The academy was already awake.
Not loud. Not chaotic.
Just… structured movement repeating itself like every normal Monday.
Hallway — Morning
Lunivara walked through the corridor.
Students passed by in small groups, voices blending into background noise.
Nothing stood out.
And that was exactly what made it feel strange.
"Luna!"
A voice called out.
Jude approached from the opposite side of the hallway, hands raised slightly in greeting like he always did.
Leontius followed a step behind him, quieter as usual.
They weren't in the same class—but the academy made it easy to cross paths.
Especially when something needed attention.
Jude stopped in front of her.
"You're early again. That's suspicious in itself."
"I arrived at the normal time," Lunivara replied.
"That's what someone suspicious would say," Jude said immediately.
Leontius didn't join the joke.
He only looked at her once.
"…You're fine?"
A simple question. Controlled tone.
"Yes," she answered.
That was enough for him.
Jude stretched slightly.
"So. Back to investigation mode?"
Leontius nodded.
"We continue from the dock report inconsistencies."
Jude sighed.
"I still think people are just bad at remembering details."
Lunivara spoke softly.
"It's not memory loss."
Both of them looked at her.
She continued:
"It's repetition."
Jude frowned. "That sounds worse somehow."
Leontius didn't react immediately.
But his eyes sharpened slightly.
They walked together through the hallway.
Not as classmates sharing routine—
but as individuals crossing paths for a shared purpose.
Students passed by.
"Did you submit the same report?"
"Yeah… same as last time."
"Same as last time?"
Jude slowed slightly.
"…Okay, I heard that too."
Leontius did as well.
But he didn't comment immediately.
He was observing.
Always observing.
Inside another classroom, Velarisse sat quietly among her classmates.
She wasn't involved in the investigation.
But something felt slightly off today.
Not wrong.
Just… familiar in a way she couldn't explain.
A classmate spoke.
"Didn't we already go over this yesterday?"
Another replied.
"I think so… maybe?"
Velarisse paused slightly.
[Yesterday?]
Her thoughts stopped there.
Not confusion.
Just a faint gap she couldn't explain.
Hallway Rejoin
Leontius stopped near a quieter section of the corridor.
"We need structured data," he said.
Jude sighed. "Translation: more work."
Lunivara didn't respond immediately.
Her gaze moved slightly across passing students.
Everything looked normal.
But normal was starting to feel… repeated.
Leontius looked at her again.
Longer this time.
"…Are you noticing something else?"
Lunivara paused.
"…Not yet."
That was the truth.
She wasn't seeing the answer.
Only the shape of it.
Jude waved lazily.
"I've got club duty. Don't break reality while I'm gone."
Leontius replied without looking at him.
"We're not breaking anything."
Jude smirked.
"That's exactly what someone breaking something would say."
He left.
Leontius stayed a moment longer.
Then turned slightly toward Lunivara.
"…If anything feels off, tell me."
She nodded.
"I will."
He left after that.
Lunivara stood still in the corridor.
The flow of students continued around her.
Everything functioned.
Everything moved correctly.
But something about it—
felt like it had already happened before.
Not once.
But slightly too many times.
She started walking again.
Slowly.
The investigation had resumed.
And the world—
was still behaving too perfectly.
END CHAPTER 34