Inside the next room, which was only a short distance away from the room where Henry and the others were staying, the atmosphere was significantly quieter. Three large beds occupied the room, each wide enough to comfortably hold two people, yet none of the instructors bothered sharing. Gareth occupied the bed closest to the wall, Tyler rested on the one near the window, while Louis lay on the remaining bed with his eyes fixed on the ceiling.“You haven't even made an attempt to doze off,” Tyler spoke while turning his head toward Louis. His voice was low enough not to disturb the other guests staying in the inn, but loud enough for Louis to hear clearly. Tyler had been observing him for several minutes already and noticed that not once had Louis even tried to close his eyes.Louis released a slow breath before responding. “I can't risk that. I brought the students along with me on this journey, so I just have to stay awake with my ears open in case something bad tries to happen. If an

The morning passed peacefully as the group gathered inside the inn's restaurant for breakfast. Warm meals had already been prepared by the workers before sunrise, filling the dining hall with the comforting aroma of fresh bread, roasted meat, and hot soup. After everything they had endured during the previous day, the simple meal felt almost luxurious. None of the students complained as they quietly enjoyed their food, each one recovering both physically and mentally from the exhausting journey through the cursed forest. Even Jaxon, who usually couldn't stop talking, focused entirely on eating, proving just how hungry he truly was.Louis finished the last bite of his breakfast before setting his spoon neatly on the table. His eyes slowly moved across the room, making sure every student had eaten properly before they continued traveling. Satisfied that everyone looked far more energetic than the previous night, he stood up from his chair and nodded toward Tyler and Gareth. The two inst

Just as the girl called Henry's name, everyone in the library froze in surprise. Jaxon, Emma, Silver, and Vorden all turned toward the young woman standing near one of the bookshelves. Henry himself blinked twice before recognition filled his face. Although several weeks had passed since they had last met, her appearance had barely changed. The familiar smile, the bright eyes, and the confident way she stood immediately brought back memories from the village he had once helped save."Lucy," Henry muttered with a wide smile spreading across his face. Seeing her here was the last thing he had expected. Lucy was the daughter of the village chief, the same village Henry had protected from the slime invasion during the early days of his journey. He had assumed they would never meet again after leaving the village, especially since they had been assigned to different Military Academy bases. Fate, however, clearly had other plans for them.The moment Lucy confirmed it was truly Henry standin

"Why did they leave?" Henry asked, unable to shake the question from his mind. Emma, Silver, and even Jaxon had suddenly disappeared without saying a word. The entire situation felt strange, especially since they had all entered the library together only a short while earlier.Vorden scratched the side of his cheek while thinking carefully about how to answer. Truthfully, he wasn't completely certain either, but based on everything he had witnessed inside the library, he believed he had a fairly good idea of what had happened."I don't really know for sure," Vorden admitted honestly. "But I think the girls are crushing on you. The moment Lucy hugged you... and then kissed you... they looked jealous before walking away."Henry blinked in complete disbelief."Crushing on me?"The words sounded so absurd that he couldn't immediately process them. He slowed his pace slightly while replaying everything that had happened since arriving at the academy. Emma had certainly acted differently la