Ren's silver eyes fluttered open, and the first thing that greeted him was a blinding white light.
He winced, his pupils shrinking as he instinctively raised a hand to shield his vision.
For a few seconds, everything felt strangely disorienting. His body felt lighter and his mind was clearer than it had been in a while.
Then, as his surroundings came into focus, a slow smirk crept onto his face.
"It works."
The last thing he remembered was standing inside the Evolution Forge, staring at the watch on his wrist and asking how to leave.
The response had been simple; just will it. And so, he had.
Now, here he was.
Ren pushed himself up and glanced around, taking in his new surroundings.
The room was plain, almost sterile, with an aesthetic that seemed to favor simplicity over extravagance.
The walls were a clean, featureless white, and the floor was made of a smooth, polished material that felt cool against his bare feet.
In the center of the room were two simple orange beds, placed neatly side by side.
At the foot of each bed sat a matching orange desk and chair, both made of some lightweight but sturdy material.
The only decorations in the room were two glowing orange mats positioned on either side—whether they were for meditation, training, or some other purpose, Ren wasn't sure yet.
But what stood out to him the most were the two doors.
Unlike the ones in the Evolution Forge, these actually had handles!
Ren's sharp mind immediately put the pieces together.
'This must be the so-called academy they sent me to.'
It was the only logical conclusion. He had spent at least five hours inside the Evolution Forge, but he had no idea how much time had passed in the outside world.
He turned his attention to himself, noticing the loose orange robe tied securely around his waist.
The fabric was light and breathable, clearly designed for comfort. It was simple, but he appreciated the fact that it didn't have any unnecessary embellishments.
Underneath?
Absolutely nothing.
Which, honestly, wasn't a big deal for him. He was a scientist.
He had worked with countless human bodies, studied them, experimented with his own, and had been naked more times than he could count.
If anything, he was surprised they had given him clothes at all.
Still, he would have preferred something a little less… bright.
Orange? Really?
As he was wondering what he was supposed to do next, the door suddenly swung open.
Ren's eyes immediately locked onto the newcomer.
She was a tall, gorgeous girl, probably around eighteen years old, with long dark hair that cascaded over her shoulders and sharp, bright green eyes that flickered with surprise the moment she saw him.
For a split second, she hesitated. Then, she smiled politely and greeted him in a pleasant, almost sing-song tone.
"Good morning, cutie."
Ren froze.
Then, his brain went into overdrive.
First, the tone. It wasn't playful or flirty, which meant she wasn't intentionally teasing him.
Second, the word "cutie." It was a term that could be used for both genders, but the way she said it leaned more towards feminine.
Third, her expression. There was no confusion, no hesitation, and no second-guessing. She genuinely thought…
Oh.
She mistook him for a girl!
Ren's lips twitched as he barely suppressed a smirk.
Interesting.
His silver hair was short and messy, his features sharp but undeniably androgynous, and his frame was lean and compact rather than broad or muscular.
It was reasonable that someone might make that mistake, especially since he was wrapped in a loose robe with no clear defining details.
He decided to test his theory.
Smiling slightly, Ren responded with an intentionally ambiguous greeting.
"Morning."
The girl's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze flicking over him like she was reevaluating something.
"Hmm… you've got a weird look," she mused, tilting her head. "And you kinda look like a boy."
Ren's smirk grew wider, but instead of confirming or denying it, he smoothly changed the topic.
"Guess we'll be roommates, huh?" he said casually, glancing at the two beds.
The girl blinked, then grinned. "Oh, yeah! That makes sense." She flopped onto her bed, stretching lazily.
"I mean, I was wondering who my roommate was gonna be. They told me I'd be sharing, but I didn't expect you to already be awake!"
She then turned her attention back to him, smiling brightly. "I'm Lia, by the way."
"Ren," he introduced himself.
Lia hummed thoughtfully. "Ren… yep, definitely a weird name."
Ren chuckled but didn't comment.
He had already confirmed everything he needed to know;
She had mistaken his gender and a he was his roommate. These were all useful pieces of information.
Lia sighed, rolling onto her stomach and kicking her feet in the air. "Ugh, I'm kinda nervous, though. Tomorrow's the first day of orientation, and I really, really wanna get into the elite class."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Elite class?"
Lia nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Only a handful of students get selected into it every year, and they get way better training, resources, and opportunities. It's insanely hard to qualify, though…"
She bit her lip. "I've been preparing for this for months, but I'm still really nervous."
Ren leaned back slightly, processing this.
An elite class, huh?
That meant there was a tiered system in this academy, and not everyone was treated equally. That was important information to keep in mind.
"Well," he said, stretching slightly. "Good luck, then."
Lia pouted. "You don't sound very nervous."
Ren shrugged. "I don't really know what to expect, so there's no point in stressing about it yet."
Lia stared at him for a second before snorting. "Hah! You're weird, Ren."
She grinned. "But I think we're gonna get along just fine."
Ren smirked. He leaned back slightly, arms casually crossed as he took in every word Lia spilled.
It had only been a few minutes since she waltzed into the room, but he had already made several key deductions.
First, she was a chatterbox.
Not just your everyday talkative person—no, she was the kind of person who loved to talk. The type that would fill in every silence, eagerly providing information even when not directly asked.
Second, she knew a lot.
From the way she spoke, it was clear she had been involved with this world of magic for a long time.
She wasn't just a newbie stumbling into the academy like he was. She had prior knowledge, connections, maybe even a family background in this.
Useful. Very useful.
Ren saw an opportunity.
He decided to use a simple strategy. Instead of asking complex questions, he would prompt her subtly, letting her own excitement lead her to reveal more than she might intend.
"So," he said, keeping his tone curious but not overly eager, "this place… is it inside the academy?"
Lia perked up immediately. "Oh, no, not yet!" She waved her hand dismissively.
"We're in the Dorms Area, which is technically outside the academy. This is part of the Side Block—a kind of transition zone. Right now, we're not officially students. We still have to pass orientation before we're fully admitted."
Ren filed that away.
"So… what academy is this, exactly?" he asked, pretending to be mildly interested.
Lia grinned. "You don't know? We're in the Imperial Weaver Academy! It's the best weaver academy in the entire human realm!
"Every Awakened dreams of getting in, but only the top talents actually qualify. It's where the future rulers, heroes, and supreme weavers come from!"
She placed both hands on her hips and puffed out her chest, looking almost proud just talking about it.
Ren, on the other hand, had one very specific thought.
'Wait… so I got kidnapped into the Harvard of magic schools?'
That explained why all those old people were practically ready to kill each other over him.
He had suspected this place was important, but the fact that it was the most prestigious academy in the human realm meant things were even more complicated than he thought.
Lia suddenly tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly. "Hey, wait a minute…"
Ren remained perfectly still.
"You don't seem to know much about the Awakened world," she said, looking at him suspiciously. "That means you must have a high Attunement grade!"
She leaned in eagerly. "What is it?! Tell me!"
Ren's mind worked quickly.
He wasn't stupid. If a random girl like Lia was already questioning him, then keeping his true abilities a secret was even more important than he initially thought.
His divine-grade Weaving Attunement?
Yeah, definitely not something he should casually bring up in conversation.
Instead, he opted for partial truth.
"Special grade," he said smoothly.
Lia's eyes lit up. "No way! Me too!"
She practically bounced with excitement. "That's awesome! Special-grade Attunements are super rare! We're both top geniuses!"
Ren simply smiled. How would she have reacted if she knew he had a Divine Grade Attunement?
She extended her hand enthusiastically. "Be my friend, Ren!"
Ren, suppressing the urge to chuckle, shook her hand. "I hope to learn a lot about this world from you."
Lia grinned. "No problem! I'll teach you everything I know!"
Ren relaxed slightly. If he was going to navigate this academy, having a well-informed, excitable roommate who was eager to share knowledge would be extremely useful.
But then, just as things were settling down…
Lia suddenly clapped her hands together. "Alright! I need to shower quickly and then head to immersion!"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Immersion?"
"It's like deep meditation training," Lia explained, waving a hand dismissively. "It helps attune us to the Loom around us. But first—"
She paused.
Then, completely casually, she tilted her head and grinned.
"Wanna bathe together?"
Ren froze.
His brain broke.
'Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Did she just— Hehe'
Lia blinked at him innocently, clearly not realizing how absurd that statement had sounded.
Ren's thought process exploded into chaos.
'She thinks I'm a girl so she has no reason to think this is weird. This is normal for her. OH WOW!'
But still, no matter how tempting the offer was, he could not let this happen.
But at the same time, if he reacted too strongly, she might start questioning things.
So, with every ounce of self-control in his body, Ren simply smiled politely.
"I think I'll pass."
Lia pouted. "Stop acting shy, let's bathe together. We're friends after all!"
Then, without a shred of hesitation, she walked towards him, grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the bathroom door, whistling to herself.
This was a deadly misunderstanding!