Chapter 18: I’m Screwed
"I'm screwed."
Noel stared at the ceiling of his dorm room like it had personally betrayed him.
"Like—endgame, hard reset, no-saves-left kind of screwed."
He paced in circles, half-dressed in his uniform pants, shirt untucked, hair a mess. A single sheet of parchment sat on his desk, mocking him with the words "Exam Schedule – 6 Days Remaining."
He stopped, pointed at it like it was alive.
"You were in the book. I remember reading about you. I fucking skipped you."
He dropped into his chair, head in hands.
'All this time chasing cultists, planning infiltration, prepping for a literal massacre... and I forgot the goddamn academic calendar.'
He groaned.
Loudly.
"Of all the ways to die in this world, I never thought it'd be 'mana theory failure'."