Secret Route: Villain Unlocked

Julien woke before the dorm's bell rang.

Not on purpose. His eyes just opened, and his body sat up as if on cue. Calm, alert, and annoyingly functional for this early in the morning. Ian Mooring, it seemed, had been the kind of person who never hit snooze.

Not that I was ever still lying in bed after the bell, either.

The room was the same as yesterday, every item left exactly where it belonged. His uniform was already set out. His notes were pre-sorted. There was a checklist by the mirror--one that Ian had clearly written for himself. A reminder to stay ahead, not just on time.

Julien got ready quickly. Washed up, changed into his uniform, and even readjusted a loose thread on his cuffs with practiced fingers. He didn't have to think about the motions. His body just did them.

He left the dorm a minute before the bell rang--early, but not suspiciously so. That, too, was part of the habit.

"Morning, Ian!"

A second-year waved as she passed. Julien smiled easily. "Morning."

Another group greeted him further down the hall--two third-years and a tall C-tier guy from his elemental applications class. Julien replied to each with the kind of polite familiarity that felt natural in Ian's voice.

He didn't know their names. But [Character Guidance] made sure his tone was right, his timing perfect.

By the time he reached the dining hall, he'd already exchanged six greetings, three bits of small talk, and one light joke about how slow the tea line always was.

It wasn't hard. Being Ian felt like gliding downhill.

Julien grabbed a tray and picked out Ian's usual balanced breakfast, light on carbs, with an oat bar for later. He was halfway through the rice when Haley dropped into the seat across from him, her quiver slung casually over one shoulder.

'Well, you beat me here this time. Just you wait till tomorrow!' she said, in mock indignation.

Julien grinned, amused. "If only I got a coin for every time you said that. I'd be rich."

Haley shrugged and stole a piece of fruit off his tray. "Real heroes don't need money. You're not getting tempted by luxury, are you?"

"No way. I'm so… unbothered by it that I don't even care that you took my food."

She smiled innocently, unbothered. "Great. Then you won't mind if I take another."

They talked casually while she crunched through the rest of her apple. The cafeteria filled around them, voices rising in overlapping chatter and clinking dishes. Julien didn't have to think hard to keep the conversation going. Haley carried most of it, and when she paused, [Character Guidance] made sure his replies came out with just the right tone. Confident, warm, exactly what people expected from Ian.

He still wasn't used to how easy it was.

"I told Amara and Ray to meet us by the south stairwell," Haley said, brushing her hands together. "Figure we should get ahead of the rush."

Julien nodded, finishing the last of his rice and sliding his tray into the return slot as they left. They stepped out into the cool corridor and crossed through the main wing toward the south end of the dorm complex.

Students passed them here and there, offering casual greetings. Julien answered each one naturally, following Ian's ingrained rhythm. A name, a smile, a short wave, a quick comment about the weather or about the week ahead.

How did he know so many people's names? Seriously, even I never got to this level.

When they rounded the corner by the stairwell, Ray was already leaning against the wall with his arms behind his head. Amara stood beside him, arms crossed.

"You two took your time," she said.

Haley scoffed. "We're literally early."

"I know," Amara said, deadpan. "Just keeping the mood balanced."

Ray snorted. "I still can't believe we're signing up to watch first-years. This is all your fault, Amara."

Julien joined them near the wall. "You don't have to join. You could just stay here and suffer through the ever-boring lessons."

"Eh… On second thought, this seems like it'll be suuuper fun," Ray said quickly.

"It is important," Haley added. "And don't pretend you're not curious which group you'll get."

"Well, I'm hoping for the kids who know how to share snacks," Ray said. "The rest can fend for themselves."

Amara sighed. "We haven't even seen the list yet and you're already negotiating food bribes."

They crossed through the east corridor toward the faculty wing, passing a few scattered students headed in the same direction. Julien recognized the turn before they even reached it--his feet moving automatically down the narrow hallway just past some unused classrooms.

Outside Instructor Wells' office, a wooden board had been mounted to the wall. A sign-up sheet was pinned beneath it, weighed down at each corner with brass tacks. A few names had already been scrawled across the paper in careful ink, the handwriting varying from neat to barely legible.

Haley stepped forward first, scanning the list. "Good, not too many people yet," she said, grabbing the pen from its holder and scribbling her name.

Ray leaned in beside her. "I swear, if I get stuck with the overly enthusiastic ones--you know, the kind who ask five questions before even stepping into the gate--I'm quitting halfway."

"You're not allowed to quit halfway," Amara said, signing beneath Haley's name. "You'd be the first person in history to get a misconduct report from a training expedition."

Ray made a show of groaning, then added his name with a dramatic flourish.

Julien stepped forward last. The pen felt a little unfamiliar in Ian's hand, just enough to notice, but the signature came out cleanly, neat and practiced.

Thank goodness, it's his handwriting. I was a little worried, but this body came through yet again. 

He stepped back as Haley glanced over the list. "Looks like we're not the only ones from our year who signed up early."

"They probably want the first pick," Ray muttered. "No one wants to be assigned a bunch of kids who try to solo a spider nest just to look cool."

Julien crossed his arms loosely. "You've been complaining non-stop since yesterday."

"And I'll still go on this damn expedition. It's a free country, I can do whatever I want," Ray replied smugly.

Julien shrugged, but inside, a flicker of nerves stirred. He wasn't just thinking about the expedition itself. There was one detail nagging at him--one possibility he wasn't sure he was completely prepared to face.

I could get assigned to… him.

His younger self. The kid he'd seen yesterday, the one who looked at Ian with such pride after that duel. The kid who always admired Ian like a hero.

He wasn't sure how to feel about it. Pride? Guilt? A strange knot twisted in his stomach. It was a reminder that everything here--this life, this body--had a history, and he was stepping right into it.

Ray caught his expression and smirked. "You alright there, Ian? You look like you just saw a ghost."

Julien shook his head and let out a light laugh. "Nothing like that. Just thinking about the groups they'll put us in."

Haley leaned in, eyes bright. "I bet you'll get the strongest first-years. You know, the ones you don't really have to babysit."

"Right," Julien said, voice steady but his mind running ahead. Strongest first-years… including him.

Amara clapped her hands together. "Too late to change your mind, anyway. We've put our names down, so let's go before it gets crowded around here. What do you guys have first?"

They turned away from the sign-up sheet, the clatter of footsteps and distant chatter filling the hall. 

The system pinged in Julien's mind.

Now, of all times? It's been silent since the journal.

[Main Quest: "The Beginning" – Part II]

[Quest Objective Changed.]

[Description: You have made a decision that will alter the events of this timeline. Go to the D-tier gate expedition and guide your assigned party to completion. Optional: Prevent unexpected casualties.]

[Reward: Alignment Progress +1]

[Penalty for Failure: User will temporarily be restricted to only B-tier and below skills and spells.]

Julien didn't blink. His face didn't move. [Character Guidance] stayed fully engaged, smoothing out every twitch and breath. To the others, he looked completely normal--just walking, maybe thinking about class.

But inside, his thoughts whirled.

It's actually telling me a proper penalty this time? And it only appeared after I actually wrote something down. "This timeline" too…

Ian hadn't gone to that expedition. Julien remembered that clearly. He'd always assumed it wasn't worth mentioning--just another low-level training gate. But if this counted as a branching point, then something else was coming. Something that hadn't happened before.

Casualties. Why that word?

They fell into easy chatter as everyone slowly headed off to their first classes, but Julien's thoughts remained tangled. He recalled the gate itself--the D-tier east of the cliffs. It was an easy one that had given them their first taste of proper combat. A gate that was supposed to be nothing more than a simple trial.

Julien remembered the terrain; thin trees, loose gravel, and a few stone outcrops. Low-rank beasts scattered in groups, nothing more dangerous than a shadow-wolf or the occasional cave-walker. Back then, it had felt almost too easy.

He kept pace beside Haley, not missing a step as they turned down another corridor toward their classrooms. Somewhere in the background, Ray was still talking. Something about the food today being worse than usual. Julien nodded at the right times, gave a few short replies, all as Ian would.

But that word kept looping through his head.

Casualties.

It wasn't a term the system used lightly. Up until now, it had only given him vague phrases--"complete the objective," "maintain your role," "progress alignment." This was the first time it hinted that people might die.

Was it because he was there now, when he wasn't supposed to be?

Either way, it meant one thing: the gate was no longer guaranteed to end safely.

Haley slowed as they neared the turn toward the outdoor wing, where most of the practical classes were held. "You've got element theory first, right?"

"Yeah," Julien said.

"Cool. I've got drills. Lucky me." She raised her hand in farewell and stepped away with an exaggerated sigh.

Julien continued down the hall, jaw tight. He barely noticed the cool breeze leaking in through the windows, or the fourth-year ahead of him fumbling with their bag. Every part of him was focused inward, running calculations, revisiting old memories.

The gate had been uneventful. He was sure of it. Nothing had stood out back then. If anything changed in this timeline, it wasn't random. It had to be connected to something.

Was it me? Did signing up change the group distribution? Or is someone else acting out of place too?

He reached the classroom door, hand on the handle, when the system flickered in the back of his mind again. A second prompt didn't appear, but he could feel the pressure settling in.

Whatever happened last time, it won't go the same way.