Chapter 21: Normal, But In A Weird Way

The morning came with sunlight spilling into the room from the windows....

Ethan however, had been awake long before then.

He sat on the edge of his bed, his elbows on his knees, and eyes fixed on the wall without really seeing it.

The events of the previous night replayed in his mind—Lila’s bare back under his hands, the way her back arched when his fingers entered her, the melody of her voice as she moaned and the silence when she walked back to her room without a single word to him.

Something had slipped in him, he didn’t know what. They way his hand moved as if he knew every part of her body was something he couldn’t understand.

He needed to understand why because prior to this point, he had never had any previous encounter like this with any girl.

He looked at his hand, opening and closing it slowly in front of his eyes.

There was something seriously wrong with this body...

A knock landed on his door, pulling him from his thoughts.

It was Lila...

"Ethan?" she called, "You ready? We’re going to be late."

He stared at the door for a second.

She sounded completely normal, like last night didn’t happen at all.

He stood, pulled on a clean shirt, and the academy’s blazer before he opened the door.

Lila stood in the shared space already dressed, her hair let down with the usual expression she always had.

He looked at her, really looked. There was no awkwardness. No avoidance. No indication that the night before had happened at all.

’What the fuck? Is she just going to pretend that nothing happened between us yesterday?’

"You’re slow today," she said. "Let’s go."

Ethan studied her face for any crack in the act. There was none.

"...Yeah, alright. Sure."

They left the dorm and walked toward the main campus in silence, the usual morning noise of students filling the paths around them.

Lila did not bring up the massage, or anything that happened after that, and Ethan refused to be the one to.

The quiet stretched between them, and when they reached the auditorium, they pushed the doors open and saw that the seats inside were empty.

Lila blinked. "What?"

Ethan stepped further in. No students, no Professor Crane. Nothing...

"Did we miss something?" Lila asked.

A familiar voice answered from the side entrance.

"You didn’t check your messages?"

Marcus walked in with two of his usual followers. He looked better rested than he had any right to after the Dungeon, considering that he was the reason they were attacked. He had a smirk on his face that suggested he had been waiting for a chance to feel superior again.

"Email went out last night," Marcus said. "Professor Crane took the second group to the Dungeon today, so classes are cancelled as a result. Most people are either sleeping in or using the free day to train." His eyes moved between Ethan and Lila in curiosity. "What were you two doing that you didn’t even look at your phones?"

The question landed heavy, and the silence that followed didn’t help at all.

Lila stuttered, a faint flush spreading on her cheek. Ethan glanced towards her and when he saw it, he thought. ’Oh so she does remember.’

He turned back to Marcus. "I passed out yesterday and she looked after me till I woke up."

Lila’s head snapped towards him but he continued. "She was too tired after that, and I still needed some sleep, so we didn’t check out emails."

"Oh." Marcus replied before he turned to leave. "Just being helpful. Try reading your messages next time." He left with his followers, their steps fading down the corridor.

Silence returned, and Ethan adjusted the strap of the light bag he had brought as he turned toward the exit.

"I’m going to the east grounds. Coming?"

Lila fell into step beside him and replied. "Obviously."

***

The east grounds were emptier than usual. With half the first year students in the Dungeon and the rest scattered, across the campus as it was just two of them now...

Ethan stopped near the center, checked that no instructors were nearby, and pulled on the weight in his shadow.

The Beowolf stepped out of the darkness at his feet in a smooth motion. Green light settling in its empty eyes as it stood waiting. The connection felt denser and more stable than the early campus undead he had raised.

Lila crossed her arms and watched.

Ethan started with simple commands. Walk. Stop. Turn. Circle.

The Beowolf executed each one cleanly. He increased the complexity—patrol a short perimeter, return as he whistled, target a specific rock and hold the position.

The connection held, the mental strain remained manageable as he slowly grew accustomed to the beast.

He pushed further, chaining orders together. The Beowolf moved with, responding almost as quickly as when he gave the commands.

Lila tilted her head. "It’s sharper than before."

"Better materials, higher level, practice." Ethan dismissed a command and let the Beowolf stand at ease. "Still has limits. Complex independent decisions fall apart and everything other thing is still rough."

"Can it do tricks?"

Ethan glanced at her. "What?"

"Can it do tricks," she repeated.

"It’s an undead Beowolf."

"I know." Lila replied, her eyes wide with excitement. "But look at the way it sits there staring. Tell it to sit. Or give paw. Or roll over. Come on."

"It’s a beast corpse animated by Death Energy, not a pet."

"It looks cute."

Ethan stared at her. "It’s a reanimated monster that died in a Dungeon."

"And it’s cute," Lila repeated, undeterred. "Just do one. For research."

He looked at the Beowolf. The Beowolf looked back with empty green eyes.

Ethan then exhaled and gave a short, precise command.

"Sit."

The Beowolf sat.

Lila made a quiet, delighted sound. "Again. Have it give paw."

"No."

"Ethan."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

She exhaled defeated, and Ethan watched her from the corner of his eye as she circled the undead wolf, still smiling, still treating the morning like any other free day they had spent training together.

She acted normal, but in a weird way...

He could not tell whether she was genuinely unaffected or simply better at pretending than he was.

The question sat in his chest alongside the memory of her voice breaking under his hands and he shook his head trying to stay focused.

He turned back to the wolf, preparing it’s next chain of command when they heard footsteps moving towards them.

It was Nora...