In a Civilized Manner

"I remember you—the portrait at the auditorium."

The player, appearing in the middle of knitting something, stopped and gazed at him. Unfazed by the silence, Edris smiled.

"I'm Edris, you?"

Each dorm room could only be opened by the student through their wristband. The fact his "unrequited love" was in this room could only mean one thing.

The player, tucking a strand of long hair back, took another second before responding with a voice almost deep as Ace's.

"Owein."

…Ah.

The woman in the portrait was no woman.

"Owein, noted," Edris said, tilting his head with a smile. "Looks like we'll be roommates from now on."

Owein stared at him, his auburn eyes trailing his figure from top to bottom, lingering an extra second on Edris’s shoes. He lowered his gaze and returned to knitting.

The two halves of the room were divided by a distinct line, with Edris's floor painted sky blue and Owein's in a beige tone. Currently, the dark-haired man stood on the latter side of the room.

"Oh, my apologies," Edris said, taking a step back onto his side of the room.

At Edris's action, the man paused in his movements. He glanced up again, this time with an added dash of intrigue.

Edris plopped on his own bed, his palms sinking onto the mattress as he made himself comfortable sitting across the room.

"You're a player. Though I didn’t see you stay after the ceremony." He crossed one leg over the other, shifting his weight backwards. "Quite an impressive spectacle you put back there." He pointed at his head. "What's with the hair?"

This time, Edris's question was met with a reaction as Owein carefully placed the crochet and yarn on the bedside table.

From afar, his facial features looked stunningly androgynous, with long lashes, tinted lips and all. Eyeing him closer in person, Edris could make out a more angular jawline, prominent frontal bones on the forehead, and most importantly, the protruding bump at his throat as he spoke.

The man pulled back his long, brown curls, and the whole thing slipped off as a wig, revealing his natural hair. Although still brown and curly, it was much shorter than the wig, barely reaching his shoulders.

"To disguise myself," Owein replied, his tone impassive.

"From?"

"Others."

"…"

Edris had wanted to use this "unrequited love" of his to acquire some information, but from how things were unfolding, he suspected it'd take much longer than expected for the man to open up.

Another silence ensued between them, with Owein cautiously glancing through downcast eyes and Edris in a harmless smile.

Admittedly, he'd expected a somewhat different personality from Owein after seeing his ostentatious display back in the auditorium.

But again, no one could foresee the details of their initial quest. It could have been something completely in line with their real life personality, or it could’ve been something absurd—like Edris’s quest, for instance.

Despite the bland exchange, and despite his peculiar personality, Owein was a skilled individual. That much was evident about the man.

Otherwise, Edris wouldn't have chosen him as the target for the initial quest.

In the potential scenario that the initial and main quest were connected, he needed to select someone who at least wouldn't hold him back in future collaborations.

Each player was given sixty minutes to complete the initial quest at the auditorium. From the information he gathered so far, the quests weren't impossible to clear, but they definitely weren't easy, either.

If Owein's initial tasks had involved something along the lines of stealing the spotlight or—even more straightforward—showcasing a self-portrait, the fact he was able to prepare this entire painting, conceal it within the auditorium, then release it timely during the speech was enough to prove his value.

Edris had many questions prepared to dig out some more details from the man. However, it didn't look like Owein was planning to continue the conversation, so he decided not to push it either.

After all, as roommates for the next three months, there was plenty of time to get to know each other.

"In any case, it's great meeting you." Edris pulled himself to his feet. His eyes flickered, reflecting the orange ray at dusk. "I hope we get along as roommates."

Having already grown accustomed to Owein's lack of response, Edris gave a lighthearted wave and strolled out of the room.

Unlike with Celio and Ives, he didn't bring up anything related to the Labyrinth or the main quests to Owein. Especially about the role the latter had unknowingly come to hold as his lover.

Although Owein was competent, too little was known about the man for Edris to trust him with his own information.

Of course, it'd be ideal if they were to establish a partnership or collaborate throughout the Labyrinth's duration, but in terms of feasibility…still to be determined.

Edris could feel the man’s gaze on his back as he closed the door behind him. He glimpsed the clock on the wall: precisely seven o'clock. Just in time for his meet-up with the two children.

Celio and the freckled boy—to Edris's surprise—had ended up as roommates, while Ives was paired with another female player, who’d also left the auditorium after hearing all Alton had to offer.

According to Ives’s roommate, around half of the remaining players decided to stay with Alton’s team, while the others went their separate ways or established their own parties.

After meeting up and sharing their findings, the three decided to spend the rest of the day scouting the campus. The MW campus stretched across a great plot of land, full of hills but sparse with buildings.

In fact, if they'd just shorten the distance between each infrastructure, the campus area would shrink by almost half its current size.

Since it was still orientation day, most buildings were locked, and Edris suspected they'd open only after the official commencement of classes tomorrow. The cafeteria was one of the few places open, but the line to enter was depressingly long, thanks to dinner rush hours.

It took them almost an hour to get around the entire campus, and by the time they were back at the dorms, Edris's legs were protesting in pain.

As for gains, they didn't uncover anything useful about the academy or the Labyrinth as a whole, other than a general campus map.

Soon, nighttime had descended, and all students returned to their dorms for curfew check at 10:30 PM.

Strolling into Room 604, Edris entered an empty dorm. Twenty minutes were left of the Labyrinth's designated curfew time, yet Owein was nowhere to be found.

His knitting set was neatly organised on the counter, and resting beside his pillow was a half-knitted scarf, which had grown twice as long from when Edris had first seen it three hours ago.

Swinging the door behind him, Edris checked himself in by tapping the wristband on the sensory pad on top of the handle. As he did so, a sharp click sounded from the door.

Edris raised an eyebrow.

He pressed down onto the door handle. It didn't budge.

He was locked in.

So this is how they ensure students remain in their dorms after "curfew."

He'd planned to drop by the seventh floor sometime tonight, since it'd likely be even more difficult to get a hold of Ace once they enter a regular class schedule.

Edris had many questions to ask the white-haired man, especially how he managed to land himself the role of a professor.

Glancing at the clock, the dark-haired man began to think.

Fifteen minutes were left until the assigned curfew.

Although the door was locked from the inside, chances were it could still be opened externally. Otherwise, how would the other roommate make the curfew if locked out?

He could wait for his roommate to come back and sneak out, or…

Edris's attention fell on the single window on Owein's side of the room.

A glint flashed across his eyes.

***

Tap.

Tap. Tap.

TAPTAPTAPTAPTA—

"Aureolin, shut the fuck up."

004 glanced up from the book he was reading. It was a book about the tear-jerking history of MW Academy and its founder, a woman named Weisha.

His dark orbs shifted from the words on the paper to the owner of the voice: a woman with a magenta bun. And a matching name.

Magenta crossed her arms, visibly annoyed.

Sprawled all over the couch across from him was a petite girl with bright yellow hair and eyes. She fiddled with the clip on her fedora, also bright yellow.

Giving the fedora another refreshing flick, Aureolin peered toward Magenta with a provocative smirk, then stuck out her tongue.

"I'm counting down to curfew check." She lay on her stomach, her legs kicking up and down as she gazed at the clock on the wall. "If both students aren't in their units by then, they'll be locked out, and I get to punish them!"

She rubbed her palms together, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Professor 004. Would you like to tag along to witness my premiere show of the school year?" She leaned toward him, eyes fluttering. "You'll fall in love with my charisma."

004 looked at her with a stoic face.

"Professor 004's first shift begins next week." A man walked in from the kitchen.

He had lime green hair parted to the right side of his face and wore thick-framed glasses. The man pushed up his glasses with his pinky.

"We must follow the administrator's rules."

"You're tedious as usual, Moss." Aureolin stared at him flatly before returning to her fedora-flicking session. "How's Sky doing? Still crying?"

"Crying is an understatement. He's already got the noose prepared, ready for use if the bruising doesn't subside by tomorrow's class." Moss poured himself a glass of ice wine.

As he sipped, his emerald eyes landed on the white-haired man.

"Thanks to you, Professor 004."

"A big thank-you indeed!" Aureolin giggled, her large hoop earrings swinging side to side. "That narcissist is so obsessed with his face all the time, it was refreshing to see someone give it a good hit."

"Professor 004." Magenta turned toward Ace as well. "Since you've just started working here this year, you can take it easy for the first week and shadow other professors to get a sense of what we do here at MW."

She licked her lips with a faint smile.

"It's quite fun, if I say so myself."

With less than ten minutes left until the curfew time, the group dispersed to execute their own matters.

The seventh floor, the top story of the dorm, was much more spacious than the rest of the building. With a lounge room, bar, and pool area, the entire floor structure was closer to a resort than an academic dorm.

The professor each lived in a single. There were six rooms on the floor and five professors.

The white-haired man walked back into his room: 704.

He'd found himself in the same room this morning, right after regaining consciousness. And stepping outside, he'd then been confronted by the four others living on the floor, who called themselves "professors."

The next thing he knew, he'd entered a hand-to-hand combat with one of them.

During the fight, he'd noticed that his mana had been somehow restricted, but this handicap didn't stop him from exercising his physical abilities.

004 hadn't fought with his bare fists for a long time, so it was quite refreshing to encounter someone who could keep up with his movements. At least for the first minute.

There were five professors teaching first years at MW Academy, and he'd ended up as one of them. Except for himself, each of the four was give a particular name, which happened to correspond to a colour:

Magenta, Aureolin, Moss, and Sky.

According to Magenta, he'd also be given a personalised title—once he passed the probation period.

004 stepped into his room, setting the light sensors in motion with a bell-like chime. The entire room lit at once.

The professors' single was a luxurious suite, elegantly adorned in various golds and silvers. Each was personalised based on the professor's "colour." Magenta's was saturated pink, for example, while Aureolin's was yellow down to the very corner of the walls.

As for the person he'd fought with, he was the blue one—Sky—if he remembered correctly. He was agile, but too proud. The tougher, but more irritatable version of...

004 blinked.

Of who?

In any case, the man's pride didn't make it past 004's lead hook to his jaw.

Like his hair, 004's room was pristine white. Gigapelt rugs patched the floors, and a sparkling chandelier hung from the ceiling. He strolled past the glass fireplace, the polished pearl plaster, and the ivory statue of who-knows-who.

004 narrowed his eyes.

Too bright.

His mind wandered back to earlier today. After being restrained by the three other professors from the fist fight, they'd then took him to the auditorium for the so-called "opening ceremony."

Although initially confused, 004 quickly caught on to the general gist after witnessing the student uproar. He watched from the stage as people trampled over each other, franticness and despair inundating their faces.

A tad too roisterous for his taste, but diverting nonetheless.

But strangely enough, 004 found his focus drifting away, searching for someone amidst the chaos.

A person with a blurred face.

But who?

Back to the present, the white-haired man strode toward the edge of the room. A full-length window spanned across the entire wall, welcoming him to the night view of the MW campus.

After weighing his options, 004 had decided to go along with this whole "professors' setup, just to see how it'd unfold.

Since it was the first night after the ceremony, most students were still shaken from the auditorium uproar during the day.

The majority took the academy's code of conduct to heart and were back in their rooms long before 10:30 PM. Even though lights-off was at eleven, over ninety percent of the dorm rooms were already unlit.

Apart from the professors' rooms on the top floor, the rest of the dorm was dark, merging with the rest of the campus. Hung in the night sky was a purple moon, glowing with a mystified aura as it contrasted with the blood-red stars in its surrounding.

Standing at the center of this scenic view was 004, gazing outwards, pensive.

Since arriving in this place, he'd been feeling a bit…off.

The maroon infrastructures, the lumps of green in the distance, even the air he breathed in…

A sense of familiarity, intermixed with foreignness.

Something was missing.

The purple glow landed on his face in a cascading motion, giving his already-sharp features an added prominence. Appearing in thought, the man lowered his gaze, his lashes overshadowing his eyes.

The next moment, 004's brows creased together.

Each room on the seventh floor was furnished with a balcony. His was no exception.

However, he didn't think the hook currently adhered to the edge was a part of the setup.

004 pushed open the glass doors. A gust of wind swept past him as he stepped onto the balcony. Glancing down at the hook, he came face-to-face with a dark-haired man.

Surges of memories came crashing into his head, blurring the world in sight. He took a step back to steady himself, and the scenes sank back into his consciousness.

Slowly, Ace reopened his eyes.

"…"

"Oh, it's Ace." The familiar face glanced up, gaze clear under the moonlight. "Great timing! I was just about to come find you."

Linked to the hook was a thick, black rope, and dangling from beneath was no other than Edris. One of his hands gripped the rope while the other gestured a wave.

Despite the bursts of gusts around them which blew his hair all over the place, Edris's facial features stood out with pronounced clarity.

Ignoring the white-haired man's complicated gaze, Edris fluttered his eyes with a smile.

"Lend me a hand? Mine are dying."