"Lucia Redwood, reporting for duty!" the girl with short black hair declared brightly, flashing a wide, toothy grin as she snapped into a salute.
She stood inside the classroom of the academy, having arrived far earlier than anyone else. Her sponsor had insisted on strict adherence to formalities, fully aware of Lucia's rather… troublesome personality. As a result, she had been forced to report ahead of schedule.
At the moment, she was the only student present.
Well, the only one aside from the teacher, who was currently staring at her.
"…You know, I thought I was going to be the only one here," Elias Draven muttered as he slowly opened his eyes to look at her.
Without another word, he grabbed the blanket lying beside him and pulled it over his body, as if attempting to shut her out of existence.
"Hey, teach!" Lucia called out loudly. In one smooth motion, she stepped forward and yanked the blanket off him.
"What?" Elias grumbled, clearly irritated, while Lucia only grinned wider.
"Where am I supposed to sleep? I was just dropped off here with no explanation."
She wasn't exaggerating. The moment she stepped into the classroom, her sponsor had vanished without a trace, leaving her alone with her belongings.
"Anywhere is fine. Just don't disturb me," Elias replied flatly before immediately closing his eyes again.
Lucia blinked, momentarily impressed.
Honestly, his ability to fall asleep so quickly was unmatched by anyone she had ever seen.
But…
'I don't plan on giving up. Otherwise, I'd be betraying my nickname as the Little Devil.'
Clenching her fists with renewed determination, she turned and dashed out of the classroom to retrieve the items she needed.
The moment she disappeared, the door opened again.
A woman with dark green hair stepped into the room.
Her gaze immediately fell on the sleeping Elias, and she let out a long, tired sigh before striding toward him.
Stopping right in front of him, she raised her leg high into the air until it was nearly perpendicular to the ground—then brought it crashing down.
Inside his dream, Elias remained peacefully asleep.
Yet, instinctively sensing danger, his body in the real world reacted on its own, leaping to the side at the last possible moment.
"Are you trying to kill me?" he half-yelled as he scrambled up, eyes snapping open.
What he saw made him freeze.
Standing before him was a petite woman calmly pointing a gun at his head.
"Oh… it's just you, Shrimp," he said after a brief pause, his tone instantly shifting to mockery.
The response was immediate.
A shot rang out, the bullet slicing cleanly past his head and shaving off several strands of his hair.
"I said this before, but are you trying to kill me!?" Elias shrieked, frantically patting the top of his head to make sure he hadn't just lost a chunk of it.
"If that was enough to kill you, you wouldn't be here," Nyx Calder replied flatly. She casually blew across the barrel of her gun before lowering it slightly, her expression completely unchanged.
"More importantly, did you read the memo Jenna sent us?" she asked.
Elias stared at her blankly.
"Haa… I thought so," Nyx sighed, already knowing the answer.
Elias felt a sinking sensation in his chest, as though his precious sleep was slipping further and further away.
"We're supposed to begin as soon as all the students arrive."
At those words, the world around him seemed to collapse.
He nearly fell into despair.
But then—
"You'll be getting a sixty percent salary increase."
Everything changed.
The gloom, the fatigue, the despair—all of it vanished instantly.
In the blink of an eye, Elias transformed.
His previously rumpled uniform straightened itself as though by magic. His messy hair fell neatly into place. Every button was fastened properly, every crease smoothed out.
He now stood as the very image of a perfect, disciplined teacher.
'I can never get used to this,' Nyx thought silently.
When it came to money, Elias could become anything.
There had even been a time she had found him working in a hospital as a doctor.
He had no legitimate qualifications, yet the way he carried himself and performed his duties made it difficult to doubt his competence.
And it didn't stop there.
She had seen him act as an engineer, a soldier, a tailor—practically every profession imaginable, so long as it brought in money.
And now, he was a teacher.
'Just who exactly is he?' she wondered.
Due to certain rules, the pasts of the academy staff were known only to the principal, Jenna. Unless they chose to share it themselves, no one else had access to that information.
"Elias," Nyx called.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you like money so much?"
"…Because it's cool?" he answered, sounding genuinely confused.
'That's definitely a lie.'
Still, this wasn't the first time she had asked, and she doubted it would be the last.
Before she could press further, her wrist vibrated slightly.
She glanced down at her watch and read the message displayed.
"Looks like two more have arrived."
…
'This is the place?'
Sylvia looked around uncertainly.
If she had to describe it in one sentence, it would be this: they were in the middle of nowhere.
"It's just a simple optical illusion," Celeste said casually, as though reading her thoughts.
Seated at the controls, she guided the saucer forward without hesitation.
Straight toward a mountain peak.
Sylvia and Ethan stiffened instinctively, bracing themselves for the inevitable impact.
But it never came.
Just before collision, the world shimmered.
Reality itself seemed to ripple and distort—then part like a veil.
Beyond it lay something entirely different.
A vast clearing stretched out before them.
Numerous buildings of varying shapes and sizes filled the open space, each serving a different purpose. The layout was expansive yet organized, blending functionality with an almost surreal beauty.
"Welcome to the Academy," Celeste said with a proud grin.
"The name is still a work in progress."