The class was finally dismissed.
After what felt like hours of instructors drilling more lessons into their heads, Hope stepped out of the training grounds, his mind heavy but his body moving on autopilot.
Tomorrow was the big day.
Tomorrow, they would enter the Veil.
And yet—
All he could think about right now was getting food.
His feet carried him to the cafeteria, where students were already seated in small groups, whispering anxiously.
Some looked excited.
Most looked nervous.
Hope, as usual, ignored them all.
He walked straight to the counter, ordered his food, then scanned the room for an empty table.
He found one near the back.
Perfect.
With his plate in hand, he sat down, hunched over his meal, and began eating in slow, steady movements.
He wasn't rushing.
He wasn't starving.
But he also wasn't wasting time.
Eating was just another part of preparation.
A full stomach meant more energy for whatever awaited him tomorrow.
Hope had barely finished half his plate when, from the corner of his eye, he noticed someone sitting down beside him.
His grip on his spoon tightened slightly.
But he didn't react.
Didn't turn.
Didn't acknowledge them.
Just kept eating.
"Greetings are too tiring."
If he ignored them, they'd probably go away.
…
Except they didn't.
Hope finished the last bite of his food, exhaled quietly, then finally turned his head—
Only to freeze in mild surprise.
It was her.
The same girl who had sat beside him on the way to the training.
She sat calmly, not saying a word, just watching him.
Now that he saw her up close again, he was struck by just how different she looked compared to him.
She had fair skin, almost glowing under the dim cafeteria lights.
Her long, white hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, looking impossibly perfect.
Her blue eyes were clear, sharp, holding an unreadable expression.
Even her eyebrows were a delicate shade of white.
She looked like someone crafted rather than born—
A porcelain figure.
Unlike Hope.
His dark hair was always a mess, no matter what he did to it.
His pale skin didn't glow.
It just made him look ghostly.
And his sharp features?
More unsettling than elegant.
If she looked like a perfectly sculpted statue, then he looked like something born from the shadows.
Hope blinked.
Then, without thinking, he muttered—
"You again?"