After Grace left, I just shrugged my shoulders.
Not that it made any difference anyway. Top twenty, top one , what did it matter?
With that I turned, my cape, fluttering around me. None of this holds any significance for me.
As I reached the classroom door, a voice called out behind me.
"Can't you wait a moment? Let's at least introduce ourselves. We're going to be in the same class, and soon, on missions together."
The speaker was a blond-haired guy with a lean but solid build. His eyes were sharp, focused , the kind of gaze that told you instantly he was a swordsman. His posture, the way his muscles shifted under the uniform , everything about him screamed combat-ready.
"I'm Ivan Virell. My Sin is forc—"
"I'm Roy," I cut him off. "Just Roy."
With that, I gave them a short nod and turned to leave the classroom.
I wasn't here to make friends.
My dreams already had enough people in it .
With a tap on my smartwatch, the map unfolded in front of me
Ten minutes later, I reached the entrance to the government training grounds.
The facility offered two choices: open fields or private simulation rooms. I chose the latter.
It was time to put a theory to the test. I had an idea—how to use GUNGNIR and enhance my body at the same time during combat.
As I stepped inside, a calm AI voice greeted me.
"Student Roy, welcome."
The room was wide, empty, and perfect for what I had in mind.
I activated Descending Dream and let the enhancement spread through my body. The sudden rush of power flowing into my usually weak frame was… intoxicating.
But that wasn't why I was here.
Canceling the full-body enhancement, I focused only on a single aspect—agility.
The result was immediate. The boost was sharper, more intense, far stronger than when I divided the effect across my entire body. Just as I expected.
I avoided checking the numbers on my smartwatch. If my stats spiked too high, the system might report it. And that wasn't something I wanted.
Not because I feared them seeing my strength, but because if they did, they'd likely increase the difficulty of the missions they sent me on.
My aim was simple, to enhance my mentality.
I muttered under my breath, barely audible:
"Enhance mentality."
And the world shifted.
Colors sharpened.
Sounds thinned into clean, perfect lines.
The faint hum of the air itself felt slower, more deliberate.
Every thought, every movement, clear.
No noise. No hesitation.
I exhaled once, quietly.
"Now this…" I murmured, a faint smile tugging at my lips,
"…this is the real difference."
So I kept testing quietly, refining my control, sharpening the flow of power bit by bit.
Hour after hour slipped by, the training blurring into one long stretch of movement and concentration. When the fatigue finally crept in, I decided to stop for the day.
Time really flies when you're focused. I'll go back and spend some time in my dream world.
But the moment I stepped out of the training room, a feeling crawled up my back — not something, but someone watching me.
"You certainly took your time in there," a feminine voice remarked, one that echoed in my mind from years long gone.
I turned to face her.
A girl with blonde hair and black eyes, eyes that mirrored my own, stood before me. She was petite, dressed in a uniform like mine, save for its different color and the single star shining faintly on her shoulder.
"You… Anna."
"At least you remember your cousin," she said, her voice soft, her smile gentle and painfully familiar. That smile carried a warmth that once filled my childhood, a warmth I thought I'd buried long ago.
The sight twisted something inside me. That smile, why did it still hurt so much to see it? She looked so much like her. Or maybe Alice had always looked like Anna, only their eyes setting them apart.
I looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
"Why won't you look at me, Roy?" Anna's tone wavered, almost pleading. After a short silence, she added in a trembling whisper, "If you resent me for not visiting all these years… I tried. But your father turned me away every time."
She stepped closer and reached out her hand. For a moment, I almost reached back—then her fingers slipped through mine like mist. The shock froze me in place. Her lips parted, but the words caught in her throat as tears gathered in her dark eyes.
I stumbled back, my chest tightening.
"It's not that, Anna. I just… can't bear to look at your face!" My voice cracked, the weight of it trembling in the air.
When I finally forced myself to look at her again, her expression had changed. The sadness in her eyes hit me harder than any blow, pure, quiet sorrow that made my heart ache.
"Sorry, Anna," I whispered. The words barely reached her.
"Wait, Roy, " Her voice broke behind me as I turned away.
But I kept walking. I couldn't stop.
When I looked back… Anna was gone.
Only Alice stood there, watching me in silence.
With that, I walked off, leaving the training area without even checking the map. Hallway after hallway blurred past. I bumped into a few students, but I didn't care.
Eventually, I stopped.
I was standing near a window. Night had already fallen.
Across from me, a tower rose into the sky. Its glowing letters read:
Tower of the Carvers.
Father thinks the same, Anna.
..........................................…
Anna carver POV
I watched Roy's back as he walked away. Again. Just like last time.
But this time, it was his choice.
Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, ready to fall, when I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.
I looked up.
"...Father."
His voice was heavier than usual, weighted with something deeper than I was used to.
"Anna, you can't look sad in front of him. That last expression on your face, it shook the boy to his core."
He paused, his eyes distant, haunted.
"You know she looked just like you."
The words broke something in me. I couldn't hold back anymore. I buried my face against him and burst into tears, my sobs echoing faintly in the corridor.
My father's arms tightened around me. His voice rumbled low, steady, unshaken.
"Give him time, Anna. There's nothing that doesn't heal with time."