A World Unwritten

Sighing, I glance around our chosen campsite. The waterfall's relentless cascade provides a soothing soundtrack, but it can't dull the gnawing unease in my gut.

"It's weird," I muse out loud, pacing the length of the river bank. In my novel, the phenomenon that occurred didn't affect many creatures. Yet here, the impact seems widespread. More than I had anticipated. I scratch my head, trying to make sense of it all.

"Hold up, did the professors change the test?" I wonder, pausing to stare at the rushing water. It's a plausible theory, but it's still too early to conclude. Mutated beasts controlling the wild dogs... it's a chilling thought, but it might just be a far-fetched suspicion for now.

At the edge of my vision, a movement draws my attention. A swift creature, scurrying through the underbrush, feathered and not much larger than a chicken. An illicapus. A rare island bird, known for its meat. A smirk tugs at my lips, the prospect of a good meal outweighing my worries for a moment.

"Hehehe, I'll think about it later. First, let me eat something." My dagger is in my hand in a flash, its blade catching the sunlight as I hurl it towards the creature. The weapon finds its mark, embedding itself in the illicapus's head.

Contemplating how to cook my upcoming meal, I return to the campsite, collecting firewood along the way. Using Isadora's remaining coconut crosses my mind, but I quickly dismiss the thought. Must be going crazy, she'd kill me if I even tried. With limited options, grilling seems to be the best idea.

"Ugh, why don't you train a bit?" Ilka yawns, sprawled lazily on my hair. Her comment snaps me from my culinary thoughts, and I arch an eyebrow at her suggestion.

"You know I can't train, the professors are watching our every move. Do you want them to record your training methods?" I counter, throwing a pointed glance in her direction. Ilka clicks her tongue in disdain, her translucent form rising to float around in circles.

"Tsk, why don't you quit this shitty academy? It's not like they can teach you better than I can." She scoffs, landing back on my head. Her words hold truth, but I can't leave just yet. The academy itself does not have as much influence as some groups but apart from the first arc that takes place in the academy, there are some important figures and events that take place.

Smirking, I glance at the fallen illicapus, feeling the weight of its potential usefulness. The feathers... the professors probably intentionally included these creatures. Their feathers are incredibly sanitary and can be used as makeshift bandages in a pinch. My smirk widens. Practical. Very practical.

After retrieving my dagger from the creature, I start the meticulous task of plucking the feathers. "A bit gruesome, but effective," I muse to myself, carefully setting the feathers aside.

Next is to create a makeshift grill. Noticing a flat rock nearby, I lift it, positioning it over a small pit I dug out. "This should do," I mutter, fetching the firewood I collected earlier.

"Hmmm, shouldn't we save the feathers?" Ilka's voice resounds in my ears, her nonchalant tone contrasting her question's significance.

Should I try using magic? Na, I shouldn't use magic for now, "Of course, they could be very useful later," I respond, using a couple of small rocks to strike together, creating a spark that catches on the tinder.

As I carefully prepare the illicapus for cooking, I lose myself in the process. There's something primal about it, a connection to our ancestral roots that modern conveniences have almost completely erased. I patiently wait for the fire to get hot enough, then place the bird on the rock grill, letting the flames lick the meat, slow-cooking it to perfection.

Once done, I tear a piece off, savoring the smokey flavor.

"Here, enjoy it with your coconut," I say, holding out a piece of grilled illicapus towards Isadora. She seems to be in deep thought, staring at the coconut with an unreadable expression.

She takes the meat from me, her icy voice ringing out. "Thank you." The emotionless tone is so typical of her that I almost find it comforting.

I leave her to her meal, turning my attention to Biana. She's sound asleep, perfectly positioned by the water. An opportunity presents itself, one that I can't ignore. Suppressing a laugh, I walk up to her, raising an eyebrow at the peaceful scene.

"Oh, this is too perfect," I muse, readying my foot to give a gentle nudge. With a swift kick, Biana tumbles into the water with a splash, jerking awake with a gasp.

"Fuck! Cough, cough. I—I won't let it slide a second time," she sputters, struggling out of the water. I can't help but let out a laugh at her drenched figure.

A cascade of laughter spills from Ilka, her translucent figure flitting about in the air as she giggles. "Hahahahaha, well done, V! A lazy ass like her needs to be punished every now and then!" She doesn't stop her amused circles even as Biana clicks her tongue in annoyance, snatching the plate from my hands.

I suppress a sigh, eyeing Isadora instead. She seems content with her meal, coconut water trickling down her cheeks. She is certainly enjoying herself.

A flicker in the corner of my eye captures my attention. It's the waterfall... There seems to be something behind it, but the veil of water obscures my view. I didn't recall writing about a secret passage behind a waterfall in my novel. But again, the tests had been different than what I had originally penned down. This might just be another change.

"Hey, Ilka," I start, craning my neck to look at the spirit on my head, "Can you check if there's anything behind there?"

Ilka floats up, looking bored. "Fine, fine, just what am I going to find behind there, huh!?" She shoots me a playful grin before her astral form vanishes into the waterfall.

After a second, Ilka emerges, her annoyance palpable. "Just how the fuck did you know there was something there, huh!? Are you some kind of prophet!?" She complains, settling back onto my head.

"So, there is something there. Is it a doorway?" I ask, suppressing a smirk at her exasperated expression.

"Wow~ look at you~ were you expecting a window, captain obvious?" She retorts, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

I chuckle, unable to resist teasing her back. "Look who we have here~ Miss Always-Right-Except-When-She's-Not," I tease, my smirk growing at her indignant squawk.

The meal over, the fire dwindles, leaving us in the twilight's dim light. Just as Biana is about to collapse back on the ground, a sigh escaping her lips, I stop her.

"No, don't you dare go to sleep now," I order, raising a hand to ward off her protest. Her expression morphs into a pout, making me roll my eyes.

"Come on, V~ Let's just camp here for the rest of the week~" she whines, stretching lazily, but I shake my head.

"There's something behind that waterfall," I point out, aiming my finger towards the cascading water. "It might be some secret passage. Think about it, what if we find the way out? Wouldn't that mean you can sleep in your bed?" I dangle the promise in front of her like a carrot. Let's see if she takes the bait.

I watch the internal debate wage in Biana's eyes. Sleep now, or take a chance to sleep on a soft bed sooner? Eventually, she groans. "Ugh, fine, fine." A satisfied smile tugs at my lips. I was hoping she'd go along. I was thinking of throwing her in the water if she didn't.

"Well, I'm glad you agree because we are going there regardless of your opinion," I add, leading the way towards the waterfall. The path is steep, and we're forced to climb the rocks, water pounding around us, making the trek slippery.

Isadora surprises me by grabbing Biana's hand and using her free hand to climb upwards. Biana, on the other hand, hangs like a limp doll, allowing Isadora to pull her up. I follow behind, gripping the wet rocks as best as I can.

Once we reach the top, Biana yawns, her gaze landing on the entrance of the secret passage. "Blue mar runes? What the hell?" she murmurs, her eyes widening slightly.

I frown, confused. "What? Are they special?" I ask, looking at the intricate designs etched onto the stones. I studied runes at the academy whenever I had the chance to, but these aren't familiar.

Biana stretches, yawning once more before she answers. "Na, no way, it's just weird. This runic method was created 500 years ago, but not long after, it was banned. It's very unstable and often leads to problems," she explains, leaving me to process the information.

I blink, trying to reconcile Biana, the lazy student, with the person in front of me who just spouted historical facts. How the hell does this lazy ass know history? I understand if she knows about runes, but she actually learned some history!?

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

I slice through the neck of a wild dog, its eyes wide with terror even before my blade makes contact. It's a grim sight, one I've been seeing far too often. Two more dogs charge at me, their growls low and terrified. The wind rumbles under my command, lifting me up and over them. Before they can even process the change, I descend, my blade singing through the air, skewering both of them.

"What the hell," I mutter, staring at the surrounding landscape. Dead wild dogs litter the ground, the result of an unusual surge in their numbers. Initially, they had come in small packs, manageable groups that were more nuisance than threat. But as time passed, their numbers grew until it felt like the entire forest was barking and snarling. They have no chance against us, but their numbers are worrisome.

As I fell into a pattern of dodging, slicing, and killing, I cast a glance at Nyssa. That girl has discarded her blade and is taking on the dogs with her bare hands. Each swing, each step, was graceful but deadly. I see her figure blur, then reappear. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 15, 19, 23..." she counts, her voice singsong and eerily cheerful for our grim situation. "Just how many dogs are there!? This is getting out of hand, will there be 100 next time?" she grumbles, snapping another dog's neck with an ease that was almost terrifying. Is she stronger than me? whenever we duel she always loses but why does it feel like she's stronger than me?

I have to agree. This is getting out of hand. These dogs pose no threat, but it's draining, both physically and mentally. "This is most likely part of the exam," I mutter to myself. Despite the oddity of the situation, the group seems to be doing well. Gareth, in particular, is taking a rather unconventional approach to the situation. He stands like a statue as the dogs nip and bite at him. His muscles act as a shield, rendering their attempts futile. Once they're distracted, he grabs them, ending their lives with a quick, precise snap.

With a sigh, I survey the scene once more. We manage to clean up the remaining dogs, leaving us in a grim field of fallen creatures. The sight is saddening, but I push the emotion aside. We have a situation to analyze.

Nyssa wipes her hands on her pants, chuckling dryly as she surveys the scene. "Wow~ 53~ hahaha, just how are there so many of them? Hey Sera~ what should we do?" she asks, her voice echoing in the silent forest.

Zara chimes in before I can answer, her brows knitted in concern. "This is truly weird, did you guys notice their faces? They seemed scared."

Gareth, dusting off his clothes, grins. "Of course they got scared after seeing me."

Luna shakes her head. "As if, they were afraid way before they attacked us. When I spotted them, they were already trembling."

This makes me pause. Trembling? Afraid? Why would wild animals, especially in such large numbers, be afraid? Is this test more than it seems? Is Class A also dealing with this situation?