Chapter 5: Academy of Absolutely No Calm

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If the future had a sense of humour, it was cruel and unapologetic.

The transport pod arrived with no doors.

It simply… opened.

The floor beneath their feet dissolved into light, and before Jimin could finish saying, “I don’t think this is safe—” they were gently *launched* forward.

Taehyung squeaked.

Not screamed. Squeaked.

Jungkook caught him mid-air on instinct, arms locking around Taehyung’s waist as the pod settled them onto a wide platform surrounded by floating screens, hovering students, and architecture that looked like it had been designed by someone who hated straight lines.

Taehyung blinked up at Jungkook. “You fly now?”

Jungkook paused. “…Apparently.”

Jimin snorted before he could stop himself.

That earned him several curious stares.

The Academy loomed ahead—massive, living, and faintly judgmental. Its surface shifted like liquid glass, reflecting not faces, but *auras*. Alphas glowed sharply. Omegas shimmered softly. Betas hovered neutrally.

Taehyung’s reflection did all three.

“Oh,” Jimin muttered. “That’s… unsettling.”

A voice boomed overhead.

“WELCOME, TEMPORAL ANOMALIES!”

Every head turned.

A tall figure descended from the air, coat fluttering dramatically despite the complete absence of wind. He landed with a flourish that suggested years of practice and an audience that no longer applauded.

“I am Professor Haneul,” the man announced. “Head of Bond Dynamics, Emotional Regulation, and Crisis Management.”

He looked directly at them.

“And you,” he added cheerfully, “are my problem.”

Taehyung leaned toward Jimin. “He smiles like a villain.”

Jimin whispered back, “No, worse. A *teacher*.”

Professor Haneul tapped a floating screen. Data exploded outward—too much, too fast.

“Twin alphas,” he read. “One true-blood, one enigma. An omega with exceptional emotional anchoring. And—” his eyes lit up as he stared at Taehyung, “—a switch with a destabilising constitution and little-space regression.”

Taehyung raised a hand. “I prefer the term ‘multifunctional.’”

There was a beat.

Then Haneul laughed so hard he had to lean on a holographic desk. “Oh, I like you.”

Jungkook stiffened. “He is not entertainment.”

“Relax,” Haneul waved him off. “If I wanted entertainment, I’d assign you all to Group Housing.”

Jimin froze. “Group… what?”

Too late.

The floor shifted again.

They dropped exactly one level.

And landed in a shared living suite.

One bed.

Silence.

Taehyung looked at the bed. Then at the others. Then back at the bed.

“It’s… small.”

Jungkook cleared his throat. “I can sleep on the floor.”

The bed expanded.

Jimin blinked. “Oh come on.”

Professor Haneul’s voice echoed from nowhere. “The Academy responds to subconscious needs. Enjoy discovering yours.”

The walls sealed.

Taehyung stared at the bed, eyes slowly widening as his mental state wobbled—not distressed, just… curious.

“Is it nap time?”

Jimin sighed, already moving to help him settle. “Apparently, yes.”

Taehyung crawled onto the bed immediately, sprawling like a content cat. “Too soft. Illegal.”

Jungkook hovered awkwardly at the edge.

“You can sit,” Taehyung said, patting the space beside him. “You’re warm.”

Jungkook hesitated—then sat, stiff as a statue.

The bed expanded again.

Jimin burst out laughing.

Jungkook looked betrayed. “This is harassment by furniture.”

Jimin wiped his eyes. “Welcome to the future.”

As Taehyung relaxed, the bond hummed—light, teasing, alive. No pressure. No force. Just presence.

Outside the room, Professor Haneul watched the readings spike and stabilise simultaneously.

“Oh,” he murmured. “This is going to be *fun*.”

Inside, Taehyung yawned.

“Hey,” he said sleepily, “if we’re stuck here…”

Jimin smiled despite himself. “Yeah?”

Taehyung grinned, bright and mischievous. “Let’s break the system nicely.”

The future, somewhere deep in its coded core, trembled.

Not in fear.

In anticipation.

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