Why does he have to be everywhere I go?!
I frustratingly yanked my arm away from his grip. "For once! Stop fucking stalking me!" I yelled.
He stood still however he was. "Really? You think I am stalking you?"
"Then what is this?! Why are you suddenly here without any detail of where I will be when?!"
"...This isn't Earth. I can do whatever I want." He replied. Sasha stood there, obviously questioning my mind right there.
"And you..." He looked at her. "I suggest you should stop being near her. She is a bit sick in the mind. As you know... You hit her head."
"I am aware."
"It was a nearly fatal concussion... You can see why I am trying to keep you away from her. You did far more damage then you—"
"Leave her alone!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her behind me, my eyes turning into slits. "Go attend to your business!"
"..." He just stared for a while. "You can be possessive sometimes... It seems."
"Then step back I guess?!"
"I won't," he answered, stepping forward. "That poor girl is a victim of your pointless flirts. I am saving her..."
I gritted my teeth. "Why do you care?"
"I am only looking out for her."
"There is no need..." I answered, sharply.
"Why not?" He tilted his head a bit to the side, folding his arms in front of him. A smug smile plastered to his face.
I thought about for it while... "Because she is mine to deal with..."
Sasha froze behind me, her eyes widening.
He froze too. His eyebrows twitched.
"Ew... Know something called censorship?"
"I knew. But I didn't use it. Otherwise you won't have backed up. Would you?" I smirked. I turned over my shoulder, "I will talk to you a later time."
She nodded, then walked into her room.
I took turned on my heel towards my own room—
Grab!
—a hand tugged at my ponytail. I tilted my head all the back to look at what it was.
"You are quite manipulative," he said, his eyes were visibly dark and his expression that of annoyed and irritated. "You said that... In front of her...?"
"Yes. She knew I was going to do that too. So what is there to hide about my mentality?" I asked, folding my arms. "Besides... Release my hair. My neck is hurting."
"No," he yanked harder. Pulling me a half-step backward. It startled me a bit, because of the pain.
"Why not?"
"It is my matter whether I want or not."
"So you are a completely stubborn person."
"Call me that if it pleases you," he gripped my hair tighter.
"You know what..."
"What?"
I reached into my hoodie pockets, pulling out a small cutter that I had with me since coming from Earth. I raised it to my own hair.
"Short hair doesn't bother me," I said. I slowly descended the blade upon my own dark hair.
He let go, my locks sliding off his fingers like liquid ink. For two whole seconds, he stood that way. Then...
"You are impulsive."
He said.
"I am. Especially when I know that one thing I can control is something the other person uses to annoy me... My abusive parents taught me that much at least."
He lifted his gaze back up st the back of my head as I straightened up, took out the key from my pocket and walked over to my room door. He silently watched as I slid it into the lock.
"You do know that I will meet you again at three, right?" He asked, stuffing his hands inside his pocket.
"No need. I can heal normally regardless."
"No, I meant your bandages—"
"I can change them myself..." I straight-forwardly answered, slamming the door behind me.
***
Two weeks since coming to this world.
It was the week we were supposed to start with our classes about this world. We were school students afterall.
Boring.
Boring.
And, boring.
I understand that we are all in the same class... But why do I have to go through thinks I already know about this world?!
"Hah! I am taking a nap," I complained, pulling my hood on my head, then crossing my elbows on my table.
Then, I felt a nudge at my shoulder.
"Stop that Fia!" Nada whispered to me. "I know you know about this world... That doesn't give you reason to dismiss it like a flat piece of paper!"
"She is definitly a lazy person," Sasha added. She was sitting beside Nada.
We three sat in one row. Not by squads of course.
Although, by chance, we three were put into one squad. But, Sunny Pest™ decided to ruin that peace.
Luckily he sat two rows forward.
After classes ended, we were sent to the training fields, forced to jog ten laps, given literal wooden weapons and set on the field to attack whoever we wanted first. Of course, fifteen couldn't be divided by two. So I volunteered to be left behind.
I sat in one corner of the room, staying still as I watched the entire room thrash around. Nada with Sasha—chosen by me.
Apparently, I forced her into becoming my team and in return, we will change the story however we could. And since only three of us combined knew the whole story, we had to be as resourceful as possible.
I leaned back against the wall, shutting my eyes for a brief moment.
If I am not wrong... In Nada's version of the novel, we will be sent to a dungeon sometime this week.
It depended solely on how the narrative planned on shifting.
Apparently, it can't just change when a reader suddenly got along with a reader. Right?
I mean, I knew about my death, and nothing happened. So apparently, changing from bully to mutual doesn't change much either.
Besides, we already had that fight that supposedly ended her. That shouldn't shift the narrative an inch!
Her death wasn't even a major catastrophe, and nothing went wrong before or after that happened.
So... We are safe. For now.
Suddenly, exhausted Sasha and Nada walked over to where I was.
"You know, the arena is clear. Go get a chance," Sasha said.
I glanced past them, looking towards the field. Was there a person left?
Everyone was busy. Then,
Sunny guy turned around, mid-strike. Waved, and went back.
I squinted my eye in disgust. "What does he want?"
"Who?"
"Sunny guy."
"Who?"
"That annoying golden pest," I cleared. Then, I stood up, stretching my arms above my head. "Anyways... I am heading back."
They remained silent behind me for a while.
"Seriously Aefia! Be nice—!"
Boom!
I immediately turned around towards the sound. Everyone else in the field did. There weren't any particular explosions, just sound.
Which meant...
"A dungoen was supposed to open this week," Nada said.
Yes, a dungoen.
This sound represents when the dungeon had bursted open. It was dangerous, since the beasts inside were probably exiting right now.
Although...
"It is most likely artificial," I added. "You do remember that this happens mysteriously. As the dungeon was visibly broken from the outside. The faculty had been strange around this period of time... So it is safe to assume that—"
"The dungeon was man-made to test how well the test subjects will react..."
"Then why aren't they assigning which squads first?"
"They need to check the rank of course!"
Like any other stories you all have read, in this world, dungoens had ranks too.
But not exceeding A rank.
We don't have hunters though.
The military personnel are the ones who look after all this.
"Given that the sound wasn't from far," Nada said. "It is in campus then."
"Safe to assume. But not to enter," I shrugged.
Followed by that, professors came rushing in—dramatic as described in the pages.
They were handing out weapons. This was the first and last option to choose one.
And it is actually quite important.
"Well? Shall we get going?" I rolled my eyes and walked past them. Though I still didn't stand in the queue.
They stood first. I waited until I was the last one.
They had different ranges and varieties. And no one had a designated limit.
Avry was watching as she handed out literal sharp steel, completely calm.
I tapped my foot in anxiety. Something about it felt uneasy.
Remember that quote she told me? The last candidate is the first to leave.
Ugh... It was clawing at my mind.
Then the line dissapeared, I tried to reach towards the only dagger left.
Then a hand reached out, and took it away.
I stared blankly at the place it was before. Whatever...
I looked up at Avry. She held a sad gaze at my face, which was still quite as if she was plotting something.
"Do you—" I begun.
"No. We have run out... Unfortunately."
"No I meant—"
"Sorry. We don't have anymore."
Frustration took over my actions. "I said—"
"I am sincerely—"
"Are you even hearing me?! Listen!" I shouted. Slamming my hands onto the obstacle dividing me and her.
She stared, completely baffled—but silent.
"Finally! Thank you!" I stepped back. "Do you have a normal kitchen knife?"
She blinked once, twice.
"So you think that will save you?"
"No, but what I do with it... Doesn't matter." I glared up at her.
She let out a sigh, then reached into her pocket. So this woman was really weird.
"Here. Don't complain if you die," she threathened. I was prepared for the hostility.
I took it by the plastic handle. "Don't worry... I will return..." I turned away.
Then, paused mid stride. Turning my head over my shoulder.
"Though... I will make sure one or two candidates don't..."
Before she could tell me anything, I walked away. I could feel her gaze burning a hole into the back of my head. That didn't provoke me a bit anymore.
I stuffed my hand into my hoodie pockets, where I felt the power stone. I pulled it out.
"I will need to use it today..." I whispered to myself.
The dungeon was pure and utter chaos. Candidates barely managed to keep up with the beasts.
Sasha and Sunny guy was attending to the fallen ones. Nada was also a fighter, her ice crystals stood out in the dark cave.
I gripped the handle of my kitchen knife in anticipation, but I didn't join the battle.
My attention?
Ores...
Obsidians...
My decision?
Make a sword...
Right here. Right now.
***
"We can't do a single thing to push them backwards!" Someone shouted.
The professors didn't even enter. What truly was their in their minds?
"We need some candidates to hold out the outside, while someone does damage inside the circle..." Sasha muttered to herself.
Helio looked come at her. Then looked towards the remainder of the team fighting.
This wasn't fair.
He lifted his right hand, his index and thumb extended as he framed the entire fight into his fingers.
"We need a strong fighter... Who knows how to calculate their moves," he said, single-mindedly.
"Who might that be?" She asked, staring as the beasts started to grow more and more unhinged.
He stood up. "We might as well try."
He reached his hand towards his dagger, held it out.
A small beast ran over to his place, gnawing its jaw open at him.
He gulped, not even blinking his eyes. Lifting his dagger above his head.
But there wasn't a need to drop it.
Slash!
He looked down at his feet. Purple blood pooled.
Helio looked up in surprise.
Aefia landed on the ground behind the fallen beast, completely unbothered.
He was stunned speechless.
She twirled the handle of a new sword between her fingers, and the blood brushed off. Then sliced the air with the blade, and it put the edges on fire.
She wasn't even afraid. And she used her magic.
It wasn't weak either.
Aefia walked over to the inner square of the beasts' horde. Everyone looked questionable at her.
For a spilt second, the beasts didn't do a single thing. Rather, it backed up an inch.
A grin surfaced onto her face.
"Those dumbass really pushed inexperienced minors into this..." She whispered, her voice laced with venom.
"But... Someone will have to deal with this sometime sooner or later... And that isn't me."
*************
First Draft: 30.10.2025
Rewritten: 18.08.2026