Saturdays inside the Academy were a rare kind of quiet. No lectures rang through the halls, no instructors prowled with sharp eyes. Instead, the day was left to the students, with customs already etched into routine.
The lesser dormitories echoed faintly with laughter and arguments. A few diligent students busied themselves with cleaning their quarters, some lazed around in their beds, while others sparred in the courtyards, sweat glinting on their brows under the midday sun. Groups of girls could be heard gossiping by the fountain, their voices weaving into the music of running water. It was the rhythm of a rare reprieve.
And yet, away from the relaxed chaos, a young man wearing glasses moved alone under the sun. His gait was unhurried, but there was a kind of purpose to his steps as he moved steadily toward the boundary that divided common students from nobles.
The nobles' dormitory stood proud and apart, its white marble walls polished to a sheen that reflected the sun. Gold-plated filigree lined the pillars, and violet banners with the insignia of their families draped proudly from balconies. A gentle fragrance of roses and lavender lingered in the air—servants had taken to scattering petals along the walkways earlier that morning. It was elegance sharpened into exclusivity.
Few dared cross the invisible line that separated nobility from the rest(Mostly because of the guards). But this young man did not hesitate. His eyes, hidden beneath plain glasses, took in the grandeur without awe. His expression remained the same—detached, cool, unreadable.
He stopped at a particular oak door, dark-stained and etched with delicate silver vines: Lilith Veyra's quarters. Without pause, he knocked twice.
The door creaked open—and time seemed to stumble for a bit.
Lilith stood in the threshold, her violet hair damp and falling in sleek waves across her bare shoulders. A single white towel clung tightly around her frame, drops of water tracing down her collarbone. For half a heartbeat her purple eyes widened, a mixture of surprise and alarm flashing through them. Then the door slammed shut in his face.
"Ernstein!" her muffled voice rang out, sharp with embarrassment. "What do you think you're doing knocking at my door?!"
His flat expression remained, his voice flat also.....
"I didn't know timing my knock would interrupt your bath," he replied. "But I must say, my eyes did behold a glorious sight."
There was a pause inside, followed by a gasp. "…Y-you—! Did you come here just to peek at me?!"
"No," he answered flatly. "And even if I did… you're not my type."
The silence that followed was quite loud. Then came a furious thump on the other side of the door.
"You—! You insufferable…! Who even let you inside the nobles' dorm?!"
"Isn't it obvious to you, Veyra." His tone was maddeningly casual. "I thought you would have figured out by now."
"Figured..... what?" Lilith asked.
"That I'm a noble."
There was another pause, this time, longer. He could almost imagine her standing there, towel clutched to her chest, jaw clenched as the words sank in.
She, on the other hand, was still digesting what she just heard.
'So.... that's why he was able to come inside the dungeon that night. Why he's so powerful even though he won't admit it.....'
Asher spoke again, jolting her out of her thoughts.
"Get dressed. We're going to the dungeon."
For a moment, he thought she would refuse outright. But then the door creaked, just enough for her flushed face to peek out, her purple eyes narrowed.
"…Fine. Just wait."
'I wonder if he's finally going to reveal himself' she thought.
She slammed it again. Inside, hurried footsteps scurried, drawers opened, and the sound of fabric rustled hastily. When the door opened once more, Lilith stepped out clothed in a dark robe, holding her staff elegantly, her hair tied back into a sharp ponytail, though her cheeks still carried a faint pink.
"Lead the way," she said, her chin tilted defiantly as though to mask her earlier embarrassment.
The walk through the Academy grounds drew curious glances. A noble girl with such a striking reputation, walking side by side with Asher, who so often kept himself apart—whispers followed them like shadows.
Lilith folded her arms, her tone sharp as she questioned,
"You do realize the dungeons are locked without an instructor's pass, don't you? Saturdays are instructor-free. Unless you plan on breaking in…?"
Asher didn't bother to look at her.
"You worry too much."
"I worry because you're dragging me into this!" she shot back. "What's your plan—charm the gatekeepers into letting you in?"
He didn't answer. Instead, as they reached the black iron gate that marked the dungeon's entrance, the twin sentinels turned their heads toward them. The guardians, clad in dark silver armor, let silence hang heavy between them.
Then Asher reached into his coat and drew out a golden token. It glinted in the faint torchlight mounted by the gate, radiating an aura of authority that made even the armored men hesitate.
The sentinels bowed their heads without a word, stepping aside. The gates groaned open.
Lilith's lips parted slightly, eyes flicking to the token, but she said nothing. Perhaps she thought it was another relic of noble privilege. Perhaps she thought nothing at all.
But her curiosity simmered beneath her skin.
The dungeon's stone corridors grew colder the deeper they went, torches burning with pale blue flames that barely pushed back the darkness. The air was heavy and damp, carrying the scent of iron and moss.
Lilith's confidence wavered as they descended past the second floor, then the third.
"Ernstein," she muttered, her voice quieter now. "The fourth floor? Are you insane!? That's beyond the range of standard students—"
He stopped at the stairwell, turning toward her. With one smooth motion, he removed his glasses, folding them neatly into his pocket. His other hand swept through his hazel hair, pushing it back to reveal the sharp lines of his face. A smile curved across his lips, calm yet dangerous.
Shadows rippled faintly at his feet.
A growl echoed down the corridor, followed by the heavy thud of claws scraping against stone. A hulking beast lumbered into their view, it's eyes glowing red, its fangs dripping with venom.
Asher stepped forward, pulling a blue katana out of the air itself. Lilith couldn't believe her eyes.
"Abyssal Art… Dark Shadow Style." Asher took his stance.
The dungeon seemed to bend as his words left his mouth. Darkness surged around him, coalescing into tendrils that lashed outward. His movements blurred into something swift, precise and utterly inhuman. With a single strike, the beast fell, its body collapsing into shadow and dust.
Lilith's breath caught in her throat. She stumbled back, her heart hammering, eyes wide in shock. She had seen Asher back then, but this—this was something else entirely. A power that was vast and suffocating.
She grit her teeth at her own weakness. Her fists were trembling against the cold stone wall.
"So this is what you wanted, huh? To show off? To parade your strength in front of me?!" Lilith said, her eyes becoming a little cloudy.
He turned to her, his expression unreadable once more.
"No," he said quietly. "I brought you here to show you what it is that you're lacking. You were smart enough to figure out that I'm the one who saved you back then. Lilith..... you have great potential."
This was the first time that Lilith ever heard those words in her life. Her eyes sparkled with new found hope. "Ernstein.... y....you..."
"Call me Asher. I'll make you strong through my methods."
But before he could say more, the dungeon shifted.
A chill unlike anything before slithered through the air. The torches flickered violently, shadows stretching unnaturally across the stone. Both Asher and Lilith froze, their instincts screaming.
The pressure was suffocating.
Lilith collapsed to her knees, gasping, her body trembling uncontrollably. She could feel it—an aura, vast, predatory and suffocating. This wasn't the presence of any fourth-floor beast. Her vision blurred as terror clawed into her chest.
Her lips parted, barely able to form words.
"T-this… this can't be… It feels like… the tenth floor…"
The ground rumbled. A roar echoed from the darkness, so deep it seemed to vibrate through bone and marrow.
Lilith's vision swam, darkness encroaching at the edge. She was being crushed beneath the weight of its presence, her breath stolen, her very will faltering.
"Asher…" she whispered, before her voice broke.
The shadows at Asher's feet stirred violently, as though answering a call only he could hear. His eyes narrowed, gaze fixed into the darkness ahead.
And for the first time that day, he let a sliver of seriousness bleed into his voice.
"…This shouldn't be here."
A wide grin appeared on his face.
"But even still..."
"Dark Shadow Style....."