Reborn as the Archmage's Rival

The dorm room erupted into chaos the second the screeching bell sounded.

Darius sat up with a jerk, sheets tangled around his legs, blinking against the morning light slanting through the window. Across the room, Kai was already halfway into his robes, trying to yank his boot on one foot while hopping in a small circle.

"We’re late," Kai said, not panicking—yet.

Aiden groaned from the top bunk and rolled over before pushing himself up, bleary-eyed. "Bell rang early or we slept like rocks again?"

Darius glanced around and scrambled out of bed. The room was a mess—robes flung over chairs, boots half-kicked off near the foot of the beds, someone’s journal pages scattered on the floor. He grabbed for the cleanest-looking uniform shirt he could find, yanking it over his head while trying to locate his belt.

"I swear I heard nothing," Darius muttered.

Kai pulled his jacket over his shoulders and summoned his schedule scroll with a flick of his fingers. A neat projection floated mid-air, shimmering faintly with golden lines. He squinted at it and groaned.

"Elemental class first thing."

Aiden, now brushing his teeth with his hair still sticking up like a brush, made a noise that could only be interpreted as despair.

Darius grabbed his own scroll and activated it. Sure enough, the same glowing text stared back at him: Elemental Manipulation – Professor Ignatius – Room 5, South Wing.

"Of course it’s him," he muttered.