The next morning, Ashen was jolted awake by a blaring alarm, which echoed through the entire building.
The grating noise left no room for hesitation—sleep was over.
After a quick shower and an even quicker breakfast, a sudden knock on his door pulled his attention.
When he opened it, he was met with a man pulling a large cart, dressed in workers' clothes and looking thoroughly numb.
"Ashen Hart?"
"That's me…" Ash replied, uncertain what this was about.
The man handed him a sizable box and then passed over a card. It resembled a regular ID, except for an extra detail—a date: February 11, 2025.
'Looks like the date of my kidnapping.'
"That's your identification. Don't lose it."
"Got it. Thanks."
The man gave a curt nod before moving to the next door—Seraphine's.
'Guess I won't have to wake her up,' Ashen mused, shutting the door and turning his attention to the box.
Inside, neatly folded uniforms were stacked, each with notes indicating their intended use: specialized attire for physical training, a formal uniform for regular classes, casual clothes for outings, and even homewear and pajamas. Several pairs of shoes rested at the bottom.
Not to mention a bunch of everyday-use items.
'Well, that solves one problem. Neat.'
After getting dressed, Ashen glanced at the wall clock.
6:30 AM. Time to fetch that sleepyhead.
He knocked on Seraphine's door a couple of times before it swung open, revealing a neatly dressed woman.
The academy uniform suited her—almost too well.
The white shirt hugged her curves, and the knee-length skirt swayed just enough to tease a glimpse of her smooth, pale legs. Brown shoes and white socks completed the ensemble, striking a balance between cute and sexy.
In contrast to her bright, pristine look, Ashen's uniform was mostly black—black pants, a black outer shirt, and a crisp white undershirt.
The dark palette blended seamlessly with his jet-black hair while making his molten gold eyes stand out even more.
"Ashen, you're here!" Seraphine greeted him cheerfully, giving him a quick once-over. "Your clothes really suit you!"
He smirked, eyeing her outfit in return. "Forget about me—you could easily pass as a campus belle in that."
Seraphine let out a sheepish laugh, playfully smacking his shoulder. "Oh, shut up~. I'm almost 26, you know? What campus belle…"
Ashen chuckled, shaking his head. True, she's a lot sexier compared to those little girls.
As they bickered and joked on the way, the academy's towering buildings loomed ahead. Before long, they arrived at their first class of the day.
Entering the designated classroom with Seraphine in tow, Ashen immediately felt a dozen eyes settle on him.
A quick scan of the room revealed over thirty students, most of whom he had never seen before.
'So, they didn't get here through the same tutorial challenge.'
That alone was enough to put him on edge, but what really stood out was the way they carried themselves.
Many of them exuded an air of superiority, the kind that suggested their status was an unshakable fact, not something to be challenged.
Fleeting looks of disdain flashed in his direction, poorly concealed behind indifference. Some didn't even bother hiding their arrogance.
Even worse, a few of them were openly eyeing Seraphine with disgusting, lustful gazes—treating her like a prize to be won rather than a person.
Hah…
'Escaped one kind of beast, only to run into another. Give me a break.'
Sensing Seraphine's mounting unease, he casually stepped in front of her, blocking her from view as they made their way to the back.
Braun was already seated, waving them over with a grin. He had secured a few extra seats.
"Looks like you got here early," Ashen greeted as he sat down.
"Yeah, waking up early is a habit at this point." Braun then turned his attention to Seraphine, his tone more serious. "More than that—Missy, you alright? Those guys were giving you some nasty looks…"
Seraphine forced a small smile. "Thanks for asking, Mr. Braun. I won't lie, it's unpleasant… but I've had to deal with this before. I've learned to cope with it."
Ashen crossed his arms. "We need to figure out where these guys come from. If we handle things the wrong way, it could get messy."
Braun's expression darkened slightly, as if recalling something unpleasant. "About that… I might have an answer."
Ashen and Seraphine both raised their eyebrows in surprise.
"Well, well. Out with it then," Ashen said, curiosity creeping into his voice.
Braun scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed. "I was just lucky, haha. My neighbor's a chatty guy—humble too, which is rare around here. He talked a lot, but I guess that worked out in our favor."
Taking a breath, Braun continued, "He told me he's from Ironhold Bastion, one of the major factions defending humanity's borders from invaders."
His voice grew grim. "And he's not the only one. The majority of the trainees in this academy come from various powerful factions. Apparently, they look down on us because they consider Esperrans ignorant and… inferior."
Seraphine tilted her head, confused. "I can understand the 'ignorant' part. We don't know much about anything here. But why inferior?"
Braun shook his head. "That part, he wouldn't explain."
Ashen leaned back slightly, deep in thought. Then, something clicked.
"It's the air."
Braun blinked. "What?"
Seraphine let out a quiet ah! as realization dawned on her. "The refreshing air! How could we forget?"
Ash nodded. "We already speculated that the air here does something to our bodies. After just a week of breathing it in, we're stronger, our stamina has improved… Imagine being born here and inhaling it your entire life."
Seraphine sighed, slumping slightly. "That… feels unfair."
Braun chuckled bitterly. "Well, at least we solved the mystery of why they think we're inferior."
As their conversation trailed off, a hush fell over the classroom.
Ashen noticed the shift immediately—whispers died down, and more eyes turned toward the door.
Soft, unhurried footsteps echoed through the hallway, each one light yet strangely distinct.
Then, the door creaked open.