The students shared a low murmur as the teacher came up to the front of the classroom to her desk. Ms. Richern organized the test results in her hand and looked over her class. They were all looking at her in anticipation. She smiled and began.

“Alright, everyone! When I call your name, come up and retrieve your results,” she announced.

She cleared her throat and called the students out alphabetically.

“Adrian. Anabel. Austin…Cale. Dax…”

The teacher reached for the next sheet and smiled in satisfaction.

“Demund.”

Demund got up from his seat and headed towards the front of the class. Ms. Richern handed the paper to him with proud eyes. What a good student, she thought. It had been the first test of the class, and Demund had scored perfectly.

Demund looked over his results in satisfaction and returned to his seat. Ever since the dreams had started, he could remember everything so clearly. He didn’t have a photographic memory, but he could recall things he had studied the night before most of the time. It felt totally different from when he was in middle school where he only roughly remembered things after cramming them the night before. Well, he had put a lot of effort into improving himself. He visited the library every day after school if he ran out of Science books to read and always reviewed class material after his run with Enariss. He just had so much time left now that he had quit all his games and manga.

He still wanted to see them. But he resisted the impulses. He had seven days in a fantasy world, after all. It would be a shame to waste any more time on fake things.

He went through the day receiving his results from various classes. A full score on Biology. 94% on Math. He was confident in his memorization skills regarding science because he had so much fun reading them. But since he had never actually solved everything, his scores for equation-based problems were a bit behind. Well, he’d get used to them in no time. They weren’t that hard, just a tad bit confusing.

〄 〄 〄

“No fair! How can you guys be so smart!” complained Rhyne.

“I just memorize things, I guess,” replied Demund.

“Me too? You need to exercise less and put more time into studying, Rhyne,” explained Riley. “At least you’re the top scorer for PE. And besides, your scores aren’t that bad—it’s just that ours are much better.”

Rhyne crossed his arms and scrunched his eyebrows. “Your ability is too cheap,” he told Riley.

“I still have to try hard. From a logical standpoint, yours is much cooler.”

Demund had discovered over the month that Rhyne’s ability was C class – Enhanced Senses. To put it more simply, time slowed down a little for Rhyne if he concentrated. He always excelled in sports thanks to his ability to process the situation better. Most of the balls he kicked or threw hit their mark.

They were chilling at the benches behind the school building that overlooked the track field. It was a perfect resting spot during lunch break; the tall building cast a cool shadow over the area, making it more relaxing. Riley drank out of a juice box while Demund looked over his notes as Rhyne through some rapid punches in the air.

“Hmph. I guess. Maybe we should start a study group.”

“It didn’t work out during middle school, did it,” said Riley.

“That was different! We’re in high school now,” Rhyne replied. “It’s time I get serious and stop playing around. Hey Riley, if I do start a study group, you’ll join me?”

“Sure. Why not.”

“How about you, Demund?”

Demund looked up from his notes and looked at Rhyne. A study group? It sounded fun, but he also had the running session every day with Enariss. It was past eight when he finished and around nine when he returned home and took a shower. The time could be a little tricky.

“I’m free after nine. But if you study until then, I’ll join.”

“Alright! We start next week.”

“Why not today?” asked Riley.

“We just finished our tests! I need time to rest. And play games.”

“That’s procrastination.”

“Who cares.”

Riley rolled his eyes and threw his juice box into a nearby trash can. He made a small victory pose after it went in. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The trio picked up their bags.

“Well, see you later guys,” said Riley. “You guys have Language Arts now, right?”

“Yeah. See you in History next, Riley,” said Rhyne.

They walked together into the school and Demund and Rhyne separated from Riley to get to their classes.

“I really hope I did good on my quiz,” said Rhyne.

Demund agreed. Language was not his forte. Memorizing the words was simple enough, but reading passages, finding the author’s intent, and solving the questions was exhausting. It pained him when he thought about what score he might have scored. Seriously, Language was hard.

Rhyne, on the other hand, was surprisingly good at Language. Because he could use his ability to slow down time for himself, he could finish the passage and start answering the questions before almost any other student. By the time Demund had finished reading, Rhyne was already on his fifth question.

Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses.

〄 〄 〄

After school, Demund waved goodbye to Riley and Rhyne as they headed off into the Specials’ Building for their MMA club activities. Upon seeing them enter and vanish from his sight, and turned his body around to the Library, which was right in front of the building. It was time to return his old book and fetch new ones. He really had to read more of the biology and anatomy-related material right now. Ever since he moved to Danark in his other world, he hadn’t been able to practice any large-scale magic. The area was just had too many eyes, and although there were frequent occasions when he could enjoy some privacy, he didn’t have an empty field or forest to cast his magic on.

For the last few months in the dream, he had read all of the books present inside his house. Rother had brought books home on body-strengthening and basic swordsmanship which were interesting to read—but they gave him no real knowledge of spells. He was practically bored to death, shooting little fire bullets or wind blades at random bugs or rats nearby. Maybe occasionally some birds, but with the greater risk of people seeing.

So, after contemplation, he had decided to actualize his thoughts of learning healing magic, and maybe some muscle-enhancing magic on top of that. He wanted to ask his parents for books on spells until he discovered on the internet that two-year-olds could only speak in two words. Learning the incantations of that world would have wait until much later.

But! The knowledge he could obtain in reality was limitless. On top of that, healing and enhancing magic would be free from any destruction or consequences. It was the perfect solution to his boredom. He had already learned how to heal a sore after finding one on his plump, baby leg. He wondered how far he could go.

Demund entered the Library as the dark, wooden doors automatically slid open for him. For him, the Library was the most beautiful building on the campus. Almost all of it was built with stone and wood, giving it an old, ancient and dignified mood to it. Various statues and intricate designs decorated the outer walls of the Library, enhancing its allure even further. The inside was even greater; the sweet, musty smell of old books filled Demund’s nostrils as he took a deep breath. The grand chandeliers hung over the high bookshelves, illuminating the broad lobby in a dull white and orange light. The other floors of the library were visible above the shelves, also filled with rows and rows of books and occasional seats. Whoever created this place had realized the importance of antiquity and atmosphere.

A moderate librarian’s desk was right in front of the entrance, stacked with books to be shelved. The librarian himself, an old man with grey hair and beard, was flipping through the pages of a thick book through his glasses. Demund approached him and set his books on the ‘Return Here’ section of the desk. The librarian looked up briefly from his book and nodded to Demund. He then resumed reading.

Demund knew where the Science books were. He navigated through the maze of shelves and found the area he was looking for. The books were stacked neatly on a long shelf, separated into Life Science and Physical Science. There were also other Science sections such as Social and Formal, but he had found them to be useless for now. He moved in front of the Life Science section and picked out Anatomy and Physiology. Just in case, he also took Biology 2 after quickly inspecting its contents.

He took the books and went up the circular stairs nearby. He liked reading where fewer people were present, and the upstairs rooms provided that. He found himself an empty table in one of the corners of the third floor and started reading.

〄 〄 〄

Demund’s moderate and Enariss’s light footsteps echoed on the road as Demund sprinted and Enariss jogged under the streetlights. Demund was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face. But his eyes were full of determination and confidence. Enariss didn’t like that.

She glanced over at Demund. Arggh, this was all wrong! He didn’t look exhausted enough! She increased her pace and Demund swiftly but heavily followed behind her. After some time, she looked at Demund again. He was panting even more furiously than before. She liked that. She liked seeing people try to keep her pace as they struggled in their weak bodies. Satisfied with the speed, she maintained it. It had to be just right so that Demund would be filled with pain but not give up. She loved pushing people to their limits.

“Hey, Enariss,” Demund muttered under his breath. “You are in the special class, right? At TISE.”

Enariss hid her shocked inner self and turned to Demund. He had enough energy to speak? He shouldn’t have improved that much yet! She knew how much they had run the past month, so she thought she understood Demund’s limits. And yet the boy spoke.

“Yes, I am,” she replied nicely.

“I heard you are the top of your class,” he continued, “in both grades and fitness.”

“I’m surprised you knew.”

“Everyone knows.”

They continued to run in silence as Demund huffed to catch his breath. Enariss was slightly curious about what Demund was going to ask, so she didn’t raise her speed. Doing so would also make his affection for her to lower, which she didn’t want either. She had to be the one he would trust the most before she utterly broke him at the end. Some kindness was necessary for that.

“So? Anything else?” she asked. “I’ll answer as much as I can.”

Demund quickly wiped the sweat off his head and prepared himself to speak again. He was in considerable agony, but it was bearable. Running with the bike had helped.

“I want to get in next year. I heard being at the top of your class will get you in.”

Well, this was good news for Enariss. It would be easier to play with the boy if he entered the special class. While she didn’t care, it made the situation more enjoyable for her. The more they struggled to rise, the better.

“Yes. That’s true. Is that what you’re going to do?” asked Enariss.

Demund caught his breath once more and blinked his eyes. It seriously hurt to speak, but this was the only chance he would get.

“Yup. I’m going to enter a study group.”

Demund clenched his teeth and ran next to Enariss. She was slightly startled. He still had energy to spare?

“Would you like to join? It would be a tremendous help,” Demund said while breathing furiously. They were almost at the house. He could—no, he would keep this speed even if it killed him. It hurt so much. He couldn’t feel his legs.

They arrived and stopped finally. Demund hunched over and grasped his knees while letting the exhaustion wash over him as he forced himself to breath slower. It. Hurt. Enariss still hadn’t answered yet. Well, she’d likely refuse. She was special, he was normal. It was by pure luck that he had met her. Maybe he was pushing his luck too far.

“Sure! I’ll join!” answered Enariss with a smile of her face. She made the gesture of fanning herself as a drop of sweat went down her smooth neck. She’d entertain them for a bit. After all, Demund had shown more resilience than she had thought. He would be a fun toy to keep around.

Demund couldn’t believe his ears. He choked on some spit and coughed to his embarrassment. No. This was reality. A girl, a beautiful one at that, had agreed to study with him. He relaxed his muscles and straightened his back, taking slow breaths out of the night air. His luck was incredible. He calmed his mind. It was nothing special, just studying—like exercising.

“Alright. We start next week, so I’ll let you know about it later. Goodbye for tonight.”

Demund walked exhaustedly to his bicycle. He’d have to run home again. What a pain in the ass.

“Wait.”

Demund watched blankly as Enariss rushed into the house. She emerged a few moments later with a piece of paper in her hand. She handed it over to Demund.

“It’s my phone number. You probably have a group chat, right? Add me on it later,” she told Demund.

She then returned to her house and closed the door gently behind her. Demund stood there, processing what had just happened. He numbly put the paper into his pocket, unfastened his bike, and dragged himself and his vehicle out through the gates. He walked a few blocks and stopped.

Wow. This could be the best day of his life. He thought about crying out in joy, but Enariss’s house was still near. He picked up his bike and readied himself.

And he ran with fresh adrenaline rushing through his body. He ran all the way home.