"That will be all for today. Classes will start fully from tomorrow, so use this opportunity wisely," the man said, turning and walking out just as confidently as he had first entered.
"So... where to from here?" I heard a voice behind me and didn't have to turn around to know it was Silver.
"The cafe—" I started to say but halted midway, a glaring fact slamming into my mind.
No points.
"The dorms," I corrected, slinging my bag over my shoulder. It had a few books inside, but nothing particularly heavy. I turned toward the exit without glancing back.
"How about the cafeteria?" Silver asked, making me pause. I turned to meet his gaze.
"It's just..." I glanced at my meta-watch, "10:32 a.m. I'm not exactly in a hurry to eat," I replied, my tone deliberately flat.
"How about if I say it's on me?" he offered, a grin tugging at his lips.
For a moment, I almost agreed. Being dead broke—with not a single point to my name—wasn't exactly ideal. However, the academy ensured that every student regardless of rank, received three square meals a day: breakfast at 7 a.m., lunch at 12 p.m., and dinner at 6 p.m. sharp.
Miss any of those times, though, and you were out of luck—unless you had points to spare, or...
...you are a high ranker.
Being a high ranker granted access to privileges, like extra meals, unlimited dining times, and the luxury of stuffing yourself to your heart's content.
"No thanks," I said finally.
"Your loss," he shrugged.
I couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret at losing out on a free meal. Still, I couldn't bring myself to trust him. I didn't know what his game was—or who he really was.
There was no character named Silver in the game. That alone put me on edge.
"Sure," I muttered, brushing it off and heading for the exit, Silver walking beside me.
Once we reached the lobby, he made a beeline for the cafeteria.
...Is it too late to change my mind now?
[Don't be a man without integrity,] a voice quipped in my mind.
"Says the evil entity," I shot back sarcastically before turning toward the elevators.
Sigh.
At least I didn't have a roommate. Especially not someone as annoying as that bastard. If I did, I might end up murdering them in their sleep.
I stood before it and tapped the button by the top right of it. The place was kind of empty, as everyone else must have gone to the cafeteria since it was on a different floor with its own set of elevators.
Ping.
The doors had barely begun to open when—
"What the—?!"
A hand shot through the gap, grabbed me, and yanked me in.
"FUCK!" I cursed as I collided with the metallic wall of the elevator, the breath knocked out of me.
I looked up, my heart racing.
"Selena," I muttered, dread pooling in my stomach.
Before I could react, she was on me.
-BAM!-
"CRAP!" I yelped, the impact radiating pain through my entire body.
She hadn't attacked me, though—at least, not intentionally. She had hugged me, but with her monstrous strength, it felt like I had been slammed into a mountain.
"...sniff..."
Wait. Did she just sniff me?
She did, didn't she?
"What the hell is going on?! Get off me!" I struggled to push her away, but it was like trying to move a boulder.
"Why did you leave?" she asked, pulling back slightly. Her peach-colored eyes bore into mine, a strange mix of intensity and vulnerability.
"What the fuck are you talking about?! Let me go!" I yelled, only to regret it immediately.
-BAM!-
I gasped as her fist slammed into my gut, driving the air from my lungs.
"Don't... don't act like you don't remember me," she said, pouting. The contrast between her adorably childish expression and her brutal actions was jarring. "I might just beat you to death if you keep playing dumb."
"I. Don't. Know. You," I ground out, emphasizing every word.
But....
I instantly regretted it.
"Then let me beat the memory back into you," she said, raising her fist again.
In that moment, I regretted turning down the free meal even more.