Christopher scoffed, crossing his arms tightly across his chest. "Shuwi, it wasn’t just bad, I ended up sick for days last ti you cooked!"
Shuwi pouted, folding her arms and puffing her cheeks in protest. "Oh co on, that was just one ti! I was experinting!"
"With raw squid and chocolate syrup!?" Christopher snapped, eyes wide with disbelief. "There’s no way I’m risking my life again!"
"I swear I’ll make it better this ti!" Shuwi insisted, stepping closer with pleading eyes.
"No way!!" he backed off dramatically. "If she’s cooking, I’m fasting!"
"Alright, alright, enough bickering. I’ll handle cooking tonight," he said, his voice firm but kind. "Let’s not start a war over dinner."
Christopher’s deanor flipped instantly, his scowl replaced by a relieved grin. "If it’s Peter, I’m good. You’re a lifesaver, man." His quick change in attitude didn’t go unnoticed, and Shuwi’s expression soured.
The sudden change made Shuwi twitch with irritation. "Wow. I didn’t know dragons were so picky."
"Well now you do," Christopher huffed, tossing his long silver hair dramatically.
Shuwi’s eyes welled up, her lips trembling as she turned away. "You guys are so an!" she cried, her voice cracking. The sudden tears caught Christopher off guard, his bravado faltering as he realized he might’ve gone too far.
"Don’t cry, Shuwi!" Elena jumped in, rushing over with a bright smile and a thumbs up. "There are lots of other things you’re great at!"
"Hmph..." Shuwi sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, a small smile breaking through. "Thanks, Elena," she mumbled, her voice soft but grateful.
"So, uh..." Batholem raised a brow, shifting the topic. "Are we going to be assigned subjects or sothing?" his eyes shifting towards Zorian.
Zorian, leaning casually against the wall, nodded. "Yup. There’s a total of fifty courses to choose from. After the first day of class, you’ll each get a ntal orb. It’ll analyze your strengths and suggest the ten subjects you’re best suited for."
"Ten subjects for six years?" Juvin asked, his brow furrowing as he leaned forward in his chair.
Zorian shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "Not quite. Every year, you can either stick with your subjects or switch to new ones if you want to explore sothing else. It’s flexible."
Elena’s eyes lit up. "What about extracurriculars? Are there clubs or activities we can join?"
"Oh, tons," Zorian replied, his voice warming with enthusiasm. "There’s everything from dueling clubs to magical creature studies, art societies, and even a flying racing team. Trust , you’ll have fun. This place is huge, and there’s sothing for everyone."
"Since you’re a second-year, I guess I’ll trust you, Zorian," Elena giggled.
Zeche, leaning against a pillar, asked calmly, "If this school is all about equality, why are so people staying in luxurious buildings?"
Zorian nodded, unsurprised. "Good question. While the higher-end buildings are the best, the lower-priced ones are still excellent. First years get to pay in gold. But...." he raised a finger, "....even if you pay, you’ll have to maintain your grades. If your performance drops, you’ll be moved to a lower dorm."
Peter gave a thoughtful nod. "That makes more sense now."
Elena glanced sideways. "But... what about students who can’t afford any of it?"
They get special exemptions," Zorian explained. "The school evaluates their skills and talents and assigns them housing based on that. Everyone gets a fair shot, but you’ve gotta prove yourself to stay in the luxury dorms. If your power levels and entry exam grades were poor, you wouldn’t have qualified for the luxury dorms at all. Honestly, I’m surprised so of you could afford this place outright."
Batholem raised a hand, a shy smile on his face. "That’d be . I covered the cost for the group."
Elena’s face lit up, and she launched herself at him from infront, wrapping him in a tight hug. "That’s why you’re the best, Batholem!" she exclaid, her voice muffled against his shoulder.
Batholem chuckled, patting her back. "It’s the least I could do."
"So, when’s Aurianna coming back? She’s been in that weird space thing for a while now."
"She can stay there for up to two weeks. After that, the space becos inaccessible for a year," Kiana answered calmly.
"Good to know," Elena nodded, then turned to Peter. "Hey, what about our uniforms?"
Zorian pointed lazily toward the dining table. "They’re over there."
Elena darted over, opened a package labeled Girls, and frowned. "Long shorts?! Why do girls have to wear the sa thing as boys?!" she groaned, holding up the plain navy shorts and matching blazer.
Zorian scratched the back of his head. "It’s because of... an incident a few years ago with the succubi."
"What kind of incident?" Shuwi asked, suddenly intrigued.
"They were... too charming. A lot of the male students fell victim to their seduction skills," he muttered awkwardly.
"Wait, that kind of stuff isn’t banned here?!" Elena gasped.
"Not exactly banned. The school won’t interfere unless it’s public," Zorian said, clearly embarrassed.
Zeche snorted, his face twisting in disgust. "That’s ridiculous. Why would a school allow that?"
Christopher grinned, "Hey, we’re not all eunuchs, you know. Live a little, Zeche."
Shuwi rolled her eyes. "I knew you’d say sothing like that."
Christopher smirked. "What? I have nothing to be ashad of."
"Alright, whatever. Since Peter’s cooking," Elena said quickly, "anyone wanna explore the school with ?"
Zeche raised an eyebrow. "You do realize the campus is massive, right? It’d take at least six days to see everything, and that’s with transportation. The island’s huge."
"Whew... thank goodness there’s at least transportation," Elena sighed. "I hate walking."
Shuwi stood, brushing her peach hair over her shoulder as she caught her reflection in a nearby mirror. "I’m sitting this one out. I’ve got so skincare to do and maybe so writing." Her golden eyes sparkled with pride as she admired her olive skin. "Gotta keep this glow, you know."
"Seriously? Skin care?" Elena rolled her eyes.
"Not my fault you neglect your own skin," Shuwi sniffed.
Elena gasped offended. "Excuse ! My skin is flawless, thank you very much!" She grabbed Zeche’s arm. "Co on, Zeche, let’s go explore!"
In the kitchen, Peter turned to Batholem, who staring at his phone. "Hey, Batholem, can you give a hand with dinner?"
Batholem’s eyes widened. "? Help? I... I don’t know how to cook," he admitted, his voice tinged with embarrassnt.
Peter sighed, shaking his head. "Even Aurianna can cook. You’re telling you can’t?"
Zorian perked up, surprised. "Wait, Aurianna can cook?"
Kiana nodded, her orange eyes gleaming with amusent. "Oh, yeah. If she wasn’t so grumpy sotis, she’d totally be the adorable princess type. She’s got skills."
Shuwi glanced around. "Elena’s gone, huh? I’ll be in my room. Call when the food’s ready."
Batholem’s gaze lingered on Zorian, suspicion flickering in his gray eyes. "Zorian, you’re a second-year. Why are you sharing a house with us first-years?"
Zorian grinned, unfazed by the scrutiny. "I was at registration when you guys signed up. Saw Aurianna was part of your group and figured it’d be fun to switch houses. You needed ten roommates, right? I’m just helping out."
’He’s definitely hiding sothing,’ Batholem thought suspiciously.
Zorian, oblivious to Batholem’s doubts, clapped his hands. "Hey, Peter, want so help in the kitchen?"
Peter glanced at him, noting they were the sa height, and nodded. "Sure, why not."
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