The instructor in charge of the first years paced in front of the massive dining hall, explaining safety rules, combat boundaries, and why students should not summon elemental beasts inside dormitories.
Most students pretended to listen. Vane didn't bother.
Then the doors slammed open.
Kiren Redvel walked in—drenched in blood, missing his right hand, and looking like he'd just stepped out of a warzone. His shredded sleeve swung loosely, dripping red across the marble.
Vane pointed at him, voice flat.
"...Your hand is missing."
A chorus of gasps spread through the room. Kiren, unfazed, gave Vane a feral, almost wolfish grin.
"Ran into a mythical-tier hybrid," he said casually. "But I made sure to pay it back."
He lifted his remaining hand and dropped something onto the polished floor with a wet thud.
A severed monster hand — huge, clawed, and ugly.
"Next time," Kiren said, eyes blazing, "I'll kill the beast."
The instructor hardly turned.
"Mr. Redvel... please take your seat before you bleed out all over the place."
Kiren nodded and walked off with surprising ease for someone missing an arm, leaving stunned silence behind him.
Vane leaned back, impressed.
Not many people can stroll around after having their arm ripped off. Respect.
A familiar voice chimed in his mind — dry, unimpressed, and far too used to Vane's chaos.
["He's a werewolf, genius. High-tier regeneration. Try not to idolize the guy dripping blood everywhere."]
Vane hummed thoughtfully.
"That's interesting."
["Focus, Vane. And no, you're not allowed to pick a fight with him.]
Vane rolled his eyes.
"I didn't even say anything."
["You didn't need to. I know that tone."]
Kiren finally settled into his seat, attendants rushing toward him with towels and healing salves. The instructor resumed talking, though no one was listening anymore.
Vane folded his arms on the table and whispered under his breath, "Relax, Oscar. I promised my mom I wouldn't cause trouble this time."
A beat of silence.
Then:
["...Vane..."]
"What?"
["That's a promise I'm not sure you can keep"]
Vane waved the point away. "Look, all I'm saying is—no trouble. I'm being serious this time. I just want to graduate from this academy. Clean record. Normal school life."
Oscar went so quiet Vane wondered if he disconnected.
Then the system sighed in his head — a long, exhausted sigh.
["Vane, you're sitting in a hall where a student just walked in missing a limb and dropped a monster's hand on the floor. This academy is everything 'normal' is not"]
"...Okay, fair."
Vane looked around the hall, shrugging lightly. "Still. I mean it. No fights. No explosions. No... incidents. I graduate, get my certification, and then I retire somewhere quiet."
Oscar laughed in his head — a warm, disbelieving chuckle.
["You? Quiet? The day you stop causing trouble is the day the sun files for early retirement."]
Vane nudged his fork against the table.
"...You really don't think I can pull off a peaceful school year?"
["I think you think you can. Which is adorable. And delusional."]
Vane sighed dramatically. "You have no faith in me."
["I do. I have faith in your ability to attract problems"]
Vane opened his mouth to retort — but stopped when Kiren glanced over at him with a wicked grin and a very clear "I want to talk to you later" look.
Oscar groaned.
["See? It's already starting.']