Sasha burst out into a laugh. "What was I honestly expecting? I knew you would have said that."
I smiled back. "My brain works in ways any other person's would. I am becoming predictable."
"Becoming is an understatement... You are predictable."
"Says the person who is currently using her magic on me..." I slowly stood up from the chair, walking towards the balcony door. My fingers lingered on the latch, before my gaze turned back to Sasha.
"You know... The night is still young. And we already know the map of this world from the novel," I spoke. "We could do us both a favor and go out. I heard the food they are selling now are the best."
She looked back at me, astonished. "Fia... What?"
"I am just saying," I shrugged. "Instead of being isolated into our dorms like this, let's be rebellious and head out. Maybe we will find something eye-catching on our way back."
She flashed a smirk, then slammed her pillow back to place and foot up. "Fine. But if something goes wrong, you are fixing it." She spoke while dusting her clothes.
"You know I am good at it, that is why you are asking." I replied as we both headed out her balcony. I climbed onto the ledge first, looking down.
I have been working out fine, and I have been using my magic to densen my bones. I should be fine.
We both dropped in synchrony. And landed right into the slippery grass below. We did fall, but it didn't have anything bad in it.
The world outside the campus was truly a spectacular place. It was shining and bright with life. String lights hung along the roof of the stalls, and trinkets rested along the wood underneath of them.
"Skewers! Nice and steaming mushroom skewers! Only for today! One pound!" A man shouted from one shop, waving his hands to call customers over.
I stared at Sasha, and she stared back.
"So... Want some?"
"For a pound?!"
"You don't know if it will be worth it though," I shurgged.
"Isn't it quite expensive?!"
"He did say 'skewers'. Remember your English."
"Whatever! But you are paying!"
"I can create illusions..." I answered, pointing a finger back at her. "But I need you to tell me how money in this world looks like first."
Sasha turned to me, arms folded and foot tapping. "How?"
I squinted my left eye, and my mouth twitched at the edges as I nervously said, "we can interrogate them about it."
She looked ready to stab me with a spoon.
"Why me?"
"Because you have the mind reading element. You can read their mind and find out what it looks like in their brain, and I will create it."
"No... That is the not the answer I wanted." She stepped towards me, "why, me?..."
I pursed my lips into a straight line, then let out a sigh. "Just do it! It is not going to kill you!"
She took a step back, tossing her arms comically into the air before walking over to the skewer guy. She dramatically cleared her throat and then with a trembling voice...
"Hey sir. I was just here to ask... If you know what one pound might look like?" She asked. I actually laughed a bit—mischiveously—at her request. But I also tried to surpress it for the best.
Afterall, I was the one who pulled her out of her room late at night. Just two novel readers who found interest in things other than the plots.
The Makbang.
Well I personally love this, sometimes I don't if the food is just... Not my expectations.
Like you know those lychee cakes that look the most pretty? But then end up tasting too sweet? Yeah...
So in contrary to what Sasha had said... Yes... I was afraid of the price too.
And one pound is not a cheap price!
"Uh... It is..." The man started to speak while looking up at the sky and scratching his chin. In that time, Sasha shot me a look through the side of her eyes that immediately alerted me.
My skin started to burst out with goosebumps. And I immediately weaved my magic into whatever I had just seen that split second.
Then, I took a dried leaf from my pocket and projected the patterns onto it. It would seem more reasonable that way... If we were going to be thieves one way or the other.
I immediately rushed towards where Sasha was, and dropped the cash right onto his counter.
"I would like to buy it." I smiled politely. He squinted his eyes at me for a while, and then shook his head and went back to work. Both Sasha and I let out a breath we had been holding.
As soon as he held out the packet, we grabbed it and ran away. The wind brushing past our faces as we navigated the crowded area towards a much quieter space.
We stumbled out an alley that led us to the otherside of the market. The sky here was cloudy and the streets were slightly foggy.
Victorian...
We both slowed to a stop, Sasha grabbed her knees and bowed her head down as I took in the scene. It was past midnight... In... That time of the Era.
But luckily we had magic and weapons. So we could defend ourselves.
The dark truth of this Era was that there were many serial killers lurking around this time and slaughtering like a cannibalist. So to be honest... Being alone and away from people's eyes was a disadvantage.
Regardless... This was our only way back to the campus though.
I looked back at Sasha who had recovered, and she shot me a glare back. Then reached to pull out a skewer, popping it into her mouth before starting to walk ahead of me. I smirked behind her back.
Slowly, I fell into step two paces after her.
The food was amazing as always. And it was fun too. I really wanted to come out everyday if possible. But who knows if that is just a saying, and not an action.
I am under painkillers, so I am not certain if I will be able to even come here often.
Suddenly, as I was absentmindedly walking... My eyes fell towards a shadow that was completley out of place. My feet stopped as I looked towards the place silently.
"Sasha..." I said after a short while.
She stopped, but didn't turn to me.
"Sasha... Does this seem ordinary to you?" I asked.
With a sigh, she tilted her head over her shoulder and gave me a wierd look. "What? You were the one who brought us out..."
"No... Not that..." I replied, walking closer towards it. "This."
By the time she turned around, my left cheek and palms were pressed against the glass of a closed store, my eyes glued to only one thing inside it that caught my eyes...
Smartphones...
Within seconds, she came rushing towards my place, pressing her palms against the window as her eyes tracked across the device.
"This is... Awesome!"
"They sold phones in this world?"
"It wasn't mentioned in the novel... But who cares?!"
"How much is it?!" I turned my excited gaze toward her... "Perhaps we could..."
"Use your illusion magic and craft money to buy these! Yeah! Perfect idea!" She squeaked.
And a few minutes later...
"Sniff... Gosh! These are so pretty!" Sasha blurted out, skipping with her new phone held high.
It was only just a coincidence that the shop opened not so long later. It was nearly dawn by the way. But worth it!
I twirled my own phone between my fingers. It was thin, light-weight and had a good processor. And an offer too. So I would say it was a win-win—
I mean... Lose-win.
***
Following that, we went back to our respective dorms and got some rest before getting back up to head out again.
I was currently at the infirmary. And they were giving me a certain vaccine.
"Alright, hold still. This is going to be painful." Avry spoke while flicking she fingers at the body of the syringe.
"What are those?" I asked, from where I was strapped to a bed by elastics that wouldn't even allow my wrist to move.
She looked down at my face, looking smug and thruimph about something. "It is to make you stronger for the upcoming dungoens. If you are intelligent enough... You would understand it already."
"Riiiight..." I narrowed my eyes back at her. Soon enough, the needle came down at my elbow. It didn't pain enough.
But when the liquid was flowing in... My body involuntarily convulsed. My eyes threathening to roll back into the back of my head and my fingers twitched in ways that—if not restricted—they might be twisted in ridiculous angles.
The liquid... What is it?!
As my limps felt like it was being torn apart, a part of me felt like I was somehow getting a bit stronger.
Then came the second doze. It caused my head to spin. It was so painful that I bit onto my bottom lip to stop form screaming out loud and rupturing my vocal cords.
The effects lasted merely five minutes... But it felt like five decades.
My veins pulsed with a new type of strength, an unfamiliar one to top it off.
And what I mean by unfamiliar... At least from the novel... I had a rough idea of what different potions or poisons were supposed to feel like.
When they let go of the straps, my whole body felt like it was walking on no ground. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I was seeing things for a while too.
Things like... White, smoky, faint human silhouettes, lurking at the corners of the room. They had a down-turned face.
And when I blinked again, it dissipated. I didn't seem them again though.
As I walked over to the training grounds, I thought about it a bit.
Those descriptions were definitely a ghost. This facility is for an experiment. I was given two shots of 'sterroids'.
Which made me assume that they were probably just dead souls from the previous rounds of the competition. Those who couldn't make it through to the end of the competition—
"Fia! Over here!" Nada's voice came ringing at my ears, that immediately got my eye drifting towards her direction.
I let out a sigh, walking over with a smile. Let's just forget it. At least Nada seems to be alright.
"You hadn't gotten a chance to train with someone the last time. You should have a go." She pointed over to an intake wooden weapons sitting on the rack. "Besides... I want to boost about your skills to the others."
I could only let out an awkward laugh and nod. As I was about to reach out for one, someone came into my mind...
Who was I even going to train with?
I turned around to scan the small crowd of students who were currently sparring with each other.
Maybe Sasha was the one? Or maybe Nada?
But Nada was with Sasha. They were charging at each other with lethal speeds. (That's our protagonist there. She may look soft... But her anger empowers her need for victory.)
Then, as I was about to put back the sword, a shadow fell over me. I turned.
"You seem free... Wanna spar?" Sunny Pest asked with a smug face.
Oh...
"Nah. I am good," I replied, intending to walk away.
"Really? That's too bad. I was hoping someone was willing enough to break a bone." He answered from behind me.
That did it.
I turned around really fast, took the wooden sword and pulled my hands out of my hoodie pockets.
As he was about to walk away, I pointed the swords edge right against his pulse point at his neck from behind, freezing him in place.
"Wanna spar?" I asked, my voice dripping with eagerness and overwhelming need to make my.wish come true.
He turned his gaze over his shoulder, offering a smirk.
*********************
First draft: 04.11.2025
Rewritten: 14.09.2026