A week had passed since the events of that day.
A hazy scene appeared.
A woman…
Her features indistinct, as if white mist swallowed her face whenever the mind tried to grasp them.
Behind her stood a simple rural house—clean, warm in a way that hurt to look at.
Then—
A small child's hand appeared from the other side of the vision,
gently wiping the face of the one seeing the dream.
The woman stepped closer, placed a hand on his cheek, and said in a warm voice,
"Don't cry… I'd be sad if you cried."
Then she smiled and added,
"It's okay. I'll bring you a new doll tomorrow."
The vision shattered—
"Jin… Jin… Jin…!"
Jin opened his eyes.
They were soaked with tears,
his chest constricted by a pain with no name.
Beside him, Lily was crying, shaking him with her small hands.
"Jin… are you okay?"
Her voice trembled, on the verge of breaking.
He took a deep breath, reached out, and gently patted her head.
"I'm fine now…"
Then he smiled faintly.
"Don't cry again, okay?"
She wiped her nose and said with childish seriousness,
"…Okay, Jin."
A Chaotic Morning
A short while later, on the couch in front of the TV—
Lily drank her milk calmly,
while Jin stood behind her… trying to comb her hair.
He muttered while attempting a braid,
"Why… won't it stay?"
The hair slipped free.
"Damn it… how do women do this?!"
His face hardened as if he were in a life-or-death battle.
Lily laughed.
He moved to the kitchen and prepared a simple breakfast.
The phone rang.
"Hello?"
Kevin's half-asleep voice came through.
"Jin! Wake up! Surprise test today!"
"…What?"
"Magic Theory! In one hour!"
The call ended.
Jin smelled something.
Froze.
Slowly turned around.
"…Daaaaamn it, the food's burnt!"
He opened the door to leave.
Suddenly—
Lily clutched his clothes.
"Don't go… d—"
She hesitated.
"Papa… don't go."
Jin froze.
A warm, comforting feeling spread through him—
something he had never felt before.
He bent down, picked her up, and hugged her.
"I won't be late."
He kissed her head.
"I promise."
He left.
After a few steps, he found Shuang Yu standing there.
"Good morning," she said with a light smile.
"Good morning."
They exchanged brief pleasantries.
She said,
"There's a test today. Magic Theory."
He sighed.
"I've hated that subject since day one."
Then—
he suddenly looked at her.
"Shuang Yu…"
"Yes?"
"Do you like children?"
She flinched.
"Y-Yes…?"
"Do you know how to take care of a child?"
"Yes…"
She hesitated, looked down, her cheeks turning red.
"D-Do you mean…"
"You bastard!!!"
A sharp shout rang out.
Jin turned.
A Chinese-looking boy stood there, three others behind him.
"Did you think I'd let you go?!"
Jin looked at him with genuine calm.
"…Who are you?"
Their faces stiffened.
"Huh?!"
"Are you mocking us?!"
The boy shouted,
"I'm Li Wang!
The one who faced you on the first day of school!"
Jin thought for a moment… truly couldn't remember, then replied honestly,
"…Who are you?"
They exploded in rage.
"Crush his arrogance!"
"Beat him!"
Jin turned to leave.
But—
a punch flew toward him. He caught the hand before it landed.
Then—
A slap.
Li Wang hit the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
Jin looked at the others with a demonic calm, clenched his fist, and asked softly,
"Do you want breakfast too?"
They ran away screaming.
Shuang Yu looked at him and said,
"You always end bullies quickly."
Yawning, Jin replied,
"They're just annoying kids. I don't get the appeal."
Then he looked at her.
"What were you going to say earlier?"
She blushed.
Tensed.
"I… I meant… maybe you wanted to—"
"Guys! The exam's about to start!"
Kevin shouted from behind.
Shuang Yu fled in embarrassment.
The Results
After the exam.
Professor Kang Yura announced,
"Today's results are out."
"Congratulations to all who passed."
"The top ten from each department are granted access to the academy's Grand Special Library."
A short while later—
Students gathered in front of the results board.
"Who's first?!"
"My heart's going to stop!"
"Please don't let me be last!"
Rankings
Combat & Dueling – Practical
Kim Suho
Reinhart von Hildras
Martin von Griffinmark (Noble – appears later)
Erwin de Falken (Noble)
Kevin Myers
Aileen Valeri
Ling Shuang-Yu
Theory
Reinhart von Hildras
Aileen Valeri
Martin von Griffinmark
Ling Shuang-Yu
(Suho's name did not appear.)
Magic – Practical
Sylvan von Arkenstein (Noble – important later)
Marcus Hill
Emily von Rosenfeld
Magic – Theory
Emily von Rosenfeld
Sylvan von Arkenstein
Marcus Hill
Comprehensive Subjects
Aileen Valeri / Emily von Rosenfeld (tie)
Sylvan
Reinhart
Jean-Luc Moreau
Suho did not appear.
Kevin was outside the top hundred.
"…."
Then—
"Kevin!"
"You're a legend!"
"Dropping out of the top hundred is an achievement!"
Kevin shouted,
"Shut up! This is injustice! I knew the answers, time betrayed me!"
Everyone laughed at him.
The Grand Library
Those who qualified stood before the building.
From the outside—
an elegant, medium-sized structure, smooth stone façade, nothing extraordinary.
One of them muttered in disappointment,
"…That's it?"
Another said,
"I expected a legendary monument."
They entered through the reception door.
A normal hallway.
Normal ceiling.
Normal floor.
"Is this a joke?" Kevin whispered.
Then—
They reached the inner door.
It opened.
And the moment they stepped inside—
Logic collapsed.
The space expanded instantly.
A vast expanse stretching beyond sight,
towering ceilings vanishing into mist,
hundreds—no, thousands—of shelves arranged in endless circles and layers.
Thick tomes, ancient books, scrolls, atlases—
some floating slowly,
others rotating like small planets.
Stairways rising endlessly upward, suspended bridges between shelves,
and a faint blue glow radiating from magical engravings on the walls.
"T-This…"
someone stammered.
"It's bigger than the dormitory itself!"
"That's impossible!"
"The building outside couldn't contain this!"
Emily whispered in awe,
"…Spatial magic at this level…"
Kevin opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
"Is this a library… or another world?!"
Jin stood silently.
His eyes moved across the shelves,
across thousands of books,
across knowledge accumulated over centuries.
He smiled faintly.
Excitement spread across the students' faces
as they began to wander this vast sea.