After Mrs. Hesten finished her work and Rei had carefully tested his ribs with a few light stretches, Mimi gave him a small nod. "You should get some rest now. They're waiting for you at the dorms."
Rei blinked, still catching his breath. "Dorms?"
"Yes. You're assigned to room with Regulus," Mimi said, her voice soft but firm. "Don't be late. Everyone meets there before dinner."
Rei nodded silently. "Alright."
He stepped out of the clinic, feeling the residual warmth from Lora's healing spread through his ribs. It was strange to feel somewhat normal again — almost alien. The hallways of the base were busy with soldiers and trainees moving about, their boots echoing across the polished floors. He walked with quiet purpose, keeping his gaze forward.
When he reached the dormitory building, Regulus was already leaning against the entrance, looking as oblivious as ever. He spotted Rei immediately and waved a hand. "Finally! Thought you'd be stuck in the clinic forever. You look… less dead than before, I guess."
"Less dead is good enough," Rei muttered, a small smirk forming despite himself.
The two entered the dorms together, the warmth from the building a sharp contrast to the cold wind outside. Their assigned room was modest but functional — two beds, a small dresser each, and a shared table by the window.
Regulus dropped onto his bed dramatically. "Well, this is cozy. You'll be okay with me around, right? I mean, I am the better sleeper anyway."
Rei simply sat on the edge of the other bed, unpacking his things silently. His thoughts drifted to the upcoming training, the strange new teammates, and the missions ahead. Sharing a room with Regulus would be… interesting, to say the least.
"Hey," Regulus said, nudging Rei lightly. "Don't be too serious all the time, you know? You've gotta relax a little. This place isn't exactly the battlefield… yet."
Rei let out a short laugh. "I'll try."
The room fell into a comfortable silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Rei stared out the window for a moment, watching the faint glow of the base as the sun began to set.
Tomorrow, the real challenges would start. And he would have to face them with Regulus at his side whether he liked it or not.
As Rei unpacked quietly, Regulus flopped onto his bed again, stretching his arms dramatically.
"You know," Regulus said, smirking, "you could at least try to make your bed look decent. This is a dorm, not a battlefield."
Rei glanced over, unimpressed. "It's fine. I don't need a perfect bed to sleep."
Regulus raised an eyebrow. "Fine? Fine? You'd better not call my bed fine when I've spent actual effort fluffing it. Beds require strategy, Rei."
"Strategy?" Rei repeated, setting his bag down. "It's a bed. You lie down. That's it. No battle plans needed."
Regulus sat up, pointing dramatically. "No battle plans? That's exactly the kind of lazy attitude that gets people squashed in training. You could at least make it look presentable for the guild inspection!"
Rei crossed his arms. "Guild inspections don't care how tidy my bed is. They care if I can fight."
"That's where you're wrong!" Regulus shouted, leaning forward. "A messy bed is a sign of a messy mind. You can't possibly fight well if your bed doesn't have proper alignment! You see this pillow? Perfectly angled for tactical sleep!"
Rei pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alignment… tactical sleep… You're insane."
"I am strategically insane! You wouldn't understand, obviously."
Rei stood and shook his head, walking toward the window. "I don't need to understand. I just need to fight."
Regulus sat back with a dramatic sigh. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when your messy mind causes you to trip over a goblin or fall off a cliff. My tactical pillows won't save you then."
Rei muttered under his breath, smirking slightly. "Doubt it. But I'll survive anyway."
Regulus grinned. "Ha! That's the spirit. Now, I'm going to reorganize my bed AGAIN just to show you how it's done."
Rei rolled his eyes but couldn't help a faint smile. Living with Regulus was going to be… chaotic.
Night had fallen over the dorm, and Rei was trying to get some rest. He had just laid down when he heard the familiar sound of Regulus shuffling around.
"Hey, Rei," Regulus whispered cheerfully, "do you mind if I… test the blanket elasticity? It's very important for tactical sleeping positions."
Rei groaned, pulling his blanket tighter. "What? No. Just… go to sleep."
"I can't! It's too stiff. If my back isn't properly aligned, my reflexes will be off tomorrow."
Rei sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Reflexes… from sleeping? Are you serious?"
Regulus grinned, bouncing slightly on his bed. "Dead serious! A warrior is only as strong as his sleep!"
Rei's patience snapped. "Stop bouncing! I can't sleep with you acting like a pogo stick!"
"Fine!" Regulus said dramatically, lying down sideways and pretending to sulk. "But only because you clearly don't understand tactical sleep importance."
Rei flopped back onto his bed, muttering, "I'm surrounded by idiots."
Minutes later, he heard a soft thud. He opened one eye and saw Regulus had tossed one of his pillows at Rei's head.
"What the hell!" Rei shouted, glaring. "I said go to sleep!"
Regulus looked sheepish. "Just… testing pillow aerodynamics."
Rei groaned, grabbing his own pillow and aiming it at Regulus. "You're going to regret this."
For a moment, the dorm room turned into a pillow battlefield, Rei's annoyance growing with every toss. But despite himself, he couldn't help but let out a small laugh when Regulus dramatically dodged a pillow while shouting, "You underestimate my agility!"
Eventually, both collapsed onto their beds, pillows scattered around. Rei was still annoyed, but the faint smile on his face betrayed him.
"Tomorrow," he muttered through a yawn, "I'm tying your blanket to the ceiling."
Regulus just laughed. "Good luck with that, strategic enemy!"
Rei slowly sighs.
The morning bell rang across the fortress, echoing through the stone halls. Rei groaned, rolling onto his side. His body still ached from Kaizer's strike yesterday, but what really hurt was how little sleep he had gotten.
He turned and saw Regulus sprawled out on his bed, one leg dangling off the edge, snoring so loudly it rattled the window. A pile of pillows and blankets lay scattered everywhere like the aftermath of a battle.
Rei sat up, rubbing his eyes. "You kept me awake half the night and then you get to sleep like a rock? Unbelievable."
Regulus suddenly shot upright, hair sticking up wildly. "Huh—what? Enemy attack?!"
Rei deadpanned. "No. Morning. Get up."
"Oh," Regulus yawned, stretching dramatically. "Good! I was worried I missed breakfast. You know, they say breakfast is the most important meal for combat efficiency—"
Rei threw a pillow at him. "Shut up."
Regulus caught it, grinning. "Still mad about last night, huh?"
Rei glared. "Mad? No. Annoyed? Definitely. You're like a hyperactive dog trapped in a warrior's body."
Regulus gasped, putting a hand on his chest as if wounded. "How dare you! Dogs are loyal, noble, and adorable. I'll take that as a compliment."
Rei stood, tightening his cloak. "It wasn't."
The two left the dorm together, their bickering continuing down the hallway. A few trainees passing by glanced at them with confused looks, already whispering.
"Are those two always like that?" one asked.
"Yeah," another said. "Like an old married couple."
Rei froze mid-step, his face twitching. Regulus immediately leaned closer with a sly grin. "Did you hear that, Rei? They think we're—"
"Don't. Even. Say it." Rei growled, quickening his pace.
Regulus chuckled, jogging to keep up. "Fine, fine. But admit it, we make a great duo. You'd be bored without me."
Rei exhaled slowly, trying not to snap. "…I'd at least get some sleep."