It drifted between dream and memory—blurred, shapeless, yet all too real.
Rin's mother ran through shadows, clutching him close. Her breaths came shallow, ragged, as if her lungs were on fire. Her legs trembled, threatening collapse—but they didn't falter. Not yet.
Something chased them. Rin couldn't see it, not clearly. A shape. A blur. Maybe it was the hourglass. Or was that on someone's arm?
A figure appeared ahead. Faceless. Unclear. He said something—words that didn't belong to any language Rin knew. Garbled, broken, like static scraping through his ears. The man reached out for him.
And then—
White.
Rin jolted upright, gasping.
His skin was cold with sweat. Hands trembling, he glanced around. Dim lights. A stiff hospital bed. The faint scent of sterilizer. Night.
He exhaled slowly and pressed his palms to his face.
That dream again…
His eyes drifted to the nearby table. His bag was there, partially open. Out of habit, he reached inside, fingers brushing a familiar shape.
A cigarette.
He froze.
Taro's voice echoed in his mind: "When are you gonna quit smoking, man?"
With a scoff, Rin let the bag fall shut.
"Tch. You sound just like him," he muttered.
He stood up, or tried to. Pain flared through his legs, and he nearly crumpled to the floor. Grunting, he caught himself on the chair nearby and dropped into it.
The room swayed.
He ran a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath. "This sucks…"
The door creaked open.
"Yo. When'd you wake up?" came a familiar voice.
Taro stood in the doorway, arms crossed, relief softening his usual cocky grin.
"Just now," Rin muttered, still trying to steady his breathing.
Taro stepped in, shaking his head. "Dude, you've been out for three days. I was starting to think you were gonna miss the semester."
Rin blinked. "Three… days?"
"Yeah. You kinda passed out mid-step after your match." Taro chuckled. "Real dramatic."
Rin frowned. "What even happened?"
"They didn't say much. Just that you'd be fine." Taro leaned against the wall. "Oh—and class assignments go up tomorrow. Your dorm's next to mine, by the way."
"Huh." Rin nodded absently. "Right…"
He hesitated. "Who won the match?"
Taro grinned. "Called it a draw. Guess we're both too stubborn to lose."
"Heh. Sounds about right."
Taro pushed off the wall and turned to go. "Just came to make sure you weren't dead. Rest up, alright?"
"...Yeah. Thanks."
The door clicked shut.
Rin let out a slow sigh. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then muttered, "Could've helped me back into bed, dumbass…"
---
The Next Day
Rin's legs still ached, but he could move.
Sort of.
He and Taro made their way toward the central plaza where student placements were posted. Rin hadn't slept much—not after the dream. Whatever it was.
Rows of names lined the board. First Class. Second. Intermediate. No sign of theirs.
Taro scratched his head. "Are we… not in a class?"
Before Rin could answer, a voice called out behind them.
"If your name's not on the main list, that means you've been placed in the Advanced Class."
They turned.
Kobe stood there, arms casually folded, as if what he'd just said wasn't a bombshell.
Taro blinked. "Wait—what?! That's, like, the second-highest class!"
"It is," Kobe replied. "Students who awaken one of their elemental traits are promoted there."
Taro stared. "But… I didn't awaken anything. And Rin didn't either. Right?"
Kobe tilted his head. "Didn't you? You already awakened your fire trait."
Rin's brows furrowed. "What? How would you even know that?"
Kobe smiled faintly. "Tell me this—when you use your fire, does it burn you?"
The memory came rushing back. The heat. The sparks. The way it never hurt.
"No," Rin admitted.
Taro turned to him, wide-eyed. "Wait… Seriously? You didn't tell me?"
"I didn't even notice," Rin muttered. "Guess I've been too used to it."
Kobe shrugged. "It's not uncommon. Some awaken traits without realizing it."
Taro looked like he wanted to say more, but Rin stepped in—literally. He planted a hand over Taro's mouth.
"Thanks for the info, teach," he said with a forced smile. "We'll be ready."
Kobe smirked. "You've got three days before classes begin. Try not to pass out again."
With a casual wave, he walked off.
Rin sighed, lowering his hand. "Well. That happened."
Taro muttered, "You owe me an explanation."
"Later."
They stared up at the empty spot where their names should've been.
Advanced Class.
Rin didn't know what that meant for them exactly. But something told him things were only going to get harder from here.
To be continued...
---
Let me know when you're ready for the next chapter to be rewritten in this same style.