The grand hallway outside the Headmaster's office was silent.
Just before Lily and Alyssa could step closer, they noticed two figures already waiting outside.
One was a man in his fifties, his back straight like a drawn sword. His presence alone radiated pressure strong enough to make lesser warriors bow instinctively.
His long white hair, tied neatly behind his head, bore the marks of age, and his sharp gray eyes carried the weight of decades of battle.
It was Marcus Reed—the Sword Emperor himself, and guildmaster of the number one guild in the Human Empire, The Radiant Blades.
Standing at his side was a boy who appeared no older than fourteen or fifteen. His hair was as black as the night sky, silky and unyielding to the light around him.
His eyes were the same—dark, deep, and difficult to read. They weren't simply black, but so void-like that one could almost mistake them for abysses.
