"Welcome to Alph's Academy," Dame said, his voice calm yet firm. "Follow me. I'll show you where your dormitories are located. You can call me Dame."
He turned, his boots clicking rhythmically against the stone path.
The late afternoon light spilled across the courtyard, glinting off silver emblems mounted on the surrounding black basalt walls.
"This place looks like it cost a fortune," Dabi whispered beside Dante, craning his neck to look around.
"Air feels different too," Dante added in a low voice. "Crisp. Like right after a thunderstorm."
The paved walkways were lined with slender trees whose glass-like leaves shimmered whenever the breeze touched them. Near the edge of the path, small marble fountains bubbled with clear water that defied gravity, flowing upward in quiet, floating streams before dissolving into mist.
They walked for nearly an hour, taking in the layout of the campus. Eventually, Dame led them into a residential estate filled with rows of four-story residential halls. Broad walkways and open green gardens stretched out between every block, lit by glowing glass lanterns mounted on iron posts.
As they passed through an arched stone gateway, another officer stepped out to meet them. It was a woman dressed in the exact same blue uniform. Her long dark hair was tied neatly into a ponytail, and her stride was measured and precise.
Dame stopped and turned toward the group. "Alright, listen up," he said. "This is Clara, my colleague. She'll be taking the ladies to their dormitory building and helping assign your rooms. As for the guys, you'll follow me."
Clara gave a brief nod, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Ladies, this way please."
Hana, Baloy, and Bella grabbed their bags, giving Dabi and Dante a quick wave before trailing behind Clara down a side path.
Dame turned back to the remaining boys. "Keep moving."
Dante walked quietly among the group, his eyes drifting across the campus grounds. Everything about the academy felt polished, structured, and deliberate.
Eventually, Dame stopped before a twenty-story white stone building standing against the hillside. A sign engraved in brass above the entrance doors read:
MALE DORMITORY – BLOCK A
Dame led them inside. The cool, air-conditioned draft hit them instantly. The white marble floor was polished so clean that Dante could see his reflection beneath his red sneakers as he walked.
Dame dispatched the students floor by floor, dropping them off as they climbed the wide central stairwell. Laughter and heavy footsteps echoed through the building as boys found their assigned rooms.
By the time they reached the twentieth floor, only Dante and Dabi were left with Dame.
This part of the building was quiet. The hallway stretched long and empty, with only the soft hum of overhead strip lights breaking the silence.
Dame scanned a digital pad in his hand. "Alright, you two. Dante and Dabi. You're both on this floor. Take the two rooms at the very end. Dabi, take the one on the right. Dante, take the one on the left."
"Thank you, sir," Dabi said.
Dame gave a single nod and headed back down the stairs, leaving the two of them alone in the quiet corridor.
Dante and Dabi walked down to their doors, which faced each other across the narrow walkway.
Dabi grinned, leaning against his doorframe. "Guess we're neighbors."
"Yeah," Dante replied with a light smile. "Not bad."
They bumped fists, unlocked their doors, and stepped inside.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dante stepped into his room and paused. It was far more spacious than he expected. Four single beds were arranged inside, along with four tall wooden wardrobes and a wide window that bathed the space in pale golden sunlight.
He carried his bag over to the empty bed near the far wall and set it down.
Two boys were already inside. One lay flat on his back across his mattress, holding a half-eaten apple and staring blankly at the ceiling like he was too tired to exist. The other sat near the foot of his bed, wearing a crisp white shirt, black jeans, and spotless white sneakers. He had bright yellow hair, dark red eyes, and a sharp, confident face.
The yellow-haired boy stood up instantly and walked over with a bright grin, extending his hand. "Hey. I'm Rio. Nice to meet you."
Dante shook it firmly. "Dante. Nice to meet you too."
From across the room, the boy lying down didn't even bother sitting up. He tossed his apple core into a corner trash bin with a lazy flick of his wrist.
"Great. Another roommate," the boy groaned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just what my peace and quiet needed. More members."
Rio rolled his eyes, pointing over his shoulder. "Ignore Lee. He hasn't moved his spine in two hours. I think his bones turned into jelly."
Lee tilted his head back, resting his arms behind his head on the pillow. "Moving uses precious calories, Rio. I'm saving mine for dinner." He glanced at Dante with a lazy smirk. "No need to introduce yourself twice, by the way. I heard you from all the way over here. I'm Lee."
"Nice to meet you, Lee," Dante said, amused by the guy's total lack of energy.
Rio clapped his hands together, his red eyes glinting. "Alright, introductions done! How about we stretch our legs a bit? On my way up here, I saw a building with 'Martial Arts Hall' written across the front. Let's go check it out."
Lee let out a loud, theatrical sigh, dramatic enough to shake his blanket. "Physical activity? Before food? You're out of your mind, Rio. That sounds like effort."
"Come on, slacker," Rio chuckled, kicking the side of Lee's mattress. "You've been staring at the ceiling paint so long you're turning into furniture."
Lee groaned, slowly rolling off his bed like a sack of flour and landing on his feet with a heavy stomp. "Fine. Lying down was starting to feel like hard work anyway."
Dante grabbed his room key from the bedside table. "I'm down to look around."
The three of them stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Across the hall, Dabi had walked into his own room and tossed his heavy backpack onto the right-hand bed.
As he looked around, he felt three pairs of eyes fixed directly on him. Two boys were lounging on their beds, while a third sat in a chair near the corner, watching him in dead silence.
"Good afternoon," Dabi greeted calmly.
"Good afternoon," two of them replied. Their voices were flat and cold, devoid of any warmth.
Dabi decided not to push it. He sat down on his mattress and began unlacing his sneakers. Moments later, the two cold boys stood up without saying another word and walked out into the hall, slamming the door shut behind them.
That left Dabi alone with the boy in the corner.
The remaining student stood up and walked over, folding his arms across his chest. He had a serious, intimidating look, with sharp eyebrows and a broad frame.
"I guess we're on the same page," the boy said, his tone surprisingly relaxed.
Dabi tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"We're both new here," he replied. "Those two snobs gave me the exact same silent treatment an hour ago." He held out a hand. "I'm Smith."
Dabi hesitated for a second before shaking it. "Dabi."
Smith smirked slightly. "Nice. So... want to look around? I don't plan on rotting in this room all afternoon."
Dabi laughed. "Yeah, let me grab my key. Let me out of here."
They left together, locking the door behind them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Out on the campus grounds, the late afternoon had settled into a soft orange glow.
Dante, Rio, and Lee walked down a stone path lined with silver-leaved trees that rustled gently in the breeze.
Lee walked with his hands jammed deep into his pockets, dragging his feet along the pavement like every step was a personal sacrifice.
"So, Dante," Lee said, casting a lazy, sarcastic side-eye toward him. "Do you always look like you're about to write a tragic poem, or is white hair just a natural side effect of intense brooding?"
Dante sighed, rolling his eyes. "I've had a long day."
"Clearly," Lee drawled. "You look like you fought a wall and the wall won."
Rio laughed out loud, slapping Dante on the shoulder. "Don't mind him! Lee complains when he sleeps too much, and he complains when he walks too fast."
"Walking is overrated," Lee muttered. "Teleportation should be mandatory on this campus."
Rio slowed his steps and pointed straight ahead. At the end of the stone walkway stood a broad, fortress-like structure constructed from dark obsidian blocks that glistened under the fading sun. Above the heavy iron double doors, polished silver lettering spelled out:
MARTIAL ARTS HALL
"This is it," Rio said, his grin widening as he looked up at the dark building. "The Martial Arts Hall."
Before Dante could respond, a violent wooden crash echoed from inside the building, followed by a loud yell.
BANG!
The heavy iron doors burst open, and a student came flying backward through the air, tumbling across the stone path before slamming hard onto the ground—stopping directly at Dante's feet.