The cafeteria buzzed with life, a symphony of clattering plates, lively conversations, and the occasional burst of laughter. Students sprawled at tables, swapping notes on the latest combat drills or complaining about overloaded schedules. The aroma of freshly baked bread mingled with the mouthwatering scent of grilled skewers, tempting even the most disciplined of mages to indulge.
At a corner table, Lucius sat with a sandwich in hand, finally savoring a rare moment of calm. The hum of chatter washed over him like background music, and for the first time in a while, he allowed himself to relax.
Maybe this whole school thing won't kill me after all, he mused, biting into his sandwich. Peaceful afternoon. No fights. No explosions. Just good food and—
A faint, familiar ding rang in his mind like the chime of a cursed alarm clock.
[Episode 2 has started.]
The words floated before his eyes, and Lucius froze mid-bite, the sandwich hanging limp in his hand. His heart skipped, then thudded in his chest as realization hit like a slap to the face.
"What the—?"
Before his brain could catch up with the message, the ground trembled beneath him like an angry beast stirring from its slumber.
Then, it hit.
BOOOOOOM!
A deafening explosion roared from the far end of the cafeteria. Tables flipped like playing cards, trays and cups went flying, and students screamed in pure panic. A shockwave rippled through the room, shattering glass and sending everyone tumbling off their seats.
Lucius's sandwich soared out of his hand. Goodbye, sweet prince.
He barely had time to register the loss before dust and debris swallowed the room whole, clouding the air in a choking gray mist.
Lucius coughed, waving a hand in front of his face as he stumbled to his feet. His eyes watered from the dust, but he narrowed them, trying to make sense of the chaos around him.
The once-bustling cafeteria had transformed into a warzone in seconds. Overturned chairs littered the floor like fallen soldiers, and plates shattered underfoot as students stumbled blindly, coughing and shouting over one another.
A harsh wave of adrenaline cut through Lucius's brain fog. Focus. His mind snapped into place like a well-worn puzzle piece. He scanned the room with sharp eyes, analyzing the damage, searching for the source of the explosion.
Then, through the clearing dust, he saw them.
A group of students staggered into view. But these weren't ordinary students anymore. Their bodies had swollen grotesquely, skin cracked and veins glowing with toxic mana. Their faces were barely recognizable, warped by whatever potion they had consumed.
They looked human—almost—but there was something deeply wrong. Each of them radiated a wild, chaotic energy. Mana surged uncontrollably from their bodies like a ticking time bomb.
Lucius's stomach dropped. "What the hell...?"
He'd read about these creatures in the novel—students who used illegal enhancement potions. But the story never revealed who was behind it. All they knew was that the affected students lost their minds and turned into living mana bombs.
This was not supposed to happen here. In the novel, these transformations were supposed to occur in a secluded area—definitely not in the cafeteria, surrounded by civilians.
Something—or someone—messed with the timeline.
"Everyone, evacuate!"
Lucius's shout cut through the panic. He grabbed the nearest student and shoved them toward the exit. "Don't just stand there! Move!"
Fiona was already by his side, her voice sharp and commanding as she directed the students. "Get to safety! Don't try to fight them—those things will explode if you push them too hard!"
Lucius's mind raced. He scanned the situation, trying to assess the threat. There were five of these creatures now—former B Rank students, each one radiating volatile mana.
One of them staggered forward, veins pulsing dangerously. If they exploded, the entire cafeteria would go up in flames.
Great. Just what I needed: ticking bombs with legs.
Through the smoke and chaos, I caught sight of him—Dorian, striding straight into danger like he had something to prove. His coat billowed dramatically behind him as if he'd rehearsed it, and sparks of lightning danced across his fingertips. No sword, no hesitation—just pure magic, raw and untamed.
I couldn't help but grin. Yep, that's my protagonist.
He raised a hand, and with a flick of his wrist, a pillar of fire roared to life, swallowing one of the twisted students whole. Wind whipped through the flames, spreading embers across the wreckage. Dorian moved like a storm given form—one spell bleeding into the next—wind into fire, lightning into water, the elements swirling around him in perfect harmony.
At least some things stayed the same, I thought. Dorian's reckless tendency to charge in headfirst? Check. His over-the-top magic control? Check. If this fight was anything like the novel, he was on the verge of awakening his Divine Element. And we desperately needed him to do exactly that.
But something gnawed at the back of my mind—this wasn't the right place. In the novel, Dorian was supposed to have his awakening outside, in a wide-open field where there'd be space to maneuver. Here? We were boxed into a crowded cafeteria filled with students, tables, and mana-charged walking disasters.
If the location changed, what else did?
My grin faltered. What if his awakening doesn't trigger? Or worse—what if something happens that wasn't in the original story?
Dorian unleashed a gust of wind, slamming two creatures into a pile of overturned chairs. Lightning crackled across his fingertips, and with a clap of his hands, a bolt shot through the air, striking one creature square in the chest. The thing convulsed, its glowing veins pulsing erratically.
I could almost see the gears turning in Dorian's head. He wasn't just throwing spells for fun—he was testing them, seeing how these mana-filled monsters reacted. Smart. If he figured out the right way to push them, it could be the key to triggering his awakening.
But every hit destabilized them further. Their mana surged wildly, dangerously close to detonating. If even one of those creatures blew up, it'd take half the cafeteria with it—and probably some students, too.
"Perfect. Just what I needed—ticking bombs with legs," I muttered under my breath, dragging a passing student toward the exit. "Go! Get out of here before you become a statistic!"
Next to me, Fiona was barking orders like a drill sergeant. "Everyone, move! Don't engage—just get out!"
Meanwhile, more creatures stumbled into view. Their bodies were bloated with mana, veins glowing brighter by the second. There were five of them now, and each one looked more unstable than the last.
I gritted my teeth. Dorian was holding his own, but things were spiraling fast. If this keeps up, we're one bad spell away from a cafeteria-shaped crater.
Just as I was shoving a group of students toward the exit, a fierce gust of wind cut through the smoke-filled air. I turned—and there they were. Lucas, Zephyr, Selene, Claire, Kain, and Leon rushed in, faces set like they knew exactly what kind of nightmare they were signing up for.
Lucas's gravity magic rippled in the air, making everything feel heavier. One of the corrupted students collapsed under the crushing force, limbs twitching like a cockroach caught under a boot.
Selene followed with her signature cold precision. Frost coiled across the floor, locking another creature in place. It jerked and snarled, but the ice held, crackling under the strain.
Zephyr stood at the ready, sword gleaming with light magic, looking more like a heroic knight from a legend than a classmate. His aura radiated a steady calm, like nothing in the world could throw him off balance. A walking flashlight with a sword—gotta love it.
Claire's blade was already in hand, her grin sharp enough to cut through the tension in the room. She thrived on this—danger was just another sparring match for her.
Leon rolled in next, a storm of wind and lightning swirling around him. Sparks crackled from his fingertips, and the gusts at his heels made it look like he was floating. Typical Leon. Always gotta show up like a one-man weather disaster.
Then came Kain. His sword thrummed with energy, surrounded by a stormy mist that clung to him like a second skin. The smell of rain and ozone followed wherever he moved. His eyes burned with focus—calm, deadly, like a brewing storm just waiting to be unleashed.
"You guys are late," I quipped, though I was relieved to see them.
Lucas shot me a look, sweat already glistening on his brow. The gravity field thickened as he pressed another creature deeper into the ground.
I wasted no time. "Alright, here's the deal: These used to be B Rank students. Now they're mana bombs thanks to some illegal potions. If they explode, we're all going boom. Got it?"
Claire gave me a sideways glance. "And the plan?"
"Slow them down, but no killing. Push them too hard, and they'll detonate. Control is everything."
Leon flicked a spark from his hand. "Got it. What else?"
I grinned. "Try not to blow up."
Lucas exhaled sharply, focusing every ounce of his will into his gravity field. The creature pinned beneath him squirmed and thrashed, its glowing veins pulsing angrily, but Lucas wasn't letting up. The floor groaned under the pressure.
"Hold it down, Lucas! If it moves, we're toast!" I yelled over the chaos.
Selene raised both hands, ice crawling farther along the floor until another corrupted student's legs were frozen solid. The creature growled, shards of ice splintering under the strain, but it stayed put.
Zephyr's light magic flared brighter, his sword radiating energy as he created a protective barrier around the remaining students. The air shimmered with power, forming a glowing wall that kept the creatures from advancing any further.
Claire positioned herself at the front lines, sword raised and ready. Her grin was still plastered on her face—this wasn't just survival for her; this was fun.
Leon's storm magic surged around him, wind howling at his back as arcs of lightning danced across his arms. "Ready when you are," he called, the storm practically begging to be unleashed.
"Don't hit them too hard," I reminded him. "They blow, we're screwed."
Leon gave me a playful smirk. "No fun at all."
Then there was Kain. His storm element crackled along his sword, mist curling around the blade like restless clouds. He moved with precision, always just out of reach of danger, like the eye of a storm. With a sharp step forward, Kain slashed through the air, releasing a controlled burst of wind and rain that blasted one of the creatures back—but not hard enough to trigger an explosion.
"Keep them pinned!" I barked, adrenaline roaring in my ears. "Just buy time—don't let them move!"
Lucas clenched his fists, and his gravity field thickened even more. The creature underneath him gave a strained groan, its veins glowing brighter with each second, but it stayed down.
Selene's frost spread wider, reinforcing the frozen sections with another layer of ice. "They're holding for now, but I can't keep this up forever."
"Just a little longer!" I shot back.
Zephyr's blade glinted as he stood his ground, the light magic swirling around him like a protective aura. "Any bright ideas if they break free?"
"Yeah," I said with a grin. "Run."
One of the creatures twitched violently—mana flaring as if it were about to explode. Leon moved in a blur, wind carrying him forward as he slammed an arc of lightning into the beast's side. It convulsed, mana stuttering—but no detonation.
"Perfect hit!" I called, relief washing over me.
"Of course it was," Leon said with a smirk, wind still curling at his heels.
Then Kain stepped in, his storm magic crackling as he delivered a precise slash. Wind and water surged together, forcing the creature back and drenching it in cold mist. The creature staggered, disoriented but intact.
I glanced around, heart pounding. Most of the students had evacuated, thanks to Zephyr's barrier and Lucas's gravity field buying us time. But the creatures were getting more unstable by the second, their glowing veins flickering like faulty wires about to short-circuit.
"Hold the line!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the storm of magic. "Just a little longer!"
Kain shot me a sharp look, storm magic thrumming in the air. "And if they blow?"
"We'll improvise," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. Because of course we will. When do we not?
The corrupted students twitched again, mana pulsing brighter, seconds away from going critical. The air buzzed with tension—the kind you get right before a thunderstorm breaks loose.
Meanwhile, Dorian clashed with the first creature, a tempest of flames and wind swirling around him as he unleashed spell after spell. His magic flared to life, fire spiraling from his fingertips and striking with precision. But the creature absorbed the hits like a sponge, its twisted form seeming to grow more resilient with every attack.
I watched him closely, urgency clawing at my insides. Come on, Dorian. This is your moment. Awaken already.
But with each passing second, my unease deepened. If this battle didn't follow the script, would Dorian's awakening even happen? What if all this was for nothing?
Just as it felt like we might gain the upper hand, a fresh explosion rocked the cafeteria. Two more creatures burst through the shattered walls, their bodies pulsating with unstable mana, madness swirling in their eyes.
I cursed under my breath. "You've got to be kidding me."
Kain stepped forward, storm magic crackling in the air around him. "I'll handle the new ones."
"No," I snapped, urgency driving my tone. "We need to hold the line. Focus on containment. We can't let them spread."
As I directed my friends and kept tabs on the fight, one thought nagged at the back of my mind: Why here? Why the cafeteria?
Someone—or something—had deliberately changed the setting of this event. The more I thought about it, the heavier the realization settled in. If they could alter a major plot point like this, it meant one thing:
The original story no longer mattered. Anything could happen now.
Just when I thought we might be regaining control, an ominous pressure settled in the air, sending a chill down my spine. I could feel it—the mana around the creatures surged wildly, crackling with a malevolent energy that prickled against my skin.
Something stronger was coming.
My instincts screamed at me, a primal urge to brace myself for the impending danger. The energy pulsing in the room shifted, twisting into an unsettling rhythm that resonated deep within me.
I tightened my grip on my sword, adrenaline flooding my veins as my grin returned—sharper and more dangerous than before.
"Looks like Episode 2 just got a whole lot harder."