“Oh?” Vanitas raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the crowd gathered at the designated examination hall. “A lot more than I expected.”
Initially, only Ezra had shown up. Shortly after, Charlotte arrived, followed by Astrid, and then more students trickled in.
Vanitas had set a two-hour deadline to wait for everyone. Anyone who arrived late would be immediately disqualified thereafter.
Out of the eighty students in his lecture, more than half had managed to solve the first part and make it to the hall.
A total of 48 students.
They were at the highest point of the tower. Vanitas leaned casually against the railings, looking as if he might fall asleep at any moment.
“….”
The students exchanged murmurs, speculating what the examination would entail.
Suddenly, Vanitas straightened up and leaned back from the railing. With a nonchalant gesture, he pointed behind with his thumb.
“Here’s the test. Jump.”
The murmurs stopped instantly.
——W-What?
“Jump,” Vanitas repeated with a casual tone as if he were asking them to hand him a pen.
——….Is this a joke?
——Does he mean it literally?
Vanitas sighed, rubbing his temples. “Why are you all still standing here? I said jump.”
The students looked at each other, confusion and panic spreading across their faces.
——That’s insane!
——What’s at the bottom?
“You’ll find out. Or not. It depends on if you jump.”
“But—”
“Up to you,” he interrupted, leaning back and staring off into the distance.
Astrid clenched her fists, swallowing deeply. She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, then exhaled. When she opened her eyes, her gaze was steady.
“Okay,” she said.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
Gasps filled the air as Astrid suddenly rushed forward. Without hesitation, she climbed the railing and leapt off.
Swoosh——!
“….”
Everyone froze, wide-eyed and stunned. Vanitas glanced back briefly before turning to face the rest of the students.
“No one else wants to try?” he asked. “Even the Princess herself did it.”
“….”
The remaining students scrambled toward the railing and peered over the edge.
“She’s…. gone?” someone whispered in disbelief.
“Where did she go?”
Vanitas chuckled softly. “That’s for you to find out. Or you can stand here all day. Your choice.”
The students hesitated, considering their options.
“Fine!” Ezra suddenly declared and stepped forward. “I’ll go next.”
Swoosh——!
Without waiting for anyone’s response, he vaulted over the railing and disappeared from sight.
Charlotte took a deep breath, glancing briefly at Vanitas. Without a word, Charlotte stepped forward and jumped.
The remaining students stared at the railing, their expressions—a mix of fear and hesitation.
“Three down,” Vanitas said, breaking the silence. “What’s the matter? Afraid of heights?”
“What’s at the bottom?” one of them finally asked again.
“You’ll never know unless you jump.”
“Fine.”
Swoosh——!
One by one, the students followed, each taking their turn. Some hesitated longer than others, clutching the railing with trembling hands before finally jumping.
Vanitas watched as the crowd thinned out. For every hesitant step forward, there was a burst of courage or stubbornness driving the students to take the plunge.
As the last student lingered, staring over the edge, Vanitas looked at him.
“You don’t have to. But then you fail.”
The student clenched their fists, glanced at Vanitas, then jumped without another word.
When the final one disappeared over the edge, Vanitas exhaled and stretched.
“Not bad,” he muttered, peering over the railing.
There was no sign of anyone below. Not even a single trace.
Of course, there wouldn’t be.
He had set up a Fractal Veil, after all.
“Scaring the students like that, really?”
Voices from behind made him turn. Professor Dahlia and Professor Eamon approached, both eyeing him curiously.
The two professors, once skeptical of him, now carried a mix of respect and rivalry.
“What’s your plan with this, Professor?” Dahlia asked.
Vanitas turned back toward the railing, pausing briefly before answering.
“Nothing much. Just testing how well they work under pressure.”
“Is that so?” Dahlia said, leaning against the railing.
Eamon joined her. “Speaking of tests, when are you publishing that thesis of yours?”
“Thesis?”
“The one about the foundation circle.”
“That’s not the only thing I’m publishing.”
“Really?” Dahlia raised an eyebrow.
“You’ll see.”
***
“Uh–huh?”
Astrid looked around, confused. The place was nothing like the tower she had just leaped from.
She had jumped off the highest point due to her unconditional trust in the professor. Or maybe, deep down, she had hoped his magic would catch her.
But that didn’t happen.
Instead, she found herself in a different realm.
A Fractal Veil.
“So…. What do I do now?” Astrid glanced around.
The room she was in resembled a luxurious hotel suite. A large, plush bed with white sheets sat in the center, followed by two elegant bedside tables with glowing lamps.
Curious, Astrid walked to the door and opened it, stepping into a hallway lined with identical doors.
“It really is a hotel….”
Still, she frowned.
“What am I supposed to do?”
The professor’s only instruction had been to jump. He didn’t even mention anything about a Fractal Veil during the fall.
Astrid wandered through the empty hallway and came across a sliding glass door.
She opened it and stepped onto a small balcony. When she looked outside, all she saw was a bleak, dark-gray sky. The Fractal Veil was devoid of anything except the strange hotel.
“Hmm….” She frowned. “There has to be more to this.”
As she was about to turn back inside, a voice called out from behind her.
“Yo, Princess.”
Astrid spun around and saw Ezra approaching.
It seemed like he was the only one who had jumped right after her.
“Commoner.”
Ezra joined her on the balcony, leaning on the railing as he stared out at the endless void beyond the hotel.
“What the hell are we supposed to do here?” Ezra asked.
Astrid shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. The professor didn’t exactly leave instructions.”
Ezra sighed and shook his head. “Figures.”
Silence lingered for a moment as they both stared out into the bleak void beyond the balcony.
Then Ezra broke the quiet.
“Professor Vanitas. You trust him, don’t you?”
“Ah?” Astrid blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. “Well, yes. He’s a competent professor. Much better than the ones I had in high school.”
“Hmm. I agree,” Ezra said, nodding. “But…. why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you trust him?” Ezra turned to face her. “Especially defending him in front of your friends who doubted him. I mean, I like the professor too, but I don’t think I’d argue with people I’ve known for years for the sake of someone I’ve only known for three months.”
Astrid remained silent for a moment. She seemed to be carefully choosing her words.
Finally, she spoke.
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Not like I have any friends to tell it to.”
“Fair,” Astrid replied with a small nod. “Then…. where do I begin?”
Sighing, her eyes softened and her tone grew serious.
“The Astreas.… They’re just like my family.”
Ezra raised an eyebrow. “The Imperial Family? How so?”
“No, maybe they’ve had it even rougher than us,” she said, shaking her head.
“Rougher? What do you mean?”
“Professor Vanitas and Charlotte. They lost their mother when they were young.”
“I see.”
He remembered the controversy surrounding the death of the Imperial Queen Julia, Astrid’s mother. Despite his usual disdain for nobility, Ezra found it hard to hate her.
People had their own stories, after all. Ezra wasn’t ignorant to know that.
“Apparently, it was due to an illness. And just recently, their father passed too. Maybe that’s why I feel connected to the Astreas.”
“Ah.”
An illness. It clicked for Ezra. It explained why Astrid paid close attention to Charlotte and often stayed close to Professor Vanitas.
The same way Queen Julia, Astrid’s mother, had died from an illness.
“I only found out about this recently. Don’t tell Charlotte, okay?” Astrid added.
“Yeah, got it.”
——Don’t tell me what?
A sudden voice interrupted them, and they both turned around to see Charlotte walking toward them from down the hallway.
“Charlotte!” Astrid exclaimed, her face flushing. “How long have you been there?”
“Just now.”
“Oh, okay.”
“So? What were you two talking about?” Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s nothing serious,” Astrid tried to shift the topic. “How did you find us anyway? Weren’t you in another room?”
Charlotte shrugged. “I was wandering around and heard voices. You two aren’t exactly quiet.”
Astrid shot Ezra a quick glare. “See what you did?”
“Me?! You were the one talking!”
***
Time passed, and more students emerged from the hotel rooms. Nothing happened, but that fact alone was unsettling.
There was no announcement, nor any instructions. Just a growing sense of unease, making their patience wear thin.
What exactly was the purpose of this test?
———!
Suddenly, an ominous sound resounded through the air, sending a shiver down everyone’s spine.
“What was that?” someone whispered.
Students began looking around, trying to locate the source of the noise.
“Guys… L–Look!” a student near the window stammered, pointing outside.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
Everyone rushed to the window.
“….”
“What the hell is that?!” another shouted.
Outside, monsters of all shapes and sizes were stampeding toward the hotel
At first, fear spread among the students. But it didn’t take long for them to calm down as they began to piece things together.
“So, we just have to clear that wave, right?” one asked.
“Seems like it.”
“Guess it’s pretty straightforward,” another said, sounding unimpressed. “I expected more from the professor.”
Without wasting time, the students rushed outside to face the incoming monsters.
The air filled with the sound of chanting as spells were cast in rapid succession. Each student worked together, covering one another’s weak spots.
The clash began.
Crackle——!
Magic exploded. Fireballs roared, ice shards pierced, and barriers flared to life. The students gave it their all, throwing themselves into the fight courageously.
“Hold the line!” one student yelled, summoning a massive earth shield to block an incoming wave of smaller creatures.
“Watch your left!” another shouted, sending a bolt of lightning to take down a beast lunging toward their classmate.
Despite their teamwork, the sheer number of monsters was overwhelming. It became clear that this wasn’t going to be as simple as they first thought.
Swoosh——!
Astrid clasped her hands tightly, focusing her strength to control the magnetism of her metal magic. Golden swords materialized around her, slicing through the monsters.
On Ezra’s side, jagged bolts of plasma blazed through the air, leaving scorched earth in their wake.
As always, Astrid and Ezra, the top students in their class, stood out. Their skill and power placed them in a league of their own.
Meanwhile, Charlotte unleashed a variety of magic at an astonishing pace. Waves of fire, ice, and wind ripped through the monster horde. Her attacks were relentless, forcing the creatures back.
“Hoo….”
“Haaa…. Finally….”
After what felt like an eternity, the group managed to clear the wave. Exhausted, they slumped to the ground, breathing heavily.
“No announcement?” one of the students asked, glancing around.
“Maybe the professor forgot about us?” someone joked half-heartedly, drawing a few tired laughs.
As the group started to relax, minutes passed by.
Yet, nothing happened.
“….”
“Guys….”
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
“What is it?” Ezra asked.
“Look….” The student pointed ahead with shaky hands.
The group followed their gaze, and their exhaustion turned to dread. In the distance, more shadows emerged. They were much bigger, and they seemed faster too.
——No way….
It wasn’t over.
——You’ve got to be kidding me!
It was just the beginning.
***
“That’s really cruel, Professor….”
“They need to learn the reality,” Vanitas responded to Dahlia.
He had just explained the purpose of the test. For students who had the patience and skill to solve the first puzzle, their next challenge was an endurance test.
But calling it an “endurance test” felt like an understatement.
“So, if the monsters manage to kill them?” Eamon asked, frowning.
“They’re deleted from the Veil,” Vanitas answered matter-of-factly.
“And they have to keep this up for 24 hours?
Vanitas nodded. “It’s a test of resilience. How long can they last? Can they manage internal conflicts and push through with conviction under pressure?”
For students who had coasted through the initial test by relying on their classmates, this was their moment of truth.
They could either prove themselves or face a harsh reality check.
In a real-world scenario, if demons ever attacked—just like in the game—the students needed to be prepared.
Scholars and researchers were important, and Vanitas respected those career choices.
However, no matter how knowledgeable someone was about magic, lacking combat skills could be a fatal flaw.
Fighting one-on-one was one thing, but handling an entire horde while managing supplies during a siege was an entire different story.
“I’ll come back and check,” Vanitas said, turning away from the scene.
The two professors, Dahlia and Eamon, followed him as they left the rooftop of the magic tower.
There was a more pressing matter Vanitas needed to address.
After parting ways with the professors, Vanitas returned to his office.
Inside, Karina was busy sorting through a pile of documents. She had just resumed her duties a few days ago after recovering from her fever.
“Karina,” Vanitas called.
“Yes, Professor?” she replied, looking up.
“I’ll be going somewhere,” he said. “There’s a chance I won’t be back until the day after tomorrow. If that happens, can you manage the students?”
Karina paused for a moment before nodding. “Of course, Professor. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Alright.”
As he reached the door, he paused and turned back.
“One more thing. If I’m not back, make sure Charlotte doesn’t leave the university.”
“Ah?”
“At all costs,” he added. “That’s an order from her guardian.”
“….Okay.”
After the brief exchange, he left the University Tower.
A few days ago, he had received a black hand—a letter from the mafia.
The Gambino Family.
He was being accused of being a traitor.
And because of that, a target was now on his back.
To keep Charlotte safe, he had altered the test to last a full day. He planned on handling this himself.
“24 hours.”
That’s how long he gave himself to resolve the issue.