Ash sat on the edge of his bed, staring out the window of his dorm room, his mind swirling with thoughts of his encounter with Lucius. He leaned back, hands propped against the bed for support, his eyes glazing over as he replayed the conversation in his head.
That noble. The image of Lucius lingered in his mind, though Ash realized with a sour feeling that he hadn't even asked the guy for his name. Why didn't I ask for his name?
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Lucius had been cold, distant—barely even answering his questions with more than a word or two. But still, there was something about him that intrigued Ash. Maybe it was the fact that Lucius had that air of nobility about him, or maybe it was because Lucius didn't seem interested in the typical niceties that most people threw around.
I'll probably see him around, Ash told himself, though that did little to ease the strange disappointment gnawing at him.
His Aetheris blinked to life suddenly, the holographic display lighting up with a notification. A video call. The name on the screen made Ash sit up straight—Professor Lysell. His mentor.
With a swipe, Ash accepted the call, and soon, the face of Professor Lysell filled the screen. Her sharp silver hair was tied back in a neat bun, her reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, giving her the look of someone always ready for business. Despite her strict appearance, her eyes softened when she saw him.
"Ash," she greeted, her voice firm but not unkind. "I was wondering when you'd get settled."
Ash offered a small smile. "It's been… a lot."
Professor Lysell gave a knowing nod. "Valtherion is overwhelming for most of the first-years. It's not like the outer settlements, is it?"
Ash shook his head. "No, it's nothing like the outer settlements. The scale of it all… the size, the technology, the magic… it's incredible, but it's also intimidating."
There was a moment of silence as Ash gathered his thoughts. "I just—" he paused, then continued, "I guess I didn't expect everything to feel so… huge. And the students here—some of them are really powerful. It's hard not to feel out of place sometimes."
Professor Lysell's expression remained unreadable for a moment, then softened slightly. "Ash, I didn't send you to Valtherion to compare yourself to others. I sent you because I know what you're capable of." Her voice carried an edge of stern encouragement. "You have potential that many of them don't. You just haven't realized it yet."
Ash bit the inside of his cheek, thinking about that. "It's just… hard to see it right now. I haven't even made any friends. And then there's the trials coming up. I don't know if I'm ready for all of this."
Professor Lysell tilted her head slightly, studying him through the screen. "I wouldn't have recommended you if I didn't believe in you. The trials will be tough, yes, but they're not meant to be easy. No one expects you to be the strongest on day one, Ash. What I expect is for you to keep pushing yourself."
Her words were like a balm, but also a reminder of the immense pressure Ash carried on his shoulders. "I just don't want to let you down," he admitted, the vulnerability slipping through.
"You won't," Professor Lysell said simply, as if it were a fact, not a possibility. "Remember, you're not here to prove anything to anyone but yourself."
Ash nodded, absorbing her words. After a few more exchanges about his dorm room and some of the other students he'd met, the conversation wrapped up. Professor Lysell offered a final word of encouragement before the call ended, and the screen blinked off.
Ash leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. His mentor's words comforted him, but the weight of her belief in him still lingered heavily. I have to keep pushing myself. She believes in me. I can't let her down.
But no matter how much reassurance Professor Lysell offered, Ash couldn't fully shake the feeling that the academy was bigger than him. The trials ahead would test everything he had, and as much as he wanted to believe in himself, that small seed of doubt refused to leave his mind.
He thought back to his encounter with Lucius. A knowing smile pulled at he coner of his lips. Ill see him again, he told himself. Maybe next time, I'll actually ask for his name.
.....
Meanwhile, in his own dorm room, Lucius (Marcus) lay sprawled across his bed, staring up at the ceiling with a look of utter frustration.
Damn it all…
He groaned loudly, throwing his arm over his face in a dramatic gesture. Everything that had happened since he'd been thrown into this world felt like one long, twisted joke. The fact that he was now stuck in an elite academy, with nobles, magic, and a freakin' protagonist didn't help at all.
"This is some kind of sick joke," Lucius muttered to himself, glaring at the ceiling as if it was somehow responsible for his situation. "Dropped into a school for elites, having to avoid plotlines like landmines, all while pretending to be someone I'm not? What, did the universe think this would be fun for me?"
He sat up, waving his arms as if addressing some invisible force. "Thanks a lot, universe. Really! Dropping me into a freaking death trap of a school! Great! Perfect! Why not throw in a dragon while you're at it?"
Lucius fell back onto the bed, arms splayed out to the sides. "It's not like I'm asking for much… just to not die horribly in some main plotline I'm not supposed to be in."
As he finished his sarcastic rant, his Aetheris lit up with a notification.
Lucius squinted at the screen, watching as a message appeared in glowing letters:
"The World Is Watching You."
Lucius groaned. Not this again.
Before he could fully process the first message, another one flashed across the screen:
"The World Snickers At You."
Lucius shot up from his bed, his frustration boiling over. "Oh, come on! Really? You're laughing at me now?"
He glared at the message, half-expecting the universe to respond, but instead, the messages vanished from the screen, leaving Lucius seething in the silence of his dorm room.
"Great, just great," Lucius muttered, clenching his fists. He looked up at the ceiling again, as if hoping some deity or cosmic force was watching.
"Well, screw you too!" Lucius shouted, thrusting his middle finger up at the ceiling. "Hope you're enjoying the show."
The room was silent. Nothing responded, no further messages from the system, just the empty quiet of his dorm room.
Lucius let out a long, frustrated sigh, flopping back onto the bed. His anger simmered down, replaced by a deep, heavy resignation. This was his life now.
Staring up at the ceiling, Lucius felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. This is my life now, huh? he thought bitterly.
He didn't have the luxury of escaping this reality. No, if he was going to survive, he had to keep playing the role of Lucius. Even if the system kept mocking him, even if he had to navigate this ridiculous world with all its magic and convoluted plots, he had to figure out how to avoid dying.
"Fine," Lucius muttered, closing his eyes. "I'll play along for the time being, but I'm not going down easy."