The narrow gaps the curtains had failed to cover gave way to the morning sun. It pierced through, casting its soft, golden streaks across the room.
A faint groan escaping his lips as Levi rolled across the bed. He blinked, adjusting his vision against the brightness.
His body and mind still felt sluggish, like they both weren't fully aware of the fact that a new day had begun.
Then, he remembered, everything that had happened the previous day rushed in. The demon, the girl, the realization about the System. And most importantly, his final decision.
He reached for a pillow beside him, placing it over his face as he let out a muffled groan.
"Urghhh," he mumbled. "All that talk about getting strong, but what am I even supposed to do? It's easier said than done."
He exhaled heavily before flinging the pillow aside and rubbing his eyes. As the remnants of sleep left his system, his vision became clearer.
Satisfying pops echoed through his joints as he stretched his arms and legs.
A blue screen opened up in front of him as he stared into nothing.
[New Quest]
[Pass the bearer test]
[Duration: 24 hours]
"Bearer test? This thing just keeps getting more confusing and annoying each time it appears..." He muttered, barely audible to even his own ears.
That's when he caught a glimpse of Lyra floating close to his bed, a few feet off the ground, legs crossed, arms resting on her lap.
"Early-to-rise isn't your thing, is it?" she remarked, with a glint of amusement in her eyes.
Levi blinked at her, still processing the sight. For a second, his brain lagged before catching up.
He didn't return home the previous day. Lyra wouldn't let him. "Not today... You can move out tomorrow. I'll explain to your friends" was what she told Levi without any further explanation.
"What's the time?" he asked, his voice still a bit hoarse.
"8:30," Lyra replied. Then, with a teasing lilt, she added, "Being late on your first day of school isn't a good first impression, you know?"
Upon hearing the word school, Levi's drowsiness vanished in an instant. His body stiffened as his eyes snapped to her.
"School?" He stared at her like she had just told him the sky was red. "What do you mean school?"
Lyra tilted her head, showing slight confusion. "Uhm… I don't know if it has a different meaning in your world, but here, school is a place where—"
"I know, I know," Levi interrupted, waving a hand. "I know what school is. I just don't remember us talking about me starting one."
Lyra smirked. "But we talked about getting stronger to utilize what the system teaches you well, did we not?"
"School's where you learn the basics... Things I'm sure you know absolutely nothing about."
She leaned forward slightly. "And you're going to a mixed school, by the way."
Levi narrowed his eyes. "Mixed?"
"Yep," Lyra confirmed. "For bearers and non-bearers."
His brows furrowed, but before he could ask, something clicked in his mind.
This world had powers. Not everyone had them. Which meant…
His thoughts drifted as the realization settled in.
In this world, there were three different types of schools.
Bearer Schools—exclusively for those with abilities who they call Bearers. Their curriculum focused on combat training, controlling powers, studying different types of monsters, and survival skills. Most of their exams were practical, designed to push students to their limits.
Non-Bearer Schools—just like the schools in his old world. They followed a standard academic curriculum, with subjects like history, mathematics, and sciences, preparing students for normal careers.
Mixed Schools—a combination of both. Their curriculum was carefully balanced, incorporating general education while also teaching basic combat techniques and survival strategies. Students, whether bearers or not, learned to coexist and function in society together.
And Levi was going to one of those.
Lyra hovered effortlessly in the air, her arms crossed, watching Ryder with a smile.
"Well Bearers..." she began, "that's what we call people with powers. Like Zenon, Emilia, and me." She tilted her head slightly. "So, you're basically going to learn how to use yours… along with normal stuff."
Levi stared at her for a long moment before exhaling a deep, weary sigh.
Lyra chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll be fine." She stretched her arms and flipped midair. "Anyway, I have important things to attend to, so I'm leaving you with Zenon."
Ryder's brows furrowed. "Wait—"
Before he could finish, Lyra vanished.
The air where she had been wavered slightly before settling. Ryder sighed again, running a hand through his hair.
"I wanted to ask if I could start tomorrow," he muttered to himself. "No running away for me, I guess."
Just then, a warm, rich aroma wafted through the air. He turned his head and blinked as if trying to confirm if what he set his eyes on was real.
Beside his bed sat a tray of food, on the nightstand, neatly arranged.
There was a thick layer of butter melting into a golden brown toast, herbs sprinkled on a steaming omelet, and a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
At the sight of it, his stomach growled.
"At least I'm going to enjoy some decent breakfast... " he murmured.
He shook his head and reached for the tray. He had complained about a lot so far, but he wasn't about to complain about good food.
After finishing breakfast, Levi took a quick shower, and changed into the clothes he found neatly folded on a nearby chair—simple but well-fitted.
The building he was in was a castle, and Lyra had not given him the least bit of direction. Finding his way downstairs consumed more time than he could follow up with.
Zenon was already waiting outside by the time Levi got out.
Zenon stood near the entrance, his gaze distant as if lost in thought. His usual calm demeanor made it hard to tell what he was thinking. If he was fine, or disturbed. He was completely unreadable.
As Levi approached, Zenon turned his head slightly, his sharp, black eyes locking onto him.
"You're finally ready."
"Yeah, I had no idea of any of this happening today…" He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.
He tried, but he was still a bit nervous from his first encounter with Zenon and Emilia. Emilia did most of the talking and actions, so he had zero idea about what Zenon was like.
Zenon gave a small nod. "It's fine. But the school is about fifteen miles from here."
"And you're beyond late for your first day at this point..."
Of all things words that came out of Zenon's mouth, only one in particular happened to get Levi's attention. "Fifteen?" He said, raising a brow.
Zenon continued, "I planned on letting you see a bit of Metreona along the way, but I won't have time for that. So, we'll have to hurry things up a bit."
Levi didn't have any idea of what Zenon meant but for some reason, his shoulders stiffened. "Hurry things up? What do you mean by—"
"We'll fly," Zenon said, cutting him off.
"Fly?" His gaze darted around. There wasn't a single aircraft in sight, so what did Zenon mean?
"Uh… but I don't see a helicopter or anything," he said, confused.
Zenon shook his head, a faint smile forming at the corners of his lips.
"Or do you have wings or something?"
Zenon shook his head. "No. Flying is a—" He paused, as if considering whether to explain. Then he simply said, "Just…"
Before Levi could process what was happening, a sudden gust of wind hit him.
The next thing he knew, the ground was gone.
His stomach lurched as he saw the castle shrank beneath him, turning into nothing more than a tiny speck as the world stretched out below.
His breath hitched, then it fully hit him.
"WHAT THE FREAKING HELL!"
He latched onto Zenon instinctively, gripping his shoulders for dear life.
Zenon remained utterly unfazed. "You'll get used to it," he said, his voice steady, "when you learn how to do it too."
Levi barely heard him over the pounding of his own heart. He had experienced a lot of things so he wasn't surprised. But this was all too sudden.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something—a faint, glowing violet aura surrounding him. It wrapped around his body like a protective shell.
He swallowed hard. "Great... What is it this time..."
"It's just to keep you safe while I move," Zenon explained. "Your body right now can't handle the speed."
"Speed?"
"Wait… so you guys weren't just disappearing and teleport—"