The academy's bells hadn't rung yet when Levi opened his eyes. Pre-dawn light filtered through their window, casting gray shadows across the room. He wasn't surprised to see Alex already up, performing a series of controlled stretches in the common area.
"Morning," Alex nodded, moving into a deep lunge.
From his bed, Ryn sat cross-legged, scrolling through training manuals on his watch. The soft blue glow illuminated his focused expression.
Only Toby remained bundled in his blankets, though his irregular breathing betrayed his wakefulness.
"Get up, Toby," Levi called out. "Unless you want another bathroom adventure."
A pillow flew across the room. "I hate morning people," Toby groaned, finally erging from his cocoon. "The sun isn't even up yet!"
They dressed in silence, pulling on the academy's training uniforms – black fitted garnts with reinforced panels for protection. Levi noticed how Alex's movents were precise, practiced, while Toby stumbled around looking for his second boot.
The training grounds sprawled before them like a small city. Different sections featured varied terrain – from flat combat rings to obstacle courses that seed to defy gravity. Mist clung to the ground, adding an ethereal quality to the scene.
Students gathered in clusters, their nervous energy palpable. So stretched, others chatted in hushed tones, and a few stood alone, lost in thought. Senior students in their blue uniforms lined the periter, Leon among them, watching the freshn with asuring eyes.
"Look at him," Toby muttered, nodding toward Leon. "Bet he loves this – lording over us like so king."
"Focus on yourself," Ryn advised, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Senior students can make our lives difficult if we draw their attention."
A hush fell over the gathering as Instructor Cassandra strode onto the field. Her presence commanded attention, just as it had during the ceremony. Today, she wore fitted combat gear that hinted at the warrior beneath the instructor's facade.
"Form lines!" her voice carried across the field. "Today, we assess your baseline abilities. Rember – restraint and control are as important as power and skill."
The endurance drills started simple enough – running laps around the massive field. But each round added new challenges. Magical barriers appeared randomly, forcing students to dodge or power through. The ground shifted unexpectedly, making each step a test of balance.
Levi kept pace in the middle of the pack, fighting his natural instinct to surge ahead. Still, he couldn't help but notice the attention he drew. His movents were too smooth, his breathing too controlled for soone who'd ranked so low in the entrance exams - but it wasn't like he purposefully had low rank, so he just continued whatever he was doing.
Ahead of him, Alex moved with powerful grace, clearly in his elent. Ryn maintained a steady pace, his movents efficient if not spectacular. But it was Toby who caught Levi's attention. Despite his complaints and seeming clumsiness, he showed surprising stamina.
"Sparring pairs!" Cassandra's voice cut through the heavy breathing and footfalls. "Upper ranks against lower – show us what you're capable of!"
Levi found himself facing a tall student with sharp features and an arrogant smirk. "Guess I drew the short straw," his opponent said loudly. "The theory failure."
Around them, other pairs squared off. Levi caught glim0pses of his roommates – Alex facing another warrior-type student, Ryn against soone twice his size, and Toby nervously bouncing on his feet across from a lean girl with fierce eyes.
"Begin!"
Levi's opponent struck first, a straightforward attack aid at overwhelming with pure power. It was the kind of move that would intimidate most lower-ranked students – but Levi wasn't most students.
He sidestepped smoothly, letting the attack pass harmlessly by. His counter was quick but asured, a strike to the ribs that sent his opponent stumbling.
"Lucky dodge," the other student growled, pressing forward with a combination of strikes.
Levi weaved through them, his movents deliberately unpolished but effective. He didn't have much skills, but he didn't need to - he just had to dodge their attacks. The opponent's frustration grew with each failed attack, making his movents sloppy.
A quick sweep took the arrogant student's legs out from under him. Levi followed up with a pin, ending the match.
Around them, other fights continued. Alex dominated his match with raw power and technique. Ryn, despite his size disadvantage, used his opponent's strength against them, winning through clever footwork and timing.
But it was Toby's match that drew attention. The clumsy boy who'd gotten lost looking for bathrooms moved with surprising skill. His opponent, the fierce-eyed girl, found herself repeatedly countered by techniques that seed to co from nowhere.
"Enough!" Cassandra's voice ended all matches. Her eyes swept the field, lingering on certain students – including, Levi noticed, their room's unlikely group.
"Interesting," Leon murmured from the sidelines, his gaze sharp.
As they headed back to the dormitories, to fresh up before theory classes, Levi looked at his roommates. They were more than they appeared.
He had expected Alex to win, but Ryn and Toby were a surprise. It seed like each of them was hiding depths beneath their surface personalities.
"Not bad for a theory failure," Toby nudged him, grinning despite his fatigue.
"Sa to you, bathroom navigator," Levi replied.
"You both showed unexpected skill," Alex said thoughtfully. "Though I noticed you were holding back, Levi."
Levi kept his expression neutral not showing any emotions while noting to be more wary of Alex. "We all were, weren't we?"
Ryn nodded slowly. "It's only the first day. No one wants to reveal all their capabilities yet."
They walked in comfortable silence, each lost in thought. Levi felt the weight of his secret more keenly now. His roommates were observant, each in their own way. Keeping his demonic abilities hidden would require constant vigilance.
But as they reached their room, Toby already launching into an exaggerated retelling of his match, Levi allowed himself a small smile. Maybe having roommates wouldn't be so bad after all.
Even if they did make keeping secrets a lot more complicated.
---***---
As you may have noticed, this chapter is a bit fast-paced. I received lot of reviews and comnts saying the novel is too slow-paced so I am increasing the pace a bit! Let know how you guys like it!
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