The room was surprisingly comfortable for a student’s standard. It was modest in size but designed with long-term residents in mind.

A single-frame bed with a mattress, pillow, and wool blanket was positioned against the opposite wall. Two small desks were placed at the front before a window, each with its own small shelf and candle holder. Beside one of the wardrobes built into the wall beside the bed, a door led to an attached bathroom.

Vlad would have been completely impressed by the accommodation if not for the absolute monstrosity that had been made of it.

At the entrance, he was welcomed by a pair of shoes, one of them inverted with its half-sole sticking out. They were followed by dirty socks and a pile of clothes lying on the floor, inside out. The dimly lit room reeked with an opposing stench, as if a rat had died somewhere and was being consumed by decay.

It took Vlad no effort at all to identify the culprit of these atrocities. He was sleeping on the bed to the right, dressed in nothing but his undergarments.

He was a young boy around Vlad’s age, with shoulder-length, messy silver hair and a pretty face that stood in complete contrast to the condition of the room. His mouth was slightly open, and the sound of his snores was filling the whole room.

"I would have thought it was a dead body if he hadn’t announced his presence with those revolting snores," Vlad mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. "How can someone even live here? Even ghosts wouldn’t come near this room."

He carefully stepped inside, making sure not to tread on any of the clothes. Who knew what kind of disease he might contract if he accidentally stepped on them. Upon reaching the centre, he rotated the dial of the lantern hanging from the ceiling.

After a few rotations the lantern flickered before steadying into a burning white light, swallowing the shadows from the room.

The silver-haired boy squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden brightness and turned over, burying his face into the pillow.

Vlad moved to the window and opened it, only then releasing the breath he had been holding from the moment he entered the room.

The cold breeze rushed inside, forcing out the poisonous air and slowly making the room breathable.

Vlad placed his backpack on his bed and thanked whatever god was listening that it was still untouched and clean.

He wanted to confront the boy about the mess, but decided to leave it for the morning. It was already quite late.

Still, there was no way he could sleep in such a stench. From the pile on the boy’s bed, he grabbed a long coat that seemed relatively clean. He must not have worn it yet.

Vlad wrapped the coat around the socks and shoes, bundled them up, and threw the whole thing out of the window. Next, he grabbed the spare trousers from the boy’s bed and did the same with the clothes scattered across the floor.

After that, he went to the bathroom, fetched a mop, and thoroughly cleaned the floor.

"Hah... it’s finally inhabitable," Vlad nodded in satisfaction.

He took a quick shower and went straight to bed.

---

Vlad’s eyes slowly opened as the rays of the morning sun fell across his face. He rose to a sitting position and scratched his head, letting the morning laziness fully sink in.

The boy, his roommate, was still sleeping like a pig.

"Is he not attending the Orientation?" Vlad mumbled, sparing him a brief glance.

He called out to him twice but got no response whatsoever. Well, at least he had tried.

Over the next half hour, Vlad changed into a fresh set of clothes, locked his backpack in the wardrobe and headed out, keeping the key with him.

Retracing the same path by which he had reached the dormitory, he made his way outside the main building.

Several students around his age, all dressed in casual clothes, were gathered before a raised platform set outside the building. Their voices hummed with excitement and their faces carried the restless energy that only teenagers seemed to possess.

"You are late," Chloe’s voice came from behind, her finger poking him on the back.

"Oh, you are here already," Vlad said, turning around. "I thought you would be in the cafeteria at this hour."

"I already went with chubby shortie," Chloe replied, producing a wrapped sandwich from the inside pocket of her leather jacket.

"Chubby shortie?" Vlad murmured, before drawing a sharp breath. "You mean Senior Sophia?"

He leaned closer and hissed, "Don’t call her that in front of others. She is our senior."

"Why?" Chloe asked, tilting her head.

"Just listen to me for once," Vlad sighed.

His words fell on deaf ears. She held the sandwich out to him. "Eat it."

Just as his hand reached for it, she slowly pulled it back.

"You get half," she declared, swiftly unwrapping it with practiced fingers and taking generous bites.

"Hey, didn’t you already eat in the cafeteria?" Vlad demanded, his brows drawing together.

"Mmff... so?" Chloe asked, cheeks puffed.

"Just forget it," Vlad sighed, giving up.

When only a third of the sandwich remained, Chloe reluctantly held it out to him. "Here. Half."

A vein bulged at Vlad’s temple. He nearly reached out to smack her on the head but restrained himself. At least she was sharing.

As he took his bite, a striking girl stepped onto the platform, each movement measured and unhurried.

She wore a blazer over a tucked shirt beneath a thigh-length skirt, with black leggings fitted close to her legs. Her long, blood-red hair was styled into two braids that fell all the way to her waist. Her pale skin carried a faint rosy warmth, and her pink gem like eyes moved slowly across the gathered students. A gentle smile rested on her heart-shaped lips, one that quietly stirred something in the boys standing before her. She had not yet spoken a single word and already held the complete attention of everyone present.

She tapped a small gem embedded in the stand connected to the podium, then spoke in a voice that was soft and feminine yet carried an unmistakable firmness.

"Welcome, Freshers. I am a second-year student from the Order of Rings and the current President of the Student Council. My name is Seraphina Cendral."

Her gaze drifted slowly across the audience before pausing briefly on a black-haired, crimson-eyed boy standing near the back. A flicker of surprise crossed her face, gone almost instantly. The smile on her lips widened, taking on something almost playful as she continued, her eyes settling on him with quiet intent.

"I will be in charge of your Orientation today, and I will make suuure~ to guide each of you properly."

The piece of bread slipped from Vlad’s open mouth. He swallowed hard.

"I’m screwed."