Beyond Phantasia

Luckily, I was discharged the next day with no further problems. Instructor Kossi mentioned she’d like to talk to me about rewards sometime next week since everyone who helped defeat the sloakard had already been rewarded. We were also instructed not to mention anything about the Sloakard, as it could stir up turmoil within the academy.

The Academy also notified my job about the situation, which was a huge help.

Unfortunately, punching Gallagher didn’t go unnoticed, so I was rescheduled to assist in the library tomorrow. Still, it was something I needed to do, especially with everything I had to figure out.I needed to be more informed about the world. This wasn’t just a game — it was my reality. I had almost died, and I was just lucky enough to survive.

The next day rolled around, and I made my way to the library.

“Hey, where are we going?” Urumi asked, scoping the area on my shoulder. “Human civilization is quite interesting!”

“We’re going to the library,” I replied, adjusting the bag on my shoulder as I walked.

“Library?” Urumi flicked her tongue out, her black and gold scales shimmering slightly. “What’s that? Some sort of weapon storage?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t know? I thought you’ve lived for centuries or something.”

Urumi let out a sharp hiss, almost like a scoff. “Of course I’ve lived for centuries! But my memories... well, they’re scattered all over the place.”

“Huh, why is that?”

“Don’t know.”

I decided not to press further. After all, everyone has their own secrets. Some things are better left unspoken, at least for now.

After a couple more minutes, I arrived at the entrance of the library and stepped inside.

The library's interior was a vast, open space filled with towering shelves lined with books, creating a striking contrast to the other buildings in the academy. It felt like a familiar library from home, and I liked that. Soft, warm lighting illuminated the reading areas, casting a glow over the scattered wooden tables. In one corner, a large window overlooked the courtyard, allowing natural light to filter in and enhance the library's ambiance.

I approached the clerk stationed in front of the room.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes? How can I assist you?” The clerk asked.

“I’m here for my community work,” I said, pulling up my student ID on my datachron. “Lucien Crow.”

The librarian nodded. “Lucien Crow, yes,” the librarian said, glancing at my datachron. “You’re assigned here for the weekend. Head toward the back, and you can assist the other student.”

I thanked the clerk and made my way to the back of the library, weaving through the towering shelves. It was very calming here. As I reached the back, I noticed a familiar figure already hard at work.

Aurelia.

What was she doing here? Well, she was the studious type. Did she really help out at the library though?

I approached cautiously, not wanting to disrupt her.

“Hey,” I said.

No response.

“Hey.”

Again, no response.

“Hey, Aurelia.”

Still no response.

She’s really focused, huh.

I tapped her shoulder.

Aurelia jumped, startled by my presence. She turned quickly to face me, her eyes wide for a moment before her expression shifted. Her face flushed slightly, a tinge of red creeping across her cheeks. Was she mad?

"Sorry, you weren’t responding to me earlier," I replied, shrugging. "I’m here for community work."

She glared at me, her eyes narrowing as she harshly handed me a thick, dusty book.

“So, what am I supposed to do with this?”

No response.

I sighed. “You know I can’t help you if you don’t at least point me in the right direction.”

No response. This time, however, she pointed silently to a stack of books and made a subtle gesture for me to bring them over.

I nodded in understanding, grateful for her wordless guidance. “Alright,” I replied, feeling a little more at ease now that we were both on the same page.

As we worked together, I handed her the books she needed, and she directed me to shelves that required restocking. The atmosphere was calm, with only the soft rustle of pages and the distant whispers of other students lost in their studies. I found myself glancing at Aurelia occasionally, intrigued by her focus. She moved with such purpose, her face more serious than usual.

After a while, I noticed a pile of books tilting precariously on the edge of one shelf. “Hey, Aurelia, look out!” I called, pointing at the stack.

Luckily, I reacted fast enough to catch the book, but the rest of the stack toppled on top of me. Aurelia jumped, her eyes flashing with surprise. She turned sharply to face me, her expression shifting from alarm to irritation in a heartbeat. It was clear I had startled her.

Without a word, she bent down to pick up the fallen books, her cheeks flushed slightly with annoyance. She stood up, crossing her arms as she shot me a disapproving glare.

I raised my hands defensively. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” I said, trying to avoid any silent scolding that might come my way.

She glared at me for a moment, but then her expression softened.

“You…okay?”

I laughed. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.”

Aurelia quickly pressed a finger to her lips, her eyes narrowing as she silently urged me to be quiet.

"Library." she mouthed.

“My bad,” I whispered, lowering my voice. “Alright, let’s finish this stack.”

Aurelia gave a slight nod, her expression softening again as she pointed towards the towering pile of books waiting to be shelved. Without a word, she picked up a few and headed toward the nearest aisle, leaving me to follow.

I spent the next few minutes shelving books in the back. Urumi, as usual, remained coiled around my arm, though silent for now. As we continued our work in the library, Aurelia paused for a moment, glancing over at me.

"Thanks," She said.

“Hm?”

“Sloakard.”

"Oh, no problem," I replied, waving my hand dismissively. "But it was all you guys; I just helped."

Aurelia stared at me, her expression unknown as she returned to sorting the books.

Did I say something wrong?

We continued to share a comfortable silence as we worked side by side, stacking books, exchanging quiet conversation. However, It wasn’t long before the moment was shattered.

From across the room, I heard the low, mocking tone of someone I didn’t want to deal with today.

Tsk.

Gallagher.

I looked up, and sure enough, there he was. He was standing near the entrance with a smug look on his face, his arm draped lazily over the shoulder of a student. The kid’s eyes darted around as Gallagher barked something in his face. I couldn’t hear the exact words, but I didn’t need to.

“Just my luck.”