never progress beyond that."
[Progress: 9/10]
"Harsh."
"It's meant to be."
Kael nodded slowly, filing that away.
"Last question." He turned to face Theo fully. "Why are you helping me?"
Theo went still.
For a long moment, he didn't answer.
Then, quietly: "Because you're interesting."
"That's it?"
"For now."
Kael studied him, searching for deception, for hidden motives.
But all he saw was Theo—calm, analytical, honest.
"...Alright," Kael said finally. "I'll take it."
[Progress: 10/10]
[Daily Subtask Complete!]
[Knowledge retained successfully.]
The notification blinked cheerfully.