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"Sure, blame the guy who was just trying to help," Levi said, dodging the pillow Toby threw at him.

From his desk, Ryn glanced up from his thick leather-bound book. "You two are going to get us all in trouble before classes even start."

Axel, their fourth roommate, leaned against the wall, his muscular arms crossed. At six-feet-tall with broad shoulders, he made their spacious room feel smaller. "Let them fight it out. Better now than during training."

The room itself was well-furnished – four beds, each with its own desk and wardrobe, arranged around a central common area. Large windows offered a view of the academy grounds, where students still hurried about, settling into their new lives.

"Speaking of training," Toby said, finally flopping onto his own bed, "did you guys see the schedule they sent? Six hours of combat practice every day!"

"Plus theory classes," Ryn added without looking up. "And evening training sessions."

Levi stayed quiet, watching his roommates interact. Each of them represented a different aspect of the academy\'s diverse student body. Axel came from a warrior family, his combat skills already evident in his stance and movement. Ryn was clearly from an academic background, probably groomed for strategic roles since childhood. And Toby... well, Toby was Toby.

It didn\'t he wasn\'t from a significant background - instead, he was the most famous among the four. He was from the Hale family which was once a very popular household - but they started declining a few years back for unknown reasons.

But even still, they were strong enough that neither of the three could match up to Toby\'s background.

And even excluding his background - Toby was strong!

Levi heard the students whispering that Toby had made a contract with some powerful god, although he had yet to figure out any of his abilities or things like that.

And when he said hearing whispers - it wasn\'t exactly him but Noir who was hearing those. Last night Levi had let out Noir from his shadows and now the phantom flock of the blackbird were making nests all around the dormitories - acting as eyes and ears of Levi.

"Hey, Levi," Axel\'s deep voice cut through his thoughts as Levi pulled back to reality. "You\'ve been pretty quiet. What\'s your specialty?"

Levi felt their eyes on him. He\'d prepared for questions like this, but it still made him tense. "Close combat," he answered carefully. "Nothing fancy."

"Nothing fancy?" Toby snorted. "Is that why you ranked so low in theory?"

"Toby!" Ryn finally closed his book. "That\'s not polite."

"What? Everyone knows the rankings." Toby shrugged. "I\'m just surprised they let someone ranked that low—"

"They let you in despite your bathroom navigation skills," Levi cut in, making Toby\'s face turn red again.

Axel\'s laugh boomed through the room. "He\'s got you there."

As their banter continued, Levi noticed the subtle dynamics forming. Axel naturally took the leader\'s role, his presence was commanding respect. Ryn was the voice of reason, while Toby... well, Toby kept things interesting.

A knock at their door interrupted their conversation. A senior student stood in the doorway, his blue uniform immaculate. "Room inspection," he announced, stepping inside.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Even Toby straightened up.

The senior\'s eyes swept the room, lingering on each of them. "I\'m Leon, your floor supervisor. Just making sure everyone\'s settling in." His gaze stopped on Levi. "You\'re the one who barely passed theory, right?"

Levi met his eyes steadily. It seemed like his \'fame\' had spread throughout the academy, even seniors were aware of it.

"That\'s right."

"Interesting." Leon\'s smile didn\'t reach his eyes. "The academy has high standards. Don\'t let your... limitations... affect your roommates\' performance."

Before anyone could respond, Leon turned to leave. "Training starts at dawn. Don\'t be late."

The door closed, leaving an uncomfortable silence.

"What a jerk," Toby muttered.

"That\'s how it is here," Axel said, his voice serious. "Everything\'s about rank and status."

Ryn nodded. "The hierarchy\'s strict. Seniors have almost unlimited authority over freshmen."

Levi absorbed this information, adding it to his mental notes. He\'d known the academy would be challenging, but the social dynamics were another layer of complexity. As a demonic follower in disguise, he\'d have to be even more careful.

The only reason he had entered the academy was to get powerful. He had strong abilities but he was too limited because he had no knowledge about combat but now that he was here in the academy this was going to change.

"Well," Toby stretched, breaking the tension, "at least I\'m not the lowest ranked in our room anymore. Thanks, Levi!"

"Keep talking and I\'ll give you directions to the girls\' bathroom again," Levi threatened, making everyone laugh.

As night fell, they prepared for bed, each lost in thoughts about tomorrow\'s challenges. Levi lay awake, listening to his roommates\' breathing slowly into sleep rhythms. The moon cast shadows through their window, dancing across the ceiling.

He\'d managed to deflect questions about his background so far, but how long could he keep it up? These people – Toby with his endless chatter, Axel with his sharp observations, and Ryn with his quiet intelligence – they weren\'t just roommates anymore. They were potential threats to his secret.

Or maybe, a small voice in his head suggested, they could be something he\'d never imagined before – friends?

Levi pushed that thought away. He couldn\'t afford such luxuries. Not with what he was, what he had to do. Still, as sleep finally claimed him, he couldn\'t help but smile at Toby\'s light snoring from across the room.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new tests of his ability to blend in. But for now, in this moment, he was just another student settling into academy life.

Even if he was the only one hiding demonic powers.

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