Everything was dark.
The trees around looked drier and more twisted than usual, creaking softly with every breeze that swept through the forest. Crows flew from branch to branch, letting out harsh croaks, while the sound of bat wings sliced across the moonless sky.
Rowan was running.
His feet slammed against the dirt, kicking up dead leaves and broken branches.
'Why am I running...? Who's chasing me?!'
Panic took over his body, even though he had no idea what exactly he was running from. All he knew was that he had to run. And fast.
But of course, because luck was never on his side—
TRUP.....!
He tripped over something and fell face-first into the ground.
WHUMP!
"Argh... my mouth! I bit my tongue...!"
He tried to get up, spitting dirt and shaking his head, when a strange voice echoed through the forest.
"Where did you think you were going?"
The voice seemed to spread through the air, dragging slightly... with a little giggle at the end.
"Hehehe..."
Rowan twisted his body, looking around.
"N-no! Where are you?! Who's there?!"
Silence returned for a few seconds.
Until the same voice spoke again, closer.
"You really thought you could escape the academy...?"
Hehehehe...
The laughter grew louder. The sound came from all directions. Like the forest itself was laughing at him.
Rowan crawled backwards on the ground, heart racing.
Then something dropped right in front of him.
THUD.
He slowly looked up.
There was Sera.
But not the normal Sera. This one had blood-red glowing eyes, fangs bared and dripping... ketchup? Maybe. He wasn't sure anymore.
She stared down at him, a monstrous shadow twisting behind her.
"You... won't run from me."
"N-NOOOOO!"
"..."
Rowan jolted awake, soaked in sweat.
Breathing heavily, heart pounding in his chest.
He looked around.
The room.
He was in his room.
Safe. No fangs. No cursed forest. No ketchup.
Just a strange silence... the kind that made even breathing feel too loud.
"...I think I'll avoid ketchup for a while."
Still lying down, Rowan felt his body slightly sore. He ran his hand through his pockets.
Pulled out his phone and checked the time.
7:34 AM.
He had been asleep since around four in the afternoon.
He had basically slept through the entire afternoon and night.
His body was clearly exhausted.
Getting up slowly, he went straight to the shower. Luckily, the room had a private bathroom.
'No way I'm sharing a shower with anyone around here.'
As soon as he stepped out of the bath...
....GRRRRROOOOOWWWWWWL.....
His stomach let out a sound so loud it was like it cried for help.
"Shit... I haven't eaten anything since I got here. I'm starving."
Since yesterday's lunch, nothing had gone in. Thankfully, he'd eaten well before his parents kicked him out of the house with a smile on their faces.
Sigh...
'Well, there's gotta be breakfast here.'
Still wrapped in a towel, he looked to the side.
His two suitcases were leaning against the door.
Someone had dropped them off during the night.
'Maybe it was some instructor?'
"Well, if I'm still alive, it's fine."
Even though it was only his second day, Rowan was already trying not to get too shaken by the weird things around here.
As long as he kept breathing, that was good enough.
".."
After putting on his second academy uniform, he left the room in search of the cafeteria.
Outside, everything was still calm. That soft kind of silence you only get on a lazy morning.
'Lyra said classes start at 8:30.'
The halls were empty. Most students were probably still in bed and only getting up around 8:25.
Coming from a boys' dorm, that was expected.
'Yeah... some things never change.'
Outside the building, the air felt fresher. The sky was still cloudy, but without the heaviness of the previous day.
He spotted a few students walking across the courtyard. Some seemed headed straight for the library, others toward more specific areas—rooms with equipment, possibly club spaces or training rooms. A decent number were already heading toward the main structure, where the classrooms, cafeteria, and probably the principal's office were located.
What caught Rowan's attention was the number of girls.
Compared to the short-tempered guy from yesterday, who wasn't even 1.60m tall and already wanted to fight...
This was almost a relief.
'At least the threat level seems lower.'
That's when his brain decided to be helpful.
The image of the nightmare came back in full force.
Sera. Glowing red eyes. Fangs showing. A monstrous shadow twisting behind her...
'...Okay. Maybe I'm rushing to conclusions.'
Just like everyone else, Rowan had one goal in mind.
'I just hope the food is normal.'
====
The academy's cafeteria was spacious, with tall windows letting in the gray light from the cloudy sky. Some tables were made of dark stone, others looked like living wood, with roots that occasionally twitched. Even so, the place felt surprisingly calm.
Rowan sat alone, with breakfast in hand.
On his plate were two round buns that looked like brioche, a cup of purplish juice he couldn't identify, and what seemed like scrambled eggs.
Everything looked normal enough not to raise suspicion.
He eyed it all carefully at first, half-expecting something to move in the food... but after the first bite, he relaxed.
"Haaah... at least the food's decent."
He ate happily, even with all kinds of students walking around him.
People with glowing eyes, tails, scaly skin or floating hair moved between tables.
But no one sat near him. No stares. No attempts to talk.
It was like he was surrounded by an invisible barrier.
He didn't know why.
But honestly?
For someone like him... that was a blessing.
====
Later, Rowan was walking through the inner halls, holding a folded sheet of paper.
It was the guide Lyra had given him the day before.
There were notes with simple instructions, reminders about times, and a small arrow pointing to his classroom's location.
'Looks like she really didn't help me just for the points.'
Compared to Sera, Lyra genuinely seemed to enjoy helping others.
"Looks like this is my class, then."
Rowan stopped in front of a door with the number B-07 engraved on a darkened metal plate.
He tucked the paper into his pocket and took a deep breath.
"Fuuuuh..."
'What kind of stuff do they even teach here?'
He turned the doorknob.
"..."
The room was simple, like any other classroom. Rows of desks lined up in straight lines, long wooden tables, and a magical blackboard at the back that gave off a soft bluish mist. The walls had subtle symbols etched into the pale stone, but aside from that, nothing extravagant.
Magical lights on the ceiling kept the place evenly lit, with a gentle warm glow.
A bluish mist. The walls had subtle symbols etched into pale stone, but aside from that, nothing extravagant.
On the ceiling, well-distributed magical lights kept the room evenly lit with a soft, natural tone.
'Alright, there's a seat in the back... I'll just sit there and keep my head down.'
Rowan's simple plan:
Pretend he didn't exist.
"Ahh... you must be the new student? Please, come here and introduce yourself."
shh shh...
Whispers spread through the room.
"A new student?"
"Who is he?"
"I heard someone new was coming."
"He looks really human."
The voices came as murmurs from every corner.
At that moment, Rowan realized his plan to go unnoticed had just completely failed.
He looked to the side.
Only now had he noticed the teacher's presence, as if she had simply appeared out of nowhere.
Maybe it was because of her appearance... slightly translucent.
'Is she a ghost?! Do those even exist?'
"Oh, don't worry."
She spoke in a calm voice, as if reading his thoughts.
"Don't worry if you didn't see me earlier, that's quite common."
She floated closer without making a sound.
"My name is Myrren, I'm a Spectra. A race born from the fusion of mana and soul. We're considered conscious manifestations... part spirit, part magic."
She gave a faint smile and, with a snap of her fingers, her form began to solidify. The once-blurry edges became more defined, revealing elegant legs covered by what looked like a floating magical cloak.
"Despite everything, I can maintain a more human form like this... but it's quite exhausting."
"Haaaah..."
She let out a slow sigh, and at the same time, her form returned to a semi-transparent state. Parts of her silhouette faded, as if being erased by light.
'I thought Spectras only existed in books.'
She turned back to the classroom.
"Now then, Rowan... please introduce yourself to the class."
He froze for a second.
"Right..."
He stood there, in the center. Curious and sometimes wary eyes were coming from all directions. Some of them didn't even look like actual eyes.
He took a deep breath, trying to hold onto at least a bit of dignity.
"Well... my name is Rowan. I arrived yesterday. I'm still trying to figure this place out, so... if I seem a little lost, sorry about that."
Silence.
"I studied my whole life in regular schools... so all this is still new to me."
The sentence came out simple, but direct.
Some students exchanged glances, confused.
Regular? Was that his way of saying... human schools?
Rowan gave a small, nervous smile, unsure if he had said too much or too little.
Then his eyes scanned the classroom. More carefully this time.
And there she was.
Sera, sitting in the back, distracted by an open book on the desk. She didn't even bother to look up.
'Of course... completely ignoring me.'
Rowan swallowed hard.
But for some reason, just seeing her there, among so many weird students, made him feel a little more... grounded.
"Thank you. You can take that seat, Rowan."
The teacher's voice brought him back to reality.
Rowan walked to the back row and sat in the first empty seat.
It was just the beginning. But it clearly wasn't going to be a normal day.
====
◆ Character Sheet – Professor Myrren ◆
➤ Age: Unknown
➤ Height: Varies (around 1.70m floating)
➤ Race: Spectra
➤ Class: Instructor of Fundamental Magical Theory
➤ Appearance: Semi-translucent body, long smoke-white hair, pale blue eyes. Wears a floating robe with glowing details that change with her energy.
➤ Likes: Quiet classrooms, ancient rituals, students who don't interrupt
➤ Dislikes: When people try to touch her "to see if they can pass through," being ignored, amateur attempts at spiritual banishment
➤ Personality: Calm, enigmatic, with sudden bursts of ironic humor
➤ Fun Fact: Sometimes forgets she's on the physical plane and walks through objects or walls mid-lecture