Arthur managed to get a plate of food—a hearty serving of what appeared to be beef stew with roasted vegetables and fresh bread, a al that would have been unimaginable luxury just yesterday. With his hot plate in hand, he began to look for an empty table where he could sit.
The cafeteria was bustling with activity, students grouped together in animated conversations, laughter occasionally rising above the general din. There weren't many options for soone seeking solitude, and after scanning the room, Arthur only found one empty table tucked away in a corner.
After sighing in relief—the growing fear that he'd have to eat in the bathroom like a loser had been steadily mounting—he made his way to the table. Just as he reached it and placed his plate on the surface, soone else did exactly the sa from the opposite side.
Arthur slowly looked up from his plate to see soone in front of him pretty much mirroring his motions, all the way down to the awkward and nervous facial expression Arthur wore. The boy was thin with mousy brown hair that fell unevenly across his forehead, and rectangular glasses that kept sliding down his nose.
Stumbling with their words, both Arthur and the stranger spat out in perfect unison: "S-sorry, I'll sit sowhere else."
Both boys looked at each other in shock and confusion for a mont.
'What is this guy, my shadow?' Arthur thought, bewildered by the coincidence.
After a few monts of awkward staring, the boy spoke in an unconfident, quiet tone, scratching the back of his head with one hand. "D-do you, uh, w-want to sit together?" The boy seed like it physically hurt him to say that, his face flushing with embarrassnt.
Arthur wasn't faring much better, but he responded while slowly lowering himself into his seat. "Sure."
They both sat down and ignored each other, eating in a few minutes of awkward silence. The only sounds between them were the clinking of utensils against plates and the occasional appreciative mmmm from Arthur as he tasted real food for what felt like the first ti in ages.
Until finally, the boy spoke up, his voice barely audible above the cafeteria noise. "So, uh... what's your na?"
Arthur looked up from the plate of food he was enjoying beyond what words could ever describe and looked at him. "Um—Arthur. My na's Arthur."
The boy looked at him and smiled, reaching out his hand to shake Arthur's. "Nice to et you! I'm Luke Thomas!"
Arthur gingerly shook his hand, noticing how clammy both their palms were. Social anxiety: the great equalizer.
Luke withdrew his hand and fidgeted with his fork before speaking again. "This is all a little overwhelming, huh?"
Arthur took a bite of his food before answering, savoring the rich flavors. "Yeah, tell about it."
Luke giggled before taking a bite of his own. "I an, a school where they're gonna teach us how to use our magical powers and traverse across realms and battle horrifying creatures..." He shook his head, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "I an, I don't want to do any of that. I'm not so brave hero or valiant knight... if it was up to , I'd spend the rest of my life playing video gas in my room."
Arthur laughed at Luke's simple outlook on things, finding it strangely comforting that he wasn't the only one who felt out of place. "Yeah, too."
Luke began to giggle too, and soon enough, Arthur's dinner beca just that much more bearable. They discovered they shared similar tastes in gas, both preferring imrsive RPGs over competitive shooters. Luke had apparently been top-ranked in "Realm Raiders," a popular online ga that, ironically, simulated Chosen adventures through fictional realms.
"It's weird," Luke said between bites. "I've spent hundreds of hours pretending to be a Chosen in gas, but now that I actually am one..." He shuddered visibly. "I'd give anything to go back to just playing the simulation."
Arthur nodded in understanding, feeling a connection with this kindred spirit.
Soon though, they were done eating and parted ways, exchanging room numbers with a promise to et for breakfast the next day. Luke was in the West Dormitory, while Arthur was headed to the East.
Arthur decided, with little else to do, he would go check out his dorm and maybe try to get so early shut-eye. After another long walk across campus, Arthur was dragging himself up a flight of stairs, huffing and puffing as sweat dripped down his forehead.
'Holy crap, why's this campus so freaking big... and why am I so out of shape?!'
Arthur sighed as he finally reached his room. Room 106. This must be it. He put his student ID that he was given at orientation up to the scanner, and once it turned green, his door cracked open with a soft click.
Arthur pushed it the rest of the way and walked inside. It was small—a bathroom on the right as soon as you walk in, with cabinets and a closet to the left. Once you walked a little further, the room opened up, and there lay a bed on the right situated facing toward a TV mounted on the wall.
It was small but cozy, and to be honest, anything was better than the literal dumpster he had been sleeping next to before. Arthur faintly smiled and jumped on the bed, letting his body relax and release all of the pent-up nerves from the day. The mattress was firm but comfortable, the sheets clean and crisp against his skin.
He let out a long breath of relief and simply stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about the surreal turn his life had taken. But soon, his mind, like usual, began to wander into dark territory, mories of his family threatening to surface.
He sat up quickly and turned on the TV, hoping to give himself sothing to distract him. It was currently showing District 3 news, and the broadcaster was talking over a picture of a red-haired man in a suit with glasses, giving so sort of press speech.
The broadcaster spoke with excited reverence: "That's right, folks! The Fla Lord has just managed to place a tether in the 4th Realm and successfully make it back, making him one of only a select few who can boast this feat. He also did it only three years after becoming Chosen, making him the fastest ever to tether to the Fourth Realm and beco a Realmbound! This is a huge step for the Chosen, and with him and the other Realmbound that recently placed their tethers there, we can expect more and more people to conquer the parallels of the Fourth Realm soon!"
The broadcaster went on and on, his voice filled with admiration for this "Fla Lord," but in Room 106 in the East Dormitory on this particular campus, his words fell on deaf ears. Arthur had already fallen asleep, the exhaustion of the day finally claiming him.
The last thought that drifted through his mind before sleep took him completely: 'Fla Lord? What a dumb na.'
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