Chapter 7 - The First Night at Valmere
It took several minutes before Lyra finally escaped the embarrassment created entirely by Amy.
Unfortunately—
Amy showed absolutely no regret about the situation.
"You should've seen your face," Amy laughed while fixing her hair in front of the mirror. "I genuinely thought your soul left your body."
"It almost did."
"That poor girl probably thinks we're secretly dating now."
Lyra, who had finally changed into proper clothes after spiritually recovering from the incident, looked deeply exhausted already.
"You made it worse on purpose."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You absolutely do."
Amy grinned proudly instead of denying it.
The room slowly settled afterward while evening deepened beyond the dormitory windows. Golden light faded into cooler shades of blue while distant academy bells echoed somewhere across the campus.
For the first time since arriving at Valmere—
the academy no longer felt temporary.
And somehow, that realization felt stranger than expected.
Amy suddenly stood up energetically.
"Alright," she announced dramatically, "time for dinner."
"That sounds exhausting."
"That's because you describe every activity like a dying soldier."
"I conserve energy."
"But I think you're worse than a dying soldier, because at least such a person would still have enough energy for a last supper. Meanwhile you..."
Amy gave her a deeply judgmental look before laughing.
Lyra narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What was that supposed to mean?"
"Guess."
Amy gave a playful smile before grabbing her sleeve and dragging her toward the door.
Several dormitory corridors were already crowded by the time they left the room.
Freshmen filled nearly every hallway, many already wearing portions of their academy uniforms while others carried books, luggage, or stacks of orientation papers they clearly had not read properly.
Conversations echoed constantly around them.
Nervous excitement.
Arguments.
Laughter.
Occasional panic.
Unlike Lyra, Amy adapted to the atmosphere almost instantly.
She somehow greeted three different students within the first hallway alone.
"How do you already know this many people?" Lyra asked quietly.
"I talked to them earlier."
"When?"
"While you were emotionally fighting with the concept of social interaction."
"That sounds inaccurate."
Amy looked toward her flatly.
"Does it?"
Unfortunately—
not entirely.
Lyra couldn't defend herself properly after that.
As they descended toward the lower academy levels, the atmosphere gradually shifted.
The architecture itself became grander.
Large crystal chandeliers illuminated the enormous central corridors while silver academy crests decorated the stone walls beside banners representing different divisions of Valmere.
Combat Division.
Magic Theory.
Alchemy.
Beast Studies.
Rune Engineering.
Technological Advancement.
The deeper they walked into the academy, the more overwhelming the scale became.
Eventually the massive dining hall appeared ahead of them.
And even Lyra slowed slightly.
The hall itself looked more like a royal palace than a student cafeteria.
Enormous arched ceilings stretched high overhead beneath floating crystal lights while long silver-lined tables extended across the massive chamber. Hundreds of students already filled the hall, their conversations blending into one overwhelming wave of noise.
At the far end stood an elevated platform where several senior students and academy staff members were gathered.
Amy looked impressed immediately.
"...Okay," she admitted quietly. "This is slightly cooler than I expected."
"Slightly?"
"Alright fine. This place looks ridiculously expensive."
"That sounds more honest."
Students gradually continued filling the hall while academy staff guided newcomers toward seating areas based on divisions and year groups.
The freshmen section remained especially chaotic.
Some students nervously introduced themselves while others already looked ready to start lifelong rivalries over seating arrangements.
Amy somehow started speaking with another group almost immediately after sitting down.
Lyra still didn't understand how she did that.
One moment Amy was silent.
The next moment she was apparently involved in a conversation about academy uniforms with three strangers.
"...You really adapt quickly," Lyra observed quietly.
Amy looked toward her before smiling lightly.
"You don't."
"That wasn't phrased as a question."
"Because I already know the answer."
Before Lyra could respond, the lights within the enormous hall dimmed slightly.
The noise gradually lowered afterward.
A tall senior student stepped forward onto the elevated platform near the front of the hall.
Unlike the freshmen, the older students carried themselves differently.
Sharper.
More disciplined.
Like the academy had already carved something into them over time.
The senior standing at the front wore a dark navy uniform lined with silver insignias across the shoulders.
His voice echoed clearly throughout the hall.
"Welcome to Valmere Academy."
The remaining conversations disappeared almost immediately.
"My name is Cedric Arthen. Third Year. Current student council president."
His presence alone silenced the room naturally.
Not through fear.
Through control.
"You are no longer applicants," Cedric continued calmly. "You are now students of Valmere. Which means from this point onward, your failures belong to the academy as much as your achievements do."
The atmosphere shifted slightly afterward.
More serious now.
"Over the next several years, this academy will teach you how to survive beyond the barrier."
Several students unconsciously looked toward the distant western side of the academy.
Toward the forest.
"Some of you came here seeking glory," Cedric continued. "Some came seeking status. Some came because your families demanded it."
His gaze slowly moved across the hall.
"Valmere does not care."
Silence filled the room completely now.
"The Black Forest does not care about noble blood. Monsters do not care about talent. And the battlefield does not care how special you believed yourself to be before arriving here."
Even Amy had gone quiet beside Lyra.
"Here, rankings matter. Discipline matters. Strength matters."
Behind Cedric, glowing symbols slowly appeared across the massive crystal display suspended above the stage.
Class rankings.
Mission systems.
Combat points.
Restricted zones.
Tower permissions.
"You will attend combat and theory classes simultaneously. You will participate in field training missions near the outer barrier zones beginning this year."
A faint wave of tension spread across the freshmen.
"Certain sections of the academy are restricted without permission. Curfew begins at midnight. Unauthorized entry into the western forest zones will result in immediate disciplinary action."
One student near the back quietly muttered,
"So basically don't die."
Unfortunately—
the entire hall heard him.
Cedric stared toward the student silently.
"...Yes. That would be academically preferable.
Laughter immediately broke part of the tension afterward.
Even Lyra almost smiled slightly.
Almost.
The orientation continued for some time after that.
Different division leaders explained schedules, training expectations, ranking evaluations, and mission systems while students listened with varying levels of terror.
Amy whispered occasionally beside her.
"I think they're threatening us professionally."
"That does seem to be the atmosphere."
"At least the food looks expensive."
"That's your priority?"
"Girl, here everything is about the survival of the fittest."
"But all I can currently see is the survival of a foodie."
Amy stared at her dramatically.
"...That was actually good."
"I regret saying it already."
Both of them quietly laughed afterward.
Eventually dinner itself finally began.
The atmosphere relaxed significantly once food arrived.
Freshmen conversations resumed immediately while excitement slowly replaced earlier nervousness.
Amy once again adapted terrifyingly fast.
At some point she had apparently learned three student names, their hometowns, and unnecessary gossip about a second-year duel.
Meanwhile Lyra quietly observed more than participated.
Not lonely exactly.
Just separate.
The academy felt alive around her.
Too alive.
And yet—
for the first time in a long time—
the feeling no longer seemed entirely unpleasant.
Still—
she could feel eyes on her occasionally.
Careful looks.
Curious whispers.
A dual affinity user was not something people ignored easily.
Much later, after dinner finally ended, students gradually began leaving the hall in groups beneath the dim academy lights.
Outside the tower windows, night had fully settled over Valmere.
Amy stretched dramatically while walking beside Lyra.
"Tomorrow is the first official day."
"I feel nervous."
Amy blinked before looking toward her.
"...You actually admitted that surprisingly easily."
"What do you mean? I am a human too.."
"Yeah you are..."
After a moment, Amy smiled lightly.
"I'm nervous too."
The dormitory corridors felt quieter by the time they returned. Some students still wandered through the common areas while others already sat buried beneath schedules and academy handbooks with expressions of complete despair.
Inside the room, Amy immediately collapsed backward onto her bed dramatically.
"I've decided something important."
Lyra quietly placed her academy schedule onto the desk beside her bed.
"What?"
"I don't think I'll be able to attend morning classes."
"What do you mean? It's mandatory, right"
Amy groaned before covering her face with one arm.
"I'm serious. I'm a night owl, not an early riser."
"You say that like it's a rare medical condition."
"It is a medical condition."
"I don't think that's medically recognized."
"That's because society is unfair to people like me."
Lyra looked unconvinced.
Amy pointed accusingly toward her from the bed.
"You're judging me because you look like someone who wakes up before sunrise voluntarily."
"I do. But like you, I'm also a night owl. The previous academy just forced that habit into me."
Amy looked genuinely horrified.
"That's horrifying."
For some reason—
Lyra almost smiled slightly.
Outside the dorm window, the distant academy lights glowed beneath the endless night sky.
Tomorrow—
classes would begin.
And whether she liked it or not—
Valmere was no longer simply a place she entered.
It had already started becoming part of her life.
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