Their instructor, an older Awakened with a faded crimson cloak and short grey beard, introduced himself as Instructor Nolrik.
"Today we begin our long-term series on terrains beyond the borders," he said, flicking his hand and causing a 3D map of the known world to appear in front of them.
He pointed toward a shaded, crater-filled forest. "The Purple Circle. A seemingly docile forest until you realize the trees breathe mana and entrap minds. Or this..." he gestured to a scarred desert ridge. "The Glass Reaches. Sand that can slice through steel if stepped on the wrong way."
Victor sat near the back, taking notes and occasionally drawing parallels between the real world geography and the regions he had visited in Ascendant Realms. It helped keep him focused. That, and the need to not slip lower in the rankings.
By the time lectures ended that evening, the halls had grown quiet and the orange hue of sunset spilled across the courtyard tiles.
Victor's wristwatch buzzed. He tapped it.
Selene: Dinner? You, me, and some questionable food court experiments?
Victor: Sure. Haven't had my daily dose of crazy today.
She sent a smirking emoji back.
They met just outside FeedHub-11, the tier-three cafeteria that didn't allow access for below B-ranked students.
Selene, as usual, was wearing her signature smirk and had a purple lollipop twirling between her fingers.
Before they could step in, Danny—overly enthusiastic and already halfway through a roasted turkey leg—ran up and slung an arm around Victor.
"There you are, my battle-scarred brother! Thought you died on the ranking board. But look at you! Barely scraped through!"
Victor rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the confidence boost."
"Anytime," Danny beamed.
As they entered the cafeteria, they spotted Aria grabbing a tray. When she saw them, she narrowed her eyes.
"Don't even start," she said while kabbing a finger at Victor. "I'm 231. Just TWO SPOTS away. And don't think I didn't see your name at 371."
"Which means you're still 140 spots higher. Congratulations," Victor grinned.
Aria sighed as her tray clattered onto the table. "I trained my ass off all month. Just hundred and thirty one more points and I would've been on that damn board."
"You'll get there next month," Selene stated while plopping into her seat and pulling Victor down beside her. She wasn't bothered about the ranking at all because despite being unserious most times, she was still ranked 89.
"Besides, now you can channel your rage productively. Maybe hurl fireballs at the Berserker twins."
Danny laughed. "Please do. They nearly took my head off during sparring yesterday."
The atmosphere turned light as they began eating despite the stress of rankings.
Victor chewed slowly as the chaos of the month replaying in his mind—the trials, the kiss, the fights, the bounty in Ascendant Realms, and now, finally, a sense of belonging—fragile though it might be.
"You know what?" he said aloud. "Next month, I'm aiming for top 100."
Selene leaned in with her brow raised. "Ambitious. I like it."
Danny chuckled. "Well, I'm just aiming to not get demoted. Being D ranked would suck."
Aria grunted. "Just don't die first."
Victor grinned and stabbed a piece of mystery meat with his fork.
Victor had been looking forward to this night for the entire week. Friday had finally come to a close, and tomorrow being Saturday meant he could finally stay logged into Ascendant Realms for up to twenty-four hours straight.
That was more than five days of uninterrupted in-game time. He had already calculated that it would probably be enough time to finally finish the long and dangerous journey with Tarkos to Yinfrost City.
The road had been brutal so far, and the worst was surely still ahead. But Victor was prepared.
After he parted ways with Selene and Danny, having enjoyed dinner with them and Aria, Victor felt a little lighter for the first time in days. Selene had kissed his cheek before leaving, and though it was just a playful gesture, it still left a faint, residual heat buzzing along his skin.
He walked down the dim path back to his dorm with a small smirk playing on his lips.
However, halfway through the path, he slowed.
A weird sensation brushed his senses. His neck tingled, and he felt a heavy awareness settle on his back—as if eyes were boring into him. The pathway was dimly lit by only a few hovering bulbs, casting odd shadows between the tall hedges and trees. It felt spookier than usual. His smirk faded.
He looked around casually at first, then with more caution. "Alright... I know I'm a handsome guy and all, but spying is weird, you know?" he said with a lopsided grin and a voice loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.
"C'mon, at least say hi. I don't bite... unless you're into that..."
Victor exhaled slowly, then gave a casual shrug and continued walking. But behind him, from the shadow of one of the thicker trees, a figure slowly emerged.
She stepped out of the shadows like a ghost haunting her regrets. Her hands were clenched at her sides, and her lips trembled. Guilt flooded her features, and her green eyes were glossy in the faint light.
"I couldn't face him... how will I be able to apologise if I don't have enough courage to face him after everything that's happened..." she whispered.
She had watched everything. The dinner. The laughter. Selene's kiss which made her feel a sting that she couldn't quite describe.
She knew it hadn't been Victor's fault. She was the one who had kissed him first. She was the one who denied it out of panic. She had filed the complaint because Derek told her to... not thinking it would spiral into campus-wide harassment. And now, Victor was hated by so many. Alone.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she turned away before they fell. She wasn't ready. Not yet.