Huh... how long has it been since I slept like that?
This room... still the same. Dusty. Cramped. Familiar. Am I still dreaming?
I got up and looked around. Somehow, I had wandered back to the Alpha Academy of Magic and Swords, right here in the capital of the Stella Empire. It looked just like my memories—eerily preserved, like time had frozen.
"So this is what my dream chose to show me..."
I walked through the academy grounds, feeling each step echo like a ghost's. When I reached my old classroom, I hesitated. I used to sit in the front, trying to look like some obedient little scholar. What a fool I was back then. This time, I took the last seat—perfect view, and far from all the whispers.
The class hadn't started yet. I closed my eyes, thinking maybe a short nap would pass the time.
Then, I heard them.
"Isn't that Winter?"
"He's banned from class for ten days. The principal himself punished him!"
"They say if anyone complains again, he'll be expelled!"
"That idiot thought he could get close to Liliya?"
"He grabbed her hand without permission... took her somewhere private."
"He deserves it. How dare he touch Liliya—the top student and the most beautiful girl here!"
The words echoed, sharper than any blade.
Wait... they're talking about me?
And then it hit me—this happened before. In my past, I never returned to class. I locked myself in my dorm for days. But this time... I wouldn't run.
I stood up.
"Hey, everyone! Listen to me!"
"What's he doing now?"
"Isn't he satisfied with his humiliation?"
"I know what you think. That I'm some scoundrel, chasing an innocent girl just because she's beautiful. But here's the truth..."
I paused, every eye on me.
"Liliya... is my fiancée."
Gasps. Silence.
"Yes, it's an arranged engagement. And yes, I approached her. Not because of her fame or beauty—but because I wanted to fix things. I saw her out with someone else. I just... wanted to talk. But I get it. No one wants to hear that."
"What?! Is this true, Liliya?"
She didn't deny it. She barely looked up.
"I'll cancel the engagement when I meet my father. I don't want to drag anyone down. I just... wanted to end things properly."
"So you're blaming Liliya now?"
"Get lost, creep!"
And then he appeared.
Tall. Muscular. Blue hair and sharp blue eyes. Ray.
"What's your problem?" I asked.
"Screw off," he growled. "I don't care about your drama."
He stormed out.
More stares. More whispers. More venom.
I sat back down, exhausted. Then—
"Silence!" a voice roared.
The professor entered. My gut clenched. Giseer. The one who used to teach magic students physical education—a cruel joke if there ever was one.
He stared right at me.
"Where do you think you're going, brat?"
I tried to ignore him. I wasn't in the mood to face a sadistic fossil today.
But then—
"Kehkehkeh... I heard something happened the other day," he chuckled. "As expected of a halfblood."
The class went still.
What... did he just call me?
"Why did you come back, halfblood?" he sneered.
I don't know what came over me. My hand moved on its own—
SLAP.
The room froze.
Giseer didn't move. His eyes locked with mine. Then, he collapsed.
I stood there, heart pounding.
What the hell am I doing? This is a dream, right? So it doesn't matter... but why does it feel so real?
I fled.
Back to my dorm room. The same trash pile. The same cracked mirror.
I looked at my reflection.
Skinny. Pale. Long black hair like a curtain over my haunted eyes. This was me. The version of me before I knew power. Before I knew loss.
I touched the mirror. "What a pathetic boy..."
Too late to change it now.
Suddenly, a sharp pain cut through my skull.
My body was weakening. The energies inside me were colliding, out of sync. This wasn't a dream. Or if it was, it was a dream meant to kill me.
Is this how it ends?
Then—knocking. Loud. Repetitive.
Doff! Doff! Doff!
"Who the hell is it?!"
I opened the door.
Guards.
"The principal has summoned you."