The Author's Playground

C H A P T E R 1 . 1

Chapter name: Elijah (1)

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Soft chirping of the birds could be heard, as a certain young man opened his eyes the moment the sunlight streamed through the window. 

His feet touched the wooden floor, and the mirror reflected his unkempt hair, still messy and unbrushed. 

With a carefree yawn, he went to take his usual quick bath, a routine that consisted only three hurried rinses with water before he called it done.

He didn't bother combing his hair, instead, he simply tied it into a loose ponytail as he always did. 

"Maybe if I have time, I'll cut it," he whispered to himself, knowing fully well he'd either forget or never follow through out of sheer laziness.

His wardrobe was modest, consisting of just two main outfits: 

1: His school uniform

2: Set of casual civilian clothes.

There's a third outfit—the pajamas he was currently wearing.

Without sparing a thought for ironing, he shrugged into his uniform and tossed his pajamas into a bucket of soapy water. 

Ah of course he almost forgot, he needed to wear that 'bronze badge' with him always.

A badge that says his status and name.

[ Student: Elijah Noe. Rank: F ]

Before heading out the door, his gaze fell on the newspaper lying on his doorstep. 

There was a bold headline grabbed his attention:

Unknowingly he picked it up and let himself a soft smile when he read it aloud.

"Nightmare Outbreak at XXXX Village: 217 People Saved, 59 citizens died. 73 Students safely evacuated, 1 Student Found Dead…"

****

On the other side, another person held the same newspaper.

Their hand rested on a single page, unmoving, as they maintained their posture despite the loud shout echoing behind them.

"What do you mean you refuse to investigate the situation further?"

The voice belonged to a silver-haired student.

Pinned to his right chest was a diamond flair bearing his rank.

[Student: Dohwun Winterhold, Rank: S]

"Why is it... only he who died?" Dohwun's voice cracked as he struggled to contain the anger etched across his face.

His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white, faint streaks of blood dripping from where his nails dug into his palms.

The headmaster, the object of his fury, sighed deeply. Lowering the newspaper, he met Dohwun's gaze with a weary expression.

"You should be grateful only one student died," the headmaster replied evenly. "Your brother acted recklessly, charging into danger without waiting for backup, despite being warned against it."

"I—"

"Are you suggesting that more people should have died to justify your brother's death?"

"..."

"Or perhaps you'd prefer someone else had died in his place?"

Dohwun froze. His lips parted, but no words came out.

As silence filled the office, the headmaster spoke again, rotating its chair and turning his back from Dohwun.

"This conversation is over. Leave the office if there's nothing else."

Dohwun's shoulders slumped in reluctant defeat. Bowing his head, he turned and left without another word. The door clicked shut behind him.

The headmaster let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples as he stood. He turned to the large window overlooking the academy's sprawling grounds.

"The Incident of the F-Class Student: Dae-Hyun."

There was no doubt it had been a "nightmare outbreak." Only an A-class Wolverin Nightmare could leave claw marks so massive or cause such a gruesome scene where not even a single bone remained.

And yet, something felt off.

The headmaster vividly recalled the moment he received news of the village attack. He had double-checked the students' status.

At that time, he had been certain all students were accounted for, safely evacuated, with none missing.

It wasn't until later that he realized something was amiss.

Dae-Hyun's profile had disappeared.

Was it an oversight?

Or...

Had someone deliberately erased his records to hide his disappearance from the academy?

It was fortunate only one student had died during the process.

The academy held no responsibility in handling an horde of nightmares without the King's order.

That lone casualty ensured the media's attention wouldn't spiral out of control. Even if it did, they wouldn't dare to pin the blame to the academy..

For the headmaster, all matters is that the academy's reputation would remain intact, and life could continue.

"..."

The headmaster frowned, massaging his temples again.

What kind of person thanks God for a student's death?

After a moment, he straightened, regaining his composure. From his desk drawer, he retrieved a stack of papers.

"Perhaps this was a warning from the deities," he murmured. "This time, the academy must grow stronger to prevent more casualties."

****

"Hey, trash!"

A shout echoed through the academy grounds, punctuated by the sharp 'thwack!' of a ball hurtling toward Elijah's face.

Elijah simply sidestepped effortlessly, having the projectile missed by mere inches. His dark blue ponytail swayed in sync, leaving the ball to collide with the wall behind him. 

The impact left a noticeable crack, yet Elijah barely reacted, inspecting his finger nails with disinterest.

Were these people his friends? Definitely not. Classmates? Not even close.

Judging by the silver badges pinned proudly to their chests, they were upperclassmen. Compared to his bronze badge, they might as well have been waving flags that read, "We're better than you." 

To Elijah, the most accurate term was simply: fellow humans.

"For an F-class loser, you've got some guts dodging like that."

The leader of the group, whom Elijah mentally dubbed Fellow Human A, clicked his tongue in irritation.

Elijah responded with an unassuming smile, unbothered by his remarks.

"Hahaha, please don't joke around, senior. If I hadn't dodged…" He gestured dramatically toward the cracked wall where the ball now lay in a sad heap. "I'd probably be dead."

"So? Does that give you the right to dodge?" Another lackey (Fellow Human B) stepped closer, invading Elijah's personal space. where their nose almost touches to one another.

"Ei, ei, dear senior~ we might actually kiss if you get any closer than this."

"Huh—"

"I'm just kidding. You must've forgotten, dear senior, I'm an author. My imagination tends to run wild."

The veins on Fellow Human B's forehead visibly pulsed as he grabbed Elijah by the collar, hoisting him into the air. His free hand curled into a fist, ready to land a satisfying punch.

Just as the fist swung forward, a female voice immediately shouted.

"Hey! The bell's already rung three times."

All heads turned toward the source.

A young woman with yellow hair neatly braided approached. Her uniform bore the same silver badge, but unlike the said bullies, her gaze was enough to put the group hesitated under her scrutiny.

"I don't care if you waste your time beating shit of him," she added while crossing her arms. "But as your class representative, you're bound to follow the rules. Get to class."

"Tch. You're lucky today, Class F." Fellow Human A spat, releasing Elijah with a shove.

One by one, they retreated, grumbling under their breath as they walked away.

'Well that was boring.'- Elijah thought to himself seeing those group of men leave in distance.

He smoothed out his crumpled collar, a wry smile remained on his lips as he spoke. 

"Senior Victoria, always saving my day as a white knight~ Ah, I feel so honored to be the damsel in distress."

Victoria simply frowned and looked away. "Shut up and go to class," she said, pausing. "This will be the last time I'm helping you."

"Okay!"

Elijah exclaimed, watching her figure leave.

As her shadows disappeared, Only then did his expression turn solemn as he bit his lip.

"2 hours left for the chapter 1..."