Dex shifted his gaze to another corner of the room, where a glass cabinet housed artifacts that appeared lifeless: cracked rings, shattered sword fragments, dull crystals. But his eyes caught something—a small, eye-shaped artifact inside a jar. For some reason, he felt as though it was staring back at him.
"Don't stare at it for too long," Lien's voice came from her desk, her tone casual but her eyes serious. "It's not just a decoration. Some artifacts can erode the will of those who possess them."
Van shuddered. Dex merely averted his eyes, filing the warning away in his mind.
"Let me remind you once again—this isn't a child's club like those damned swordsmanship or mage clubs," Yora said sharply, her eyes locking onto Van's. "They only win in popularity and connections."
"If you two want to join," Yora continued, crossing her arms over the table, "it means being prepared for things like this every day. Sometimes it's boring, sometimes it's dangerous, and occasionally, something might try to kill you."
Van turned quickly. "Wait, that's—"
"It's not a joke," Lien cut in. "But we're also not the type to hold you back if you want to leave. Besides, most who join usually only last a week."
Dex glanced at Van, who was clearly uncomfortable. But to Dex, there was something about this place that reminded him of the dusty rooms of his old home. Dex had always spent his time reading—it had been his childhood dream to research artifacts and strange phenomena.
"I'm interested," Dex said.
Van raised both hands. "Alright, it's time for me to head back to the dorm. Have fun with that 'test,' Dex."
Dex grabbed Van's collar, stopping him from leaving. "Didn't you say you'd stick with me?"
"Haaa, fine," Van sighed in resignation. Besides, he hadn't actually planned to run away.
Ignoring them, Yora rose from her chair. The wooden chair scraped softly against the floor, leaving a faint mark on the already scratched surface. She walked to one of the shelves lining the wall, her slender fingers brushing dust off a small black iron box. The box was about the size of a human head, with no visible hinges or locks.
A faint click echoed as she pressed one side of the box. The lid opened on its own, as if guided by some hidden mechanism.
From inside, she retrieved a small cube. Its surfaces were etched with ever-shifting patterns—lines that never stopped moving, reshaping themselves every second. A faint blue light pulsed between the grooves, as though the cube possessed a consciousness of its own.
"This artifact was found in the southern ruins three years ago. We still don't know its exact function. What we do know is that it drains the sanity and energy of whoever holds it."
"If you can't endure it, you'll lose consciousness—and there's a small chance you might die," Lien added softly, her eyes returning to her notes as if discussing a mundane scientific fact.
Van took a slight step back at the word "die."
Yora placed the cube on the table, right between them. "Your test is simple. Touch this object and endure for five seconds."
Van looked at Dex, then at the cube, then back at Dex. "You first," he said quickly.
It was only natural for Van to say that—after all, Dex was the one who had dragged him into this club. He had already failed to join the swordsmanship club, and now he wasn't even sure he could survive this.
Dex raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. He reached for the cube with one hand. Its surface was cold, but unlike ordinary metal, the chill seeped through his skin straight to the bone. The moment his fingers made contact, the patterns on the cube spun faster. The blue light shifted to a deep purple, then to a shimmering black like light-devouring obsidian.
Time seemed to slow.
Dex felt his mind being pulled into a dark place—a space with no floor, no sky, only darkness devoid of even a sliver of light. There was no sound, yet he heard words—not in his ears, but directly in the bones of his skull.
Yora struck Dex's arm, causing the artifact to fall back into the box.
The sensation vanished as quickly as it had come. Dex blinked, returning to the dusty room. The cube in his hand had returned to its faint blue glow. Dex collapsed to the floor as if his entire body had gone numb.
"Fifteen seconds. Congratulations, you passed," Lien said, sounding surprised.
Yora narrowed her eyes but said nothing. "Next."
Van stared at them all as though hoping this was a joke. But when every eye turned to him, he let out a long sigh and looked at the cube like someone about to touch the sun.
The moment Van's fingers touched the cube's surface, its blue light darkened. There was no flash, no new pattern. But Van suddenly froze. His eyes widened, his lips pressed tightly together. Sweat dripped from his temples within seconds.
Yora struck Van's arm, and the artifact fell back into the box.
"Six seconds. Congratulations, you passed," Lien said, slightly astonished.
Van's breath came in ragged bursts as he collapsed to the floor with a loud thud. "Okay, okay, that thing is disgusting," he muttered, flexing his wrist as if making sure all his fingers were still there.
"Congratulations," Yora said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest. "You both passed the first test."
"First?" Van protested.
"Relax, this test was just to make sure," Yora said, rising from her chair. "We need to know who can survive in this room." She pointed toward the artifacts in the glass cabinet. "Artifacts like these have a habit of testing us back. If you're not prepared, you'll die before even understanding why."
Dex's gaze drifted back to the glass cabinet. The small eye-shaped artifact was still there, silent yet giving off the unmistakable feeling of being watched.
Yora walked over to a table in the corner and picked up something wrapped in black cloth. She placed it in front of Dex and Van. "If you're serious about joining, there's one more thing. This club doesn't just research—we also occasionally steal. And there are two other members in this club."
"Steal?" Van exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yes, sometimes there are items we need that are only kept in the academy's storage," Lien said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Yora unwrapped the cloth. Inside was a thin metal badge engraved with a symbol resembling an hourglass.
"This badge will make you slightly… unpopular with the Student Council members."
"The choice is yours," Lien added softly. "But remember—some doors, once opened, cannot be closed again." She slid the registration forms toward Dex and Van.
The room fell silent once more. The old clock in the corner ticked slowly, each second feeling heavier than the last.
Dex looked at Van, then back at the two women, and took the form. "We'll join."
Van let out a resigned sigh before finally taking the form as well.