007. Grimlight Academy

She was about to respond when Mr. Wong stepped out of the office door behind her.

He stared at Kael for a while, then walked up to him.

"You're that boy from yesterday—the one that survived the dungeon raid?"

Kael was astonished. 'He casually forgot me so easily? We literally met yesterday.'

"Yeah, I am. And I've considered your proposal."

Mr. Wong glanced at his receptionist. "If anyone comes, tell them I'm busy. I have an important discussion with this boy."

Then he turned to Kael. "Come in, come in."

Kael suddenly felt important as he walked into his grande office. He glanced at the receptionist and smirked softly.

"Take a seat, let's discuss."

Kael walked over to the seat in front of his desk and sat.

He slid the card to Mr. Wong. "I accept, only if I'm not gonna pay for anything like you said, and I'm not gonna be centered on by the teachers because I'm low in rank."

Mr. Wong stared at him, obviously amused by his confidence despite being on his own grounds.

"I admire your confidence, but in return, I expect growth from you. If I do not notice any form of growth from you over the year, I'll be sure to terminate this contract of ours. Deal?"

Kael smiled. It was as if he knew he wanted to continue playing the background character. "Fine, it's a deal then."

Mr. Wong brought out a paper contract and signed it, then gave it to Kael. Kael was careful enough to read through the contract before he signed—he didn't want anyone holding off his freedom by any means.

"Alright then, you can officially start tomorrow. And don't worry about your stuff—they'll be brought to you by tomorrow."

"But I didn't pack anything yet," Kael retorted.

"Leave it to my boys to do that for you. Just head over to your dorm and get accustomed to the school. Everything will be delivered by tomorrow morning."

He slid his dormitory card toward him, along with the keys and everything he would need.

Kael wanted to argue, but he knew they'd ransack the place, so it wouldn't be worth it. But he did say something though:

"None of them should touch even a dime of my savings. I want it brought to me complete."

He stood up and walked out the door, shutting it closed behind him.

He headed straight for his dormitory as per the request of Mr. Wong. 'These rich individuals always had their ways of getting what they wanted.'

"I just hope there's a way they could be careful enough not to destroy my furniture."

He stared at the number on one of the items he was given, and it read Dorm 5, Room 68.

He glanced around the hall to see if he could spot any signs.

"Nothing here. I wonder where the dormitories are at?"

He walked for a while but couldn't figure anything out because of how big the school was.

"I think I'm lost. Probably should have asked him for directions."

To his surprise, he saw Joe from earlier, though he was getting bullied by some individuals.

"It's that guy from before. Should I help or just mind my business?"

He stalled for a while and watched before deciding to approach them because the bullying was slowly getting intense.

"Hi, I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm in need of this guy. So I hope you don't mind me borrowing him for a minute there."

He took Joe by the hand and dragged him out from the circle, and immediately, a system notification appeared.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

«Deviation Detected: Timeline Altered»

You interfered with a background event.

>Target: [Background Character: Joe]

>Outcome: Prevented bullying sequence

>Original Fate: Injured → Forgotten

>Current Outcome: Stable → Flag Neutralized

«Reward: +15 Narrative Points 〔NP〕»

«Narrative Thread Adjusted. Deviation Rate: +12%»

'What?'

Kael stared at the notification for too long before he was snapped back to the situation by the bullies.

"Who the hell are you to tell us what to do?"

He glanced at the kid who spat out the words.

"Oh, sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Kael. I'm a new intern, and like I said earlier, I need the help of this guy right here."

The head of the bullies stepped forward and was about to speak when a lecturer noticed them and called out.

"What are you all doing here? Get to your various dorms immediately!"

They all turned to the female lecturer. "Yes, ma'am!"

They scattered away, but Kael and Joe remained.

"You alright?" Kael asked Joe, noticing some bruises on his body.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Not the first time anyway. Thanks for lending a hand, despite just knowing me today."

Kael wanted to speak up but held it in and nodded instead.

"Sorry to ask in this situation, but do you know where Dorm 5, Room 68 is?"

Joe reacted at his question and turned to him, a smile tugging at the side of his lips despite his injuries.

"That's my dorm! So it means we're roommates."

Kael forced a smile in return. "Yeah, that sounds cool."

Joe grabbed his hand out of happiness and yanked him down the hallway. Kael followed behind because Joe's grip was unmistakably strong on his hand, and for some reason, he couldn't let go.

"I hope I actually survive this school..."

After a long while of being dragged through the school, they got to the dormitory section, which was split into two—one for females and the other for males.

Under the male dormitory section, it was further divided into five partitions. Each partition displayed their ranks, with Dorm 5 being the lowest in rank.

"Here's Dorm 5, Room 68. I've been living here alone for so long, and now I've finally gotten a roommate!"

He brought out the key to the room and jiggled it in the lock before the door swung open.

The academy dormitory room exuded elegance and enchantment. Polished marble floors gleamed beneath a high-vaulted ceiling etched with starlit constellations that glowed softly at night.

Velvet drapes framed arched windows overlooking gardens or mist-covered towers. A four-poster bed with silk sheets and enchanted embroidery anchored the room, flanked by golden sconces that responded to a whisper.

A personal study nook included a crystal-lit desk, self-writing quills, and a hovering bookshelf that rearranged itself by subject. The air carried a faint scent of lavender and old magic.

Kael's jaw nearly dropped at the sight, but he immediately pulled himself together.

I've never seen something like this in all my life. So these are the wonders the rich live with—that we call luxury.

He couldn't believe his eyes. He even rubbed them with his palms to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

He walked over to the study desk by the window. "This is a nice place, with a nice view too."

His fingers brushed over the books and school equipment that lay on the desk. "Did you already take this area?"

"Yeah, I did. But you can have it. I'll take the other desk by the wall—there's a lantern by it that should help me study at night," Joe responded, sitting on one of the bunk beds.

Kael noticed it and walked over. "The school uses bunk beds?"

"Yeah. They say it helps students get to know each other more than separate beds."

Or it requires less cost compared to individual beds.

Then he turned around and noticed how spacious the room was. Most of the items didn't even take up half of the space.

"Where's the bathroom?"

Joe laid on the bottom bunk. "It's the door on the left, and the one on the right is the dressing room. Your uniform should have been packed there already."

Kael glanced back at the two doors he had pointed out. "The left door is the bathroom and the right is the dressing room..."

He stared at the lines on his palms. This must be the luckiest offer I've ever received, and I don't intend to lose it.

Then he quickly ran into the bathroom to ease himself of the pee he had been holding in since he left the house.

"Classes are at 7 a.m. in the morning, and we're usually expected to be there by 6:30 a.m. on the dot. So it's always best to have a good night's rest so you don't get scolded," Joe said, slowly dozing off to sleep.

Kael stared at him for a while before drifting to the desk at the window and taking a seat.

"Don't overdo things, Kael. Just be on your own and avoid problems."

Then slowly, he drifted off to sleep on the desk, the wind rustling against the window frames to suit the evening.