That was better—he walked down a hallway that had left some marks on him, and it turned out that the person became his good friend?
[Are you familiar with this corridor?]
'Don't talk yet, I've got a lot on my mind.' He couldn't bear the things that kept bothering him—some said he must, but someone else blocked the way.
[Really? In that case, I'll keep watching.]
He sighed. 'Keep doing that,' said Wein. All this time, he had still been searching for information about it, and even after he arrived later, he planned to summon Aria to confirm.
The fact that the school had been forced into something by someone who wasn't even part of the school—and whose physical form couldn't be seen—while Aria Everdisch herself had no clear knowledge about it.
How could this be? Should he confirm it with Director Claudia? He was genuinely curious, to the point where he couldn't think clearly anymore.
[Be careful. Someone has sensed your presence and sees the potential of you becoming an enemy.]
He was shocked. The worry on his face melted like paper burned by fire—turning into ash and vanishing.
Wein stopped just a few meters away from his room. He felt a strong aura lurking again—he had already sensed something similar just minutes after leaving Loraine's room.
But now, he couldn't ignore it. Several lights began to flicker on and off, repeatedly. Because of that presence, he thought.
A metallic scent pierced his nose, and not long after that, something he didn't expect appeared. He heard someone running very fast through the corridor.
Wein tried to focus, channeling mana to his hearing rather than looking directly. He also tried to sense the presence—but found nothing.
As the mana flowed near his blood, his hearing sharpened. Then, something surprising passed through his now-precise perception—a gust of wind blew from behind, making a high-pitched sound ring in his ears.
[You really can't walk through this hallway in peace, but try to manage your anger... I'm still looking into this.]
'Am I really looking like I'm angry?' Wein reached for the revolver, touching its grip and holding it in his pocket before finally pulling it out.
[A revolver's too loud—you should find a new pistol for this.]
A revolver was indeed loud, especially if used in this dorm hallway—it would definitely wake up the entire place with a single shot.
He shifted his gaze, looking toward his room. Acting on instinct, he pushed forward, shoving the revolver back into his pocket.
[A wise choice.]
A few seconds before he reached the wall and the room door, he quickly used the key to enter and shut the door behind him as soon as he stepped inside.
His breathing was heavy due to the excessive mana use. He looked at the window that cast a bluish light tonight.
Wein stood straighter after managing to control his breath. He stared at the window, which he hadn't fully closed yet.
In his condition, he felt a bit safer—as long as it wasn't an anomaly like Persephone, who knew everything. He tried to draw the curtain, unaware that the window was still slightly ajar.
He simply pulled the curtain closed, then walked toward the desk to place everything from his pockets: the revolver, a watch, and his wristwatch—before heading toward his bed.
---
Aria Everdisch, as usual, slept in a neutral room where she conducted her research, accompanied by Glen, who had already fallen sound asleep on the sofa.
Aria read a book titled Time Flew: Extinct. Her hand moved across the fresh ink, her eyes followed every sentence, and her lips moved as she read silently.
Her eyebrows furrowed instantly—she looked around and fixed her gaze on Glen. Her face turned sour upon seeing her friend fast asleep.
She placed the book on the table while searching through some documents on the prepared bookshelf. The book discussed a creature nearly extinct as time had passed.
A "Dire Wolf," said to be a native species of Aetheris before humans set foot and built civilizations here. Its extinction was caused by the dominant sapien race, unlike the elves and dwarves who were less greedy.
Even so, Dire Wolves were said to still live in the forests—but had never been found. The local government hoped someone would find and deliver one to a conservation center.
But the government had done nothing to protect this nearly extinct beast. They let it die at the hands of greedy sapiens—a mindset born from the number of victims caused by the Dire Wolves.
To her left, something began to vibrate slowly, moving a few centimeters from its original spot before circling the table, creating a slightly startling sound.
She immediately stood up after searching under the rack for documents, quickly grabbing her pocket watch—and without questioning who was calling, she pressed the button.
"Everdisch here, need help?"
"I want to ask you something—but first, I need to be sure no one else is listening," a hoarse, tired voice answered. Aria realized it was Wein, who sounded nearly out of energy.
Aria glanced at Glen, who had drooled onto his shirt—making her feel slightly disgusted before smirking mockingly. "No one here but me and Glen, who's out cold."
"Good... I want to ask about that expedition... is it truly a school program?"
"Of course. You're not sure?" Aria looked out the window again. "Wait... if I'm not mistaken, they added one more slot so we could—"
"Alright, I get it. You haven't heard anything else from Director Claudia about it?"
"No... I only read it in a letter."
"That's good. I thought it was something unofficial." Wein exhaled, then replied, "Alright then, good night." He immediately ended the call.
Aria was slightly surprised and confused by Wein Arcveil's sudden behavior—she began to feel a bit of doubt about the expedition.
What if the expedition was a trap? That's what echoed in Aria Everdisch's ears—but surprisingly, it came from Glen's sleep-talking.
"He talks in his sleep?"
---
Huff... I thought she knew. Turns out Aria doesn't know anything about this... Wein thought to himself, feeling slightly relieved. He then stood from his chair and plunged himself onto the bed.
As his body landed on the mattress, the sound of springs rang out—but more clearly, there was a creaking sound from the wooden frame, followed by a small noise like a howl from a bird—though birds couldn't howl.
It sounded more like the cry of an immature wolf pup. The sound was sharp—as if calling for help from some danger approaching.
Wein's attention shifted—he became fully alert again after the bed embraced him. Strangely, the sound seemed to come from the floor beneath him?