The group proceeded through a series of increasingly eborate corridors until they arrived at a massive double door made of reflective crystal with a sign marking 708.

  "The Sanctum of Convergence," Professor Vanheim announced. "Css S's primary study and practice facility. The pce where most of your theoretical lessons will take pce."

  ‘Sanctum of convergence’…can’t they just call it room 708 or something…?

  He pced his palm against the center of the doors, which responded by slowly swinging inward, revealing a vast, airy chamber with tall windows that offered impressive views of the Academy grounds. The room was arranged like an amphitheater, with tiered seating circling a central ptform.

  And there, already occupying various spaces around the room, were the Css S, second-year students.

  Amy immediately spotted Crow seated at a table near one of the room's rge windows, surrounded by his usual group—Ash, Lyra, and Lain. Several pces away, a slender dark-haired boy sat alone, absorbed in an ancient text—Zayd, she presumed. The other second-years were distributed throughout the space, some studying alone, others in small clusters.

  Professor Vanheim cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Second-years, these are your new cssmates. I expect you to show them the courtesy befitting fellow Css S members."

  The atmosphere in the room shifted subtly. Some of the second-years looked merely curious, others openly appraising, and a few—including Lyra—for some inexplicable reason tense.

  As Professor Vanheim concluded his introduction, the first-years remained standing awkwardly at the entrance while the second-years observed them with varying degrees of interest.

  "I'll leave them in your capable hands, Lirienne," Vanheim said, nodding to the green-haired professor. "Kaelen, Drayke—we have matters to discuss."

  The three male professors departed, leaving Professor Lirienne alone with the students. Her flowing green hair seemed to catch nonexistent breezes as she moved gracefully to the center ptform.

  I need to get whatever shampoo she uses.

  "Please, first-years, find seats wherever you like," she said, her melodic voice carrying effortlessly through the rge chamber. "Today's session will be retively informal—an orientation to special abilities and their pce in magical theory."

  Amy watched as the other first-years dispersed. Alba and Stel predictably stuck together, choosing seats near the front. Tallen positioned himself strategically among a group of second-years who appeared to be from noble families, while Lysander, another guy, and the purple-haired girl whose name Amy still didn't know selected isoted spots.

  Following their lead, Amy chose a seat at the back of the room, as far from Zayd and Crow's group position as possible while still maintaining a clear view of Professor Lirienne. She set her satchel on the empty table beside her, allowing the book access to observe the proceedings, not that it mattered since it probably didn’t see as humans do, it didn't have eyes after all.

  Professor Lirienne waited until everyone was settled before beginning. "Today we'll be discussing the fundamental nature of special abilities—what separates them from conventional magic, how they interact with magical theory, and why they manifest in certain individuals."

  She waved her hand, and an intricate diagram appeared in the air above the ptform.

  Amy had no idea of what this was supposed to represent.

  "Magic, at its core, is the manipution of natural energies," Lirienne expined. "Through study and practice, any person with sufficient aptitude can learn to channel these energies to produce specific effects—what we call spells."

  The diagram shifted, the flows rearranging themselves into more ordered patterns.

  "Special abilities, however," she continued, gesturing to the bright nodes, "are innate expressions of magical potential that manifest in unique ways. They cannot be taught or learned through conventional means. They are inherent to the individual."

  Amy's eyelids felt heavy as she watched the dancing lights of the diagram, maintaining focus was proving difficult. The professor's voice seemed to drift in and out of her awareness.

  [The css has only just begun. I'm surprised you'd find it dull already.]

  Amy rubbed her eyes. "I just hate school that much. Always have.” She mumbled, stifling a yawn. “Plus, I barely slept st night, and that assessment thing drained whatever energy I had left."

  [Understandable, but perhaps you should make an effort. This information could be relevant to your situation.]

  Amy gnced down at her satchel. "How relevant? On a scale from 'waste of time' to 'if I don’t listen to this slop I’m probably gonna fucking die'?"

  [Considering the nature of your particur abilities—which you still don't fully understand—I'd say it falls somewhere in the middle. Not immediately critical, but potentially helpful.]

  Amy sighed. "...fine..."

  She forced herself to straighten up and focus on Professor Lirienne, who was now expining the cssification system for special abilities.

  "... which brings us to the five primary categories: Physical Enhancement, Elemental Affinity, Mental Projection, Reality Manipution, and Prophetic Insight." Lirienne's floating diagram had transformed into a pentagram with different colored sections. "Most registered abilities fall within these categories, though there are always exceptions that defy neat cssification."

  A few of the second-years were taking notes, but many—especially those sitting near Crow—appeared to be only half-listening. This was clearly review material for them.

  "What makes special abilities particurly fascinating," Lirienne continued, "is their independence from conventional magical training. A person with little magical education might possess an extraordinarily powerful special ability, while a master mage might have none at all."

  She paused, scanning the room. "However, when magical training is combined with a developed special ability, the results can be... impressive. Which is precisely why you are all here."

  The floating diagram shifted again, this time forming a complex spiral that pulsed with rainbow light.

  "Unlike spells, which draw upon external energies, special abilities channel power directly from the wielder's magical core. This makes them more efficient but also more taxing. Overexertion can lead to severe consequences—magical burnout being the most common."

  Amy found her attention drifting again despite her best efforts. The material wasn't uninteresting, but her fatigue was overwhelming. She pinched her arm hard, trying to stay alert.

  Professor Lirienne spent the next hour covering the theoretical foundations of special abilities, their historical significance, and their varied manifestations across different cultures. Occasionally she would call on students—mostly second-years—to provide examples or crifications.

  Finally, mercifully, she concluded the lecture. "That concludes our overview for today," Professor Lirienne announced, dissolving the magical diagram with a graceful wave of her hand. "Tomorrow we'll begin more practical applications with a session titled 'Channeling Techniques for Special Abilities' at nine o'clock sharp. Your complete schedules will be distributed at breakfast."

  As students began gathering their belongings, the professor added, "First-years, I suggest you use what remains of the day to explore the Academy—within the permitted areas, of course—and familiarize yourselves with its yout. Second-years, please make yourselves avaible to answer any questions they might have."

  Amy slowly rose from her seat, her limbs heavy with exhaustion. She slipped her satchel over her shoulder, eager to find her dormitory, and colpsed into bed for a few hours before dinner.

  She was done dealing with bullshit. She just wanted to lie down and not think about anything. Not the Gaspard, nor her somewhat useless ability, nor the fact that she was been isekai'd into a fantasy world and she was just supposed to accept it, and definitely nothing reted to the main plot or the end of the world. The only thing she desired was to rot in bed and do nothing else.

  But as, things rarely worked the way she wanted.

  Crow was now watching her with that same thoughtful expression from earlier. After a brief exchange with his companions, he stood and walked deliberately toward her.

  [Here comes trouble.]

  Amy let out a long sigh, and put on a neutral expression on her face.

  Crow stopped a respectful distance away, his golden eyes assessing. "Amy," he said, pronouncing her name carefully. "I believe we have a conversation to finish."

  Amy raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchance. "The deal you mentioned?"

  "Yes." His gaze flicked briefly around the room. "But not here. There's a balcony through those doors—" he nodded toward a set of gss doors partially hidden behind a curtain of hanging vines. "More private."

  "Lead the way," she said with a casual shrug.

  "Hold up, Crow!" Ash jogged up to them, his golden eyes bright with curiosity. "Aren't you going to introduce us properly?"

  Crow gave him a ft look. "No."

  "So mean!" Ash grinned, falling into step beside them. "C’mon, I want to meet our junior."

  Crow sighed but didn’t talk any further. In his ngage that menat something like, ‘do whatever you want.’

  Ash turned his dazzling smile on her. "Well hello, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Ashwin, but everyone calls me Ash."

  Before Amy could respond, two more figures joined their small procession—Lyra, with her distinctive wild auburn curls, held Lain’s hand, pulling her forward.

  "I see the ambush is complete," Crow remarked dryly.

  "It's hardly an ambush when you're discussing Academy business in Academy spaces, right?" Lyra countered, her tone clipped. She regarded Amy with badly disguised suspicion. "Hello. I’m Lyra and this is Lain, nice to meet you."

  Lian nodded with a bck expression, not a single thought could be read. If Amy didn’t know she was so timid that even muttering a few words was a colossal task, she would have been intimidated by her beautiful appearance and the cold atmosphere around her.

  “Amy,” She said with a controlled smile, “It's nice to meet you too.”

  [“Gonna keep a healthy distance from the main cast,” she said. Hirious that she even thought it was her choice.]

  Amy resisted the urge to smack the bag.

  Crow led them through the gss doors onto a wide stone balcony. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the space, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of unfamiliar blossoms. From this vantage point, Amy could see the sprawling Academy grounds—gardens with pnts that shifted colors as she watched, training fields where older students practiced combat techniques, and in the distance, the glittering dome of what she recognized as the Celestial Observatory.

  It would have been beautiful if she weren't so exhausted and irritated.

  Crow leaned against the stone railing, his posture deceptively casual. Behind him, Ash perched on the balustrade with reckless ease, while Lyra remained near the doorway, arms crossed. Lain hovered silently beside her, her dark eyes observing everything but revealing nothing.

  "Well, this is intriguing," Amy remarked, adopting a rexed stance despite her internal alertness. "Four against one. Should I be concerned?"

  Ash ughed. "If we wanted to intimidate you, we'd have brought Iris. She's the scary one."

  "Ash," Crow said, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

  "What? I'm just being friendly." Ash shrugged, still grinning. "Besides, the newbie has a point. This does look like we're about to steal her money for lunch."

  Crow scratch his head at that, before cleaning his throat in a somewhat awkward manner. "I just wished to ensure privacy. What I wanted to discuss is... sensitive."

  Amy raised an eyebrow. "Well, you have my attention." A feeling of foreboding took over her.

  She had an idea of what he wanted. Considering the fact that her being a seer had altered already so much, it was actually quite obvious why was he here. And she didn’t like it, not because it was bad, but because of what it meant.

  Lyra stepped forward, her brown eyes narrowing. "Before he says anything else—who exactly are you? Please don’t take it as an offense, but isn’t it all just too coincidental? You met Crow randomly at a teahouse, somehow qualified for Css S, and then, we need someone of your supposed capabilities."

  "Lyra," Crow sighed.

  "No, it's a fair question," Ash interjected, his face becoming serious, not a view of his usual grin in pce. “As Lyra said, we don’t mean to put you on the spot, Amy. But please understand that you are quite easy to be suspicious of.”

  [Honestly, fair.]

  Rip what you sow, huh… So much for the mysterious act, should have gone with braindead junior…

  "I'm not sure what answer would satisfy you,” Amy said with a deliberate troubled expression. “My name is Amy Stake. I qualified for Css S the same way you did—by passing the trials. As for needing my capabilities..." She paused, allowing a small smile. "are you perhaps referring to my foresight?"

  Ash's eyebrows shot up. "So, you just said it? Just like that? I was expecting at least some denial or mysterious hinting."

  Amy met her gaze steadily. "You already knew. Denying it would waste everyone's time."

  Lyra's suspicion seemed to deepen. "And you just freely admit it to people you barely know?"

  At this, Amy shrugged. "It isn’t necessarily a secret, just something I like to conceal whenever possible. If I truly did not want anyone to know, we wouldn’t be having this conversation."

  "Guys, let's focus on what matters," Crow said, his voice cutting through the tension.

  He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small object wrapped in dark cloth. Carefully, she unwrapped it, revealing a golden key that gleamed in the afternoon sun.

  As expected, it’s that object. Fuck…

  [Interesting. In the original story, he approached Zayd with this, didn't he?]

  The book was right, this was a deviation from the manga. In the original story, Crow had sought out Zayd's help with the golden key, this time he came to her.

  Something about the key triggered a sense of déjà vu in Amy. She'd seen it before—in the manga, obviously, it was a plot point after all, one she didn’t like—but there was something else, a strange familiarity that tugged at the edges of her consciousness. She pushed the feeling aside, focusing instead on Crow's words.

  "This key," he said, holding it up between them, "was discovered during an expedition to the Northern Ruins st semester. Professor Vanheim allowed me to keep it for 'independent study.'"

  "It's been driving him crazy for months," Ash added with a grin. "He's tried every magical analysis technique in the book."

  "And found nothing conclusive," Crow admitted with a frown. "Historical records, magical analysis, even consulted with professors discreetly. We are trying everything to find out what it is."

  "And now you're turning to prophetic methods," Amy concluded. She studied the key again, trying to ignore the nagging sense that she had seen it not only in the manga but somewhere else too. Weird…

  "I believe it's connected to something hidden in the Academy, but I can't determine what or where."

  "...Why me?" Amy asked, unable to contain her curiosity. "There's another Seer in our css. Zayd Gaspard, isn't it? Wouldn't he be better equipped to help you?"

  Crow's expression darkened slightly. "Zayd and I have... a complicated retionship. We're not enemies, but not exactly friends either."

  "It might sound crazy," Ash interjected with a mischievous smile, "but he trusts you, a suspicious complete stranger, more than he trusts Zayd."

  Amy tried to remember why that was the case. It took her a few moments before she remembered Zayd is a Gaspard and Crow is very wary of them due to him suspecting they are reted to the disappearance of his father. "I see. Lucky me."

  “So, can you do it…?”

  Amy already knew what this key opened from reading the manga. So yeah, she could just tell them. But of course, there was no point in outright giving them the knowledge. Instead, she could use this to her advantage.

  "Probably." She announced.

  The single word hung in the air, causing visible surprise among the four second-years. Crow's eyebrows lifted slightly, while Ash's jaw actually dropped open. Lyra's eyes narrowed further if that was even possible.

  "Probably?" Crow repeated, his tone careful. "Just like that? You haven't even examined the key properly."

  Amy shrugged, maintaining her neutral expression despite the growing satisfaction she felt at their reactions. "I don't need to.”

  "How can you be so certain?" Lyra pressed, stepping forward. "Prophetic magic doesn't work that way. It's not immediate. It requires ritual, focus, preparation—"

  “Amy.” Crow cut through Lyra’s voice. His eyes were fixed on Amy, and he seemed to be debating something. Seconds passed before he opened his mouth. “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is your power.”

  Ahh~ It feels so nice when things just fall into pce.

  This is what she wanted. If took a lot of willpower to stop her lips from curling upwards.

  Thank you, Crow. Now I can finally refine my ability.

  This was indeed the perfect moment to tell them what she had discussed with the book this morning. This conversation would be a hundred percent added to the next chapter.

  It was time to level up.

  "I can see the future I want to see," she expined carefully, constructing her expnation in a way that would sound mystical yet vague enough to cover any inconsistencies. "I follow the general paths of fate through signs to reach my objective.”

  Lain, who had remained silent until now, spoke in her soft, barely audible voice. "You can... manipute fate?"

  "Not manipute," Amy corrected, recalling how her supposed powers should work. "More like... navigate it.”

  Crow studied her for a long moment, his golden eyes intense. "Yesterday, you called me a sign. Does this mean finding me was a result of you needing to go to the Academy…?"

  “Yes. Though, I wasn’t especially looking for you. My powers don’t tell me the details of the way. It just tells me the destination and how to get there.”

  “...I see…” His brows furrowed for some inexplicable reason.

  [You don’t realize how scary the words you just said are, right?]

  Hmm…? What, is this book talking about?

  Silence stretched and the conversation seemed to come to a halt. Lyra and Ash were looking at each other with unreliable expressions, and Lain did not let her gaze dart away from Amy, not even for a single second. Meanwhile, Crow was deep in thought.

  Ok, what the hell is going on…?

  [Girl, you are already so suspicious, and potentially dangerous in their eyes. And now you go and tell them that your power basically allows you to reach any objective you wish to achieve… This poses an obvious question, was this conversation a coincidence, or was this one step toward whatever you are pnning.]

  What…? Wait! That sounds actually kind of scary.

  “Then…” Crow finally broke the silence. “You can lead us to the thing that that key opens, right…?”

  “Probably.”

  “Probably, huh…” Ash repeated, still somewhat thoughtful. Taking some more seconds to think about something, he took a deep breath and stared directly into Amy’s eyes. “What do you want in exchange?”

  “What's your offer?"

  Crow straightened. "I can pay you, of course. Name your price."

  Amy pretended to consider this while inwardly amused. Money? What would she even do with it? She could probably just beg the book for funds if she really needed them.

  [Why did I suddenly have a bad premonition…?]

  Amy suppressed a smile at the book's commentary.

  "How much would you be willing to pay?" She asked, not really caring about the answer. What she wanted was another thing, she did not need money for nothing since—

  "Fifty gold crowns, if you're successful."

  Amy blinked.

  A primal urge. Just as cavemen felt fear when they id their eyes on fire, or babies when feel reassurance when they feel the touch of their mother for the first time. Amy felt at that instant something with the same intensity. It took all and more of her willpower to not to accept outright.

  She knew from reading the manga how much that truly was, and she could not believe it.

  Why is the protagonist so damn fucking loaded!?

  It took a moment for her mind to catch, and remember that Lain was the daughter of a noble and future heir and that everyone in css S was literally the future pilrs of the world. Of course, they had money… STILL, fifty gold was beyond excessive. Isn’t that like the cost of a house plus enough to survive like a year without any work…?

  God, or Goddess, give me strength cause I will truly need it. Future me, forgive me for what am I about to do.

  "I don't want your money," Amy interrupted, surprising herself with how easily the words came despite the amount of pain she felt inside as she uttered them. "How about this? I'll help you, but in exchange, I want a favor."

  Yup, a favor. That was exactly what she needed. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Crow was the most important person in this world, he was the protagonist, after all. Having that person owe you a favor could only mean good things. She could ask for money and so much more if she needed to. Yup, the best choice.

  "A favor?" Crow's expression was exagerately guarded...Amy even felt a little hurt by that.

  Who do you think I am…?

  "What kind?" Said Ash, mirroring Crow's expression.

  "I don't know yet," Amy replied with deliberate mysteriousness, keeping her character. "But when I need something, I'd like to be able to call on you for help."

  Crow studied her for a long moment with the same totally unfair expression. "I can agree to that”

  “Crow—” Lyra was about object but Crow gestured with his hand to let him continue.

  “With some limitations. Nothing illegal, nothing that would harm others, and nothing that would compromise my principles… Is that acceptable..?"

  Amy acted like she was thinking about it, making the atmosphere somewhat tense. Then she simply nodded her head with a smile on her lips.

  “That is acceptable,” She finally said.

  “I see,” Crow shifted slightly, his golden eyes studying Amy's face with an intensity that made her want to squirm. For the other part, the other looked somewhat relieved by her answer.

  "Could you..." Crow continued, then paused, seeming to reconsider his words. "Would it be possible for you to do it right now? Help us find what the key opens?"

  Amy tilted her head, considering. Part of her wanted nothing more than to colpse into bed and forget about everything for a few hours, but another part—the part that knew how important, and dangerous, this plot point was—recognized the opportunity.

  She made a show of closing her eyes. Seconds passed until she opened them again.

  "I see..." she murmured after a moment, opening her eyes. "The first sign should be at the entrance of the Css B edifice."

  "Css B?" Ash repeated, exchanging a quick gnce with Crow. "Are you sure?"

  Amy nodded with confidence. "That's where we need to start. We should meet there during the break tomorrow."

  “…we'll be there."

  "Well then," Amy said, fighting back a yawn. "If there's nothing else, I really should head to my room. It's been a long day. See you all tomorrow.”

  She turned to leave, feeling their gazes follow her as she made her way through the gss doors and back into the now-empty sanctum.

  [That went better than expected, wouldn't you say? When the next chapter updates, you will receive a substantial change to your powers]

  "I guess," she mumbled, dragging her feet toward the exit. "Though I still can't believe I turned down fifty gold crowns. That physically hurt."

  [I was also confused by that. You are not exactly rich, are you? In fact, you don’t have money at all. You have been surviving on nothing but my expenses.]

  "...I really needed that favor..."

  [Mmm, really?]

  No.

  “Yes… So please, continue taking care of me, oh my benefactor.”

  [Sigh…]

  As she navigated the Academy's winding hallways, Amy's thoughts drifted to the conversation they just had, and then back to the key. Her chest tightened.

  “I hate this…”

  Her hands trembled a little as she remembered what was coming.

  In the manga, this seemingly side mystery—a golden key found in ancient ruins—had appeared like something important but still somewhat not a priority at first. Just a side quest adventure for Crow and his friends.

  And yet, it was that simple key the one that started officially the first act of of the second arc of the manga.

  Amy shuddered, remembering the gruesome panels depicting the massacre of thirteen Css B students. their bodies arranged in a ritual formation.

  She remembered making fun of it back when she reviewed that chapter, criticizing the excessive gore as cheap shook. But now that she was here, in this world…

  "I don't know if I'm ready for this," she whispered, her voice barely audible even to herself. "Things have been stressful, sure, but retively safe so far. No one has died yet. No blood on my hands. But from on…"

  Amy paused at a window that overlooked the Academy grounds bathed in te afternoon light. She pressed her forehead against the cool gss, closing her eyes.

  "I know how this story goes. I've seen what happens next. And now I'm guiding them right into it."

  [...]

  “Will I be able to stop it, I wonder…”

  [You could always walk away, you know…]

  “And wait till I die during doomsday…?”

  [You won’t feel pain, and neither will I.]

  “...if the end of the world arrives, will you die too?”

  [Indeed, but worry not for I feel no fear of death. Instead think about it, leaving. There is a pce where you can probably stay far into the north, I will also provide you if necessary with everything you need. Though, you shouldn’t be too shameless. I rather not you to take for granted the things that I—

  “It’s alright…” She opened her eyes while pushing herself away from the window, and continued walking. "As much as I find it desirable to just abandon all my problems and run away… I don't want death to either me or you. I’m not a hero, nor anything resembling one, but I’ll still hate the idea of someone, and especially you, dying because of my cowardice."

  [...]

  Amy left the building and trudged toward the edifice where her dormitory was situated. The traject passed in a blur, and in the span of what felt second she was in, a few steps away form it.

  The corridor stretched before her, silent and empty, much like the path she now found herself on.

  Only when she finally reached her room door did the book speak again, its voice with the same robotic tint he had used this morning.

  [Your sentiment is... unexpected, and somewhat incomprehensible. But not unwelcome.]

  Amy didn't respond as she pushed open the door, too exhausted for further conversation.

  She dropped her satchel containing the book onto the nightstand before colpsing face-first onto the mattress. The soft bedding enveloped her, and for a moment, all the worries about golden keys, ritual murders, and the end of the world faded into the background.

  [You should probably remove your shoes before sleeping.]

  "Mmmphhh," Amy responded eloquently, not moving an inch.

  [And your uniform will get wrinkled.]

  She groaned but managed to kick off her shoes, which tumbled to the floor with soft thuds. "...happy now…?"

  [Ecstatic.]