My Last Time as a Human

Janna Wanter, huh? Our eyes met, and my mind immediately played out the most probable scenario, predicting how this conversation would go. I needed to find a way to cut it short.

Janna jumped slightly, letting out a startled yelp before taking a few steps back, still holding eye contact.

"Aren't you Freon from Class 1-B? Shouldn't you be in the Owl's dorm? Why are you here?"

I wordlessly pointed to the badge above the door. Janna quickly turned to look, her eyes scanning it with growing confusion. Then, as if hit by realization, she rushed outside, glancing at the other doors in the hallway.

I smirked. Great minds think alike.

Janna turned back to me, her face flushed. "This is a mixed dorm?"

Technically, she wasn't wrong. But my expectations for her intelligence plummeted as I sighed.

"As you can see," I said dryly, "it's also mixed between houses. You would've noticed if you paid attention in the Grand Hall."

Janna ignored my second point, exhaling as she dropped her bags unceremoniously on the floor. Without hesitation, she trudged over to one of the beds and flopped onto it like a lifeless doll.

She stretched her arms above her head, her gaze drifting back to me. For a few seconds, she just stared, as if analyzing me. I didn't like that.

The door creaked open again, and this time, a young man with messy blue hair and sharp red eyes stepped inside. Clarence Font. A so-called genius from the prestigious Font Household.

With a piece of paper in one hand and a suitcase in the other, he scanned the room before his lips curled into a grin.

"Janna! Good to see you again!"

Before anyone could react, he dropped his luggage and rushed toward Janna with open arms.

Unfortunately, he failed to notice the scattered belongings on the floor.

With an unceremonious thud, Clarence tripped and crashed face-first onto the ground.

I managed to suppress a laugh, but a small chuckle still escaped me—luckily, it was drowned out by Janna's loud, unrestrained laughter that echoed through the room.

"Who's the idiot who left their stuff lying around?" a voice mumbled from behind Clarence. "And why is there a guy on the floor?"

I turned to see the latest arrival—Lucian.

Without hesitation, he stepped over Clarence's sprawled-out body, ignoring him completely. He casually walked to an empty bed, carefully placing his belongings beside it. But as he sat down, his eyes finally landed on Janna, and I could practically see the irritation flash across his face.

Before the tension could settle, two more voices entered the room.

"Looks like everyone's here!" one of them said cheerfully.

"It seems so," the other agreed.

I glanced over. Prometh Seckan and another guy whose name I barely remembered—Justan, was it? He was a bit loud, but not enough for me to care.

With that, the dorm was now full

With everyone's belongings now organized, the room quickly filled with chatter. A group started forming in the middle, drawing in nearly everyone. I half-heartedly joined, not wanting to stand out by staying on the sidelines.

"Why are we all from different houses? Does anyone know?" Janna asked, frowning.

It was an obvious question, but the prince played the role of the kind explainer. "Didn't you read the letter they sent? They grouped the top students together for academic reasons."

Janna tilted her head. "Huh? There's no way that guy's a top student. He must've gotten lost on the way." She pointed straight at Lucian.

Lucian didn't say a word, but his expression was enough. His golden eyes locked onto hers, unblinking, like a predator sizing up prey. You're lucky we're not alone in this room, or I would've killed you.

Janna let out a nervous chuckle, sweat forming on her forehead. "Joking, obviously."

Honestly, she wasn't completely wrong. I hadn't expected Lucian to be among the top students either.

"The six best students from each year are placed in the same dorm," the prince continued. "That means we're the six highest-ranked first-years."

That much was expected. There was no way I'd be ranked lower than top six. If my billions of years of training had only amounted to this, I would've started questioning my life choices.

The only thing I didn't know was my exact ranking. And judging by the smug looks on some of their faces, I wouldn't have to wait long before they started showing off their results.

"However," the prince added, "our individual rankings haven't been revealed yet—to keep things competitive. The academy wants us to fight for the top spot."

Son of a bitch. Who thought this was a good idea? I may be older than everyone in this school combined, but the fire of competition doesn't age.

A quick glance at the others told me they felt the same. The air grew heavier, the casual atmosphere from earlier fading into something sharper. Some students smirked. Others clenched their fists.

I glanced at the clock. "I have class. Later."

Without waiting for a response, I grabbed my things and headed out.

"…"

Finding my next class was easy. Introduction to Soul Power was something even an ancient being like me could appreciate. Soul energy had been studied for countless years, and going back to the basics was never a waste of time.

I found my seat, pulled out my textbook and pencils, adjusted my chair, and prepared for the lesson.

The instructor arrived moments later. A man in his 30s, short black hair, and gray eyes—nothing unusual for a Seckan citizen.

"Good morning, class," he said with an easygoing smile. "My name is Rios Placena. I've been a teacher at this academy for ten years, and I'm looking forward to spending the next year with you all."

He turned to the chalkboard, writing down the lesson title.

"Let's start with a simple question. Can anyone tell me what Soul Energy represents?"

A girl near the front raised her hand. "Soul energy is the power of your soul—the energy of your existence."

A textbook answer. Correct, but not particularly insightful.

Professor Rios nodded. "Good. Now, who can tell me what a Soul Property is?"

Silence.

Some students looked away, others hesitated, clearly afraid of answering incorrectly.

After a few moments, the professor continued. "A Soul Property is the effect of applying your soul energy onto an object, a person, or something else. Think of it like an imprint—you leave behind a unique signature that influences the world around you."

He tapped a piece of chalk against the desk. "For example, if someone had the property of Thunder, then anything they imbued with their soul would gain electrical properties."

The chalk suddenly crackled with blue sparks. Small arcs of lightning flickered between his fingers before disappearing. The class collectively leaned forward, more engaged now.

At a basic level, his explanation was correct. Of course, soul properties could become far more intricate and complex. I knew that better than anyone.

After all, my soul's property was something unique—something vast.

Infinity.