The sound of the academy's morning bell rolled across the courtyard like the low chime of distant thunder.Ryo's eyes snapped open.
For a moment, he didn't know where he was. The ceiling above him was high and arched, beams of pale light spilling in through a half-moon window. Rows of narrow beds lined the stone walls, most already empty — their occupants gone to early drills or classes.
Then memory returned like a blade between the ribs.He had survived the first day.
Barely.
[System Notice]Day Count: 1/3 CompleteSurvival Bonus: +0.2 StaminaPrimary Directive: Continue survival until full evaluation.
He sat up slowly, muscles aching from more than just fatigue. Every failed attempt from before seemed to cling to his body, ghost-pains from blows and falls that weren't there anymore.
The dorm was quiet except for the faint scratch of quill on parchment — a blond-haired boy at the far end, bent over a desk, muttering equations under his breath. He didn't look up as Ryo swung his legs over the bed and pulled on the academy-issued shirt someone had left at the foot.
It was too big for him. The sleeves fell almost to his fingertips.Still, it was better than the dust-stained clothes he'd arrived in.
He had no map, no schedule, and no allies except Kael, who had disappeared into the crowd after yesterday's conversation. That meant one thing: he needed information before the Gatekeeper showed her face again.
The hallway outside was bustling now. Students in varying uniforms moved with purpose — some carrying spellbooks, others training gear. There was a strange mix here: robed mages walking side-by-side with armored warriors, alchemists balancing crates of bottled light, and even a few beastkin with furred ears twitching as they passed.
Ryo kept his head down.
[System Tip]Avoid confrontation when unprepared.Observation is the foundation of strategy.
He followed the flow of students until the hallway opened into the main courtyard. The central fountain sprayed arcs of crystal-clear water into the air, catching sunlight in rainbows. It was beautiful — and dangerous. Too open. No cover.
Ryo's eyes kept darting to the gate. She wasn't there. Yet.
"Still alive, I see."
Kael appeared at his side, balancing a piece of bread between his teeth while adjusting the strap of his sword."You're early," Ryo muttered.
"Not early," Kael said, tearing the bread in half and tossing the smaller piece to him. "Just smart. Day two's when most newcomers slip. You stop expecting the Gatekeeper, and that's when she strikes."
Ryo caught the bread but didn't bite. "You're saying she can appear anywhere?"
Kael's grin was almost impressed. "Now you're starting to think. She prefers the gate, but…" His voice dropped. "…rumor says she's allowed to hunt outside it once you've passed through. Just to keep you sharp."
That was not the kind of news Ryo wanted before breakfast.
The bell rang again, sharper this time. Students began moving toward the various towers.
"You've got Orientation," Kael said. "Don't be late — they'll throw you out before you even make it to day three."
Ryo almost asked how he knew that, but Kael had already vanished into the crowd.
The Orientation Hall was a vast chamber lined with banners bearing the academy's crest — a golden circle split by three diagonal lines. Rows of benches filled the floor, and nearly every seat was taken.
Ryo slipped into the back, scanning the crowd.
That was when he saw them.
Two girls seated near the front, surrounded by a loose ring of armored guards in silver and blue. The air around them seemed to hum with authority — not just from the guards, but from the way other students kept their distance.
Princesses.
He remembered Kael's warning.
Before he could look away, one of them turned. Her eyes — cold, precise, the color of deep winter — locked on him. Just for a heartbeat. Then she turned back, murmuring something to her sister.
It shouldn't have meant anything. But Ryo's gut tightened all the same.
A tall man in scholar's robes stepped onto the raised dais at the front."Welcome, initiates," he began, voice carrying without magic. "For the next year, Aurelius Academy will be your proving ground. Here, strength and wit are rewarded. Weakness is not tolerated. Many of you will fail. A few will rise."
He let the silence stretch."Some of you," he said, gaze sweeping the hall, "are already on the edge of failure."
Ryo felt his stomach sink. Was he looking at him?
The speech continued — rules, expectations, the usual talk of honor and discipline. But Ryo barely heard it. His focus kept drifting to the door at the far end of the hall.
He didn't trust it.
The orientation ended with assigned schedules. Ryo's was a nightmare — Physical Combat at dawn, Spell Theory at midday, and Survival Fieldwork in the evenings. The kind of timetable designed to grind you into dust.
As he left the hall, he caught sight of movement in his peripheral vision. A figure — tall, lean, and moving with an almost feline grace — slipped between the pillars outside. The glint of crimson eyes was unmistakable.
The Gatekeeper.
[System Notice]Hostile presence detected.Safe zone radius: 10 meters.
Ten meters wasn't much. And she was closing fast.
The Gatekeeper's eyes locked on him.Cold, unblinking, like a predator that had already decided where to sink its fangs.
She didn't run. She didn't need to. Every step she took was deliberate, measured — and the space between them shrank far faster than it should have.
[System Warning]Hostile will enter engagement range in: 07 seconds.Recommendation: Evade.
Ryo's mind raced. Ten meters was his "safe" zone, according to the system, but if she reached him outside that?There would be no second chances.
He turned sharply, merging into a group of students heading toward the east wing. The corridor narrowed, forcing them into a single-file shuffle past a stack of supply crates.
Perfect.
When she followed — and she would — she'd be slowed too.
For three steps, he thought it had worked. Then a whisper touched his ear.
"You run well for someone who's barely learned to stand."
Ryo's blood went cold. She wasn't behind him anymore. She was right there.
He didn't think. He shoved through the nearest door and slammed it shut behind him.
The room was dark, lit only by a few thin shafts of light from a cracked skylight. The smell of dust and old leather filled his lungs. Rows of weapon racks lined the walls — but most were empty, save for a few training spears with blunted tips.
A shadow slid under the gap in the door. The handle turned.
[System Notice]Entering Duel Sub-Instance: "Hunter's Lesson"Survive for 120 seconds or incapacitate opponent.
She stepped inside. Not in her crimson armor now, but in simple black training garb — still moving like death wrapped in silk. Her gaze flicked to the spear in his hand, then back to his face.
"Two minutes," she said, voice almost amused. "Let's see if you can make it to one."
Ryo's grip tightened. "Why? What's the point of this?"
"The point," she said, beginning to circle, "is that you're prey. And prey that forgets it is already dead."
She lunged.
The first strike was so fast he barely saw it — only felt the thud as the blunt wooden blade slammed into the haft of his spear, numbing his fingers. He stumbled back, parrying more from instinct than skill.
She pressed the attack, each blow coming from a different angle — high, low, left, right — forcing him to retreat toward the weapon racks.
Thirty seconds. His arms burned. His breath came ragged.
[System Tip]: Break enemy rhythm. Create space.
Space. Right.
He feinted left, then dropped into a roll, coming up behind her. For a heartbeat, he thought he had her — swung the spear in a wide arc —
— and hit nothing.
She had stepped out of range without even looking, pivoting in a lazy half-turn. "Better," she said. "But still predictable."
A clock ticked somewhere in the back of his mind. Sixty seconds.
He backed toward the skylight, trying to angle her so the light hit her eyes. It worked — for half a second. He thrust forward, the spear's blunted tip grazing her shoulder.
A smile flickered across her lips.She didn't mind getting hit. She wanted it.
The last thirty seconds were hell. Every muscle screamed. His grip slipped. Twice she knocked him off balance and let him recover, as if testing how far she could push before he broke.
Finally, the system tone rang in his ears.
[System Notice]Duel Sub-Instance Complete.Survival bonus: +0.4 Reflex.
She stepped back, lowering her weapon. "Not bad," she said, though her tone made it sound like an insult. "But you're still mine. Remember that."
Then she was gone, leaving him alone in the dusty room, his pulse still hammering in his throat.
He didn't know how long he stood there. When he finally stepped outside, the academy grounds were already buzzing with afternoon activity. Students sparred in the training yards, others pored over books in the shaded walkways.
Somewhere above it all, the Gatekeeper's words echoed.You're still mine.
That night, he didn't sleep. Not because of fear — but because he'd realized something.
If he could survive her again, and again, and again…He wouldn't just live through this trial.He'd learn from her.
And one day, he'd stop running.