“Apophis, I still don’t understand,” I said. “You said the Agency of Order has its lens on this realm—that’s why I can’t use Chaos. And yet, even with their focus here, they don’t know I’m here? How is that possible?”

  Ancient stone buildings loomed on either side, their gray walls veined with green moss and pink climbing roses. Students in crisp blue uniforms walked past me, busy chatting amongst themselves or buried in books. They didn’t offer so much as a glance my way. It was as Apophis said: they really couldn’t sense me.

  ?“You—!”

  ?All eyes turned toward the tall professor in long sweeping purple robes who was walking right toward me.

  ?However, I merely moved off the path and into the grass and turned to look behind me.

  ?As expected, it wasn’t me she had her sights on. The professor caught a handsome blonde boy by the ear and hauled him away from his friends and toward a building, scolding him the whole way.

  ?“Blowing up the broom locker again, are we?”

  ?The boy yelped in protest, while the rest of the students scattered, laughing and whispering.

  ?Apophis gave a low, amused hiss.

  ?~Master, the blockage in Chaos and the detection of you are two separate matters.

  ?I returned to the path and continued my exploration of the academy. Given that I’d helped found the magic academy back in Adovoria, I couldn’t resist seeing how a long-established one operated.

  ?If I’m stuck here for who knows how long, I might as well learn a thing or two.

  ?Following two students through a wide archway, I ducked inside a lecture hall.

  ?~Order and Chaos go hand in hand more than those fools at the Agency would care to admit, Apophis mused. Chaos is the manipulation of what lies beneath the stage—the wiring, the unseen structure holding the illusion together. And when a realm shifts from one state to another, the stage must close. The audience mustn’t see the sawdust or the wires being rearranged.

  ?“Chaos and Order always coexist,” I murmured, repeating the lesson he’d drilled into me.

  ?I gazed about the lecture hall. The classroom was bright, its stone walls etched with runes. Familiar light stones lit up the shadows that the large windows on one side could not. A dozen neat rows of desks curved downward like theater seating. I’d planned to blend in by sitting in the back, but apparently, everyone else had the same idea.

  ?Thus, I strode down the steps to the empty front and plopped down at a seat in the first row.

  ?“The two are currently flipped,” I realized aloud.

  ?~Correct. Transforming a realm from a Playground to a Celestial one requires massive reconstruction. All the available Chaotic energy is being sucked into the redevelopment of this realm.

  ?That was why attempting to use Chaos felt like lighting a wet log.

  ?I frowned. “But I used Chaos to get in here.”

  ?Apophis snickered.

  ?~Master must have slipped through just before the realm was entered into the Agency’s network. A hair later and… Apophis trailed off. I’ve wondered this for some time… does the name Taikee mean anything to you?

  ?I frowned. “No. Why?”

  ?~Ah, nothing.

  ?“You still haven’t explained why the Agency can’t detect me,” I said.

  ?Apophis tilted his body and head until his bright purple eyes met mine.

  ?~Master, when you lock a safe, do you ever open it again just to check if a fly got trapped inside?

  ?I blinked. “Are you comparing me to a fly?”

  ?He hissed softly in amusement. ~I wouldn’t dare.

  ?“No, I probably wouldn’t think to check,” I replied.

  ?~Exactly. This realm is an impenetrable fortress right now. The Agency isn’t worried about intruders—they believe the vault is sealed.

  ?I glanced back at the students who were busy chatting amongst themselves; at least seventy had taken their seats. However, the front three rows remained conspicuously empty, as if they all instinctively knew to avoid the front.

  ?Why? Isn’t the front the best place to see the board and hear the professor?

  ?Regardless of their reasoning, I decided not to bother moving. If other students avoided the front, it was all the better for me; I wouldn’t have to slip out of my seat if someone else wished to take my spot.

  ?“What about threats from inside the realm?” I asked.

  ?~A negligible concern, Apophis replied. Once reconstruction finishes, the realm will rewind to the point of the application’s submission and rebuild under the new Celestial’s vision. Anything that happens in this interim will simply be erased.

  ?I leaned back in my chair, watching the oblivious students shuffle in. Erased or not, the events of this realm were still happening now.

  ?I sniffed the air. Someone was eating a buttery pastry, and my mouth watered at the aroma.

  ?I’m going to have to figure out something about food. And soon.

  ?Unfortunately, the situation was poetic in its cruelty. The same reason the Ashford Bakery’s pastries sold out the moment they hit the Game Store was now working against me. I had access to the Store and was rich in Nexus coins—but there was no food listed for purchase.

  ?A door at the front of the classroom opened, and a short man with white hair entered. His purple robes indicated that he was the professor for this class.

  ?“I see there are fewer of you today,” he began, voice crisp and carrying well through the amphitheater-style lecture hall. “And all of you clustered in the back again, I see.”

  ?He clicked his tongue in dismay, then paused. “And I see I have someone auditing my class?”

  ?I blinked.

  ?Did he just look at me? Or was that my imagination?

  ?A wave of murmurs rippled through the seats behind me.

  ?“Who would be crazy enough to audit Professor Sullivan’s class?” one voice whispered, half laughing, half terrified.

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  ?Whether he’d actually seen me or not, the professor gave no further indication of acknowledging my presence. He turned toward the board, picked up a piece of chalk, and began to write with brisk, precise strokes that filled the room with taps.

  ?“Life essence,” he announced. The words appeared on the board in sharp script.

  ?The spoken and written language was not one I had ever studied, but I understood them both as if they were in my native tongue. It was one of the benefits provided to Players, and even as a partial Player, I was thankfully awarded it.

  ?Professor Sullivan set the chalk down, turned, and surveyed the class, his blue eyes sharp. “Now then, who can define it?”

  ?Silence.

  ?The students were frozen in place. They didn’t even dare move in their seats, should their chairs creak.

  ?“Isn’t it…” I muttered the answer under my breath to Apophis.

  ?~Master is correct, came his approving hiss into my mind.

  ?“No volunteers?” Professor Sullivan asked, sighing as if this were the thousandth time. His gaze snapped to a girl in the fourth row. “Ava. What is the definition?”

  ?“M-me? Ah—It’s the thread of life… of a person? Or any living being, really. Their timeline—”

  ?“Incorrect. Minus three points.” The professor cut her off, and his finger pointed toward another student in the fourth row. “Paul, what is the definition?”

  ?The boy fumbled, stammering, before he was cut off. Another wrong answer followed. Then another. The professor moved through the row like a storm, marking deductions as he went. The students lost anywhere from 1 to 5 points, depending on how close their definitions were.

  ?Behind me, a girl whispered frantically to her friend, “This is why we should’ve come early—!”

  ?Ah. That explained why everyone sat huddled in the back rows. The row closest to the front was a sacrificial zone, subject to a point penalty if the students in it answered incorrectly.

  ?“How is it that none of you know this?” Professor Sullivan asked, exasperated. “It’s in your textbook!”

  ?He sighed.

  ?I almost sympathized with him. Even I knew it, and I wasn’t from this realm. The definition was literally in the first paragraph of Magic Studies 101: A Comprehensive Beginner’s Guide that I had read at Lisa’s. I read it two loops back and, luckily, could still recall it, despite the regressive nature of my memory.

  ?“I realize many of you only took this class solely because you need the credit to advance, and Professor Allegra’s was full,” he continued, pacing at the front of the room from one end to the other. “But you’ll need more than attendance to pass my class. Understanding life essence goes far beyond theory—it’s foundational to every living being.”

  ?He turned back to the board and began sketching quickly. Chalk lines curved into the outline of a bird, its wings spread wide.

  ?“This,” he said, tapping the outline, “is a vessel—a container that holds one’s life essence.” He drew a small, glowing circle at the heart of the bird. “And this, within, is the essence itself. Should that flame ever be extinguished, even if reignited, the being that returns will not be the same. The essence will have already moved on to its next host.”

  ?He set the chalk back down and dusted off his hands.

  ?“Life essence is the substance that powers a living being, and in simple terms, is the immortal soul,” as he spoke, the room filled with the sound of pens. “And without a soul and the essence of life, a mana core cannot exist. Life essence is what keeps the lights on.”

  ?He paused, waited for the scratching of notes to die down.

  ?“There are exceptions to this rule,” he said at last, “but those are discussed only in my advanced course—which, by the way, is still one student short of continuing this semester.” His gaze swept the room, hopeful. “So if any of you have friends who might be interested, do send them my way.”

  ?Silence. A few students coughed.

  ?He turned back to the chalkboard. “Now, everyone, open to page twenty-three of your textbooks. We’ll be covering common diseases that can corrupt or weaken life essence.”

  The lecture proved to be oddly captivating. Maybe it was because I wasn’t one of the poor souls losing points every few minutes. Without that particular anxiety, I found the questions actually helped me focus.

  I didn’t have a textbook to follow along, so I relied solely on the professor's voice. Not that a textbook would have helped; I didn’t have a System to help make reading more digestible.

  When the lesson finally wound to a close, Professor Sullivan clapped his hands once. “That’s all for today.”

  A low bell chimed from somewhere above—likely the same one I’d seen hanging in the academy’s tallest tower, marking the end of the hour.

  “Make sure to do your reading before our class next week!” the professor called out to the quickly dispersing students.

  I didn’t bother getting up yet. The back was packed with students trying to get out. It was better to wait it out.

  At the front, Professor Sullivan quietly erased the chalkboard by hand. Interestingly, he was doing everything manually, without relying on any spellwork. Strange. I’d witnessed several students enchant their pens to take notes for them. Yet this professor hadn’t shown a hint of magic use.

  I glanced toward the doorway. The back of the room was empty now, the students having all left. Satisfied, I stood up from my seat.

  “You answered my first question correctly,” the professor’s voice sounded. “I didn’t call you out since you’re not officially on my roster.”

  I froze.

  ?My head swiveled toward the professor, whose blue eyes were staring directly toward me.

  ?“I don’t mind you auditing my class, but next time, do apply through the proper channels. There’s no need to sneak around like this.”

  ?My gaze darted toward Apophis. The snake’s head turned away, feigning innocent curiosity toward the wall.

  ?~A rare exception, he hissed. Quite rare. Unforeseeable, really.

  ?I exhaled through my nose. So much for stealth.

  ?It was my own fault for trusting this snake.

  ?And just what other abilities might the professor be in possession of?

  ?Heightening my concern, I felt a strange sensation crawl across my skin.

  ?~Master, tread lightly, Apophis warned. He’s activated a spell. It feels like a lie-detection field.

  ?My mind flicked back to Chase’s truth-binding ability. At least this one didn’t drag the truth out of you—it only watched for it.

  ?“I apologize for not asking permission,” I said carefully. “It won’t happen again.”

  ?The professor studied me, squinting.

  ?“You’re not wearing the academy uniform… are you?” he noted. “Why is that?”

  ?So his sight wasn’t absolute. Good to know.

  ?“I’m not enrolled at this academy,” I admitted.

  ?There was no point in testing how his spell punished liars.

  “And why is that?” the professor pressed. “You’re clearly interested—and more importantly, you grasped the lesson.”

  I felt embarrassed by his words. There was never an instance in my original life that I’d been praised for being studious.

  ?“I’m afraid I cannot afford the tuition,” I replied. This was the truth.

  ?I didn’t possess the currency of this realm, and from the gossip I’d overheard wandering the grounds, this academy catered to the children of nobles and moguls. The kind who had family crests embroidered into their handkerchiefs and discussed the affairs of their estates. I was certain the price tag to get in reflected that.

  ?As if it were a well-paid actor, my stomach growled right at that moment. The sound echoed through the empty classroom.

  ?I hadn’t eaten in a couple of hours, and the exhaustion of the extended day was coming upon me.

  ?Professor Sullivan’s eyes softened with faint amusement. “Nonsense. That’s what the scholarship program is for,” he said, waving a hand as though brushing aside the problem. “You’d be given three meals a day and a room too. No need for all this sneaking about.”

  ?I wracked my brain, picking through the pieces of conversations I’d overheard while walking the grounds and acquainting myself with this realm.

  ?“My parents aren’t of this world,” I said carefully, “and my family name isn’t known here. I didn’t know how else to learn except by sneaking in.”

  ?That, too, was the truth. Whoever my father was, he certainly wasn’t in this realm. And the Frey name meant nothing here, with no records or wealth to back it. And it was true that I hadn’t the faintest clue how enrollment worked in the first place.

  ?“Ah,” the professor murmured. “An orphan. I see.”

  ?Had the word been uttered by a student, it would have been as a slur. That was how I saw it used by students. In this realm, orphans were the lowest caste. They were unprotected, unconnected, and shut out of every opportunity that required a surname.

  ?Professor Sullivan sighed, then straightened, his expression soft but resolute. “Given that today’s lesson was clearly too simple for you, and you show genuine interest, perhaps you’d consider joining my advanced course? I need one more student to keep it running—and I’d hate to cancel for those already enrolled.”

  ?I blinked, unsure I’d heard correctly. “You… want me to audit your other class?”

  ?“Oh heavens, no.” He waved the idea away as though batting at a fly. “That wouldn’t help. I’d like you to enroll. I can help you through the proper channels to register at Rosel Academy.”

  ?For a moment, I simply stared at him. Then an incredulous smile spread across my face.

  ?Apophis mirrored my surprise with a low hiss of amusement.

  ?“You’d help me enroll as a student?” I asked.

  ?“I’ve been a tenured professor for three hundred years,” Sullivan said, lifting his chin with the faintest glimmer of pride. “Doing this much is nothing.”

  ?My stomach growled again, louder this time.

  ?The professor sighed with mock exasperation. “Well, that settles it. You’re officially my problem now. Come—let’s get some food in you and start the paperwork before I change my mind.”

  ?He motioned for me to follow and glanced at me with a half-smile. “And please, take off that artifact. I’d like to properly meet my future student.”

  ?I hesitated, studying him for any trace of deceit. There was nothing nefarious that I sensed, but I couldn’t confirm with my Character Checker; I’d used up all my slots at Micah’s wedding.

  ?Having decided to trust him, I reached up and unclasped the Pull-Tab Necklace. The illusion that hid my presence shimmered away.

  ?“My name is Luca,” I said, offering a small smile.

  ?Professor Sullivan beamed at me.

  ?“That’s more like it. Now, let’s grab supper before that stomach of yours complains again.”

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