<h4>Chapter 216: The Neighbour</h4>


    Around the fountain, they parted ways. Eleanor and Ophelia followed Ondina and Lotus toward the back wing of the dormitory’s second floor, while Kiara and Corallina turned left, bound for the right wing.


    Though all four wings were joined by a long corridor, three staircases provided ess... one at the back, and one each on the left and right. Eleanor and Ophelia climbed the rear stairs with their guides. The first room they passed belonged to Eleanor... her cadet number was 659, and her assigned room was 227.


    "Ophelia, I’ll rest for a while," Eleanor said. "Come to my room at seven-thirty. We’ll go to the dining hall together. You should also settle in your own room first. If you need anything, you cane anytime."


    Ophelia nodded. "Alright. I’ll be in my room too."


    Eleanor turned to Lotus with a polite smile. "Thank you, senior. Please take care of us in the future."


    Just then, the door to 228 creaked open. A youthful, bronze-skinned girl poked her head out, sniffed the air, and shed a broad smile across her full lips. She stepped into the corridor, revealing a figure sculpted with athletic grace... sharp cheekbones, crystal-clear eyes like droplets of water, and a vitality that radiated from her every movement.


    With enthusiasm, she extended her hand. "Beautiful neighbour, I am Maíra, Cadet 660. I’m delighted to find an Alpha werewolf beside me."


    Eleanor recognised her instantly. She had seen this face in the n’s intelligence reports. Maíra Arara Neblina... the young head of the Amazon n, daughter of the watcher of werewolves Yara Arara Neblina. Barely twenty-two, yet already famous within her n as apetent assassin. Though her fighting prowess was supposed to remain secret until she came of age, the Raynor n had secured intelligence about her. Eleanor knew well enough that this girl was likely far more dangerous than the intelligence they received.


    Eleanor epted the handshake with her business-like demeanour. "Eleanor, Cadet 659. Let’s get along in the future. This is Ophelia, and these are our guides, Senior Ondina and Senior Lotus."


    Ophelia offered her hand next. "Hello, I’m Cadet 665. My room is 233."


    Maíra shook it warmly. "Then we’ll be seeing each other often." Turning to the guides, she bowed with polite respect. "Seniors, I ask for your guidance as well."


    Ondina smiled. "Of course. See you in future." She nced at Lotus. "Finish up at 233, then return here. We’ll leave together."


    "Understood," Lotus replied, continuing with Ophelia down the corridor.


    Eleanor turned her head to Maíra. "We’ll catch upter. For now, please excuse us."


    With that, Ondina and Eleanor stepped into room 227.


    The dormitory room provedfortably spacious. A dragon in full size would never fit, of course, but for a werewolf in human form it was generous, even more than necessary. The walls and ceiling were painted a soft sky blue, lending the room a sense of openness and calm.


    On one side stood arge, neatly made bed d in full white. Opposite it rose a broad wardrobe and a bookshelf already stocked with an assortment of volumes. Beside the shelf was a closed door, while across from it a wide, clear-ss window flooded the room with evening light. In front of the window stood a sturdy table and two chairs; atop the table sat a shiny newptop and a modern tablemp, curiously without a single wire protruding.


    Another, smaller window was beside the door, and through it, Eleanor glimpsed Maíra walking back into her own room next door.


    Ondina shut the door behind them. "This room will be your home throughout your term here. Our staff have already checked each room and confirmed everything is in order. Still, I suggest you test things yourselfter. If something doesn’t work, read your guidebook first... it contains instructions for using every piece of equipment. And if the problem persists, go to the estate manager’s office at Room 010 on the ground floor and report it there."


    She paused, then continued, "Your bedes with two pillows. You will not receive any more, no matter what excuse you give, so learn to adjust. Likewise, you won’t be provided with chemical substances like soap or toiletries. But don’t worry... all clothing is embedded with cleansing spells, so no one will ever stink. The water in the academy also has natural purifying properties; that should be enough for your needs."


    Ondina gestured toward the wardrobe. "Right now it’s empty. After dinner, your academy-issued clothes will be delivered here. On the ground floor there is aundry room; your garments can be magically cleaned there. The instructions are in your guidebook."


    She crossed to the bookshelf. "Here you’ll find paperback copies of all your academic texts. You may read them here or carry them to ss. Every book also exists in digital form on yourptop, if you prefer reading on a screen. Your table itself functions as a charging pad... ce yourptop on the table when its battery is low. The tablemp charges the same way. Themp has a manual switch, but your overhead light... which is your entire ceiling and that can only be controlled with your personal device." She pointed toward Eleanor’s wrist. "Press the white button on the side."


    Eleanor pressed it. The ceiling lit at once with a soft, radiant glow, filling the room with soothing white light.


    "If you press it again, the ceiling light will turn off," Ondina exined. "The bathroom has a separate light that requires a double press. Come."


    She opened the small door beside the bookshelf, revealing a surprisingly luxurious bathroom with a bathtub, toilet, basin, and a tall mirror.


    "Press two times, please," Ondina said.


    Eleanor did, and the light bloomed overhead along with a gentle hum from hidden vents.


    Ondina continued, "The bathroom light and venttion run together. Your door handles are already synchronized with your personal device. Both the main door and this one. No cadet without authorization will ever be able to open them. Academy staff can... but if they do, their device is instantly recorded in the system. For example, when I opened your main and bathroom doors just now, my name was recorded. But when you unlock them, it won’t log anything as your device meant to do so. That is why many of us call the device a key."


    She stepped back and pointed above the front door. "See that wall clock? It’s also a speaker. Each morning it will sound a wake-up rm for the mandatory exercise... just once. For all other routines, you are expected to manage your own time. Any emergency announcements or schedule changes will alsoe through that speaker."


    Her tone grew serious. "Without your key, you cannot ess yourptop. And everything you save on it will be erased by the staff, the moment you leave the academy. While the whole academy is integrated into a central system, it does not pry into personal space. Many professors conduct personal research here, guarded by the same safeguards. The same applies to cadets. You are free to record or write whatever you like... but it will all be wiped when your term ends."


    She studied Eleanor closely. "I notice you’ve been speaking English. You might not have realized, but I’ve spoken Sardinian this whole time. In the academy, you can use anynguage. The person listening will always hear in their own tongue. After the enhancement injection, a smart trantor was embedded in your mind. Keep that in mind."


    At that moment came a knock at the door. "Sister Ondina, it’s me," Lotus’s voice called.


    "Coming," Ondina answered. She turned back to Eleanor and walked to the window near the door. "Here... your windows have a transform switch." She pressed a small notch at the base, and the ss darkened to matte ck. It reflected nothing, blocking all view in or out.


    "When you sleep, always blind the windows," Ondina advised. "That way, no one can peer inside. You may keep them opaque all the time if you wish. This is a mixed dormitory. A girl deserves her privacy."


    She lingered a moment in thought, then concluded, "I’ve exined everything you need to know for now. If you’re uncertain about anything, read your guidebook first. Don’t bete to dinner tonight... and never walk outside without your robe. Take care."


    With that, she opened the door.


    "Thank you, Senior," Eleanor said quietly as Ondina stepped out.


    The door closed again.


    Left alone, Eleanor let out a long sigh. The roomcked any visible cooling system, yet the air was pleasantly temperate. She removed her robe, hung it neatly inside the wardrobe, then walked back and locked the door manually. Pulling out a chair, she sat at the table. Relief washed through her as she finally allowed herself to rx.


    "Nora, can you scan the room for monitoring or recording devices?" she asked silently.


    "I’ve already checked," Nora replied in her head. "There are none. Still, Master, I advise you not to speakmands aloud. I’ll inform you once I am absolutely certain. For now, caution is best. The device on your wrist only sends signals to the disy panel... it doesn’t attempt to collect or transmit information. However, the nanobots in your body do contain significant hidden data. Much of it is blocked. I could break the encryption by force, but I believe it is unnecessary. These protocols will likely reveal themselves once specific conditions are met."


    "Alright," Eleanor murmured inwardly. She opened theptop. The screen red to life with a prompt: "Touch your personal identification device to the touchpad."


    Eleanor ced her wrist device against it.


    "Wee, Cadet 659, the screen read. Please select yournguage." A long list appeared. Eleanor scrolled and selected English.


    "Master," Nora said with urgency, "thisptop has an active link to an external server. Give me a moment to investigate further."