The academy's registration hall was a bustling maze of students, staff, and parents. I stood in line at the front desk, trying to keep my nerves in check as I waited to confirm my dorm room. Crescent Academy's campus was enormous, and I knew I'd be spending a good deal of time here. But the dorm was where I'd be living, so I wanted to get it sorted first.
When I finally reached the counter, the clerk, an older man with half-moon glasses, looked up from a hefty ledger. "Name?"
"Leonis," I replied, clearing my throat. "Leonis Argent."
The clerk scanned his list, his finger tracing down row after row of student names until he stopped at mine. "Right, Leonis Argent," he muttered, making a note before looking up at me. "You're requesting a dorm room, yes?"
"Yes, please," I answered, slightly relieved that this part was nearly done.
He adjusted his glasses. "Let's see… Unfortunately, the boys' dormitory is completely full."
I blinked. "Full? All of it?"
He nodded. "Yes, every single room. But we do have a spot left in a mixed dorm—a room with three beds, reserved for special cases."
A mixed dorm? That was unexpected. I hesitated, thinking it over. I didn't have much of a choice, though. "I'll take it," I said finally.
The clerk handed me a key marked Room 403. "Here you go. You'll find Room 403 on the fourth floor. I believe you'll be meeting your roommates soon. Good luck, Mr. Argent."
I thanked him, pocketing the key before heading toward the dormitory building. As I walked, a sense of anticipation grew within me. A mixed room, shared with two other students. I hoped we'd get along. The building itself was large and quiet, with sturdy stone walls and the occasional decorative tapestry hanging in the halls.
The climb to the fourth floor was quick, and as I reached the door marked 403, I pulled out the key. My hand hesitated on the doorknob, and I took a breath to steady myself. This was the first step into what would be my new home at Crescent.
Turning the key, I opened the door slowly, expecting an empty room. But as I stepped inside, I found myself face-to-face with an unexpected sight.
The door creaked open, and as I stepped in, I stopped dead in my tracks. Right in front of me, with her back to the door, was a girl—blonde, 1.6 meters tall, her uniform halfway off and… well, standing there in her underwear, tugging her skirt down.
I blinked, not quite processing what I was seeing. This had to be a misunderstanding, right?
"Oh, wow," I heard myself say, louder than I meant to. "I… uh… I didn't know this room came with such a view."
The girl froze, her shoulders stiffening before she turned her head ever so slowly to look over her shoulder at me. Her face was a spectacular shade of red, and her expression quickly shifted from shock to sheer, utter fury.
"You… YOU IDIOT!" she screamed, snatching her skirt back up and yanking it to cover herself. "DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO KNOCK?!"
I stumbled backward, my hands up defensively. "Hey, hey! In my defense, I was just following the directions they gave me! I didn't realize there'd be a… a… wardrobe malfunction going on in here."
"Oh, I'll show you a 'malfunction!'" she shouted, her face redder than a sunset. A crackling aura of energy began to gather around her hands, and I immediately felt the temperature in the room rise about ten degrees.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" I yelped, backing up as fast as I could. "Truce! I swear it was an accident! I was just—"
"SHUT UP!" She launched her hand forward, and a pulse of energy shot straight at me. I barely ducked in time, feeling the heat singe the tips of my hair as the spell hit the wall with a loud boom!
I coughed, waving my hand through the air to clear the smoke. "Great first impression," I muttered to myself, grimacing. "This room is gonna be real cozy, I can tell."
The girl crossed her arms, her glare sharp enough to slice steel. "Listen here, you… whatever you are," she hissed, "if you ever pull something like this again, I will personally incinerate every hair on your head."
"Understood," I squeaked, straightening up and raising my hands in surrender. "Message received. Crystal clear. No more unplanned… entrances."
She rolled her eyes, huffing, before finally stomping off to the far side of the room, still muttering under her breath. "My name is Livia Alden," she spat, glancing at me with barely concealed disgust. "Get it right, and get out of my way."
"Leonis," I replied, trying to look as innocent as possible as I made my way to my side of the room. "Promise I'll be the most polite roommate from here on out."
She shot me one last glare, but I could swear I caught the faintest hint of a smirk before she turned away again.