Professor Cialis's class broadened Eylan's horizons.
Her lectures were highly expository, constantly involving student participation.
She covered many subjects, but the central theme was the difference between social classes.
At first, Eylan wasn't shocked—but once he heard the numbers, he was genuinely startled.
In NQSC alone, billions of people lived. The megacity's structure was breathtaking—a global center where most of the world's affairs took place.
It wouldn't be wrong to say that NQSC could be considered a country in its own right.
Linda taught various ways people could climb the social ladder. One example was entertainment—an extremely valued field, since the population needed an outlet to escape the daily horror.
Government propaganda was powerful. Combined with the dependence of those who held power, people were completely at the mercy of their will.
Her words didn't cut like blades, nor did they bark like military orders. They seeped in instead—slipping through cracks in thought and settling there, silent and difficult to remove later.
Time passed quickly, and before Eylan realized it, the class was already over.
"Keep what I said today in mind," Cialis said by the door. "Even if you disagree."
The students began to disperse, chatting animatedly. Some looked excited, others uneasy. Some smiled—while others frowned as if they'd swallowed something bitter.
Eylan remained seated for a few seconds, staring into nothingness.
"Clans are not families. They are power structures."
The phrase echoed in his mind.
It was almost ironic how true those words were. Between the two great Clans, Song—surprisingly—had the least dysfunctional family dynamic, even though it was made up of orphans.
As he walked out of the classroom, he remembered an old quote he had read in a book whose title he no longer recalled:
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
That world was exactly like that—just with monsters, gates, and enough corpses to justify any cruelty.
Without realizing it, his steps carried him toward his next class.
Awakened Physiology, taught by Dr. Ina Crowe.
If Linda's classroom felt like an aristocratic hall, this place was the complete opposite.
This wasn't a classroom.
It was a laboratory.
Some Dreamers stopped at the door, hesitating.
"Is this… safe?" someone muttered.
The white walls were stained with old marks—some that Eylan preferred not to identify. Skeletons of Nightmare creatures were displayed like trophies, suspended on hooks or arranged on metal frames.
As he observed them with mild disgust, a red-haired figure stepped forward without fear.
"Miria?" he called out, surprised. "You chose this class too?"
Startled, the girl spun around, her face pale.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" she complained, clutching her chest. "This place is creepy enough already!"
Despite her complaint, curiosity gleamed in her eyes.
"But yeah, I signed up for this course a while ago," she said. "Someone has to understand how these bodies work."
Eylan nodded… but then felt something strange.
A subtle movement.
Very subtle.
"Did you see that?" he murmured.
"See what?" Miria asked suspiciously.
"It's nothing… I thought I saw something move among the skeletons."
Miria scoffed, teasing him.
"Hmph! You're not scaring me again."
Eylan's eyes widened.
"What is it?" Miria asked, slowly turning around.
Before he could answer, something rose from the pile of bones.
It was tall—so thin that its bones seemed ready to burst through the skin. Sunken eyes scanned every part of their bodies, its pale skin nearly transparent.
The creature smiled—a thin, clinical smile.
Miria froze.
Stammering in terror, she whispered,
"M-monster…?"
"Calm down," the figure said gently. "We haven't dissected students yet."
Yet? A chill ran down Eylan's spine.
She stepped closer.
"Dr. Ina Crowe. A pleasure."
Shock rippled through the room.
"D-Dr. Ina? That's you?" Miria was completely stunned.
"Anyone who survives the first scare," Ina continued casually, "will probably survive the course."
And just like that, class began.
No mercy.
After the initial chaos, the students calmed down and followed Ina as she guided them through different sections of the lab, explaining every corner.
Once the tour ended, they moved on to the lesson itself.
Ina didn't teach like a normal professor. She dissected concepts the same way she dissected bodies.
"Body and soul grow together," she explained, pointing at a colossal skeleton. "But that isn't enough."
She tapped her own temple.
"The mind supports both."
Beyond a strong body and a powerful soul, a refined and sharp mind was essential to sustain them.
The subject was more intuitive than documented.
But the theory ended quickly.
"Now, practice."
Eylan swallowed hard.
The training was brutal.
Running with weights strapped to their legs.
Exercises in low-pressure chambers.
Endurance tests that allowed no room for error.
Eylan tried.
He truly did.
But he failed.
It was simply too much.
His body was weak—he could barely keep up with the others.
"Damn it, I thought we'd just poke some corpses and be done!" Eylan grumbled, forcing himself to continue despite his burning lungs and trembling legs.
Miria managed to complete almost everything. Not easily, but steadily. She glanced at him, worried.
"Come on, just a little more and it's over."
Eylan let out a weak chuckle, struggling to breathe.
"Wow, very inspiring."
Pausing to catch his breath, he saw everyone else pulling ahead.
While other students—some discreetly using their Aspects—advanced, he lagged behind.
He took a step forward. His body felt twice as heavy, and he stumbled.
He fell once, got up quickly, and kept going.
Then again.
The third time, he didn't even try to stand right away.
"Continue," Ina ordered calmly.
Eylan clenched his teeth.
He didn't use his Aspect.
He couldn't.
Without it, his body was… ordinary.
Weak.
By the end of class, Eylan could barely stand.
But what hurt the most wasn't his muscles.
It was the realization.
'Without my Aspect… I'm nothing.'
After saying goodbye to Dr. Ina, Eylan and Miria headed toward the final class of the day.
Psychological Resilience and Emotional Control, taught by Instructor Mara.
As they walked through the corridors, following the map to Mara's section, they chatted casually.
"Ravon, me, and some other friends are planning to go out next weekend—wanna come with us?"
Miria's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
'Friends… they already have other friends. Why do I feel like an introvert who got adopted by the popular kids?'
"Sure, I'm in." It'd be a good chance to explore the city—and get some rest.
After setting the time, they walked in silence.
Then, Eylan overheard some students talking loudly nearby.
They were way too excited for an ordinary day.
"Seriously?! That's awesome!" one of them cheered, practically jumping.
"Yeah!" another confirmed.
"They said the professors' event this year is gonna be insane."
Confused by the sudden excitement, Eylan leaned toward Miria and whispered,
"Hey… do you know what they're talking about?"
Miria stopped and turned to him, genuine surprise on her face.
"You… don't know?"
"No. If I did, I wouldn't be asking."
She puffed her cheeks slightly before answering, clearly holding back annoyance.
"It's an annual academy event. Professors come together to give a massive joint class."
Then she continued more seriously:
"From what I heard, this year's special. Instructor Orin Shael, Architect Lysandra…"
"and Colonel Rouker."
The name hit Eylan like a jolt.
"All students enrolled in their courses have to participate," Miria finished.
Eylan frowned.
'Since when has this existed?'
'What else is there in this academy that I have no idea about…'
Then it hit him.
'Wait.'
'I'm in Rouker's course.
Does that mean I have to participate?'
Already silently mourning his near future, he sighed.
They resumed walking, and moments later, they were close to the classroom.
At first glance, the final class of the day seemed the most peaceful.
A massive greenhouse stretched out before them, warm and humid. Exotic plants grew everywhere, forming something between a botanical garden and a controlled jungle.
"This is… relaxing," Miria commented.
Eylan didn't reply.
His body still ached.
The instructor waited at the center.
Mara had sun-kissed skin, well-defined muscles, and a firm gaze. She didn't look like someone who talked about emotions.
Short brown hair framed her sharp features and athletic build.
Joining the other students, Eylan and Miria entered the greenhouse.
After five minutes of walking, they reached a clearing.
A long table stood at the center, covered with boxes labeled with different seeds.
"Emotions kill Awakened," Mara said, her opening statement.
The Sleepers fell silent.
"You will care for something fragile."
Boxes of seeds lay before them.
Her expression hardened.
"Choose one. Alone."
Separating from Miria, Eylan examined the seeds and chose one with a blue-green hue.
"If you irritate the plant, it dies."
"If you neglect it, it dies."
"If you try to force its growth… it dies."
Mara smiled.
"Just like you in the Dream Realm."
The exercise began.
Taking a deep breath, Eylan thought calmly.
'Alright, it's just a plant. This shouldn't be hard…'
But when he looked down, he noticed his hands trembling.
"W-what?"
Before he could finish the thought, the seed began to change.
Slowly… it darkened.
Dead.
"Warning." Mara's voice sounded beside him.
Turning his head, he saw her jotting something down on a clipboard.
Eylan wanted to protest—but he knew it was his fault.
Looking around, he saw Miria holding her seed—perfectly fine.
For some consolation, a few others had also killed theirs.
Lowering his head, he sighed in exhaustion.
This wouldn't be easy.
After several extremely frustrating attempts, he finally managed to hold a seed without killing it immediately.
Coincidentally, it seemed everyone had succeeded at that point.
After many warnings, Awakened Mara wore a satisfied smile.
"Excellent. Now that you all have your emotions under control, let's move on to the next step!"
'Next step?' Instinctively, Eylan felt his seed begin to darken.
But before it happened, he reined in his emotions.
The seed returned to normal.
"Whew… that was close." Relief washed over him.
The surrounding students reacted similarly.
Mara continued:
"Now, you'll form pairs. And start talking." A radiant smile spread across her face.
'That's it? That doesn't sound hard.' Eylan finally felt like he could relax.
"However! You may only talk about topics related to your lives." The smile turned purely malicious.
That was… good news for Eylan!
After all, his personal life was practically drama-free—aside from inhabiting someone else's body and waking up inside a story.
Still, that was better than growing up in this world. He did retain some of the original Eylan's memories, but there were things he could clearly distinguish.
For example, his parents were still alive.
Smiling, he headed straight for the only person he knew there.
Miria.
As he approached, he noticed a tense expression on her face.
Concerned, he asked,
"Is something wrong, Miria?"
Startled, she seemed not to have noticed him approaching.
"N-no, I'm fine." A forced smile was obvious.
'Does she have personal issues? Well, we've only known each other for a week—of course she wouldn't tell me.'
Not wanting to push, Eylan decided to be careful with the conversation.
Soon, all pairs were formed. Mara called out:
"Alright! You see those small cubes? Each pair stands on opposite sides. The cube will know if you're lying! Haha!"
Laughing wildly, she gave the instructions.
Facing each other now, the atmosphere felt awkward.
'Does she start, or do I?'
Deciding to break the ice, Eylan spoke first.
"So… what would you like to talk about?"
Noticing he had taken the lead, Miria answered,
"Why don't we talk about Clans? You mentioned you were studying that today."
Feeling she had relaxed, Eylan shared some of what he had learned.
Miria listened attentively, offering her own thoughts.
Things were going well—until Eylan made a mistake.
"You said you're from Song, right? What's your Clan like?"
It was an innocent question. He hadn't thought anything was wrong with it.
Miria paused before answering.
"Well, my Clan is… normal."
The seed in Miria's hands began to wither—almost imperceptibly.
The cube beeped as Mara's voice echoed:
"Warning…"
Miria looked stunned.
"N-no…"
Noticing the situation, Eylan tried to comfort her.
"Hey, calm down. It's just a warning."
Miria, instead, focused on steadying her breathing.
"I'm fine."
Looking at Eylan, she continued,
"My Clan isn't exactly good… but I still like it."
Eylan nodded.
"That's good. I didn't really have a family example, but I always thought Clans were kind of like that, right?"
Only afterward did he remember Professor Cialis's words—but he assumed they didn't apply to every Clan.
Miria's hand tightened unconsciously around the seed.
"Yes. They are."
At that point, Eylan thought she'd gotten over the earlier tension, so he asked without much thought:
"And your family? What are they like?"
There was a long silence.
She opened her mouth to answer—
But was cut off.
The seed in Miria's hands rotted completely.