DING - DONG - DING
"Alright, class, that's it for today," the homeroom teacher announced and everyone in the room started to stand.
Isaac stood assessing his surroundings.
As a seasoned C-Rank adventurer, he had been in many tight situations before—faced monsters, navigated deadly forests, guild brawls and survived near-impossible battles—but this?
He clenched his fists, a myriad of thoughts running through his mind. "Is this an illusion dungeon? A dream trap? Are all these people around him dungeon monsters? If so, that means I need to find the exit."
But in actuality, Isaac wasn't in any danger - he was in a classroom. High school desks, peers his own stage happily going about their day.
"I need to get Kassie out of here too!" Isaac moved towards Kassie.
She was bent over her desk, silent sobs as her shoulders heaved up and down. She was hiding her face on her folded arms.
"Kassie, are you alright?" Maggie softly patted her head. "You've been really out of it today."
Kassie sniffled, her voice muffled as she tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes. "Maggie I was about to finish my quest! I can't believe Teach took my game away!" Her voice cracked, a mix of frustration and childish outrage coloring her tone. "I just need a few more minutes, and I could've leveled up!"
"Why is she talking to that dungeon monster. She even has a name for it. I need to get her away" Isaac sized up this Maggie person . "I can take her if I need to."
"Let's go!" Isaac yanked Kassie, but to his surprised she resisted.
"Hey, transfer student! What's your deal?" Maggie snapped, eyeing him suspiciously. "Do you know him, Kassie?"
Kassie, face puffy from crying over her confiscated game, wiped her eyes. "The transfer student? No, I don't."
"Let go, dude!" Maggie demanded, stepping between them.
"Stay back!" Isaac's hand instinctively shot for his sword—but his fingers grasped empty air. His sword was gone.
With no weapon, he resorted to manual combat. He first shoved Maggie back and shielded Kassie. He expected the illusion to transform and resist but she stumbled back helpless.
Isaac furrowed his brow, confused. Why does this dungeon monster have no mana? He glanced down at Maggie, not a single mana stone was visible—it's like she was an ordinary girl.
"Wait a minute - why is there no hint of mana in the air? Is the illusion dungeon monster really good at hiding?" He suddenly realized, looking frantically at his surrounding.
He shifted his gaze to the other students around him. They were all... human. No energy signatures, no subtle aura of menace—just regular, mundane people.
Are they villagers perhaps trapped in the Illusion as well? Isaac thought, his mind racing.
Kassie broke lose from Isaac's hold. "Maggie, are you alright?" Eyes wide, she looked Isaac as if he grew two heads. "Hey, what's your deal?"
Isaac watched in disbelief as Kassie comforted the "dungeon monster" (Maggie).
"No, get away!" He lunged forward, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her away. "Listen to me! We're in an illusion! We've got to get out of here!"
Kassie, startled blushing a little since Isaac was holding her so close - not just close HE WAS HOLDING HER INTIMATELY. She felt his thumbs slightly touching her front, as it BOINGED at the forceful pull.
She reacted instinctively. "Seriously, let go!" With a swift defensive throw, she sent Isaac crashing to the ground.
The entire class froze, eyes wide in shock. "Perfect" Isaac thought. "Now the whole room's going to be after us."
He stood, wincing from the ache of Kassie's throw. "Strange," he thought, "I'm usually faster, stronger than this. How in Sweet Serendale had Kassie managed to throw me like that? "
Kassie, readied her fist "What, you want fight?" as she blew her bangs from her face in a boyish way.
Whispers rippled through the class.
"Is there a fight going on?"
"Looks like Kassie's going at it with the transfer student."
"Should we call the teacher?"
"Isn't that transfer student's kinda cute..."
"What's the fight about?"
Maggie grabbed Kassie's arm, pulling her back. "Stop it! You're gonna get in trouble again!"
"But—" Kassie protested, still tense.
Isaac, brushing off the discomfort from the throw, adjusted his unfamiliar clothes with a frustrated click of his tongue. "Tsk. I should've just left you at the Inn..."
The class was buzzing, whispers cutting through the tension.
"What did he say about the Inn?"
"Did they go to a motel or something?"
"What, Kassie and that guy? Are they... dating or something?"
"No way. He's way too cute for her!"
"I can't believe Kassie's being so bold!"
"Class Prez, shouldn't you step in?"
"Seriously, do you actually know this guy, Kassie?" Maggie said, her hands cupped around her mouth and giving Kassie a judgmental stare only a true friend can cast without insult.
"Hey, stop saying nonsense! I've never met you before, and I've never been in any inn. You must be confusing me for some other chick," Kassie snapped, throwing a defensive look at Isaac.
Isaac's eyes narrowed. "You even paid for the room, don't you remember?"
A fresh wave of whispers rippled through the class.
"He must be mistaken."
"Yeah, Kassie paying for something? Not in this lifetime."
"She even thrashed the vending machine the other day after it didn't give her change. How would she even afford a room at a motel"
"Kassie paying for something? She mooches off Maggie for lunch money"
"Hey pres do something. "
Maggie tugged Kassie away, "Listen, I think you're mistaken. Let's just go, Kassie,"
"Don't go spreading weird rumors about me," Kassie shot Isaac a pointed glare, gesturing I'm watching you.
Isaac was half-tempted to just leave Kassie and find the exit on his own. But then he remember all the times she somehow rescued him. He clenched his fist conflicted with the resolution to not leave her.
With a resentful sigh he decided not to leave her. Instead he needed to scope the area out. He was missing a sword so he couldn't just attack the illusions around him. He thought the best way out of here was to wake Kassie up from the Illusion and get her help to find the dungeon boss or the exit.
He needed her alone. There was no way he could get through to her with that "Maggie" hovering around. Kassie had to be separated from her, or they'd be stuck here forever. He kept his distance, trying to blend in with the rest of the students, but never took his eyes off Kassie.
The rest of the day passed in a blur for Isaac.
Isaac slid through the cafeteria footsteps light —except it seems his skill on stealth wasn't working, people looked at him awkwardly because he was jumping and tiptoeing here and there. He watched Kassie laugh with Maggie as they ate a tray of delicious food.
"Isn't that new transfer student?"
"Why is he pretending to be a ninja?"
"Hey don't just step on the table people eat there you know!"
In the bathroom, he tried to follow after her. But was met with a bombarded of girls kicking him out and a flying bucket that met him smack in the face.
"Pervert!"
"Get out of here!"
"Wait he's kind of cute though ... "
In chemistry class, Isaac tried to sneak Kassie a red vial, thinking it was a health potion. But before he could sneak it into her drink, a couple of classmates stopped him after giving him suspicious glances, wondering why he was acting like an alchemist in the middle of class.
"Isn't he teasing Kassie too much?"
"Should we call the teacher?"
"Class Pres, I think you should really step in!"
At this point Isaac was seized and thrown to the Principal's office. "This is it" - he thought, perhaps he was going to face the final boss.
Isaac readied himself to confront the dungeon monster. But the door opened to reveal a cheerful man with an absurdly wide grin.
"Ah, welcome, Isaac!" the principal said, his voice bubbly as if they were old pals. He gestured to the seat across from him. "Please, have a seat!
Isaac blinked, a little thrown off. This didn't feel like an interrogation—more like a family counseling session. What is this? A kindness trap?
"First day of school can be a bit rough, huh? I'm Principal Silangan, by the way," the man continued, leaning back in his chair, his hands clasped on top of his round belly. "But the students gave me the nickname Mr. Sunshie. Because, well it's too embarrassing to say but they say, I'm the ray of light that brightens up your school life!"
Isaac had no idea how to respond to that. Is this guy is for real?
"So, what seems to be the problem today?" Mr. Sunshine asked, his tone so light and breezy "I hear you got a little riled up? Happens to the best of us. You know, when I was in school—many moons ago I too transferred to a new school —"
Isaac stared at him, as the principal prattled on about himself. Unsure whether this was leading up to a scolding or pep talk. After what felt like hours Mr. Silangan finally was nearing the end of his speech.
"Can you believe it happened to me?" he said with chuckle laughing at his own joke " But what I want you to know here is that you don't have to worry. It's your senior year and you transferred here at such an odd time. Just focus on college exam preparation, take it one day at a time and you'll be just fine."
Isaac just stared at him shocked at the amount of personal information he just gave. However throughout the entire session. He felt no menace or blood lust from this dungeon monster at all. Again he too felt like a human. In fact his entire stay here, he realized he didn't feel a single ounce on mana in the air.
DING- DONG - DING
"Ah that's the bell, well off you go!"
Isaac blinked and stood somehow following his direction.
"And Isaac," Mr. Silangan called out, a hint of humor in his voice, "I hope you manage to make at least one friend... having at least one comrade lessens life's burden, you know."
Isaac stared blankly, not sure if he take this man seriously. "Uh... okay..."
Isaac stepped back into the hallway, his mind racing. "What just happened? Did I just survive a boss battle with zero combat? Was that even dungeon monster"
He was hoping for an intense, dramatic showdown, but instead, he sat through an oddly short too personal speech. But he knew he had no time to think about his words. He had to find Kassie and get out of here.
He peeked through the door and saw her: Kassie. There she was, hunched over a desk, tapping away furiously on glowing block that the teacher took away this morning. At the same time —Maggie—sat nearby, half-heartedly writing something.
Isaac stared, "Is she under a trance or something? Why she tailing her like a shadow?" Remembering how Kassie used to tail him around. He shook of the idea that he was feeling jealous of this Maggie somehow.
His thoughts were cut short as he heard a loud, almost pitiful voice.
"Maggie, can you get me a can of coffee from the vending machine?" Kassie called without even looking up, her thumbs rapidly tapping away.
Maggie didn't even glance her way. "Get it yourself."
"Maggie, please! You know those things are out to get me—they always steal my coins."
Isaac couldn't help but furrow his brow at that comment.
Maggie shot back, "Please stop saying nonsense. Vending machines don't have feelings. They're not out to get you."
Isaac lingered at a distance, eavesdropping on their conversation, the quiet rhythm of it almost lulling him to sleep. The silence was so peaceful, he didn't even realize he had dozed off until a loud click echoed through the room.
His eyes snapped open, and he jolted upright as he saw Kassie exiting the classroom—alone!
This is it! My chance! he thought, scrambling to shake off the grogginess.
Isaac lost her in the crowd. She'd taken a turn somewhere, and he got swept away by a wave of students flooding out of a nearby soccer match. By the time he was free, Kassie was already out of sight, and he cursed under his breath.
He ran around the entire school when he finally spotted her. He was three floors away. He had to move fast. Isaac quickened his pace, cutting through flight of stairs two steps at a time.
Isaac slowed his steps, recognizing a familiar wave mana. It was coming from the vending machine in front of Kassie. It almost seemed to hum in response to her every movement.
"Don't play with me, you overpriced refrigerator," Issac heard her mutter under her breath, hitting the machine's button again in annoyance.
He saw it tilting - ready to topple over her. And then he saw it - MANA!
There was mana reverberating around the machine.
He was still too far away. He could reach her, but only if he jumped these flights of stairs. He tensed his muscles, preparing for the leap.
Kassie, hang on... he thought, running toward her, knowing he didn't have much time.
As his feet left the ground, a sudden, blinding light flared up, filling his vision like a burst of lightning. It was so intense, so sudden, that he couldn't even think to shield his eyes.
The world around him spun out of control, and a deep, hollow sensation filled his chest as he was engulfed by the light.
What in Sweet Serendale just happened! He sat up catching his breath, as if he woke up from a nightmare
A distant voice broke through the fog in Isaac's mind, pulling him back to consciousness.
"He's awake!" Hans was at his side.
"Hans what are you doing here...?"
Isaac blinked, trying to focus. His mind was foggy, the remnants of the blinding light still dancing behind his eyelids. But the world around him seemed more familiar now.
"I can't believe it worked! Kassie said it would work" Hans said on the verge of tears.
"Kasiee? Where's Kassie? Isaac tried to stand realizing she was nowhere to be seen.