Kyle’s hand flew up to his mouth, half to steady his breath, half to muffle the laugh that tried to escape. His heart hammered inside his chest, a mix of realization and excitement rushing through his veins. "...She really is crazy." The words slipped out before he could stop them. The thought itself was absurd, insane even, this entire place, the so-called Fractal Veil, might not be real at all. It could all just be an artificial construct. A midterm exam wrapped in illusions so convincing they swallowed the senses whole. Just thinking it made him feel ridiculous. And yet... it was possible. ’No. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.’ There was still a chance this world was real, that the creatures, the terrain, the dangers, they weren’t fabricated. He had to keep that possibility alive in his mind. Still, as he looked around again, as his eyes traced the surrounding, the doubt returned stronger than before. A memory stirred, unbidden. Two days ago, when he had crossed paths with Vice Principal Seris. Her words echoed clearly, inside his head. "Only use your lightning and ice for the next two or three days. Don’t train your other affinities at all." At the time, he had asked her why. The answer she gave had been wrapped in academic curiosity, delivered with that calm smile of hers. She said she had found an old fragment of text, something ancient. It claimed that a Deviant’s affinities could deepen if the wielder focused on one element exclusively for a short span. Since Kyle had four, she advised him to work with two. She promised to guide him on the "next process" once a few days had passed. Kyle had been skeptical then, and he still was now. And without realizing it, he had followed her instructions to the letter. He had only used ice and lightning so far, the same two elements he had displayed openly at the academy. The monsters inside this place hadn’t been difficult enough to push him into revealing more. Well, except for that chameleon-type monsters he had encountered at first. That one had been... tricky. But after that? Nothing he couldn’t handle with his ice and lightning affinity. Still, when he thought about it now, Seris’ words, this place, and its uncanny "realness" all seemed to tangle together. His hand brushing the black tachi at his side. ’What’s your take on this? Does this place feel... artificial? Some kind of simulation?’ For a moment, silence. Then the familiar voice stirred in his head. ’Now that you mention it... yes.’ Zalrielle’s tone wasn’t dismissive. If anything, it was thoughtful, like she had been waiting for him to notice. ’There’s a... sensation. Difficult to name. Whenever I’ve been pulled into these simulations, I feel it, like an itch beneath the skin. Faint, but constant. A reminder that something is off. The same sensation gnaws at me now.’ Kyle’s brows furrowed. ’An itch...’ ’Yes. The environment here is too balanced. Too precise. Even the mana in the air, normally it flows with irregularities, currents, disruptions. Here it moves in loops. Repetitive. As if written into place.’ Her words settled deep in Kyle’s chest, heavier than he expected. ’The environment’s... too balanced, huh?’ The thought drifted through his mind, faintly off. Now that he thought about it, he remembered reading along the lines of ’Path of Transcendence’, That how the Fractal Veil was supposed to be saturated with mana, impossibly dense compared to the outside world. Yet here, it felt ordinary. Simulations could never reproduce that suffocating weight of high density mana. He let out a slow breath, pulling his thoughts back together. And then, another face flashed in his mind. He also has five affinities. Kyle’s lips tightened. He hoped Cedric hadn’t been reckless enough to use all of them in here. If this was some kind of test, if this place really was artificial, showing more than he should could expose him. Still, Cedric wasn’t like the others. He was the Duke’s heir, born into privilege and power. Even if he did flaunt all five elements, no one would dare reprimand him. He had the freedom to get away with things Kyle couldn’t. ’...Okay, he might not get away, but he will be in a better situation than me if I suddenly decide to show my other affinities openly.’ Cedric could handle himself. That much was certain. The thought eased some of the tension in his shoulders. ’Yes, he will handle himself.’ He found himself nodding faintly, as if to reassure himself. Then, without warning, a grin stretched across his lips. The kind of grin that was born from the thrill rising in his chest. The words barely more than a whisper to himself. "...we should put on a little show for the Vice Principal." The idea sent a spark of anticipation coursing through him. If this really was a staged world, then why not turn the stage into his own arena? Why not play the role, dazzle the audience, and leave them wondering how much of it was truth and how much of it was a lie? His grin widened, his eyes narrowing with mischief as the storm element inside him roared in excitement. The hall wasn’t the same anymore. Ron’s chest heaved as he pressed his back against the cracked wall. His hands trembling around the spear. The Academy’s training room, normally filled with the sound of wooden swords clashing, students sparring, and instructors shouting drills, now looks like a nightmare. Black vines twisted along the walls and ceiling like veins, pulsing faintly as if something alive was crawling beneath them. Some of the vines had grown into fleshy bulbs that dripped with red fluid, their stench so strong it made bile rise in his throat. ’This wasn’t supposed to happen.’ They had run here thinking the training room would be safe. That the sturdy walls and enchantments would keep the horrors outside. But the moment they stepped in, they realized it was already taken over. And now, they were trapped. "Ron, behind you!" One of the boys shouted. Ron spun around just in time, stabbing his spear forward. The tip pierced through the chest of a lanky monster that had lunged at him. Its body was grotesque, thin like dried wood, but its arms were long and ended in claws sharp enough to slice steel. Its face has no nose, just skin stretched too tight, with rows of jagged teeth pushing through as it snapped like a wild animal. He pulled his spear free with a wet squelch, his arms shaking. The monster staggered back, shrieking, then collapsed. Around him, his companions weren’t faring much better. Two girls and two boys, first years just like him, were bloodied, exhausted, and clutching there weapons. One girl’s arm was gashed open from shoulder to elbow, her uniform was soaked in blood. Another boy limped, he clenched his teeth. "We... we can’t..." one of the boys choked out. His weapon, a short sword, slipped from his hand and clattered against the ground. He fell to his knees, tears streaking through the dirt on his face. "We can’t get out... there’s too many..." Ron wanted to yell at him, tell him to stand, to fight. But the words stuck in his throat. Because deep down, he knew the boy was right. They were surrounded. Dozens of those tall, skeletal monsters pressed in on them, circling like wolves. Their claws scraped against the ground, against the walls. Every time one lunged, the group barely managed to push it back, but there were always more pressing in, more shrieks, more claws reaching for them to tear them apart. Ron’s arms felt heavy, his breaths short and ragged. ’Is this how I’m going to die?’ His grip on the spear slipped as sweat mixed with blood. He could see it, one of the monsters, its claws raised, its shadow stretching across the floor toward him. Read full story at ɴovelfire.net A sudden weight crashed down on his chest, invisible yet suffocating. ...it pounded so hard he thought it might tear free. Cold ran through his veins, and his stomach twisted until he wanted to vomit. Not the kind that made your hands shake or your knees weak. This was something else, something so heavy it froze him where he stood. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. Even the thought of moving was impossible. His vision blurred at the edges. The world felt smaller, darker. He wanted to scream, but no sound came. And he realized, it wasn’t just him. The other four students were locked in place, their eyes wide with the same paralyzing terror. But more shocking, the monsters, too. The creature that had been about to slash his head... stopped. Its claws hung in the air, trembling. Its skin twitched as it let out a low, distorted whine. Around the hall, every single monster froze. Their snarling, their screeches, all of it cut off into a silence that was louder than anything Ron had ever heard. Ron’s mind struggled to process it. Each step striking the ground was louder than the shrieks had been, louder than the pounding of his own heart. Ron wanted to turn his head, to see, but his body wouldn’t obey. His eyes strained, trying to catch the edge of his vision. The dread only grew with every step, coiling tighter and tighter until he thought he might snap. And then, finally, he forced his head to turn. A boy stepped into view. He wore the same academy uniform as Ron and the others. His hair was white, almost glowing against the darkness, and his eyes, gray, cold, lifeless. That sent a jolt of panic through Ron the instant they met his. Ron’s body reacted on its own. His head snapped down, breaking the eye contact as fast as he could, ...Even looking into those eyes made his heart hammer louder. Kyle Valemont. Instructor Aurelia’s younger brother. Ron had seen him around the academy before. People whispered about him, admired him even. But now, this wasn’t the same boy. This wasn’t the quiet figure he had seen before. This was something else. ...Something Dreadful. A sound cut through the silence. Something heavy hit the floor. The noise repeated, fast, sharp, each strike followed by the sound of something collapsing. A head rolled past him. The monster that had been about to kill him was gone, its body collapsing at his feet. But Ron still stared at the floor. His hands were shaking so badly he almost dropped his spear. He couldn’t bring himself to raise his head, couldn’t bring himself to meet those gray eyes again. The sound of footsteps stopped. ..the only thing Ron could hear was the ringing in his ears. His body begged him to breathe, but each breath was shallow and quick, like a drowning man gasping for air. A voice broke the silence. It was calm and casual, almost amused. "...Ah. Looks like I overdid it again."