The secret room

Ria never once smiled; her expression was cold and unmoving. The female students who tried to talk to her quickly grew annoyed and walked away, while the boys found themselves both fascinated and frustrated by her demeanor.

The students received their room numbers through the academy's messenger network.

Ria slowly walked away from the party and went on a stroll around the academy. She eventually found herself in front of the Ascension Department. She stared at the label for a moment before walking into the building.

The building was massive, with four floors. Ria wandered in and found her way to the janitor's office. The office looked like it hadn't been used in a long time, which suited her perfectly—she wanted to be alone. After some time, she pulled out a drink labeled Carbonated X.

Ria felt a bit flustered despite her expression remaining unchanged. She tilted her head to check if the door was closed, but in the process of fiddling with the doorknob, she accidentally triggered something. The wall behind her made a strange sound and slid open, revealing a hallway that led downstairs.

Ria stared at the opening for a moment before stashing her bottle. Curiosity got the better of her, and she began walking forward, her steps slow yet eager.

The path led to a dark room. Ria fumbled around for a switch, searching for nearly ten minutes to no avail. Her hand brushed against a dust-covered surface, causing her to cough.

"Ahh, dammit, it's dusty," she muttered.

Suddenly, the room lit up, and an unknown voice spoke:

"Access granted."

Ria's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Really? Just like that?"

The now-lit room appeared to be a research lab, though it was mostly empty save for a few scattered boxes. She stepped back to get a better view of the space but bumped into something solid behind her. Realizing it wasn't the wall, she turned to see what she had just hit. What she saw left her with mixed emotions.

She had bumped into a vertical hyperbaric chamber containing a person inside. He was alive—his vitals were displayed on a screen on the far left of the room.

Startled at first, Ria quickly composed herself. "Hey, how did you find yourself here?"

The room remained silent.

"This place is dusty, isn't it? Do you mind if I have a carbonated drink?"

Her questions were directed at the person in the hyperbaric chamber, but he didn't answer. He was unconscious. However, Ria didn't seem to mind; in fact, she seemed to enjoy talking to him.

She opened the bottle and took a large sip, sighing in satisfaction. Ria gave a cold glance at the figure in the chamber and said:

"Why are you staring? Oh, I see. I'm not supposed to have carbonated drinks because of my strict diet. It sucks, I know, but don't tell anyone."

After a moment of silence, she took another sip and added, "You're a good listener. Do you have a name?"

Ria's Asian features were accentuated by her British-accented speech. Her expression softened slightly as she spoke again.

"My name is Ria. What's yours?" Silence followed.

"I think I'll be able to find your name in one of these boxes."

She didn't have to look hard—a paper was carelessly lying on one of the desks. On it was written the name Zain.

Suddenly, a strong pulse was transmitted to the health screen, but Ria didn't notice.

"Huh, so that's your name," she said, turning to face him. "Well, nice to meet you, Zain."

"It's late, but before I go, let me clean up the room."

After tidying the space, Ria left.

"Well then, see you tomorrow, Zain."