Stalker and Test [1]

Kiel groggily opened his eyes, blinking against the dim light filtering through his window.

His mind was still sluggish from sleep, but something felt… off.

There was a scent in the air—light, floral, and definitely not his.

His brows furrowed as he sat up.

That's when he saw it.

A single golden strand of hair on his pillow.

His half asleep brain took a moment to process it.

"…The hell?"

His eyes narrowed as he picked up the strand, holding it up against the light.

It was thin, delicate, and shimmered unnaturally, as if it belonged to a princess?

Now fully awake, he looked around his room.

Everything seemed normal.

The window was locked.

The door was still shut.

Nothing was out of place.

Except for the strand of hair… and that lingering scent of perfume.

He rubbed his temples.

"Okay, Hyphen, mind explaining why I woke up to Cinderella leaving her hair behind?"

Silence.

"…Hyphen?"

[Ugh. What do you want?]

Kiel blinked.

"Don't tell me... you fell asleep?"

[Hmm?]

Hyphen's voice sounded groggy, like someone who had just woken up from a deep sleep.

Kiel sighed.

"Seriously? While I was asleep, someone was in my room. You didn't think to wake me up?"

[I shut down when you sleep. I needed to rest too.]

He frowned.

"You're a system. Why would you even need to rest?"

[That's just how it is.]

Kiel ran a hand through his hair.

First, the golden strand.

Then, the perfume.

Now, his so-called babysitter had been asleep the whole time?

It didn't sit right with him.

Could it be the person from last night?

The idea that someone had been in his room made his skin crawl.

What if it was a killer?

Or worse—something far more terrifying…

Like a clingy admirer.

This was his bedroom after all.

'No I'm overthinking things again.' He shook his head frantically.

Kiel decided to push the thought aside for now.

He had something more immediate to deal with.

The written test today.

"Hey, Hyphen, do you think you can help me with today's test?"

[No.]

"That fast?!"

[It's a written test. You either know the answers, or you don't.]

"Wow, thanks for the insight," Kiel muttered.

[I only just awakened in this world. I don't have access to all of its information yet.]

Kiel sighed. "Great. So you're basically useless for this."

[Excuse me? I gave you skills, an inventory, and a training ground. But sure, I'm useless because I can't help you cheat on a test.]

"...Fine, you're mostly useless."

[Unbelievable.]

Today was already going to be a headache— he had that dreaded test to deal with.

Not only that he had this Cinderella mystery on his hands too.

He decided he'd try to figure out who Cinderella was after school.

◇◇◇

By the time he arrived at school, Kiel had already accepted his fate.

A test he hadn't studied for in a world he barely understood?

Yeah. He might as well start writing his will.

As he entered the classroom, a familiar bubbly presence latched onto him.

"Kieeelll!"

Kiel barely had time to react before Harlett practically threw herself into step beside him.

"Jeez, you look terrible," she said, giving him a once-over.

"Late-night studying?"

Kiel gave her a flat look.

"Yeah. Tried to sneak in an extra hour of sleep... didn't go as planned."

Harlett grinned.

"Should've called me. I'm a pro at getting some good rest."

"Right, because you're the picture of 'quiet and stealthy,'" Kiel muttered.

Harlett put a hand to her chest in mock offense. "Wow, rude!"

"I'm just saying," Kiel shrugged.

Harlett pouted, but there was still a twinkle in her eye.

"Ready to ace the test?"

Kiel sighed.

"Oh, totally. I can't wait to sit there, stare at the paper, and wonder where all my knowledge went."

"Hah, that's the spirit!" Harlett chuckled.

Kiel just shook his head and said quietly.

"Yeah, 'spirit' is one way to put it."

.

.

.

The moment Kiel looked down at the test paper, he knew it was over.

Question 1: What is the primary function of a sigil in magical practice?

…Was that even mentioned in the novel?

Question 7: the three primary laws of sigil-based magic.

'There are laws?!'

Pass.

Explain the historical significance of the Battle of Orvest.

Yeah, nope.

Kiel stared at the questions, his brain doing its best impression of a blank sheet of paper.

Meanwhile, the other students were actually writing.

Pens scratching.

Pages flipping.

People actually looking like they understood what was happening.

Even Harlett seemed to be putting something down.

Kiel, on the other hand, sat there, contemplating his life choices.

"…I should've just stayed home."

[Told you.]

"Shut up."

With no other choice, he resorted to the time-tested strategy of students everywhere:

STRAIGHT UP BULLSHIT.

Kiel started writing whatever sounded remotely intelligent, throwing in every fancy word he could think of.

'The sigil, an ancient symbol of power, is a key to unlocking latent magical potential…'

Okay, he had no idea what sigils actually did, but whatever.

It sounded smart.

Sigil-based magic laws?

'The first law states that sigils serve as conduits for magical energy, binding the caster to a force greater than themselves—'

Yeah, that sounded scientific enough.

'It was stated in the novel that they were conduits so there.'

By the time the test was over, Kiel was 95% sure he failed.

But hey.

At least he tried.

As he handed in his paper, he let out a long, exhausted sigh.

Now that the test was out of the way, he could finally relax.

◇◇◇

Kiel walked out of the classroom, the weight of his disastrous test performance heavy on his shoulders.

It wasn't like he expected to ace it, but a solid passing grade would've been nice.

Instead, he was pretty sure he'd just written a bunch of nonsense.

This test, along with the physicals, determined your rank placement among the first-year students.

Kiel wasn't exactly eager to stand out, but he figured it wouldn't hurt if he landed somewhere in the upper middle scores of his class.

He'd rather not be at the bottom, but at the same time, drawing attention was the last thing he wanted.

Staying under the radar seemed like the safest bet.

Still, as much as he hated the idea of ranking too high or too low he couldn't deny the competitive edge that a decent score would give him.

That had been the deal for him in his old world too.

But for now, he'd have to wait and see how things shook out.

As he left the classroom, he caught sight of Harlett, who was laughing with some other students.

She waved him over, clearly in a better mood than he was.

"Hey! How'd it go?" she asked, her grin wide as usual.

"Let's just say I might've invented a new way to fail," Kiel muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Harlett raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."

"I may have filled the paper with more 'creative writing' than actual answers," he said.

"But I'm sure my professor will be 'impressed' by my imagination."

Harlett chuckled.

"Creative, huh? I like it. I'm sure you'll pass."

"Yeah, but at what cost?" Kiel sighed.

"I'd rather be home right now, getting some rest."

"Well, now that the test's over, you're free to do whatever you want. Why don't you take it easy for the rest of the day?"

"Maybe," Kiel replied, his mind was already drifting.

There was something else bothering him, but he wasn't about to spill it to her.

Not like he could.

"Anyway, don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll survive."

Harlett didn't seem convinced but shrugged.

"Alright then, mister Kiel. Catch you later!"

Before Kiel could walk away, Harlett's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You seem... different today, Kiel. Something on your mind?"

'Different? What does she mean by that?'

Kiel gave a nonchalant shrug, brushing it off with a forced grin.

"Nah, just a long day, that's all."

A Genius actor indeed.

She studied him for a second longer, but then her grin returned.

"Well, whatever it is, don't let it ruin your mood. Later!"

Kiel gave her a casual wave, his mind already elsewhere.

He didn't want to get into it—not with Harlett, anyway.

As much as he appreciated her company, he wasn't about to spill the strange events from last night.

The golden strand of hair, the perfume—it all seemed too strange, too out of place.

But he'd deal with it later.

Right now, all he wanted to do was get some peace and quiet so he headed to the library.

◇◇◇

Kiel stepped into the library, greeted by the soft hum of a few nearby machines.

The interior had a sleek, modern feel to it, with tall glass walls that allowed natural light to pour in, creating a calm and inviting atmosphere.

Rows of bookshelves lined the walls, but instead of traditional wooden shelves, they were metallic with smooth, minimalistic designs, and their contents seemed to shimmer faintly with soft lights.

Holographic displays hovered above certain shelves, offering information on available books, categories, and even recommending certain titles based on readers preferences.

The floor was polished, reflective, almost like it could light up if needed, but for now, it was just a quiet, neutral gray.

At one end of the room, an interactive holographic map of the library floated in mid-air, outlining various sections and helping visitors navigate the sprawling space.

A few study pods were scattered throughout, each equipped with touch-screen consoles that could pull up virtual research materials.

It was futuristic but not overwhelming, just enough to give the library an air of sophistication and advanced design.

'A little over the top for a library, though' Kiel thought as he surveyed the place.

He walked toward the librarian's desk, where a woman greeted him with a soft smile before pointing him toward the history section.

Kiel appreciated the calm, almost meditative vibe of the library.

It was exactly the kind of place he could use to relax for a bit and probably get some research done.

As he strolled down the aisles, the faint hum of the holographic displays was the only sound breaking the silence.

He made his way to the back, choosing the most secluded corner of the library.

With a book in hand, he slid into a chair, noticing that someone else had already taken the seat opposite him.

The person had a book in front of their face, and Kiel couldn't see much of them.

Shrugging it off, he opened his book and began to read.

After a few minutes the person opposite him spoke.

"Hey, when you're done with that book, can I take a look at it?"

Kiel blinked, looking up from the page.

The person sitting opposite him lowered their book just enough for him to catch a glimpse.

Fiery red twin-tails, amber eyes that are supposed to hold unstoppable energy but now seemed oddly dulled.

Emi Starfell.

One of the main cast members.