Rei followed closely behind Kajala, keeping his head down as they walked through the academy's massive halls. The building felt way too big, and there were too many students—talking, laughing, rushing past him like they belonged here. He felt out of place, like he was just waiting for someone to realize he didn't belong.
Kajala, on the other hand, walked with ease, his fox ears twitching excitedly as he took in everything around them. "That's the training yard—oh! And the mess hall! You're gonna love the food here, trust me. And—" He suddenly grabbed Rei's wrist. "Come on, first class is this way!"
Rei barely had time to react before he was being dragged through a set of double doors into a huge lecture hall. His stomach tightened at the sight of all the students already inside, chatting in small groups or adjusting their gear. The room was loud, and there were so many people—it was overwhelming.
He hesitated, shifting awkwardly as his hands gripped the strap of his bag. Was he supposed to just... sit anywhere? What if someone told him he was in their seat? What if he stuck out too much?
Kajala didn't seem to notice Rei's hesitation. He dropped onto a bench near the middle of the room and patted the seat beside him. "C'mon, sit!"
Rei shuffled forward, swallowing the lump in his throat before quietly sitting down. His hands curled into fists in his lap.
Kajala grinned. "First class is always kinda boring, but it's important, y'know?"
Rei glanced around, still feeling like he was being watched. "W-what is it?" he mumbled.
"Intro to Combat Theory," Kajala said, stretching his arms. "Basically, they tell us a bunch of rules before we actually get to fight. Gotta learn the 'why' before the 'how,' apparently."
Rei nodded stiffly, though he wasn't sure if he liked that idea. He wasn't good at speaking up in classes, and if they asked him questions—
The room suddenly went silent.
Rei tensed as a tall, stern-looking woman entered. She had silver hair cropped short, sharp eyes that scanned the room like they could see through everyone, and a deep blue uniform with a golden emblem. She didn't look like someone who tolerated mistakes.
"Welcome to the academy," she said, her voice firm and commanding. "I am Instructor Valen, and this is your first step toward becoming knights."
Rei swallowed hard.
"Some of you may think you already know how to fight. Some of you may have experience wielding weapons. That does not matter here."
Her gaze passed over the students, stopping briefly on Rei. His heart jumped, and he quickly looked down at his hands.
"What matters is discipline, understanding, and skill. If you cannot grasp the fundamentals, you will not survive the battlefield."
Rei fidgeted, his mind racing. Survive? He knew knight training would be serious, but hearing it put like that made his stomach twist.
Kajala leaned in and whispered, "She's really dramatic, huh?"
Rei's face went hot. He shook his head quickly, not sure if he should answer. He didn't want to get in trouble.
Instructor Valen continued, her expression unwavering. "Over the next few weeks, you will be tested. Some of you will succeed. Some of you will fail. But all of you will learn."
Rei felt like shrinking into his seat. This was already feeling like too much.
"Now, let's begin."
Rei swallowed, gripping the edge of the bench. This was just the first class, but already, he felt like he was in over his head.After class, Rei barely heard Kajala talking as they walked through the halls. His mind was stuck on everything Instructor Alden had said—about dungeons shifting, about creatures being more than just obstacles. It wasn't just fighting monsters. It was understanding them.
His hands clenched with excitement. He needed more.
"Kajala," he mumbled.
Kajala blinked. "Huh?"
"The library. Where is it?"
Kajala scratched his ear. "Oh, uh, back that way, down the big hall. You wanna study already?"
Rei nodded, not waiting for an answer before turning in that direction.
Kajala chuckled. "Man, you really like monsters, huh? Don't get too obsessed."
Rei didn't reply.
The library was massive, the air thick with the scent of old books and candle wax. Tall shelves stretched in every direction, some packed with neat rows of tomes, others barely holding together with age. The place was mostly empty, aside from a few students hunched over their own books.
Rei moved quietly through the aisles, scanning titles. Dungeon Creatures: A Basic Guide. Survival Tactics in Unstable Dungeons. Monster Anatomy and Weak Points. None of these were what he wanted. He needed something deeper.
Then he saw it.
A dusty, almost forgotten book wedged between two larger ones. The spine was cracked, the cover worn. "The Abyssal Records."
His fingers twitched as he pulled it free.
He found a corner seat away from the others, opening the book carefully. The pages were filled with rough sketches—some of creatures he recognized, others completely unfamiliar. But what caught his attention most were the notes scrawled in the margins.
Do not stare for too long.
Some creatures do not follow natural rules.
If it speaks, do not answer.
Rei's breathing slowed. His eyes flicked over a passage about a dungeon that had been sealed off decades ago.
"The deeper levels of certain dungeons defy known logic. Creatures have been recorded whispering names of those who have never entered. Some have returned from these depths altered—less human, more like the things they fought."
His grip on the book tightened.
There were stories of knights disappearing inside dungeons—coming back different. Their bodies intact, but something else missing. Others never returned at all. Some creatures weren't just animals to be fought. Some could think. Some could wait.
The drawings of these deeper monsters were different. Wrong. Twisted limbs, too many eyes, mouths where they shouldn't be.
Rei's fingers traced the ink.
"We do not yet understand them. And that is the danger."
He exhaled slowly, his heartbeat steady. His fear, his nerves—they weren't there right now. Just fascination.
A shadow flickered near the bookshelf.
Rei snapped the book shut and looked up. No one was there.
He sat still for a moment, then carefully tucked the book under his arm. He would read more later.
For now, he needed to think.