I stretched my arms and groaned, draining the last sip of coffee before throwing myself onto the bed. I didn’t own a mirror, but I could imagine how awful I looked—red eyes from countless sleepless nights, dark circles beneath them, and hair that was an unkempt mess. Sleep was what I needed, desperately, yet it never came. Pulling the blanket over my head, I focused on steadying my breaths, hoping for rest.

  But, as always, only the heavy weight of exhaustion greeted me.

  Level 5: Axel

  HP: [██████████?] 139/170

  Mana: [????????] -1/100

  Stamina: [██████████??] 106/120

  Options: [Inv | Skills | Quests | Crafting]

  I stared at the translucent status screen, my eyes lingering on the options, my mind circling the same unanswered questions. How had I even leveled up? My memory of the palace incident, where Nora used her Time Star, was hazy at best. Had we been attacked? Did I defend myself? And if we truly rewound time, why did I forget everything while this strange interface remembered it all and still gave me the experience points?

  “Questions, questions,” I muttered. “Too few answers.”

  Wanting to test the new skill I'd acquired from leveling up, I decided to cast Ice Shard. Reaching my hand toward the ceiling, I focused on the spell, channeling my mana into it. A moment later, an ice shard materialized in my palm. I grabbed it with my other hand, tossed it into the air a couple of times, then threw it to the ground. The spell faded a few seconds later, disintegrating into a flurry of blue dust.

  The growing frustration gnawed at me. My body ached with fatigue, but my mind refused to settle.

  “So tired…”

  Turning on my side, I gazed out the window. The sun had climbed higher, casting warm light across the cold ground. School hours were closing in, and the coffee hadn’t helped enough to shake off my weariness. What I needed was a hot bath to reset my senses.

  I shifted into a sitting position, leaning forward with my elbow on my knee, my palm half-covering my face as I rested my chin on it. Sunlight bounced off the edge of an arrow lying near the bed, catching my eye. Hunting… it wasn’t a terrible idea. Experience points from hunting might give me a shot at improving my survival here.

  Dragging myself up, I shuffled to the door and swung it open—harder than I intended. The edge slammed into the side of the bed and ricocheted back, hitting me square in the head.

  “Damn it!” I hissed, rubbing the sore spot and muttering curses under my breath. Shaking my head, I stepped out into the corridor.

  A few students sat on benches near the windows, sipping coffee and nibbling on breakfast. It was comforting to know I wasn’t the only one up early. School wouldn’t start for another hour or so, leaving plenty of time to kill.

  Spotting a student passing by, I called out, “Hey, sorry to bother you. Where are the baths?”

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  “Upstairs,” he replied, pointing to the staircase. “Turn left at the top. You’ll see it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  I trudged to the stairs, each step feeling heavier than the last. I didn’t have a robe or extra clothes, but I hoped the baths would provide something. Another regret to add to the growing list—I should’ve asked the Queen for gold after saving her. Since arriving here, second-guessing my choices had become a constant companion, something I never allowed myself back in my world.

  Gripping the railing, I climbed the stairs. At the top, the layout mirrored the floor below, except for a bath door immediately to my left. A student stood just outside the door, his hands clasped behind his back, waiting.

  “Hey,” I said as I approached him. “I’d like to take a bath.”

  “All the bath’s are occupied at this moment,” he replied. “Come back in two minutes. Would that be okay?”

  “Sure. Do I get a towel or something?”

  “No, but you probably won’t need it anyway. No need to worry about it.”

  “Probably?”

  “Yeah. Trust me.”

  “Okay… I’ll be back in two.”

  I walked to the end of the corridor and leaned against the windowsill, gazing outside. Across the street, near the girls’ dormitory, a group of girls stood outside the doors of their building, chatting. A guard was with them, his tone serious as he gestured animatedly. Though I couldn’t hear the conversation, I was sure it was about the side quest marked on my map—a pervert stealing underwear from the girl’s dormitory.

  "Looks like that boy is still stealing," a student next to me muttered to his friend, both peering out another window. "What’s he doing with all those panties, though? Selling them? I mean… what’s up with him?”

  “Who knows," the other replied with a shake of his head. "The guy’s been at it for almost a week now. Weirdos, man. Damn weirdos."

  “Right?”

  “Hope they catch him soon. They should just put a guard near the dormitory.”

  The conversation struck a familiar chord. Similar nonsense happened back in my world too—bullying, stealing, self-proclaimed tough guys forming cliques to terrorize others. This wasn’t new to me, unfortunately.

  Outside, I kept my gaze on the girls’ dormitory. Two more guards joined the scene, and one of the students pointed toward a second-floor window. It was broken, the frame hanging loose on its hinges. The latch seemed completely busted, unable to secure the window shut. Every gust of wind pushed it open, only for it to sway back again.

  “Eh—” the first student scoffed. “First, the elves attack Redwood. Now this? I bet it’s the elves again.”

  “It’s always the elves,” the other added bitterly. “Always.”

  “Damned monsters...”

  “Hmm,” I muttered, watching the commotion outside while eavesdropping on their conversation. "Always the elves, huh? I’d doubt that.”

  “Oi, look,” the second student hissed, lowering his voice. “Isn’t that the guy? The student who saved the Queen?”

  “Who? Shit, you’re right. Didn’t even realize he was here. Sneaky.”

  A door creaked open, breaking my focus. I glanced back to see the student who had been using the bath stepping out, his hair still slightly damp.

  Pushing myself off the windowsill, I headed toward the bath. This time, my steps were brisk. As I approached, the boy standing guard at the door stepped aside and motioned for me to enter.

  “You can go now,” he said. “Just wait two minutes before the water resets.”

  “Resets?”

  “Yeah. Each student gets five minutes, by the way. Don’t go over, or I’ll have to come in after you. Got it?”

  “Right,” I said, stepping inside as he closed the door behind me. “Got it. Thanks for the info.”