Beyond the door, girls crowding the hall to get to their destination.
'Oh yeah, Carolice assigned me to the girls' dorm. Well, this will be awkward.'
Kailus and Shalius walk side by side, their wings brushing together in the cramped hallway. Akiro trails behind, her many tails shuddering at the thought. They leave the female dorm and head toward the school building. On their way, two archangel teachers notice him.
The male archangel tries to whisper to his female counterpart, "Look, a Genesis Angel, and even better, a charged one. His physique is perfect, yet his posture is weak. Being revered as God's blessings, miracle workers, Grand saviors—the ultimate healers with countless titles upon them. With such achievements and a weak posture from a CHARGED Genesis Angel, that's concerning for the nation's future."
The female archangel nods. "Yes, I can't stand seeing children so weak. They're so precious and can grow strong like us with proper training."
The male archangel smiles approvingly. "Yes, everyone must feel proud, for the truth shall set them free!"
"Yeah! May he come to us, and we'll show him true theology!" the female archangel adds proudly. They clasp their hands in pride.
Kailus watches from a distance, smiling at their enthusiasm. When he turns back, his roommates are gone.
'Eh, not that big of a problem. I'll follow the crowd.'
After walking for a while, Kailus finally finds the cafeteria. It's crowded with both genders. While in line, he looks at the many options: waffles, bacon, fairy pancakes, sausage, eggs, angel toast, olives, and hash browns.
'They have many alternatives, don't they, Shalius?' He says mockingly.
Kailus looks up the line. Akiro and Shalius are behind thirteen people, with seventeen more between them and Kailus, making it thirty in total.
Awaiting the front, his stomach growls continuously at the delicious vegetation. Lost in the scent, nearby students whisper about him: "A charged Genesis Angel?" "Yeah, I can't believe it." "How quickly do you think he heals?" "Probably instantly." "Should we ask him?" "No, he's probably had many come up to him. Give him a break."
After what feels like an eternity, he finally reaches the counter. He exchanges a few words with the cafeteria lady and gets his serving.
As he walks toward his roommates, who are sitting, Kailus notices some of his food is faintly glowing. He looks around: non-magic races' food gives no glow, magic races' food gleams brightly, and halfies, like Kailus, have a light glow.
'This must be magic protein for me. Never had this before.'
He joins Akiro and Shalius at their table. Other students try to engage with them, but Akiro ignores them, and Shalius remains silent.
Akiro reclines in her chair, her stainless-steel plate before her, basking in pure bliss—unaware of Kailus's gaze while muttering different types of meat. "Pork~." "Beef~." "Chicken~."
"You need serious exercise," he mumbles worriedly. Shalius concentrates on Kailus. "Well, aside from… her babbling, I waited for you. Akiro ate my bacon while you were in line."
Kailus' eyes brightened at her commitment. "Aw, thanks!"
Shalius smiles. "Of course."
Kailus returns the smile and eats along. When he bit into his food, a loud crunch echoed in Akiro's mind. She instantly opened her eyes like a cat smelling fresh food.
"Hey Kailus, can you be a blessing for little o' me and hand me—" Shalius cuts her off with a menacing tone. "For every bite of meat you take is fifty reps later. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
"Ugh, we have a food officer over here," Akiro scoffs and backs down. She looks up at Kailus with puppy dog eyes, eyeing his bacon.
'She's starting to scare me. Is this what a food addict is?'
A while later:
They finish eating as the bell rings at the exact moment. Shalius and Akiro leave with Kailus tailing behind, but the crowd quickly engulfs them. Pushing through it, he searches desperately, bumping into people and muttering feigned apologies, until a hand touches his shoulder.
'Oh no… Was I pushing too hard? Please don't be an overreactor?'
He turns around, expecting the worst, but instead sees Carolice kneeling and panting before him.
"Sorry… Kailus," Carolice says, catching her breath between words. "Here's the schedule… I didn't want to interrupt your… breakfast, so I waited… until the bell rang. Thank God I caught up to you."
"Take this slip if you're late to class. I'm sorry for yesterday." Carolice hands Kailus a late slip along with the papers, then blitzes away, leaving sparks of light.
'Oh, Carolice is an Enhancer. Never seen one before.'
He glances at the first period: Class 209, History. 'Since I have this slip, I can go at my own pace without worrying about tardiness.'
He reads the schedule carefully.' It's unusual: eight subjects, split into four per day, alternating between Red and Blue classes. Red Class has: History, Morality, P.E., and Monopoly; while Blue Class covers: Health, Magic and Potions, and Racial Biology. They alternate daily, like a pattern. I actually like it—it gives a lot of free time.'
While reading, a group of angels bumps into Kailus, clearly irritated. "Step aside if you're standing in the middle of the hallway. I'm already late to Ms. Damaris!" one snaps.
Kailus steps aside in embarrassment. 'I guess that's my sign to go.'
A few minutes later:
'Finally, I'm free.'
He steps into the classroom, absorbing its unique layout. It's a D-shaped room. At the left, rows of seats went along the curved edge, with nine tiered rows forming an elegant arc around the central podium. A whiteboard sits on each desk, accompanied by a soft, cushioned chair behind it.
Glancing right, the teacher's desk faces the students, a regal chair nestled behind it. A microphone, a thick book (probably the history book), and a coffee machine sit neatly on the desk. Above them all, a single stained-glass dome window bathes the floor in vibrant colors.
Akiro calls from above, "Took you long enough! Where've you been, Kailie? Shalius was about to find you."
Kailus retorts, "Kai—know what, forget it. You left me in that crowded cafeteria while I was getting up! I'm surprised this room's still empty past attendance."
He settles beside Shalius and starts rifling through his desk, finding sketches, subject folders, magic pens—everything he needs. Underneath, his desk bears the number 24, with Shalius's at 23 and Akiro's 22.
In bold letters across the desk's upper center, an instruction reads: "Write your name." As Kailus complies, the desk pulses with a soft glow, mana rippling from it. Stunned by the aura, he blurts aloud, "Is this permanent magic?"
Shalius, sensing the desk's magic, writes her name on her desk: "Shalius Eneurm."
Akiro peers at Shalius's desk, intrigued. "No middle name?"
Shalius replies flatly, "Why would I need one?"
"It's just… normal," Akiro says, puzzled.
Propping her head on her hand, Shalius mutters, "Says you," her expression blank.
Akiro shrugs and draws her name: "Akiro Ohashi Kogitsune."
Shalius stares at her name for a bit. 'Did her parents really give her all of the most basic names? No wonder you don't value them.'
Kailus runs his fingers along the desk's carved edges. 'I only sense and teleportation magic within it, along with a faint voice. That's probably connected to that microphone. Holy, these desks are incredible. I can sense an entire coding in it, but it's too advanced for someone of my caliber to try.'
As more students enter, filling the room with diverse races and ethnicities, Kailus glances up to study their appearances, already engrossed in his findings.
Instead, he catches sight of familiar faces—old classmates—staring back. They murmur among themselves at his appearance before deciding to sit far from him. A pang of shame hits Kailus, though he understands their decision.
Akiro notices his discomfort. 'Hm, looks like Kailus is uncomfortable. He'll get used to it.'
Shalius notices too, but her eyes remained unchanged. As the room grows noisier, only one seat remains empty—a corner seat beside Kailus.
'Wha—no one took a corner seat of all places? Am I that unbearable?'
Akiro laughs heartily. "Man, a corner seat left open? Did you not wear deodorant today or something?"
Kailus says nothing about her comment. Akiro sighs heavily at their silence. "You too are so dull. Lighten up a bit."
At that moment, the door opens. Chatter dissipates as their eyes haunt his every move, whispering amongst themselves: "A time elf?" "No way."
Though the man's face suggests forty, his flawless skin, piercing green eyes, and pointed ears say otherwise—a living paradox amongst all. He holds a cup, sipping at every opportunity. An addict you can most definitely see with your very eyes.