'Ahh Shit, my head is hurting very badly after rambling with Headmaster.'
Not only she didn't listen my advice, she also kicked me out of her office.
'This is not going to work out.'
I couldn't handle the problem alone.
'Thank god that I'm not alone in this forsaken in this acadmy graveyard. I at least have two fellow teacher, maybe I should talk to them try to find a way out of this mess.'
It's time to take action, even it's means going against principal wishes.
At the moment, I was standing in front of staff room.
'She said other two teachers would be here.'
"Hello...What is this smell?"
The smell of alcohol filled the faculty room.
In the center of it all, a middle-aged women was dozing off, rubbing her stomach.
'...Is that my senior teacher?'
No, it can't be. It can't be.
It's just some drunk who crawled in here and is sleeping.
I shook her awake with a shaky hand.
"Uh, hiccup, what?"
"You shouldn't be sleeping here, you should go home."
"Hmm, what do you mean, I'm a teacher here."
"Oh, shit...."
The realization hit me like a brick wall. This disheveled, half-drunk woman was supposed to be one of my colleagues—the very person I was hoping to rely on in this crisis.
"You... you're a teacher?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.
She yawned, stretching lazily before patting her stomach. "Yep.I teach magic. Nice to meetcha, rookie."
Her words were slurred, but the nonchalant tone carried an air of seniority that made my stomach churn. This was one of the only two other teachers left in the academy?
"Uh, I'm Professor Hadeon," I introduced myself hesitantly, forcing a polite tone. "It's... nice to meet you too."
The drunken professor didn't respond to my greetings and soon enough I found out the reason why is that?
... Because she was sleeping!
Really? She was just fine few moments ago! Just how much she drunk that alcohol?
"Haaa..."
I couldn't help but laugh myself thinking that they would be the one who helped me out.
Now that I think about it, there is no way the only teachers left could be the sane when others left the academy.
'im such fool...but what about the other one?'
I turned my head away from drunken passed out women and looked around the staff there was no else here beside us.
Then... Maybe other one is not some booze lover and is decent professor.
Once again, hope began to dwell in within me.
I quickly rushed out of doors and started to check classroom one by one.
...And few minutes passed just like that.
I arrived at the last classroom on in this floor.
Thud!
...And instantly collapsed on the floor with blank expression on my face.
Now all hope of mine is gone.
Why? Because in front of me, A woman who looked like a Professor was lying on the table, Sleeping with blanket over her head.
I stared at the second supposed pillar of this crumbling academy, disbelief and despair swirling in my chest. Was this some sort of cosmic joke? A test of endurance handed down by a cruel deity?
"Excuse me," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady. I took a cautious step forward. "Are you...awake?"
No response. The figure remained motionless, cocooned in the blanket like a hibernating bear.
"Hello?" I tried again, this time louder.
Still nothing.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Clearly, subtlety wasn't going to work here. I reached out and gently shook her shoulder. "Professor, can you wake up? We need to talk."
The blanket shifted slightly, revealing a pale hand that swatted at the air lazily. "Five more minutes..." came a groggy mumble.
My patience, already paper-thin, snapped. "Five minutes? The academy is on the brink of collapse, and you're napping like this is a summer retreat!"
At that, the figure sat up abruptly, the blanket falling away to reveal a disheveled woman with dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her clothes were wrinkled as if she'd been sleeping in them for days.
"Huh? Collapse? What are you yelling about?" she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"I'm talking about the academy!" I exclaimed, waving my hands for emphasis. "You know, the place you're supposed to be working at? The one that's barely staying afloat?"
She blinked at me slowly, as if my words were taking their sweet time to register. Then, with an exaggerated yawn, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Alara's been ranting about it for weeks," she said, her tone as casual as if we were discussing the weather. "Doesn't mean I can magically fix everything. Besides, stress is bad for your health."
I stared at her, my jaw practically hitting the floor. "Are you serious right now? Stress is bad for your health? The academy is dying, and you're worried about your stress levels?"
"Hey," she shot back, pointing a finger at me, "if the ship's sinking, might as well enjoy the ride down, right?"
For a moment, I was too stunned to reply. Then, taking a deep breath to calm myself, I pinched the bridge of my nose and muttered under my breath, "This has to be a nightmare. Any second now, I'll wake up in a world where my colleagues actually care about their jobs."
The disheveled professor tilted her head, studying me with mild curiosity. "You're new here, aren't you? Let me guess—you're the 'I can fix this!' type. Optimistic, full of ideas, ready to change the world."
"That's not the point," I said through gritted teeth. "What matters is that we actually try to save this place instead of sitting around doing nothing!"
She shrugged, completely unfazed. "Suit yourself. But trust me, rookie—this place has been circling the drain for years. If you want to waste your energy playing hero, go ahead. Just don't drag me into it."
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to scream. "You're unbelievable. Both of you are."
As I turned to leave, she called after me, "Hey, don't take it personally. You'll burn out soon enough, just like the rest of us."
Her words followed me out the door, each one feeling like a weight dragging me further down.
Standing in the empty hallway, I leaned against the wall, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Two teachers," I muttered to myself. "One's a drunk, and the other's given up entirely. How am I supposed to save this academy with this team?"
The silence offered no answer, only mocking echoes of my despair.