Aldrich lay on the upper bunk bed, legs crossed, his thoughts drifting back to the past.
This world, he had always believed, was one that mirrored a novel.
After all, that's how it began, didn't it? Reading about this world in Arthdal Chronicles.
But he was wrong.
He knew that now.
Before, he had brushed aside any doubts.
The conversation with Saldrich however had opened his eyes in ways he had been blind to.
This world was not a novel.
Yes, it bore striking similarities to the world of Arthdal Chronicles, to the point where one would be easily tricked into believing it was the very world from the pages.
But it wasn't.
Novels were written from an author's perspective, controlling everything from the plot to the emotions of the characters, where every scene, every character's action, was guided by the hand of that author.
And unless there was an unseen author somewhere, writing the very actions of this life he is living, connoting every step of the way, Aldrich refused to believe that this world was one of mere fiction.
"There is only a similar situation with the novel's content," he thought to himself.
Even if this world was the novel he had once believed it to be, things had changed.
Saldrich had never voiced her complaint to Aldrich because he had never woken up in time to listen.
Now, he had to carry the burden, the guilt that he had ruined his younger sister's childhood.
By letting her take on responsibilities that should have been his.
That guilt was something he would never escape, not with the passage of time, and not through forgetfulness.
What Aldrich could do now was try to make it up to her.
He had to show her that he was someone she could trust again, someone she could believe in, someone capable of making decisions she could respect.
She had sacrificed so much for him.
Because of that, Aldrich had no leeway to scold her, not when all she had shown was nothing but worry over him.
He could only try to calm the troubling thoughts she had.
And the only way to do so, he realized, was by showing her that he had the means to handle Selina Von Degure, the queen bee of Upstate and the leader of the first-year Eldora students.
Selina was the kind of person who could cause problems if left unchecked, and Aldrich had to prove to Saldrich that he could hold his own and keep Selina from messing with him.
As Aldrich sat lost in his thoughts, a door opened, and a boy walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.
His firm chest was revealed, droplets of water dripping down from his neck to his torso, giving him a commanding presence that radiated confidence.
"What are you doing, sitting there acting like a damn old man with cancer issues?" the boy said, his tone brash. "Are you not going to prepare, or are you one of those who think showing up late to an event is cool?"
Aldrich blinked, snapping out of his thoughts as his gaze shifted to the boy.
Aydin Astravon. A member of the Astravon Clan, which controlled the mystic society in Sector C.
Aydin was a direct descendant of the clan, and like Aldrich, he was a first-year transfer student at Eldora Institute.
They also shared the same dorm room.
"Get ready for what?" Aldrich asked, his confusion evident.
Aydin raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "How could you forget about the welcoming party for all the second-term transfer students?"
Aldrich still had a clueless expression on his face.
He blinked, the memory slowly coming back to him.
Indeed a commemoration party was scheduled for that evening, a celebration to welcome all the newly admitted first-year second-term transfer students.
The venue? A famous club located outside the school grounds but still on the island.
The stated purpose of the party was simple: to allow first-year second-term students to get to know the others, and to congratulate the newly admitted students for acing the admission test.
At least, that was what was officially announced.
Aldrich sighed, the idea of it leaving him uninterested.
"You can go ahead and go. I'm just going to take a nap here," Aldrich said, his tone indifferent.
He wasn't bothered by the idea of a congratulatory/welcome party for the new transfer students.
He saw it for what it was in the novel. A farce.
The party served as a diverse cover-up for the real event, which was meant to let the second-year students size up the new students.
And when the time was right, they'd use the party to catch the freshmen off guard.
It wasn't dangerous or life-threatening, per se, but it was designed to test the new students' limits, draining their mana reserves and leaving them in a weakened state.
After that, they would be vulnerable to manipulation from the second-year students, who would choose their prey, those they could push around and make their lackeys.
Aldrich wasn't interested in that.
He knew that, while the event wasn't life-threatening by Eldora Institute's standards, it could easily leave someone exhausted, their mana reserves drained, and their body too weak to attend classes for days.
Worse, could come baring nightmares, leave behind memories that could unveil one's fragility, break you even.
Eldora doesn't permit death does not mean they tolerate weakness.
It only meant they appreciate the beauty of breaking you mentally and then try to piece the puzzles back together to make you emerge stronger than your former self.
They would take that any day over permanently erasing one from existence unless the situation calls for such extreme measures.
Until then, the policy supports a living person who could serve over the dead who can't.
In his current state? If he attempts to participate, embarrassment would be the least of the worries he would have to face.
His being in S class doesn't make him an instantly all-powerful being.
What boosted his credibility to an S rank is the rank of his mana and his compatibility with the bow.
To have an S-ranked mana reserve meant an improbable calculation could not be concluded on his mana.
That in turn gives him an edge in all areas.
The lifeline of all mystics irrespective of association or any other factors, boils down to their use of mana.
Having a higher mana reserve guarantees your survivability as a mystic and your ability to last in battle.
It also means the potential to delve into Arts that rely on a high capacity of mana to use.
The aftermath of that would be more of a hassle than it was worth.
Aldrich does have a high mana reserve, but his skills were lacking.
What good was a bow if your opponents didn't even follow the laws of physics?
"You're a real joy crusher," Aydin scoffed as he finished dressing. "Suit yourself, man. I'm off."
He left the room, his footsteps fading as he exited the dorm.
"Yeah, wait until you find out what you're really signing up for," Aldrich mused under his breath, his expression unreadable as he lay back down, his mind once again drifting to the events unfolding around him.