After a period of focused writing, Sylvie leaned back in her chair and stretched. "So, that's it, we're done, right?"
She was the one responsible for writing most of the content, so it was understandable that she felt tired.
Irina glanced at the report and nodded in agreement. "That's right, the content is comprehensive. We've covered the analysis, the map discoveries, and the conclusions we've drawn."
Although Irina initially intended to write it herself, her and Morse's handwriting was almost illegible.
"Can you even read it?" When Morse asked this question, Sylvie looked at him with an expression that said, "How dare you ask me such a question with handwriting like that?"
"..."
"Okay, okay, my bad." Morse waved his hand, knowing his handwriting wasn't great.
Actually, it wasn't that bad... it's just that Sylvie's handwriting was neater, at least that's what he thought. But Sylvie made a big contribution for the teaching assistants who would be reviewing the paper.
"Let's go submit the report to the professor; we've covered all the necessary content," Irina announced, picking up the report. However, the other two didn't follow her.
"Huh? What are you waiting for?"
Morse raised an eyebrow, responding, "Why do we all have to go? You can submit it yourself; our names are already on the report." His tone was somewhat nonchalant.
"You! You're going to make me go alone?"
"Are you a child? Just go by yourself. It's not like you need someone to accompany you," Morse retorted.
Irina considered his suggestion and realized the problem with it. After a brief pause, she nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll go myself. I thought we could grab something to eat afterward, but I guess that was just wishful thinking."
"It's fine; I'm going to the cafeteria anyway. And you usually don't go to the cafeteria."
"How do you know that?"
"Everyone knows you're a picky eater."
"I know, that's why I said it."
"What happened in the dungeon?" Sylvie asked with an innocent tone.
"Well, this is..." Just as Morse started to speak, Irina quickly interrupted him, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
"It's nothing, just some minor stuff; I'm going to submit the report," Irina interjected hurriedly, standing up and leaving the library's soundproof room to prevent Morse from revealing more details.
Before she left, she shot Morse a threatening glare, but Morse just shrugged.
Sylvie, though curious, didn't press further; she looked at Morse, waiting for his explanation.
"That's not something I should reveal," Morse replied coolly.
"..."
Hearing him say this, Sylvie felt confused but didn't ask any further.
'It's not like it's a national secret.'
She muttered to herself, but she held back, knowing that Morse wouldn't say anything anyway. She was curious, but she understood that pressing further would only make the atmosphere more awkward.
With just the two of them left, Sylvie broke the silence.
"Since we have time now, I wanted to ask about something."
"About combat?" Morse followed up.
"Yes."
Morse considered it for a moment, then said, "Let me see your schedule first; we can find a time that works for both of us."
Sylvie opened her schedule on her watch, which neatly listed her classes, study times, and other arrangements. She handed it to him without hesitation.
Seeing this, his eyes widened slightly. Everything was planned in such detail, and he realized how dangerous it would be if someone targeting her found this information.
"You shouldn't trust people so easily," he said softly, looking at the schedule and mentally noting the times.
Although his voice was low, Sylvie could see the change in his emotions. She saw a hint of concern.
Sylvie shrugged, "I'm not this trusting with everyone."
Morse raised an eyebrow, glancing at her. "Then why did you show it to me?"
"Because I trust you," Sylvie answered simply, meeting his gaze. However, when her eyes met his, she saw a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Then she realized what she had just said, and her face instantly turned red.
"..."
Morse continued to stare at her, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. She felt like she had made a mistake.
There was no way she could say, "I've been watching you, and I can see how you feel. You're not the kind of person who would hurt others carelessly."
So, she became even more embarrassed and quickly made an excuse.
"I... we're teammates now, right? Shouldn't I trust you?"
'I feel safe when I'm with you.'
She couldn't bring herself to say those words either because it was too embarrassing.
Morse's expression remained inscrutable, his suspicion evident. Sylvie felt the need to explain further, so she stammered out a bunch of excuses: "I... I mean, I couldn't find anyone else to help."
Morse's gaze didn't waver as Sylvie gave her explanation.
'Aren't your friends all melee fighters?' he wanted to ask, but he didn't.
After a moment, he nodded. "Okay, no need to explain so much; I understand."
Sylvie breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like an eternity had passed, and Morse handed her schedule back to her.
Morse pointed out the free time in her schedule. "I won't push you too hard at first; we can train during these times." He pointed to two two-hour slots each week.
Sylvie nodded, her heart filled with gratitude. "Thank you for being willing to help me."
Morse nodded as well. "It's nothing. But remember, physical exercise is important. Do some physical training with your friends when you have time. If I remember correctly, they're both melee fighters and should know how to train themselves. You need to increase your strength and stamina while improving your combat skills. I noticed when we were walking that you neglect physical training."
Sylvie lowered her head because she knew this herself. Danielle and Molly often asked her to train with them, but she refused because it reminded her of her trauma. But now she decided to face those difficulties, knowing she had to improve her physical fitness.
"You're right," Sylvie admitted, her voice filled with determination and hesitation. "I'll try to exercise, it's just... some things are difficult for me."
Morse was silent for a moment, realizing that he was the first person to bring up her scars. He nodded and said softly, "It's okay; at least you've taken the first step. That in itself is progress."
"...Thank you."
"Good, then I'll see you at the club tomorrow."
"Ah, right... we have a meeting..."
She had completely forgotten about it.
Seeing him leave, she waved her hand. "Take care."
"You too."
And just like that, the two returned to their respective dormitories.
......
"Tch, bastard."
Irina muttered under her breath as she left the room, annoyed by Morse's nonchalant attitude.
She immediately headed to the professor's office to submit the paper, trying to avoid any interaction with that jerk who always irritated her.
As she walked towards her room, still sulking, her watch suddenly vibrated, receiving a message, seeing a group chat notification.
[Julia: Hey, everyone... I'm planning to meet up at the usual spot. Are you guys coming? (●'◡'●)]
Then, she added some emoticons, emphasizing the friendly nature of the invitation.
[Julia: ??? Usual place, burgers and game night. How about it?]
Seeing the typo, Irina couldn't help but shake her head.
[Alice: I'm not coming, I'm busy. Also, type correctly; it's annoying to read.]
[Julia: I'm not writing a paper.]
[Alice: Doesn't matter, type correctly.]
Seeing these messages, she naturally smiled. Ever since the holiday ended, she had been struggling to cope with assignments.
She mostly didn't like playing games because she couldn't play them at home. Her mother always forbade her from touching these... so she naturally wasn't interested in the idea.
[Alice: A new game has been released, and it's pretty good. It's called 'Spirit Realm,' and it connects to our smartwatches, so we can play anytime, anywhere.]
[Julia: ??? Imagine, an open-world game where you can explore different realms, and the game adapts based on your location, with cool quests and challenges. And you can play without needing to prepare anything.]
Seeing these messages, she couldn't help but feel interested. After all, games that could connect to smartwatches weren't common.
[Ethan: Sounds interesting, so how do we play?]
[Julia: Well, you need to order special equipment.]
[Ethan: You said we didn't need anything.]
[Julia: ? Never mind, I've already ordered the equipment; it's in my room.]
[Ethan: Well, I don't really play games, but I need something to distract me. I'm in.]
[Julia: Anyone else?]
[Irina: I'm coming.]
As she hummed a light tune, Irina nodded, a slight smile on her face. She browsed through her smartwatch, her fingers flying across the screen, searching for the 'Spirit Realm' game.
The prospect of exploring different realms and participating in quests appealed to her, offering her a chance to escape from the pressure of studying and her recent frustrations.
She had also recently read an article about how video games can improve spatial awareness and motor reflexes, which was helpful to her. So, she was actually improving herself while relaxing.
"That's right."
She nodded at her perfect reasoning, a smile on her face.
......
"Ha... ha..."
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Under the night-darkened sky, heavy breathing echoed.
"Don't come closer..."
Her desperate plea cut through the eerie silence, her eyes darting around, anxiety consuming her.
The dim light of the streetlamps cast long shadows, bringing an ominous premonition.
"No, no, no..."
She tried to drag her injured leg but felt unable to move.
She scanned her surroundings, her gaze nervously sweeping through the surrounding shadows.
Rustling leaves mimicked demonic whispers, intensifying her anxiety. The cold wind carried a supernatural murmur, while the tapping persisted, like a threatening heartbeat.
"Why? Why are you doing this..."
Just as she desperately turned to run, the shadowy figure lunged at her, obscuring the last ray of light before her eyes.
"Ah--!"
Her vision was suddenly engulfed in darkness, and a spine-chilling scream pierced the night sky, the sound suppressed by an unseen force.
"Ugh!"
The streetlights flickered erratically, responding to the evil unfolding in the dark corners of the night, her body convulsing beneath the sky.
"I need more, I want more..."
In the chilling wind, a pair of crimson eyes opened, creating an eerie atmosphere, and the body went limp and lifeless.
