"Ah-ra, our little kitty really holds a grudge, doesn’t she?" Xialin grinned, ruffling my hair. She snatched her hand back just as I prepared to retaliate. "I’d love to keep showing you around with Misty-chan, but I need to drop by my dorm first. See you later, okay?" She clasped her hands behind her back, leaning down with an apologetic pout. Strands of hair escaped her ears, framing her delicate blue uniform and radiant face...
Xialin truly was stunning.
"Hmm..." I gave a flat hum, carefully keeping my tone neutral—probably sounding more annoyed than I felt.
Sure, Xialin loved pulling pranks on me. But she’d shared her food, spent all morning touring the campus with me, and even...
*Ugh, never mind.* She wasn’t *that* bad.
Though we’d only part for a while, a faint loneliness crept in. I’d grown used to her company since dawn.
I waved as she walked away. When her figure vanished behind the distant dorm building, I paused, scanning the area. *Where’s my dorm again?*
Pulling out my student ID, I checked the details:
*Misty. Female. Grade 10. Class 136. Dorm 1409.*
*Huh. She said we’d have to fight for rooms... another one of Xialin’s lies.*
Dorm 1409. I glanced at the signboard near the dormitory entrance. Building One stood right to my right—no long walk needed.
Dad had already delivered all my belongings. Only my cat remained, shipped to the storage room this morning. She should be in the dorm by now.
Building One’s lobby had an electronic glass door—ordinary thickness, I guessed. The five-story building meant my room was on the fourth floor. A long sofa sat in the modest lobby, doubling as a waiting area. Past the glass corridor lay the first-floor dorm rooms.
Silence hung heavy. Not a sound reached my magic-enhanced senses. The entire first floor was empty.
I relaxed, strolling alone through the quiet space. Elements swirled playfully around me, welcoming my presence. Gentle wind brushed my skin; water kissed my cheeks. My magic senses felt sharper than ever, as if swimming in an ocean of mana.
The last time I felt this... was when Dad accidentally shattered my magic shackles. The surge had overwhelmed my body. No lasting harm, yet I’d grown fond of this drowning-in-mana sensation. Dad’s worried gaze still haunted me.
*I still don’t understand why.*
Memories of childhood flickered as I focused inward. With Xialin gone, I could finally test these new changes without risking her safety.
"Student. Loitering in the lobby is prohibited."
An icy voice cut through my near-meditative state, jolting me.
*How?! My senses detected no one here!*
I stumbled back, whirling toward the sound.
A girl sat in the ground-floor duty room, violet ponytail neat, white glasses glinting as she read. She hadn’t even glanced up.
"Who are you?" I frowned. *How did she evade my magic sense? Impossible—even after my evolution, no ordinary girl could hide like this.*
"Tianyi. Grade 11. Building supervisor." Her tone stayed flat. "Return to your dorm. Now." She buried her nose in her book, dismissing me.
*So cold...*
Hurt, I hurried toward the stairs. From the corner of my eye, I saw Tianyi’s glasses flash with an odd light, scanning the spot where I’d stood.
"Why would someone like *her* come here?" Tianyi murmured, eyes fixed on her book—but her distant gaze betrayed her thoughts.
She fell silent, lost in contemplation.
