"Wha—"
The sound barely had enough time to leave his lips as the girl moved.
It wasn't a panicked flail, but a trained, fluid motion. Her fist, small but moving surprisingly fast, connected squarely with his face.
The impact was explosive. A bright flash of pain erupted in his nose and cheekbone, and he was sent stumbling backwards, his shoulders crashing into the doorframe behind him. The force of the blow was far beyond what he would have expected from a girl of her size.
At the same moment, alerted by the girl's earlier scream, a few doors across the hall began to creak open.
Lune's mind, sharpened by survival, kicked into overdrive. His face throbbed, his vision swam slightly, but the instinct was clear. Unsure what to do in this situation, he did the only reasonable thing—he ran.
He left the female accommodation building in a blur of frantic motion, not looking back once.
He heard confused voices behind him, doors swinging open, but he was gone before any of them could even get a clear look at him. Without a second wasted, he darted across the courtyard and burst into the other, identical building—the actual male dormitory.
He didn't stop until he found Room 206 on the second floor, swung the door open, and locked it shut behind him, leaning against the cold wood, his heart pounding against his ribs.
'Why the fuck would they not put any signs on which building is which?! And why did my key open the other door?!' he cursed inwardly, the full, horrifying embarrassment of the situation washing over him. He touched his nose, wincing. It wasn't broken, but it was sore. The girl packed one hell of a punch.
'Am I going to get expelled before my first day?' he wondered, a cold dread seeping into his gut.
Slowly, he took a step away from the door.
His eyes scanned the room. It was small but well-maintained. A single window looked out over the dark courtyard, a neatly made bed stood against one wall, and a simple desk with a chair sat opposite. It was nothing luxurious, but it was more than most people his age ever had. A place of his own.
He let out a deep, shuddering breath and collapsed onto the bed. The feeling of soft cushions wrapping around him after the stone and sand of the Realm Beyond was otherworldly. If it weren't for the racing, panicked thoughts of what had just happened, he would have been sound asleep within moments.
Unfortunately, there was no stopping the mental spiral. He began crafting excuses, looking for a clever way to deflect the blame.
It was a mistake! The buildings look the same! The key worked! It all sounded far too weak.
He was so consumed by the impending doom of a disciplinary hearing that he barely registered the passage of time. The adrenaline faded, leaving only a deep, soul-crushing exhaustion. His eyes grew heavy, the soft bed finally winning its battle against his anxiety.
Then, a sudden, jarring ring tore through the silence of his room.
Lune jolted upright, his heart leaping into his throat. On the small bedside table, a mechanical clock was ringing, its bell shrill and insistent. He glanced at its face.
07:00.
"Dammit, it's morning already?" he let out a long, weary sigh and dragged himself out of the bed. He felt like he barely got to close his eyes as the alarm went off.
Cursing in his head, he looked around the room.
When his gaze landed on the desk, he saw a neatly folded academy uniform.
Without wasting any time, he put on the uniform. The dark navy tunic and trousers felt a bit loose, but compared to his tattered, bloodied clothes, they were a huge upgrade.
'Don't they have more than one size?' he wondered as he turned and walked toward the door, ready for whatever the consequences of his mistake yesterday were.
But as he swung open the door, he saw a half-familiar figure standing there with her hand raised as if about to knock.
"Hi, I'm Lia. I will carry out your Academy Orientation," said the girl with the long silver hair. The very same one he had seen in the female dormitory. The very same one whose fist had introduced itself to his face.
Lune's heart sank.
'It's over... I'm done for...'
Colour vanished from his face as he expected a swift reunion between her fist and his face.
But the girl simply continued smiling at him, a bright, professional expression.
'Does she not recognise me?' he wondered, stunned at the girl's lack of reaction.
But before he could dwell on it, he realised that he was simply staring at her, his mouth slightly open.
"Oh, um, hi. I'm Lune," he replied, his voice sounding strained to his own ears.
"Nice to meet you, Lune," she replied cheerfully. "Ready?"
"Y-yeah," he managed, his mind reeling.
The girl, Lia, proceeded to take him on a comprehensive tour of the academy.
She showed him the cavernous cafeteria, the echoing training halls with their worn practice dummies, the tiered lecture halls, and the intimidating Administrator's office.
Throughout the entire orientation, Lune kept his responses to polite monosyllables, avoided direct eye contact as much as humanly possible, and prayed to any god that might be listening that his luck would hold.
And somehow, it worked.
She gave no sign of recognition. Perhaps the lighting in the dorm had been bad. Perhaps she'd been too startled to get a clear look. Or perhaps he just had a very forgettable face. Whatever it was, it worked.
Finally, they came to a halt just outside the main reception hall, now bustling with hundreds of students moving to and from their first lectures.
"Well, this is it," Lia said, her smile still in place. "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to find me."
Then, a sudden realisation flashed across her face. "Oh, by the way," she added, her head tilting, "did you know we have the exact same room number? 206. Isn't that a crazy coincidence?"
Lune felt a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck. "Y-yeah, it is," he replied, forcing a chuckle and scratching the back of his head.
"Anyways, I'm gonna go now. You have your introductory lecture in an hour, so don't forget, okay?" she said. With a final wave, she turned and hurried off, disappearing into the thick crowd of students.
Lune let out a long, slow exhale, the tension draining from his shoulders so abruptly he almost felt lightheaded.
Somehow, he had gotten away with it. Relief washed over him as he realised he was safe from the girl's wrath.
'An hour... I should be able to make it to Grandma's stand,' he noted in his head.
His grandma had a small food stall not far from the main city square. If he walked fast, he could make it there, see her, and get back in time for the lecture. After everything he'd been through, the need to see her, to confirm that his old life was still there, was a physical ache he couldn't ignore.
After a second of thought, he did just that. He turned his back on the Academy gates and walked, his pace quickening with every step, toward the only person who had probably awaited his return every single day.