I thought I beat death.
Like, for real this time.
I walked into Magical Theory class feeling like a guy who had punched a prophecy in the face and walked away. Sure, I was still tired, bruised, and mildly terrified of my own shadow, but hey — I survived today's canon-death moment. That had to count for something.
Class dragged by in a blur. Sigil equations. Mana containment theory. Professor Thorne muttering things that sounded like riddles and insults rolled into one.
I stared out the window, just… breathing.
> [Status Window – ALERT]
⚠️ Active Threat Detected
💀 Death Forecast: Today
Mission: Survive the Day
Rewards: Unknown
Penalty: Permanent Termination
My stomach dropped like a brick.
"Wait. What?"
I'd already survived the arena duel. I changed the timeline. The book's plot was broken.
But the window wasn't wrong before.
So either something worse was coming…
Or I wasn't as safe as I thought.
Classes ended around sunset. The sky had gone from warm orange to dusky purple, painting the campus in soft light.
I walked slowly toward the dorms, keeping my head low. Students passed by chatting and laughing, totally unaware that I might die before dinner.
Again.
Then, I heard footsteps behind me — but light, graceful, not threatening.
A girl stepped up beside me.
She wore the academy uniform like it had been tailored for a royal, with a long braid of silver-white and light-blue hair and soft sea-colored eyes.
"Um. Excuse me," she said, her voice polite and slightly nervous. "Do you know where the Alchemy wing is?"
"Oh. Yeah." I pointed down the far path. "Past the Garden Terrace, left at the floating statues. If you hit a hallway that smells like old socks, you went too far."
She blinked. "Smells like socks?"
"Exploding potions. Don't ask."
She smiled, soft and amused. "Thank you. I'm Selene. It's my first day."
"Noah," I replied. "Resident tutorial failure and walking health hazard. Welcome to Cyran Academy."
She laughed — a real one. Light, warm.
Then we nodded to each other and parted ways.
Nice girl, I thought.
Definitely not someone who's secretly a—
> 🕊️ [Selene Lykaios] – Profile Hidden
New Contact Logged
Wait… Lykaios?
I blinked.
And then forgot about it.
Because that's when the pain hit.
Something cracked into my back — a hard blast of wind magic that knocked me forward.
I hit the stone with a grunt, rolling into a defensive crouch.
Five students stood ahead.
At the front?
Koren Velmouth.
"Thought you could embarrass me in combat class and walk away?" he growled.
"Technically, I hobbled away," I wheezed.
He didn't laugh.
"Today, you vanish for real."
> ⚠️ [Status Update – Critical Side Mission]
💀 Survive Ambush – Enemies: Five
Reward: +Skill Cap, Secret Unlock
Hint: You are not alone
"Oh, good," I muttered. "Riddles and muggings. Just what I wanted."
They attacked all at once.
I dodged one strike, blocked another, then got slammed into the wall by raw force magic. Pain sparked down my side.
I could barely think, let alone cast.
I hit the ground.
Then — a whistle.
Sharp, low, clean.
The air went still.
Then—
Boom.
Liora landed between me and the attackers like a falling comet.
Her hand cracked with static. Her eyes glowed with rage.
"I was on my way to my dorm," she said coldly.
"You ruined my mood."
Koren sneered. "This isn't your fight, Windmere reject."
She smiled.
"Oh, I'm not from Windmere."
She struck first.
A whirlwind kick sent one guy flying. Her next spell — something like chain lightning — stunned two more.
She ducked a blade, summoned a glowing disc to block a blast, then uppercut the fourth with a spiked mana ring.
Koren backed off, scared now.
But she wasn't done.
She whispered a word.
Something old.
And her shadow expanded.
Dark veins of magic snaked out from her body.
The temperature dropped.
"Wait…" I whispered. "That spell—"
It was ancient. Raw. Forbidden.
A curse.
A blood curse.
From House Drakopoulos.
Liora spoke the final phrase and slammed her palm to the ground.
The five attackers screamed as their mana shattered mid-cast. Their bodies convulsed and dropped, unconscious.
Then her shadow shrank.
The air cleared.
And Liora stood, panting, over the wreckage.
She turned to me slowly.
"You okay?"
I nodded. "Remind me never to take your lunch."
She helped me up, wincing as I leaned on her shoulder.
And then—
> 🧬 [Liora Godfrey] – Identity Confirmed
Connection: House Drakopoulos
Status: Noble Lineage (Hidden)
Relation: Cousin
My jaw dropped.
"Godfrey," I whispered.
She froze.
"You used a Drakopoulos curse."
She looked at me.
Then smiled faintly.
"Guess we've got more in common than you thought."