Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey-Chapter 17: A New Day

Beep—! Beep—! Beep—!

"Huaaa!"

I groggily swatted at the alarm ringing on my bedside table, trying to silence the intrusive noise that had roused me from my slumber.

Finally managing to shut it off, I rubbed my eyes and stretched, feeling the remnants of sleep clinging to my body.

With a yawn, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, glancing at the clock. It was [6:20 AM], and despite the early hour, I was surprisingly alert.

I suppose after spending enough time in this world, my internal clock had adjusted to the routine. Or maybe it was because I hardly slept at all…

Yes, my sleep schedule was still all over the place.

Regardless, my mornings followed a pattern. I'd wake up early or not sleep much at all, then go through my routine: freshening up, a bit of exercise, dressing up, and heading to the Academy.

It might have been repetitive, but it was far from dull, as I found myself growing more accustomed to this fantastical reality with each passing day.

Since the encounter with the enigmatic voice or words in the air, I'd been preoccupied with trying to decipher their origin and intent.

I racked my brain for logical explanations, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't piece it together.

The closest guess I had was that perhaps the voice belonged to some deity or higher power that had intervened, placing me in this world as a second chance.

But then again, if it wanted an interesting story, why not transfer me into one of the protagonist's bodies instead?

My current status felt more like an extra than anything else. If I were in a protagonist's body, I could have a more significant impact on the unfolding events.

Sighing, I resigned myself to the uncertainty. "There's nothing I can do for now. I'll just have to wait for the main plot to kick in."

After leaving the bathroom, I wrapped myself in a bathrobe. My wet, golden hair clung to my skin, so I used a towel to dry it off.

Glancing in the mirror, I couldn't help but smirk at my reflection.

Yes, I had to admit that I found myself admiring my looks quite frequently. But that wasn't narcissism, right?

Water droplets trailed down my chest, revealing the toned lines of my body. I ran a hand through my hair, slicking it back and revealing my face.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" I playfully quipped before realizing how cheesy it sounded. "Ugh, never mind!"

Shaking off the awkward moment, I turned my attention to my uniform laid out on the living room couch.

I quickly dressed in the crisp Academy uniform, each piece fitting perfectly as if tailored specifically for me.

As I stood at the door, I checked myself one last time in the hallway mirror, a hint of a self-assured grin tugging at my lips.

With a smooth motion, I unlocked the door, ready to face whatever the new day at Nova Academy would bring.

***

"Today is going to be a nice day," I mumbled to myself as I took in the sunlit sky above. It was [7:10 AM], leaving me with a good 50 minutes before classes began.

I stood outside my apartment, pondering what to do with this time.

The door beside me clicked open, and a thought crossed my mind. It wouldn't hurt to at least say hello to my new neighbour. We were going to be living next to each other for the year, after all.

As the person stepped out, however, my wish to greet them wavered instantly.

It was Evelyn.

Assigned to the apartment next to mine.

Of all the people, it had to be her.

Despite the initial instinct to ignore her and retreat into my apartment, I decided that being a good neighbour was the responsible thing to do.

"Hello, Evelyn," I greeted with an attempt at a charming smile. "How are you doing?"

Her response was a mixture of shock and disgust, and an uncomfortable silence lingered between us.

This bitch, oh there came down Lucas you need her you, yes have to use her. So be a gentleman, right?

Finally, she spoke."What are you doing here, Lucas? Did I not tell you to stop following me?"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on. Before you label me as some kind of stalker, which I'm not, let me clarify that my room is just next to yours. That's all," I explained, hoping to dispel any misconceptions.

Her sceptical look gave way to a slightly relieved expression as she glanced at my nameplate.

But then, something shifted in her eyes, and her demeanour grew colder."I see. Then I hope we won't have to interact much."

Her dismissive tone caught me off guard, especially considering we were in the same class.

"That's where you're mistaken. We're in the same class," I pointed out.

"Whatever," she retorted, clearly uninterested, and started walking towards the elevator.

"So much for a good morning," I muttered under my breath. I couldn't let her walk away like this; I needed to talk to her, even if she was making it abundantly clear she didn't want to.

For the moment, at least.

"Hey, wait up!" I called after her and quickly hopped into the elevator as well.

Now inside the elevator, I was met with an awkward silence as we stood side by side.

"Look, I know we might not be the best of friends or anything, but it's going to be a long year if we can't even hold a decent conversation," I ventured, attempting to break the ice.

Evelyn avoided eye contact and seemed determined not to engage in any discussion.

"Fine, I'll start," I continued, undeterred. "I noticed that you also chose the bow as one of your weapons. Archery is quite the art, don't you think? Precise, focused, and it requires a lot of dedication."

Her lips tightened into a thin line, and she sighed, clearly not thrilled with my persistence.

"I'm not interested in small talk," she replied curtly.

I pressed on, unfazed by her cool demeanour. "Well, it's a shame. I think the art of archery is fascinating. I've always admired those who can wield a bow with grace and accuracy."

Her eyes flickered, and her expression betrayed a hint of surprise. Maybe she hadn't expected me to push this much.

"That's your opinion," she replied, sounding more resigned now.

"I'm just saying, maybe we could learn something from each other," I continued, hoping to chip away at her resistance.

She rolled her eyes, but I could tell I was getting through to her, even if it was just a tiny crack in her defences.

As the elevator ride continued, I tried to steer the conversation towards the past, but her eyes hardened again, shutting down any possibility of discussing that topic.

It seemed I had struck a nerve, and her walls were going up once more.

Despite her attempts to brush me off, I feigned ignorance, maintaining a neutral expression and pretending not to register the mean things she was saying.

As we stepped out of the elevator, the tense silence between us continued.

It was clear that Evelyn was not pleased with the situation, and I wasn't about to let it deter me from trying to strike up a conversation.

"So, do you have any favourite subjects in the Academy?" I asked, keeping my tone casual as we walked down the corridor.

Her eyes darted to me, surprise flickering for a moment before her expression hardened again. "Why are you so insistent on talking to me?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Just trying to make the best out of our shared space. After all, we're going to be neighbours for a year, so why not try to get along?"

She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by my attempts at friendliness. "I don't see the point in pretending to be friends."

"It's not about pretending, it's about making this year a little more bearable," I replied, keeping my smile in place.

Evelyn sighed, clearly frustrated. "Fine. I don't have any favourite subjects. I'm here to train, not chitchat."

"Fair enough," I conceded. "Training is important, no doubt. But a little chitchat never hurt anyone, right?"

She shot me a glare, but I could see a faint glimmer of annoyance in her eyes. Maybe my persistence was wearing her down.

As we walked through the halls, I couldn't help but notice the curious glances from some of the other students.

It was no surprise.

Evelyn was a top-ranking student, and her reputation preceded her. On the other hand, I was at the bottom of the class, known more for my lack of talent than anything else.

Despite the odd looks from their peers, I caught snippets of conversations between students.

"Isn't that Evelyn Nightshade?"

"Who's that guy with her? I've never seen him before."

"Why is she even talking to him? He's from the lower ranks, right?"

I pretended not to notice the whispers and instead focused on keeping the conversation going with Evelyn.

"So, have you been in Nova for long?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the attention we were attracting.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes. I've been here for a while," she replied tersely.

I chuckled. "Sorry if I'm prying. Just trying to make conversation, you know?"

She didn't respond, her eyes narrowing as if she was trying to figure out my angle.

I decided to take a different approach. "You must be pretty skilled to be in the top 10 of your class. I admire that dedication."

Her guarded expression faltered for a moment, and she looked at me as if trying to gauge my sincerity.

"It's not about admiration. It's about hard work and discipline," she finally said, her tone softer than before.

"Of course, I didn't mean to undermine that. But dedication and hard work are something to be admired as well," I said, offering her a genuine smile.

As we continued walking, the conversation flowed a bit more smoothly. It seemed that my persistence was paying off, and Evelyn was slowly warming up to the idea of having a conversation with me.

Despite her attempts to maintain a tough exterior, I could sense a hint of curiosity in her eyes. Maybe, just maybe, we could find some common ground.

As we finally reached the classroom, I noticed that a few students were giving us odd looks.

Some exchanged glances and hushed whispers as they observed us walking together.

Evelyn's gaze shot daggers at me, and I could tell that she was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the attention.

I, on the other hand, simply smiled and pretended not to notice.

After all, I was used to being an outsider, and a few stares from my fellow students weren't going to faze me.

"Well, looks like we're here," I said with a small smile.

She shot me a look that was a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.

"Try not to get on my nerves too much," she muttered as she stepped out.

I simply chuckled in response, not taking her words to heart.

The interaction might not have been the most pleasant, but I had managed to make a dent in her tough exterior.

As we entered the classroom, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Maybe this year wouldn't be as mundane as I had originally thought.