022. Morning Class

The morning, as always, was a crucial part of their daily routine. In order to make it in time for the early lecture—one of those unforgiving morning classes that seemed to come too soon after a night that felt too short—they had to wake early and prepare even earlier.

That's precisely why the academy strongly encouraged students to be on campus by 6:30 a.m. sharp. The extra thirty minutes weren't just for show—they were essential.

Time to dress, collect their thoughts, maybe cram in a bit of last-minute reading, and mentally prepare themselves before the teacher walked in and everything officially began.

Today, however, carried a heavier weight than most. Their instructor had reminded them—more than once—that this morning would mark the first official evaluation of their mana.

Not just any assessment, but one that would factor into the upcoming duels. A formal check to gauge the strength, type, and potential of their energy. It was the kind of day students either looked forward to with eager anticipation or dreaded entirely.

Kael firmly belonged to the latter group.

He didn't care much for the idea of standing before everyone, being measured, judged, compared—especially not when he already had a creeping suspicion his results wouldn't impress.

And yet, despite his reluctance, something deep in his gut told him he needed to be there. Not out of obligation or duty, but instinct. As if today held something more than just a mana test. Something he couldn't name, but couldn't ignore either.

He shuffled his feet as he stepped through the classroom doors, the quiet creak of the hinges sounding louder than it should have in the early morning hush.

It was the first time he'd ever made it to class this early. Normally, he'd squeeze in an extra fifteen minutes of sleep—real, uninterrupted sleep—before even dragging himself toward the bathroom.

But today was different. Today, for reasons he couldn't quite explain, he had made the decision to get up and come in ahead of time.

A long yawn escaped his mouth as he crossed the threshold, his body still half-asleep. His eyes watered reflexively, a single tear slipping down his cheek as he blinked through the blurry haze.

He opened his eyes fully and gave the room a slow glance. Most of his classmates looked just as exhausted as he felt—heads resting on desks, bodies slumped like clothes on a rack—except for Joe, of course.

Joe was already wide awake, sitting upright with the kind of alertness only someone used to these ridiculous hours could manage. He looked almost annoyingly comfortable.

Some students hadn't even arrived yet. The classroom still held a lingering stillness, like it hadn't decided whether to come alive or go back to sleep.

Quietly, Kael made his way to his usual seat, dropped into the chair, and rested his head on the desk with a tired sigh. The cold surface against his cheek was oddly soothing. He closed his eyes and was just about to slip into a light doze when a voice behind him interrupted the silence.

"Come on, man! You can't possibly be sleeping. We're going to be gauging our mana today—you should at least show some signs of nervousness," Joe spoke behind him, his voice annoyingly loud despite the quiet.

Everyone turned to him, eyeing Joe with a mix of mild irritation and silent judgment—the kind of look people gave when someone broke an unspoken rule, like talking too loudly before sunrise.

The annoyance on their faces was obvious enough that even Joe, usually thick-skinned and quick to double down, felt it.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and sank back into his seat, suddenly more interested in the edge of his desk than continuing the conversation.

Soon enough, by 6:50 a.m., the classroom had filled in. One by one, students filtered through the doors—some sluggish, some brushing sleep from their eyes, and a few still half-dressed in hastily thrown-on uniforms.

Even Seraphina arrived, gliding into the room with her usual quiet poise. Kael blinked when he saw her; he'd assumed she'd be among the first to show up, maybe even before him. But here she was, just barely ahead of the teacher.

Ten minutes later, right on the dot, the door opened again—and in walked their instructor.

A ripple of stillness passed through the room.

It wasn't that anyone was surprised. They all knew he was scheduled for this time. But still, a few students—including Kael—had quietly hoped he might be running late.

Just a few more minutes and Kael would've been able to close his eyes again. Just a few more, and he could've drifted into a light nap—maybe even dream something irrelevant and peaceful.

But that hope evaporated the moment the teacher stepped in—coat sharp, expression unreadable, and a stack of sealed mana scrolls tucked under one arm.

"Good morning, class," he announced as he walked in.

"As I said yesterday," the teacher began, his voice calm but carrying enough weight to quiet the remaining whispers in the room,

"we'll all be heading over to the mana evaluation chamber to gauge your mana levels."

A murmur ran through the class, subtle but unmistakable—Kael could feel the tension in the air sharpen slightly.

"And afterwards," the teacher continued, his tone unchanging,

"we'll be partaking in a school dungeon raid, not a duel. The duels have been cancelled until further notice."

That part caught more than a few off guard. Kael lifted his head slightly at that. The duels were cancelled? He wasn't exactly disappointed, but it was unexpected.

Some students exchanged confused glances, while others—mostly the more combat-hungry ones—groaned under their breath.

"The dungeon raid is not a main dungeon," the teacher clarified. "They're pocket realms, smaller ones. The types you'll encounter will range from E-rank to C-rank, depending on your mana levels from the evaluation."

"Once you're inside, your performance will be monitored, and we'll evaluate you based on your activities in the dungeon. So, do well to make me proud."

He let that sit for a moment, then clapped his hands once.

"Now, if you all don't mind—form a straight line. Males on one side, females on the other. Let's not waste time."

One student raised his hand to ask a question, and some other students followed suit. Soon, almost the whole class wanted to ask questions.

"Yes?" he asked, pointing at one of the students.

"Sir, are these dungeons safe? And what are we to do in the dungeons? Are we to recover any item of importance, or just fight the beasts?"

The lecturer smirked at his question, then settled down to answer it.

"Now that's a smart question. Normally, you would have an item to recover from it, but this raid is different. We're just monitoring your actions—to see where you belong and how you'd act in a dungeon raid. It'll enable us to give better judgments."

"And about the first question—yes, they're safe. We have properly examined them and made sure there are no abnormalities, so you all will be good to go, unless you're weak beyond help." He stood up after answering the question, waving off the others who raised their hands to ask more.

"These questions can be better answered by the person in charge of the dungeon test. So, when we get there, you can all ask him your questions."

They all pulled back their hands, and everyone rose to their feet, forming the line as instructed so they could start heading out.

Kael rose up slowly, a hint of disappointment tugging at him. He had quietly hoped to use the duels as an excuse to avoid any real combat—to slip by without drawing too much attention.

But with that chance now gone, replaced by a surprise dungeon raid, it felt like the one option he had counted on had just vanished.

They all arranged themselves into single files as instructed, boys on one side, girls on the other.

The usual chatter was minimal—replaced by the quiet shuffle of feet and the occasional yawn—as they began moving through the corridor, following closely behind the instructor.