On the day of the class exam—though at this point, it was more of a full-blown competition—Yuna stood quietly, observing the slips and bracelet-like artifacts handed to the other class representatives by the principal.
She didn't receive one herself. Not surprising. Those were hints and magical aids to assist in the upcoming first-rank domain, and well, the others had earned them. Yuna wasn't about to complain. She didn't have high hopes for advantage or luck in events like these anyway.
They now stood in front of the domain entrance—a towering stone pillar etched with glowing runes. At its center churned a twisting vortex, like the gaping maw of some ancient beast, as if it were waiting to devour anyone who dared step forward. The entrance was massive, far larger than any domain Yuna had seen before, and the energy it gave off was heavy—oppressive, even.
The principal stepped forward, her bright voice breaking the tension. "Since this is a first-rank domain, we'll be generous—forty-five minutes inside the domain and we will take you out, your main objective is to collect Eusia Orbs. The more orbs you gather, the higher your score will be!"
A student from the back raised his hand. "Principal, what does the Eusia Orb look like?"
The principal's face lit up, nodding approvingly. "How adorable. Asking questions when you don't know something—very good practice!"
Yuna waited. A bit of an explanation would be nice.
But the principal moved right along. "Once inside, remember to prioritize safety. The monsters in a first-rank domain aren't something you can handle alone, so if you sense one coming, steer clear. If you die... well, we'll pray for your peaceful afterlife. Stick together"
A few murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The same student raised his hand again, persistent. "Principal, about the Eusia Orb—"
"Oh!" The principal tapped her head playfully. "I've gotten so forgetful lately!"
She didn't look older than thirteen.
"As for the Eusia Orb… well, where's the excitement in knowing everything beforehand?" She giggled. "Discovery is half the fun, isn't it? If your class rep got the picture hint, lucky you. And if they got a tracker, even better! But really, it's much more thrilling to figure it out on your own. Too bad for those who got spoilers. Sob, sob."
At that, several students subtly glanced toward the Crown Prince—who, naturally, held both the picture and the tracking device—and the club class rep, who at least had the visual.
Yuna sighed softly and turned to her classmates. "This domain feels dangerous. We should focus on finding an exit early. It's better to play it safe."
She felt a bit bad dampening their mood. Everyone was buzzing with nervous energy, and here she was, talking about escape routes before they even stepped inside. But as class head, their well-being came first.
Also… she was not cut out for this kind of heroic nonsense. Yuna wasn't a brilliant leader or a prodigy. She was just a normal person, trying her best not to die or get others killed. Surely that was reasonable?
Really, in a world this advanced—where magic could heal wounds, build cities, and fly through the air—why were they still running deathtrap exams for students? Was this not something they could've phased out by now?
Still, who was she to question it?
"Don't worry, Yuna! I'll protect you!"
"We're going to win this!"
"We can totally do it!"
Yuna's expression stiffened. Did they not hear what she just said? Safety. Exit. Not victory.
"Heart class, go go go!" Celeste shouted from the side, fists raised in excitement.
The chant caught on like wildfire.
"HEART CLASS GO GO GOOO!"
"Heart class will win!"
"Heart class! Heart class! Heart class!"
The other card classes turned at the noise, expressions unreadable. Some confused, some amused, a few annoyed. Yuna could feel the collective attention shifting toward them.
In response, her classmates only grew louder.
Yuna quietly shuffled toward the center of the group, hoping to blend in and avoid eye contact with anyone outside the Heart class. She wasn't sure if she was embarrassed or impressed at this point.
The principal looked absolutely thrilled. "Fantastic spirit! Good luck, children! You may now enter the domain!"
With a bright wave, she gestured to the portal.
And so, surrounded by shouting classmates and blind optimism, Yuna followed them into the domain—mentally preparing herself for chaos, danger, and probably a lot of running.
------
The moment Yuna stepped through the vortex, she found herself in the middle of ancient, crumbling ruins.
The air was thick with age, the floor broken and uneven, and towering pillars—half toppling, half defying gravity—stood scattered throughout the space. Each class might have entered the same domain, but clearly, they weren't in the same location.
"Split entry?" Yuna muttered, glancing around. "Great."
One particular pillar near the center had text carved deep into its stone surface, the letters curling in an ancient language Yuna couldn't begin to read.
Fortunately, someone could.
"'Shattered Crown of King Vaelthar,'" Cerise read aloud, brushing dust off the script as he squinted at it.
Celeste clicked her tongue. "That sounds like the name of the artifact anchoring the domain. Figures. No wonder this place became a first-rank among low-tier domains. It even has a title."
Yuna tilted her head. "Does the title… matter?"
She was, admittedly, still very much in the dark when it came to how domains worked.
"Yes," Cerise answered, crossing his arms. "Titles usually indicate the artifact's strength and influence. The stronger the title, the higher the domain's rank. I don't really understand how it's measured—something about the artifact's 'story' and 'rules'—but apparently, that's what determines how powerful the domain is."
"Ah… I see," Yuna said, nodding.
She did not, in fact, see anything.
"Oh, hold on. There's more written here." Cerise cleared his throat and began reading again. "'The artifact, the Shattered Crown of King Vaelthar, is said to be sealed within the Sunken Crypt of Duskrend—a dungeon buried beneath cursed bogs. The crown grants immense power, but it bears a terrible curse: those who wear it are doomed to relive the king's descent into madness.'"
Yuna listened quietly.
She blinked.
That was it?
Who was King Vaelthar? What drove him mad? What was this crown's actual power? The story was so vague it could barely qualify as one. More like a secondhand rumor passed around a campfire.
"Well, it's not like we're here to retrieve the crown anyway," she said, brushing it aside. "We should focus on finding whatever the Eusia Orb is. Cerise, was there anything else written about it?"
He shook his head. "That short paragraph was all there was."
"Figures."
Celeste chimed in again. "Most low-tier domains with a story like this are usually structured into five levels. We could try going up."
Yuna blinked. "Wait. They're divided into levels?"
Another fact no one had bothered to tell her. She made a mental note: once this exam was over, she was definitely dragging herself to the library to borrow every book about domains they had. She'd had enough surprises.
"Alright," Yuna said, clapping her hands once. "We'll climb up level by level. And we'll grab anything that might be an Eusia Orb. If it glows, levitates, or looks even remotely fancy, bag it."
A few Heart class students froze.
Theo, especially, looked nervous. "Um… did you say… we're actually going to go up as much as possible?"
"Wow…. Exciting!"
"Level up! Level up!"
"Climb as high as we can!"
The others echoes cheerfully.
Theo eyes also narrow into an excited slits.
Yuna narrowed her eyes. Something was off.
"What's wrong?" she asked, voice calm but firm.
"N-nothing! It's nothing!" Theo waved his hands quickly as if to cover up something.
Yuna didn't buy it for a second. She fixed him with a deadpan stare—the kind that screamed, Talk. Now.
After a brief silence, Theo wilted. "...Each floor is massive. If we keep climbing without properly checking the lower ones, we won't be able to search anything thoroughly. It'll just be a rush, and we'll miss stuff."
Ah. So each floor is massive. This children! Going up floor by floor quickly and fighting with stronger monster, is that what they are excited about?
"We'll take it slow," she announced sternly "Floor by floor. Thorough and safe."
Several students sighed in disappointment.
"Aii…"
"Alright…"
"Listen to mom."
Yuna rubbed her face tiredly. "I'm your class rep, not your mother."
"Still feels like a mom decision," someone mumbled.
She sighed again and motioned them forward. Whether or not she liked it, she had a group to guide—and they weren't about to survive this place with optimism and recklessness alone.