Inside one of the Academy apartments, a girl suddenly sat upright in bed as though she had just escaped a nightmare.
Outside, the sky was still dark, and the hallway beyond the apartment remained completely silent.
Csendez breathed heavily, as if she had been running for hours without stopping. She placed a hand over her chest and felt the rapid beating of her heart.
Slowly, she forced herself to calm down.
Some time later, she sat on the floor beside the balcony window, quietly looking out at the sleeping forest.
That was far more intense than I expected.
First of all... I finally dreamed about the situation I had been anticipating the most.
I was always curious about those humans from my previous dreams.
But now...
These dreams definitely need to be divided into categories.
There are the dreams that resemble old memories. In those, I only witness fragments—events, battles, places. I remain conscious for only a few moments before waking up.
Then there is that nightmare... the one with those strange figures trying to speak to me... trying to capture me.
I have never attempted to communicate with them again.
And finally... there are these dreams.
Everything is clear. I remain there for a long time. Probably through the entire night... until I wake up.
She lowered her gaze.
But this one was slightly different.
I stayed there even longer than before.
I went to sleep in the afternoon... and now it's the middle of the night.
That means I slept for many hours.
So perhaps this dream was forced to remain stable... or maybe the connection itself became stronger.
A brief silence followed.
And why am I connected to that human girl?
It can't simply be because we look alike.
She continued organizing everything she had learned.
At least now I know something important.
Whenever I dream through that human girl... the events are happening in real time.
So far I've only seen two dreams involving humans, yet both revealed an enormous amount of information.
Information about the systems... about the Damionus species... about their role throughout the universe... and even random details that I had never encountered before.
For example... I never knew that sirens disliked dragons as well.
No book ever mentioned that.
Her thoughts naturally shifted toward the conversation she had overheard.
First... Uituba and that Ludus player, Tenin, are siblings.
Their relationship is... complicated.
Watching them interact at the Academy might become entertaining.
Second... according to that dragon, every race sends its younger generation to the Academy by decision of their family heads.
Without exception.
There has to be a reason behind that.
She narrowed her eyes.
But then...
Why were they aboard that cruise ship?
And why were they traveling to a Pegasus planet?
Did the Academy officially allow them to leave?
Or did they sneak out without permission?
Another possibility appeared.
If they really left without permission... they should still be absent from the Academy today.
The siren mentioned a schedule... although I didn't pay much attention to it.
If I remember correctly... they should remain on that ship for another three or four days.
A short pause.
Then I can test that theory.
Uituba organized a class discussion this morning.
If several students fail to appear... my assumption may be correct.
She quietly reached another conclusion.
This dream unexpectedly provided valuable information.
Perhaps I can use it one day as leverage.
If they truly left the Academy without permission... expulsion would be a possible consequence.
Besides... I could interfere with the relationship between those siblings.
If handled carefully... Tenin might eventually owe me a favor.
She immediately dismissed the thought.
First, I need proof.
Then... more information.
I'll investigate if an opportunity appears.
But I won't make it a priority.
It's not important enough yet.
After organizing her thoughts, Csendez slowly stood up and stretched her body.
After stretching, she walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.
The curtains were still drawn, preventing even the faint moonlight from entering the room.
"Little bird... could you show me my status now?"
The ring on her left hand glowed softly.
A small yellow bird appeared in front of her.
Unlike yesterday, it now looked like an actual bird.
[Host! Host! Do you like my new appearance? I chose it very carefully!]
Csendez gently picked up the tiny creature and examined it for a moment.
It really does look like a bird.
But... why yellow?
"It looks very nice," she admitted. "But why did you choose yellow?"
The little bird puffed out its chest proudly.
[The host has many drawings with yellow circles, so I thought yellow must be your favorite color. I'm smart, aren't I?]
Csendez looked slightly surprised before turning toward the drawings displayed on the wall.
The arrangement closely resembled the room she had used back at the Phoenix residence.
"I don't really have a favorite color," she said. "But yellow is a good choice."
A brief pause.
"Well done."
The little bird happily flapped its wings through the air.
[Host! Now I'll show you your status window! But... don't be shocked, okay? Everything will be fine!]
Csendez frowned.
"Why would I—"
Before she could finish, a transparent screen appeared before her eyes.
Her words stopped immediately.
---------------------------------
Status Window
Host Name: Mez Csendez
Age: 22 years (Pannikkatti calendar)
Species: Black Phoenix
Body Stage: Teenager (You are currently going through puberty! Keep fighting!)
Core Element: Black Energy (Destruction)
Special Talent:
Water affinity; Excellent learning ability...beep... beep...Your eyes might be special...? Don't take it too seriously. I could be mistaken… Host, do you need glasses?
Body Attributes
Strength:0
You really need to exercise.
Agility:2
You're surprisingly fast despite your lack of strength.
Endurance:0
You must have suffered a lot... Just kidding.
Intelligence:8
You should be proud of something, and this is one of them. That's an above-average score for someone your age.
Control:10
Wow... You're really good at this. Considering your physical condition... this is probably the reason you're still alive.
Accuracy:10
Another perfect score.
Capacity:3
Your body simply can't contain much more. You'll need a stronger body if you want to increase it.
Magic:
...Hmm...
You have remarkable magical talent...
Unfortunately, your body's capacity prevents me from evaluating it properly.
Additional Notes
1. These attributes are compared to the average standards for someone at your current stage of life. The values and evaluation criteria will change as your body matures.
For your age, your magical abilities are impressive.
Unfortunately... without magic... even a Laper could probably defeat you.
2. The Magic category represents every element you are capable of using besides your core element.
3. At the puberty stage, performing a deep status analysis would damage the soul. Therefore, these results are only superficial observations.
Personal Note
Host... your soul is damaged… Please don't die... sob... sob...
------------------
"What the..." Csendez stared silently at the screen for several seconds. "...Absolutely not." Her gaze moved back to the little bird. "Chirip. What are these physical attributes supposed to mean? And what about my soul? You say it's damaged. What exactly do you mean?"
The little bird immediately burst into tears.
[Sob... sob... I only realized it just now! Because the host didn't ask for the status yesterday, I never performed a full scan! I only did it now... sob... sob... The host is going to die... I'll die too... sob... sob... We're both so young...]
The apartment quickly filled with the sound of the system crying.
Csendez waited. She tried to interrupt several times. The bird never stopped crying.
Eventually… Her patience ran out.
Csendez slowly reached out and picked up the little bird. Dark particles quietly gathered around her hand. The moment Chirip noticed them...
He froze. Not a single sound escaped him anymore. His tiny body became completely stiff as he looked at Csendez with a mixture of fear and hurt.
"Little bird." Her voice remained calm. "I don't have much patience. I don't like repeating myself. I never told you to stop being yourself. But when we're discussing something important...be professional. Do you understand?"
The little bird nodded repeatedly.
"Good."
She released the dark particles.
"Now answer my question. I don't feel like I'm dying. I don't feel that my soul is damaged either. Your notes say that this is only a superficial analysis because a deeper one cannot be performed at my current stage of life. So tell me. What other situations could produce the same result?"
The little bird remained silent for a few moments, carefully searching through its limited database.
Finally, it answered.
[Your soul could simply be underdeveloped.]
A short pause.
[Or... your soul may have fused with an external energy... or a fragment.]
Another pause.
[Or... your soul may be incomplete. It could be missing a fragment or a portion of itself.]
Csendez quietly nodded.
"I understand. Would any of those situations place my life in danger?"
Chirip hesitated.
[...I don't really know.]
[A damaged soul affects the synchronization between the body and the spirit.]
[If that synchronization becomes unstable... your life force may slowly leak away until your body suddenly dies.]
"I see." She thought for a moment. "So... you don't know how to distinguish between those possibilities."
The little bird lowered its head.
[I'm sorry, Host.]
[My database is limited.]
[The Academy restricted our access to information.]
[If you want to know more... you'll have to study it yourself.]
Csendez nodded once.
"So the Academy limited both your database and your connection to outside systems." A brief pause. "I have to admit… Their method of forcing students to study is quite effective."
The little bird lowered its head even further.
[...I'm sorry.]
[I... really am sorry.]
Csendez quietly watched him for several seconds.
Then she slowly raised her hand again. The instant Chirip saw it… He instinctively closed his eyes. His tiny body trembled.
This time, however, no dark energy appeared. Csendez simply let her hand fall back onto the couch.
"You don't need to be sad. I've been in situations far worse than this. And I'm still alive. I don't intend to die. And I don't intend to remain weak. So… there is no reason to cry."
The little bird slowly lifted his head. He quietly waited for her to continue.
"I'll study. I'll solve this problem. It's not as though my fate has already been decided. And even if it has… I'll change it. There is nothing that cannot be changed. If someone possesses enough determination...and enough power."
For several seconds, Chirip simply stared at her. Finally, he nodded.
[I... I'll study harder too.]
[I'll become more useful.]
Csendez gently patted the top of his head. A small smile appeared on her face.
"You may go back now. I need to organize a few things."
[...Yes, Host.]
The little bird turned into a ray of light and disappeared into the ring once again. Csendez quietly looked at the ring for another moment.
"You can call me Csendez." A short pause. "Did anything happen while I was asleep?"
[Nothing happened.]
[Someone knocked on your door around dinner time... but they left soon afterward.]
Another pause.
[Csendez... you really sleep deeply.]
[Are all phoenixes like that?]
"Who knows. Perhaps they are. ...Thank you."
Silence returned to the apartment.
Csendez stood up and began placing her belongings onto the bookshelf before quietly cleaning the room. Her expression remained completely blank. Nothing could be seen beneath it.