Trap

Volume 1: Path – [Academy Arc]

Chapter 24: Trap

He felt a calm settle in his heart as he opened his eyes again. Around him, many students had already finished and were waiting for further instructions from Instructor Tarell. He was the last to complete the exercise and even Aiv had finished before him.

"Now that you're all done," Instructor Tarell said, rising from his spot, "it's time for you to head out. Some of you took longer than I expected, so in the next class, we'll move on to the manipulation method. Since your next session will be the Absorption class, I want you all to practice this technique. Try to manipulate the Leym inside your body and attempt to manifest it outward. This isn't mandatory homework, but for those of you who succeed in externalizing Leym energy, you'll be rewarded with ten merit points."

He clicked a switch in his hand. Instantly, the floating tables in the classroom began to unfold with smooth mechanical precision. The chairs reappeared from the walls and gently pulled the students back into sitting positions as the room returned to its original setup.

There was one more minute before the class ended, so all the students straightened up and made their way toward the door, standing there quietly until the bell rang.

"Well then, have a good day," the instructor said. As soon as the words left his mouth, the door opened and the students rushed out, leaving Caelus and Aiv among the last to exit.

Just as Caelus was about to leave, the instructor stopped him. "Caelus is your name, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"There's something I need to discuss with you in private," the instructor said, casting a brief glance toward Aiv.

Understanding the silent signal in the instructor's eyes, Aiv nodded and said to Caelus, "I'll wait outside," before stepping out of the classroom.

As the door closed behind Aiv, Caelus turned toward the instructor and asked, "What is it, sir?"

"You probably don't know this yet, but once an awakener reaches Rank 3 – Bloom, they can see Leym energy in the air and observe how others are using it. Think of it like an X-ray, but it only works on those ranked below you. You can't see into someone at the same level or higher. From what I observed, you used a completely different method than what I taught," the instructor said with a serious expression.

"Sir, the method you explained didn't work for me… so I thought of making the Leym submit by force."

The instructor's expression darkened. "Are you a villain? Our purpose is to guide the innocent, to teach what is right, not to dominate. That's why I showed you a method based on leadership, not coercion. What you did may imply a path leaning toward the demonic rather than the righteous. If you continue to act this way, you'll end up as a sinner. Don't use that method again."

His voice had risen with intensity by the end, and he opened the door sharply, pointing outward.

Caelus stepped out silently, sighing under his breath.

"Caelus, what happened inside? I heard some shouting," Aiv asked.

"Nothing, bro. The instructor scolded me for using another method during the session. Like, what did he expect me to do? I can't imagine myself leading or helping others, and that's just not me. So I used another method to forcefully submit the Leym energy by dominating it. And he said if I do that again, I'll become a sinner."

"That's way too extreme... saying you'll become a sinner over something like that."

"Yeah, this is exactly why I hate churches and don't believe in gods," Caelus said through gritted teeth, his voice low and sharp.

He spoke quietly, and with no one nearby, his words weren't heard by anyone else.

They had only 28 minutes before their next class started, but the location was far and difficult to reach on foot. Since both of them were ranked above 150, they didn't have access to the academy's free transportation system. Although they could pay merit points to use a transport vehicle, the cost was steep which was far beyond what they could afford. With only 11 merit points between them, they had no choice but to hurry on foot.

"Aiv, which chamber did you get assigned to?" Caelus asked as they both started running toward the hill where the Leym Absorption class was going to be held.

"I'm in E-10, five chambers before yours," Aiv replied.

"Oh, wait, how did you know my chamber number?" Caelus asked, realizing he hadn't mentioned it recently.

"You told me on the way to the lunch hall. Forgot already? We discussed our class schedules."

"Yeah, yeah... I remember now."

They soon arrived at the Leym Absorption chambers. It took them 20 minutes to climb the hill, but luckily, there was a built path with proper steps, making the ascent manageable.

When someone awakens, their body strengthens significantly. This adaptation helps them handle Leym energy and is part of the body's evolution.

Because of this, they made it up in just twenty minutes, but Aiv could still reach the top faster than Caelus, but he stayed behind for Caelus. Since Caelus was only half-awakened, his strength hadn't increased much. Aiv had explained this to him earlier when Caelus asked about what it meant to be half-awakened.

Many students had already run ahead and reached before them, moving faster than both.

"Phew, finally made it," Caelus said, his voice strained and breathless, sweat soaking through his clothes and dripping down his face and arms.

Beside him, Aiv stood with only a light sheen of sweat, breathing steadily and barely winded in comparison.

"Caelus, there's a water fountain. Let's go get some, we have seven minutes left," Aiv said, offering support as Caelus leaned on him, clearly exhausted.

"Why the fuck did the academy make rules like this? Shit," Caelus cursed, stumbling to the water fountain and immediately drinking.

"It's to create competition and uncover hidden talents that are in between low ranks," Aiv replied calmly.

"I need to get below rank 100. If I can make it there, I'll finally be able to live properly, or at least earn thousands of merits," Caelus muttered as Aiv took his turn at the fountain.

After taking turns at the water fountain, they walked toward a large black structure behind the main gate. The building loomed before them like an obsidian monolith which is sleek, box-shaped, and matte in finish. Despite its geometric simplicity, the sheer scale of it gave off an imposing, fortified aura. Etched lines along the walls glowed faintly. A massive steel-framed entrance stood ahead, flanked by two clean, chrome pillars that projected a holographic display hovering mid-air with the words: "Scan and Go."

Each of them raised their academy watches, and the scanners emitted a soft chime before the gates smoothly slid open. They stepped inside, expecting a standard-sized hall.

Instead, they were met with a cavernous chamber that defied external dimensions.

The interior was at least twice the size of a football stadium, with polished obsidian floors that reflected the glowing dome-like ceiling. Floating illumination panels hovered in rhythmic orbits above, casting a soft, diffused light. Massive pillars lined the sides, carved with some intricate inscriptions. There were many walkways that are going in 24 directions corresponing to alphabets. Clearly, spatial expansion magic had been used to create a space far larger than the exterior suggested.

"Woah... did they use magic to expand this place from the inside?" Caelus asked in awe.

"I think so, yeah. It's like a pocket dimension inside a box," Aiv replied.

"It's amazing," Caelus murmured, excitement welling in his chest. The world of magic and fantasy was still new, and moments like these made it feel alive.

They continued walking toward their chambers which is E section. At Aiv's door, he waved goodbye and stepped inside. Caelus nodded and made his way down the corridor to his own chamber.

As he entered, the lights automatically flicked on, casting a soft ambient glow across the room. It was spacious, minimalist, and high-tech, with ambient white noise to promote calm. A notification popped up on his watch.

"Adjust the climate and scenery."

Caelus blinked. "Woah… there's a feature like this too?"

He tried changing the climate to winter cold. The moment he confirmed the setting, a sharp ping sounded from his watch, and a notification flashed into view. He glanced at it and immediately swore. "Fuck."

"There's a price for this, too? Why the fuck didn't they tell me?" he muttered, glaring at the screen. His crash-out was valid. The button hadn't mentioned any cost. It was a trap, hidden in plain sight.

Anyone would feel the urge to try new things.

On the interface, a glowing 'Revert' option appeared. Caelus hovered his finger over it, feeling the strong urge to press it. But he hesitated cause he knew it would deduct more merit points.

"Fuck my life. I'm not gonna revert it. It's already hard enough for me to earn merits," he muttered to himself.

He walked toward the center of the room and reached down, placing his hand on the floor. It was ice-cold, so cold that a small shiver ran up his arm. He winced.

But since he didn't want to waste more points, his only option was to endure it. He sat down cross-legged, and instantly, the bitter cold bit into him through his uniform. His body jerked slightly from the shock.

"One day," he grumbled through chattering teeth, "I'm gonna kill the person who made these damn rules."

[End Of Chapter 24]