It was already past midday when Mason finally finished his combat scenario classes. His muscles ached with the dull soreness of exertion, and he braced himself for the punishment awaiting him at the hands of Professor Ripley.
Ugh… this is the worst. My body hurts, and now I have to deal with that woman. Who knows what's in store for me besides cleaning the lecture hall… Mason groaned inwardly. Man, I better get this over with quickly. I wonder where Travis and Emily are.
He shot a quick text to both his friends.
No reply… probably still in class, he muttered.
Speaking of classes… I still have one more, but I don't see it on my afternoon schedule.
Mason checked again. Indeed, he had another class—but it was in the evening.
An evening class? Wow… they really know how to pull out all the stops here. I wonder what kind of mad person teaches at this hour…
He paused, mentally organizing his day.
Lessons start at 8:00 a.m. In my case, Professor Ripley's class runs first, from 8:00 to 10:00, giving me two hours of her… delightful company. Then there's a break from 10:00 to 10:30. My second lesson begins at 11:00 with Captain Armstrong, running until 1:00 p.m. After that, I'm free until 5:00. That's… a lot of time to kill. Supper's at 6:00, and my evening class runs from 7:30 to 8:30. Not so bad—I still have time to hang out with Emily and Travis.
Satisfied with his mental schedule, Mason decided to put his free hours to good use. He headed to the Atlas Academy library.
---
The library was breathtaking. Vast as an auditorium, it seemed untouched by the modern influences that pervaded the rest of the academy. Its Gothic architecture transported Mason to another era, with subtle Victorian-era references tucked into its arches and bookshelves. It was a scholar's paradise, a sanctuary for intellectual curiosity.
Mason wandered through the aisles, running his fingers along spines of books covering topics from Soul Essence Mastery to Authority Expression, to Soul Volume Burnout Management. Each title promised a new insight, a new way to understand the world he was now part of.
A voice broke his reverie. Mason turned to see a familiar face—Travis Mills. Standing 188 cm tall, his signature blonde-and-pink hair giving him a punk-inspired edge, he sat beside a striking young woman with light green eyes and a neat bob haircut.
"Dude! I saw your text—lesson was hectic, hard to reply," Travis said.
"Mason! I haven't seen you all day. I thought you were avoiding us," Emily added, pouting.
Mason flashed his signature smile and recounted the morning's events: messing up his schedule, dealing with Summer, befriending her, and discovering his evening class.
Travis shook his head. "Like Emily said—you should've coordinated your schedule. Now look where you got yourself."
Emily chimed in, "We were supposed to attend the same classes."
Looking over his schedule, Mason realized that while some classes aligned, others didn't—except for the morning session.
"So you're done for the day?" both asked simultaneously.
"Yes!" Mason groaned.
Travis raised an eyebrow. "Essential Survival class… what even is that?"
"I don't even know, man," Mason admitted, exasperated.
---
The afternoon passed quickly. Soon, Mason made his way to Professor Ripley's lecture room for his much-anticipated punishment. Arriving early, he knocked on the door and saw a figure exiting—the enigmatic Ariel Von Grace, the woman who had saved him during the exhibition battle from Summer's Reverent Sword attack, and who had bested Emily, an elite-rank charismatic, in single combat.
Her crimson eyes were piercing, her playful, childlike aura contrasting with the intensity she radiated. She was the embodiment of chaotic neutral—enemy one moment, friend the next.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Grey," she said softly.
"Good afternoon, Lady Ariel," Mason replied.
"My, my… you're tense. Let me guess—Professor Ripley?" Ariel added, voice polite yet teasing.
Mason nodded. "Yes… I was late."
Ariel laughed, a melodious sound that echoed through the hallway.
HAHAHAHAHAAAA!
"You lead an exciting life, Mr. Grey. I was in stitches over your morning incident."
"Wait… you were in class when that happened?" he asked, surprised.
She simply nodded. "Honestly, I envy you. You're so… normal. Quite endearing."
"Well, I must depart and leave you to your activities, Mr. Grey. I do hope to see you soon," she said calmly, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared, leaving Mason with more questions than answers.
---
He knocked on the door again.
"COME IN," came Professor Ripley's voice.
Inside, she was seated at her desk, grading papers.
"What is it, Mr. Grey?" she asked.
"Professor, I came for cleanup duty, as we agreed after our morning class."
"Oh, that? Well, as you can see, my class is already clean. No need for that now. Let's reschedule for a time when the room truly resembles a pigsty. That's all—you may leave."
Mason froze. Relief washed over him, but a flicker of doubt lingered. Was she genuinely unconcerned, or was she toying with him?
Best to leave before she changes her mind, he thought, turning to leave.
"Mr. Grey," Professor Ripley called.
Ah, shit… she changed her mind, he thought.
"…It seems Lady Ariel Von Grace is very fond of you. Earlier, I could hear her laughter from here."
"To be honest, I don't quite understand her. She's an enigma, almost like yourself. Feels like I'm being toyed with," Mason admitted.
"Is that so?" she said dryly.
"I'd love to stay and chat, but I must be going, ma'am," Mason said, flashing his signature smile as he left.
---
By 5:15 p.m., Mason had just over an hour before his evening class. He decided to eat supper early and rest for a bit, texting Travis and Emily that he would meet them in the mess hall.
Later, Mason woke slightly disoriented, fumbling for his phone.
7:20 p.m.
"Thank God I didn't oversleep… ten minutes before Essential Survival class. Man, what have I gotten myself into? I guess I'll find out soon enough," he thought, quickly freshening up before rushing to his evening class—the next challenge in what was rapidly becoming a very strange and unpredictable day today .