Twenty minutes later, I'm waiting for Veric in one of the dorm rooms. I sit on the bed and start checking my inventory and profile.
Same VIP rooms as before. The ones reserved for top-rank students. A shame I never really got to use the academy's amenities for what they were—I leveled out of their useful range inside Lost Ark, and most of what's offered to a D-rank here will be obsolete to me before I can sit down to enjoy it.
The door swings open.
Veric leans against the frame with his arms crossed. He closes his eyes for a beat, like he doesn't want to look at me directly while he chooses which words to use first.
"Sands. Good to see you back. But—"
He cracks one eye open to gauge me.
"But? Are you that disappointed to see me?"
"Some of the news isn't going to be pleasant for you."
His shoulders are stiff. His grip on his own arms is tighter than it should be—closer to stressed than relaxed.
"Get to the point, Veric."
