Thirstfall - Memory of a Returnee-Chapter 45: Gold Ink

The walk from the medical wing to the Top Graded residential sector was a gauntlet of whispers.

Every time we passed a group of cadets, the conversations stopped.

Eyes darted to my ragged leather jacket, to Veric’s dented armor, to Lola’s massive weapon case, and finally to Rhayne’s heavy industrial gloves.

We looked like a circus act, but we had the highest scores in the Academy. The resentment radiating from the other students was palpable.

As we crossed into the elite sector, the harsh stone corridors gave way to plush carpets, vaulted ceilings with oceanic skylights, and doors trimmed in gold.

I stared at the opulence, a bitter taste flooding my mouth.

During my first time in Thirstfall, this kind of luxury was a myth. I had slept on damp stone floors, hoarding stale bread just to survive the night. And now, by simply being a violent, chaotic menace, I was being handed a luxury suite and premium food.

I let out a long, heavy sigh.

The contrast was sickening. While I was walking on plush carpets, my mother and Lili were back on Earth, starving in a sweltering, dying world.

The regression had placed me right on the day the Black Thirst started. They were waiting for me. I needed to extract everything I could from this place and find a resurfacing point back on Earth immediately.

We reached our assigned corridor. The four rooms were clustered together at the end of the hall—a highly defensible bottleneck. I swiped my access rune on the first door and pushed it open.

It was a massive suite. Far too big for one person.

"Everyone, inside," I said, holding the door.

I preferred to work alone. I always had preferred to. But the brutal reality of this timeline was that my Rank-F body was a ticking time bomb. Allies were a tactical necessity, even if I had no intention of playing the role of a friendly squad leader.

Once the door was locked, I turned to face them.

"If we are going to survive the target I put on our backs, I need data. No more secrets about the basics," I demanded, leaning against the mahogany desk. "I need your Ranks and your primary abilities. You can keep your trump cards to yourselves, but I need to know what I’m working with on the field."

Veric stepped up first, looking entirely comfortable in the luxurious room.

"Rank D, Coral" he stated proudly. "My primary is Azure Dividend. It’s a kinetic absorption skill. The more physical damage I take, the higher my defensive stats scale." He frowned slightly. "But it has a threshold. If I absorb too much without venting the kinetic energy, my bones lock up, and I start taking internal organ damage."

I nodded slowly, pretending to process the ’new’ information. "A scaling Vanguard. Useful."

I looked at Lola. She had already claimed the massive, velvet-covered armchair, her combat boots dangling off the edge.

"Rank E," she hummed, tracing a pattern on the armrest. "I can make things go pop."

"Pop?" Veric asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Explode," she clarified, entirely deadpan. "Anything I touch. But it has to be compact. Nothing bigger than my hand." She patted the massive black case resting next to the chair. "And I have Lullaby. But she eats a lot of blue rocks when she sings."

"Violent OXI consumption for artillery-grade damage," I translated. I offered her a small, genuine smile. "It’s a very special ability, Lola. Very useful."

Finally, I turned to Rhayne. She tensed, her shoulders rising toward her ears. I already knew exactly what she was. I didn’t need her to explain the Void Link, and forcing her to announce her "curse" in front of Veric would only fracture the team.

I locked eyes with her, giving her a subtle, reassuring nod. "Rhayne? What’s your Rank?"

She swallowed hard, understanding the lifeline I’d just thrown her. "Rank E. Void Mona—"

"So, I’m the only Rank F trash here?"

I cut her off before she could finish, not pressing for her ability. I just sighed, rubbing the back of my neck with a self-deprecating groan.

Veric let out a short, amused bark of laughter. "Don’t sell yourself short, Sands. You’re the deadliest piece of trash I’ve ever met."

The pivot worked flawlessly. The tension in the room dissipated, and Rhayne’s secret remained safe.

"Alright, listen up," I said, pushing off the desk. "Here is the master plan. I am not going to attend normal classes. I’m not here to play school, and I don’t have the time to sit through lectures on basic mana theory. My goal is simple: extract every high-tier resource, spellbook, and weapon this Academy has to offer, as fast as violently possible."

I looked at each of them.

"If you want to be normal students and play by the rules, I wish you the best of luck. But if you want to follow me, we are going to break the curriculum." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Lola stopped tracing patterns on the chair. She tilted her head, her bear-hood flopping to the side.

"Is Uncle Dryden going to keep ’leaking’ every time we go out?" she asked, pointing at the fresh bandages under my jacket.

I coughed, a little caught off guard by the title. Uncle Dryden. "Uh... probably. Yes."

Lola hugged her knees to her chest. "Then I have to follow you. Not everyone has teddy bear band-aids."

I let out a soft breath, deeply touched despite my cynical armor. "Thanks, Little Bear."

Veric and Rhayne both nodded in silent agreement. They were in.

Veric rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. "So, what’s the first move, Oh Fearless Leader? What’s the plan now?"

I walked over to the massive window overlooking the Academy courtyard, watching the arrogant, polished nobles strutting below.

"We consolidate our hegemony," I said, my voice dropping to a cold, predatory pitch. "Right now, they know we are Top Grade, but they think it’s a fluke. They think we got lucky."

I turned back to my squad—the arrogant noble, the traumatized void capacitor, and the walking child-nuke.

Let’s show these idiots what a dysfunctional, psychotic team can actually do.

A knock on the door killed the momentum.

Not a polite knock. Three sharp raps, evenly spaced. Military cadence.

I held up a fist. Everyone froze.

I walked to the door and checked the peephole. A uniformed Academy courier stood outside, holding a black envelope sealed with the Headmaster’s crest—a wax stamp shaped like an open eye.

I opened the door just enough to take the envelope. The courier didn’t speak. He just saluted and left.

I broke the seal.

Inside, a single card. Heavy stock. Gold ink.

[MANDATORY SUMMONS] Cadet: Dryden Sands Location: Administrative Spire, Floor 12 Time: Tomorrow. 0600. Subject: Financial Irregularity Review—Source of Funds Investigation. Failure to appear will result in immediate expulsion.

I read it twice. Then I flipped the card over.

On the back, handwritten in thin, elegant script:

"Looking forward to catching up. — R."

My blood turned to ice.

I pocketed the card before anyone could read it and forced my face into a mask of casual indifference.

"Change of plans," I said, turning to the group with a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. "I have a meeting in the morning."