"...Hehe..."

  "...I did it. I survived!"

  "Haha..."

  "..."

  Ryn opened his eyes lazily. He had been trying to enjoy the quiet, but he couldn't ignore a certain someone's constant self-talk. After blinking a few times to clear his vision, he slowly sat up.

  He was in a small, plain room. White walls surrounded him, and a single window offered a view of a beautiful, calm sky.

  'I see,' he thought. 'So we've already been moved.'

  "You're up?"

  A familiar voice interrupted his peace once again. Ryn turned his head to the left and saw Asher sitting in the next bed over. The boy was munching on a glossy red apple, looking surprisingly energetic considering the hell they had just survived.

  "Mm," Ryn replied. His voice was still thick with sleep.

  "You really like to sleep, huh?" Asher said with a wry smile. It seemed he was remembering their first meeting in the train compartment, where Ryn had been doing the exact same thing.

  "I do," Ryn replied flatly. If it weren't for him constantly making noise, he would still be enjoying that.

  "Ha-ha!" Asher let out a short laugh at the blunt reply. He picked up another apple from a small plate on the bedside table and tossed it underhand. "Here. You look like you need the sugar."

  Ryn caught it easily. But before eating straight away, he took a wet napkin from the nearby table and gave the apple a careful, thorough wipe. With another one, he wiped his hands and face clean, as his mother taught him to at least do this before eating anything.

  "Hmm," And only after inspecting the shiny skin did he take a quiet, crisp bite. "…Delicious."

  Asher watched the little ritual, his smile softening into something more thoughtful. He leaned back against his pillow.

  "Man," he sighed, his gaze drifting to the ceiling. "I thought I was dead for sure back there. When that mimic screamed, and everything went black… I really thought that was the end."

  He paused, then turned his head to look Ryn dead in the eye.

  "It was you, wasn't it?"

  Ryn didn't stop chewing. He just raised an eyebrow. "What was?"

  "Don't play dumb," Asher said, his voice low but intense. "I know I passed out back then, so I didn't see anything. But the door was obviously locked, Ryn. And the monsters were swarming us."

  Asher gestured to the room.

  "There's no way a rescue team got to us, killed the monsters, unlocked the door, and carried us out in the split second before we were eaten. That's illogical."

  He pointed at Ryn.

  "You're a Flux Arcanist with a teleportation ability. You knew about the mimic before anyone else. And I am 100% sure you didn't lose your consciousness like us."

  Asher let out a breath, shaking his head in disbelief.

  "You must have teleported us. All five of us."

  Ryn swallowed his bite of apple. He considered denying it, but while Asher wasn't alright in the head, he wasn't that stupid either. Denying the obvious would only make him more suspicious.

  "It was a gamble," Ryn stated, keeping his tone tired. "I just shoved everyone through a gap in space. I didn't even know if we'd land in one piece."

  "But we did," Asher said firmly. "We're alive because of you."

  He sat up straighter, his noble upbringing shining through his slightly disheveled appearance. He bowed his head slightly, a sign of genuine respect.

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  "I owe you my life, Ryn. And I always pay my debts. If you ever need anything... just ask."

  Ryn waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. I just wanted to survive as well. Carrying you guys was just... convenient."

  "Convenient or not," Asher insisted, "I won't forget it."

  "Well, alright," Ryn could see Asher was the stubborn type, so he didn't argue any further, putting an end to the topic. "What matters the most is that we survived, didn't we?"

  "Right... we survived," Asher muttered.

  He looked down at his lap, his voice trailing off.

  Under the thin white blanket, Ryn caught a glimpse of movement. Asher's hands were clenched into fists. His shoulders trembled with a mixture of relief and a sharp, biting frustration.

  Ryn decided to pretend he didn't see it.

  Asher took a deep, shaky breath, composing himself. When he looked up again, the vulnerability was masked behind a veneer of curiosity.

  "Can I ask you something?" Asher asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. Seeing Ryn nod, he continued. "How did you notice it? The mimic, I mean."

  He pointed a finger at his own temple. "I might sound arrogant, but I have... pretty good instincts. But I didn't feel a thing from that toddler until it transformed."

  Ryn swallowed the apple slice, savoring the sweetness. "It was obvious."

  "O-Obvious?" Asher blinked.

  "Yeah. Think about it." Ryn gestured vaguely with the half-eaten fruit. "The child didn't speak once. He watched us throughout the entire journey. And most importantly... he didn't cry when we walked past the dead bodies in the hallway."

  Ryn shrugged. "Normal children cry when they see blood or get scared. That thing? It only screamed when we were hidden, and the monsters were leaving. That's when I noticed something was wrong."

  Asher stared at him, his mouth falling open slightly.

  It was such a simple, observational point.

  One that he, with all his future-knowledge and tactical training, had completely missed because he was too busy looking for "plot events" rather than looking at reality.

  "I..." Asher stammered, a flicker of self-reproach crossing his face. "I didn't even think of that."

  "People tend to miss the small things when they're panicking about the big things," Ryn said with a chuckle. "Well, that's what my mom says when I lose my mind, tearing the room apart for a matching sock, only to realize I'm already wearing it inside the other pair."

  "I see," Asher murmured, a faint, dry chuckle escaping him despite his gloom. "I was looking too far ahead... and I tripped over what was right at my feet."

  Click-Hiss.

  The conversation was cut short as the door to the room slid open with a sharp pneumatic sound.

  Ryn and Asher turned in unison.

  A woman walked in.

  She had long, fiery red hair tied back in a strict ponytail and wore the sharp, militaristic uniform of a senior Academy Instructor. She held a digital clipboard in one hand, her gaze sweeping over them with piercing intensity.

  "I see you are awake," the woman said, her voice brisk and professional. "The doctor confirmed that your physical recovery is complete. Your core stability has returned to baseline, and there are no lingering signs of cognitive dissonance from the psychic attacks."

  Asher straightened up instantly. The frustration vanished, replaced by the perfect posture of a noble scion. He ignored his disheveled hair and addressed her with practiced etiquette.

  "Ma'am," Asher greeted with a respectful nod. "Thank you for the timely rescue. May I have the honor of knowing whom I am addressing? And... if possible, could I request a situation report regarding the train?"

  The woman stopped at the foot of Asher's bed, her eyes scanning him with a mix of appraisal and professional distance.

  "I am Instructor Vane," she replied efficiently. "As for the train, we experienced a severe spatial distortion along the transport lines. An external interference caused the protective barriers to fluctuate, allowing wild entities to breach the perimeter. Our security division is currently conducting a forensic analysis to identify the cause."

  Ryn took another quiet crunch of his apple, his expression unchanging.

  'Spatial distortion,' he repeated inwardly. 'That's a clever way to hide the truth. And they really lie as effortlessly as they breathe.'

  But since he wanted to avoid drama, he considered it acceptable. So, he simply accepted the lie as a routine administrative step.

  "Because of this interference," Instructor Vane continued, unaware of Ryn's thoughts, tapping her digital clipboard, "the Entrance Exam has been officially postponed for all candidates."

  "Postponed?" Asher let out a long, shaky sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging as the tension left his body. "So... we aren't late? We can still participate?"

  "Correct. The Academy does not penalize applicants for unforeseen accidents," she stated. "You are still eligible."

  Asher closed his eyes for a moment, whispering a quiet "Thank goodness."

  "However," the Instructor's voice sharpened, cutting through his relief. "You are on a very tight timeline."

  Asher looked at her, his brows knitting in confusion. "Tight timeline? I don't understand. If the exam is postponed..."

  "The exam is postponed, but the General Assembly is not," Vane interrupted, checking the holographic display on her wrist. "You have exactly ten minutes to wash up, change, and report to the Grand Hall."

  She gestured curtly toward the floor.

  "Your personal belongings have been retrieved and secured beneath your bunks. Next to them, you will find fresh sets of temporary Academy uniforms. I suggest you change immediately; your current attire is hardly presentable."

  Ping.

  A soft chime echoed from the bedside tables where their Arc-watches sat charging.

  "I have transmitted the Hall's coordinates to your devices," she added, her tone carrying a final note of warning. "The Vice Principal will be briefing the applicants on the new curriculum and the rescheduled exam content. If you are late, the doors will be sealed, and you will miss critical intelligence that could determine your admission. Do not squander this second chance."

  With a curt nod, she turned on her heel. "Good luck."

  The door slid shut behind her with a pressurized hiss, leaving silence in her wake.

  For a second, Asher sat frozen. Then, the reality of the countdown crashed into him.

  "Ten minutes?!"