“You're Trey Lofit, aren’t you?” Jenyx remembered the name of the young man before him. It was the examinee who used Wind blade on the first day of the event. 

“Yeah! And yer that Throne guy or whatever, right? The one with no mana.” 

“Y-yeah.” Jenyx swallowed the lump in his throat before he replied.

“Nahahaha, no need to be so nervous man. I ain't gonna hurt you. And you can call me Trey!”

“I-I see..?”

“Are ya alright now?” 

“I think so. Did you take care of me?” 

Try shook his head, “Naw, man, my mom took care of you. I just brought you here.”

“…I’m sorry for the trouble.” 

“It’s cool, it’s cool. But man, was I surprised! Ya just fell on the street all of a sudden ya know?” Trey sat on the chair beside the bed with a wide grin. “D’you have a weak body too or something?” 

“N-no, not really. My head just started throbbing all of a sudden... then I woke up here...” Jenyx replied as he grabbed his head. “May I ask what time it is?” 

“It’s 9 in the morning.”

“...I see, thank you.” He was late. For the first time in his life, Jenyx was late. No, to say that he was late would be wrong. Since it’s the combat ability testing event, they can choose not to attend their classes for the sake of preparation. Meaning, attendance wasn’t really a must, at least, for today. Jenyx breathed a sigh of relief. 

(“The test starts later at 12… should I even attend? It’s not like I’ll get promoted. Should I just go home and rest? No, what about Rose’s problem..?”) 

“Ya good?” Seeing him deep in thought, Trey spoke up. 

“Huh? Ah, yes. Anyway, I believe I’m fine now, so… I’ll be going. Thank you for helping me.” Jenyx limped as he replied. Although he mustered all the strength he could, his legs still felt as heavy as rock. 

“Doesn’t seem like ya can.” Trey stood up and marched to Jenyx. He placed his hand on Jenyx’s shoulder and pushed him back to the bed. “Ya gotta rest up, man. Yer clearly in no condition to be running around.”

“That’s what I intend to do, but-- Wait, why are you here? Why aren’t you at the institution?” Trey’s firm grasp on his shoulder somehow made Jenyx unable to stand up. Regardless of how much force he exerted, he wouldn't budge. As if a boulder was weighing him down or something.

“Hah? I’ve already passed haven’t I? I don’t hafta take that stupid test anymore cuz I’m ‘bout to be promoted!”  However, Jenyx just gave him a puzzled look.

“What are you saying? You have to attend all the exams if you want that slip to be acknowledged.” Jenyx tried to remove Trey’s hand on his shoulder, but was unable to even make it budge. 

“Huh? The slips I got ain’t enough?” Trey had a grim look on his face as he spoke. Undisturbed by Jenyx’s attempts at moving his hand.

“Yes? Didn’t they say so after the magic prowess test’s conclusion?” 

The combat ability testing event is divided into three parts. First, the magic prowess test, which gauges the student’s current level of skill with magic. Second, the spell mastery exam, where the students' understanding of magic and spells are tested. Lastly, the magic combat simulation, where students are pitted against one another and is the most highly anticipated part of the seven-day event. In order to ensure that all students who were able to get recommendation slips would attend, the headmaster made it mandatory for them to attend all exams, else their slip would be void. Additionally, the only ones able to join the magic combat simulation were those given red-colored slips and above. 

“Shit! I was asleep at that time! I thought just having these slips would be enough!” Trey removed his hand from Jenyx and clutched his own head. Now free, Jenyx attempted to leave when suddenly- 

(“Ow!”) Jenyx felt a stinging sensation on both his shoulders. 

“Hol’ up, hol’ up! Does that mean I have to pass the friggin written exam to be promoted?” Trey slammed his hands down on Jenyx’s shoulders. Jenyx’s brows twitched as he felt the lingering pain.

(“Why did that hurt?”) Jenyx, who usually didn’t feel anything even if he was punched or kicked suddenly felt pain. Did he become even weaker? Was his body back to normal now? Or is Trey really just that strong? 

“Hey! Are ya listening!?” 

“W-what?” 

“I’m asking if I still have to pass the other exams so that I can get promoted!”

“I-I think? All I know is you have to attend all of them.”

“Damn it! I have to hurry. Good thing I already took a ba-” As Trey started walking, he felt something tug on his clothes. 

“Take me with you…” Jenyx held on to Trey’s clothes. 

“...Why do ya wanna go? It’s not like you can do anything there. Especially now.” 

“Just take me with you. I’m not letting go until you take me along.” With all his remaining strength, Jenyx clung to Trey’s clothes with both hands. Although it didn’t do much to him, Trey stood in place, blankly staring at him. 

“Ya know? I thought you were a masochistic freak or somethin' for staying despite the treatment ya get, but... ”

 Trey chuckled as he placed Jenyx's arm on his shoulder. In one breath, he hoisted Jenyx’s body up. “Looking at ya now, I guess yer either a total idiot or a gutsy one. I like that!” 

"S-so, you'll take me with you?"

"Ya have somethin' to do, right? If it's just taking ya with me, there's no problem!"

“W-wait! Can we first head to my home?” 

“Huh? Why? Ya wanna take a bath or somethin?”

“Yes, and my parents must be worried about me” 

“Oh right. Ya didn’t come home after all. Alright then, I’ll tell the uncle outside!” 

**

“I’m home.” Jenyx casually opened the door to their home. While he was resting in the carriage, he felt his strength returning to his body. However, he still wasn’t feeling like usual. 

“Nyx!” Maya's voice resounded from inside the house. Jenyx could clearly hear her even though she was nowhere in sight. It was only natural that she was yelling. He didn’t come home last night after all. Jenyx thought they must be worried sick, waiting for him. As he contemplated, Maya emerged from one of the rooms and approached him. 

“Hey Mom. Sorry for... worrying you last... night?” For some reason, his mother had a smile on her face.  

“Oh, not at all! So… how did it go?” Maya’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“Oh you! Don’t play dumb! You spent the night in Rose’s home, right!?” 

“W-what!?”

Jenyx finally realized what his mother was talking about and why she had a smile on her face. He thought it was weird she was beaming despite his son not coming home last night. 

“Oh, you’re so daring! I didn’t know you had it in you! Ahh, now we can finally be sure you won’t be alone in life!”

Jenyx sighed as he listened to his Mother, “I wasn’t with her last night. Now I feel like an idiot. I thought you guys were worried sick or something…”

“Huh? Then where were you last night?” 

“...Nevermind that, I was just at a friend’s place. I’ll take a quick bath and go to school.” 

Maya snickered as she let Jenyx pass. He figured she might still be having the wrong idea, but decided not to correct her. Jenyx stripped himself of his dirty clothes and entered their bath.  As he felt the warm sensation of water on his body, he closed his eyes.

(“What rotten luck... Spineless coward…”)

The mysterious voice’s words echoed in his mind. Jenyx gnashed his teeth together, punching the wall to vent his rising anger. Ever so slightly, he felt his fist ache. Whatever or whoever it was, earned the entirety of Jenyx's resentment. Yet at the same time, a part of him believed that the voice was right. Despite his frustrations at being treated like filth, not once did he ever attempt to retaliate. He simply stood there, enduring, as the people around him mocked him. He doesn’t get hurt physically anymore, but the pain that slowly piled up from the inside more than made up for it. It couldn't be helped. What more can he do with his situation? Jenyx was well aware that these were simply nothing but excuses. If he wanted, there were a plethora of solutions available to him in order to make them stop. But the moment he accepted his supposed place in society, his mind had already given up.They were right. He was nothing more than a mistake. 

"The reigns of my life..."Jenyx muttered to himself in the bath as he remembered the entity's final words. 

(“No, this isn’t the time for this…”) He can think about what the voice meant at length later on. Once Rose’s issue was cleared. Jenyx's face contorted into a frown. He didn’t like it. He felt like he was running away by using Rose’s situation as an excuse to dismiss his own problems. Exactly like every other time. Jenyx sighed and withdrew a towel from a cabinet, wiping himself with it.

Once dressed up, Jenyx hurried downstairs. While descending, he noticed that his mother was talking to someone. The person wore the same uniform as he did and spoke to his mother casually like they were long time friends or something. 

“Oh, I’m so thankful our dear Nyx has a friend like you!"

“Please, ma’am. Call me Trey.”

“What are you two doing? And why are you here, Trey? I thought you were going to wait in the carriage?” 

The two then looked towards Jenyx, “Oh, well, ya know, I thought you were taking too long so I thought I’d check up on you, then your mother saw me.”

“Oh honey, I’m so happy you have a friend aside from Rose!”

Maya’s eyes had a glint to them, eerily similar to how her eyes were when he talked to her earlier. Jenyx simply disregarded it, along with the fact that Maya had taken out the luxurious treats that they only bring out when talking to close family friends and the like. 

“I see. Well, we’ll be going then, mom.” 

“A-ah, thank you very much for the warm welcome!”

Maya nodded to them as Trey stood up and walked alongside Jenyx.

“Yer mother’s so kind! I think she and Ma would get along well.” Trey closed his eyes, nodding his head as he imagined the supposedly fantastic interactions between his own mother and Jenyx’s. 

“Oh yeah? That’s nice.” Jenyx listlessly replied to him as they reached the carriage. 

“What’s wrong? Something on yer mind? Don’t worry, I’m also worried about the exam for later so you won’t be alone!” 

“...It’s not that. Don’t worry about it. Also, if you want to pass, you better study as much as you can. I’ve heard they might downgrade your promotion slips if you don’t perform within their expectations.”

Of course there wasn’t such a thing, but Jenyx wanted some peace and quiet.

“Fer real!? Damn, you could’ve told me that earlier, ya know!?”  Trey scrambled as he pulled a book from his bag behind him. 

(“Haaaaah… I have a feeling I might be getting another headache soon…”) 

Jenyx leaned towards the carriage’s window and immersed himself in his thoughts.