I grimaced as I carried my backpack down the dimly lit hallway of the dorm building. The air was stale, and the walls were bare save for a few peeling posters advertising outdated events.
I finally reached my door and fumbled with my keycard.
"Come on you stupid thing, work," I cursed under my breath when it refused to cooperate.
After a few more annoying attempts, the door finally clicked open, revealing the oh-so-amazing, and absolutely stunning luxury interior.
Sike.
The room was depressingly small, with barely enough space for the two single beds, desks, and chairs. The walls were painted a dull beige, and the only window offered a view of the brick wall of the neighboring building.
'Great. Just great.'
I set my bag down next to my bed and collapsed onto the thin mattress.
"Ughhhh…" I groaned.
The events of the day replayed in my mind. The humiliating F rating, the whispers and stares of the other students, it was all a little overwhelming.
I closed my eyes trying to block out the memories, but they persisted like that scene in that movie where a talking donkey constantly whistled to piss off a massive green ogre. Insufferable.
"Ughhh…." I groaned again.
Suddenly, an idea sparked in my mind. I sat up abruptly, grabbed the notebook provided by the academy, and flipped it open to a blank page.
I began to write the events I remembered would take place in the novel. This made me realise I needed to get stronger and fast because if I didn't, I'd probably die.
After a while, I closed the notebook, tucked it under my pillow, and stood up, stretching my stiff limbs. I had a long road ahead of me if I wanted to somehow make it out alive, especially with the upcoming first attack 6 months from now at the first years' first outing.
…
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I opened it to find a boy my age with messy brown hair and bright green eyes, standing awkwardly in the doorway with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
"Hi, I'm Lucas Redmond," he said, extending his hand. "I guess we're roommates?"
Lucas Redmond. The name echoed in my mind like a thunderclap. This was the protagonist of 'Realm of Shadows,' the very book I wrote.
"Oh, uh… yeah, I'm Caspian," I managed to reply, my voice a little shaky. I took his hand and shook it, however my mind was whirling with a million questions.
'Just why is he here?'
I mean, I knew I had made him weak at the start of the novel with an average of E across all of his skills, but still, why was he at my dorm room? This had to be some sort of a sick joke by whoever — or whatever — brought me into this world.
He gave me a friendly smile, completely unaware of the absolute turmoil he had just unleashed in me.
Lucas entered the room and settled down, unpacking his belongings. I watched him for a moment, unsure how I should interact with this fictional character turned real-life roommate. In the end, I decided I wanted as little to do with him as possible for now. Getting involved would only put me in tricky situations.
"Hey, Lucas," I said, clearing my throat. "I'm going to head out for a bit to get some food. It was nice meeting you, you can have the room to yourself for a while."
He nodded, giving me a thumbs up. "Sounds good. I'll probably just unpack and maybe take a nap."
I grabbed my notebook and headed out, leaving the main protagonist to his own devices.
'This is a disaster,' I thought as I left the room and made my way to the canteen.
The canteen was full of students chatting, laughing, and devouring their meals. I stood in line, my eyes scanned the menu for a moment. Then when my turn came, I ordered a simple sandwich and an orange juice.
"That'll be 1,500 zelis," the cashier said.
I tapped my watch against the payment terminal, wincing as I watched my funds go down. With only 8,500 zelis left for the rest of the week, I'd have to be careful with my spending.
I took my food and found a quiet corner to sit in. I bit into into my overly expensive sandwich, the simple flavors did little to soothe my nerves.
I glanced at my watch, scrolling through the schedule for the next day. I had a magic theory class tomorrow.
With a sigh, I finished my sandwich and headed back to my dorm room. As I opened the door, I found that the room was empty. Lucas was gone.
"Figures," I muttered to myself.
Knowing his character from my own writing, I could only guess that he was out somewhere, pushing himself to get stronger.
He did have a 5 star innate growth skill that according to 'Realm of Shadows' he would have found before attending to the academy.
I think it was called…
The Nine Realms Sword Style (★★★★★)
'Seriously, what was I thinking when I wrote that back then?'
"Whatever…" I mumbled, sighing as I settled onto my bed. I needed some sleep.
*
*
*
The incessant chirping of birds outside my window woke me from my slumber. I squinted at the watch still on my wrist.
8:30 AM.
Crap!
My first Magic Theory class started at 9:00 AM, and I was still in my pyjamas. I jumped out of bed, quickly throwing on my uniform, grabbing my notebook, and was just about to rush out the door.
But then, I glanced Lucas's bed. He was still sound asleep with his face buried in his pillow and had one of his legs dangling on the side of his bed. I hesitated for a moment, torn between waking him up and just leaving him there.
"It's not my problem if he's late," I muttered to myself. On one hand it'd be great to have a decent relationship with the main protagonist of the story who was destined for greatness, but on the other it meant I'd probably get involved more than I wanted to.
But then, a sudden guilt tripping flashback hit me. I saw myself, back in my old world, stumbling into a lecture hall fifteen minutes late, the professor glaring at me as I awkwardly made my way to an empty seat.
'Seriously, did I have to remember that now of all times? Whatever, fine.'
With a mischievous grin, I picked up one of Lucas's socks from the floor and chucked it at his face.
"Lucas wake up!" I yelled before bolting out the door without looking back. Whether he chooses to wake up and get ready had nothing to do with me.
*
*
*