The week passed in a blur of ink, breath, and friction—not the carnal kind, though it wasn't for lack of temptation.
Damien sat at the villa's study table, elbows propped lazily, head tilted just enough to catch the early morning light that spilled in through the tinted windows. A week ago, textbooks had been foreign bricks. Now, the pages bore the creases of his thumb, margins scrawled with notes in sharp, angular script.
He wasn't perfect. Not even close. But he had clawed his way out of the abyss of ignorance, bit by bit. Maths, magical backgrounds, family history—he hadn't just skimmed; he had absorbed. The kind of progress that didn't look impressive on a report card, but would show when someone tried to talk down to him.
And the system had noticed.
[Hidden Quest: Study Consistently for 7 Days]
Achieved.
Reward: +75 SP | +1 Mental Fortitude Node
Not a flashy reward. But solid. Useful. And earned.
