Hope woke up completely refreshed.
For the first time in what felt like forever, his sleep had been peaceful.
No nightmares.
No strange voices whispering in the darkness.
No unsettling encounters with that twisted copy of himself.
Just silence.
A rare thing ever since he had become a contestant.
He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting his mind adjust to the new day.
Then, with a slow exhale, he sat up.
His muscles didn't ache.
His mind felt clear.
Hope smirked.
"Guess I'll take the win."
Rolling out of bed, he went through the usual morning routine.
A quick shower, letting the cold water rinse off the grime from yesterday's trial.
Then he dressed, making sure his dagger was strapped to his waist—
The only weapon he had left after his stealth dagger had been destroyed.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue.
That was still annoying to think about.
Losing a memory was one thing—
But losing a useful weapon was another.
Still, no point in dwelling on it.
He had more important things to do.
Like eating.
The dining hall was busier than usual.
Students sat together in small clusters, whispering amongst themselves.
Some were eating nervously, picking at their food, barely able to swallow.
Others were silent, their expressions grim, their minds elsewhere.
Hope, as usual, ignored them.
He filled his plate.
Then he filled it again.
And again.
Just like last night, he ate in calm, steady movements—
Unbothered by the stares he was starting to get.
"Better to eat now while I can."
Tomorrow, everything would change.
By the time he finished his meal, an instructor's voice boomed through the hall.
"All students report to the training field immediately. Last class before the challenge."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
The moment had arrived.
The students gathered at the academy's open training grounds.
The air was thick with tension.
Everyone knew what was coming.
No more practice.
No more preparation.
Tomorrow—
They would face the Veil.
Hope crossed his arms, standing toward the back of the crowd, watching.
The instructors stood in front of them, their expressions unreadable.
Then, one of them stepped forward.
A tall man, lean but powerful, with sharp eyes that seemed to see through them all.
"My name is Lucas," the instructor introduced himself.
Hope didn't care.
Names didn't matter.
Lucas continued, his tone even and firm.
"Yesterday, we observed your training exercises. Based on your performance, we have determined the results."
A murmur spread through the students.
Hope remained still.
Lucas began calling out names—
Listing the students who had performed best.
"Five kills—Ronan."
"Five kills—Jade."
"Four kills—Arin."
And so on.
Hope's name was never called.
Good.
That was exactly what he wanted.
Better to stay unnoticed.
Better to let others soak in the attention.
Hope kept his expression neutral, even as the instructors handed out rewards to the top performers.
Some students looked disappointed that their names weren't called.
Hope?
He just felt relieved.
The Truth About Tomorrow
The gifting ceremony ended, and Lucas's expression turned serious.
The casual tone from earlier was gone.
"We have done our best to teach you about the Veil and the Soul Realm," he said.
"We've given you the knowledge, the training, the preparation you need."
His sharp gaze swept across the crowd.
"And yet, despite everything, some of you still failed to apply what you learned."
A few students flinched.
"Some of you burned too much soul essence for attacks that weren't necessary."
"Some of you summoned memories at the wrong time."
"Some of you fought recklessly, thinking brute force would be enough."
Lucas's voice dropped slightly—
Cold.
Final.
"Tomorrow, you will challenge the Veil."
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
Hope remained still.
"Some of you will survive."
Lucas's gaze hardened.
"Some of you won't."
Silence.
The weight of those words hung in the air.
Hope felt his heartbeat steady.
He had always known this.
He had known it from the moment he was dragged into this system.
Only the strong survive.
Only the smart survive.
Lucas took a step forward.
"The truth is, no matter how much we prepare you—"
"Nothing can truly prepare you for the Veil itself."
His eyes flickered.
"The moment you step inside, everything changes."
The students remained silent.
Hope stayed calm.
Tomorrow—
The real challenge begins.