The students of Navaliae stood in the middle of the academy recreation block's field lined up according to height and segregated into groups based on standing both in Navalia and the academy; the students from noble families that did well stood separate from the commoner demons that did well.... like that.
The recreation castle was designed using magic and had multiple rooms, the nature and size of each changeable by choice. The recreation block's field, similarly, was created using magic. The field itself, was not a part of the academy grounds but part of a barren field that exists on the edge of Navalia kingdom. The field had been surrounded by numerous spatial magic circles that were connected to multiple ones at the academy.
The magic circles at the academy were stimulated by physical pressure then activating the ones surrounding the field and transported a portion of the field to suit the amount of pressure. This pressure is basically just the number of people in the space at the academy.
In front of the students lined up stood a large stage of shiny purple stone. In it were black inscriptions made in ancient human language and atop the stage, a tall podium of black stone stood.
Most of the students murmured in excitement as they ad yet to forget the occurrences of the previous day. Only a few, like the high rankers in years 8 to 10 were quiet as they all waited for a morning address from a representative of the governing committee.
Water stood at the very back with his fellow high rankers of year nine. There were five of them and they stood in three lines of two.
"Master Millieu, I believe you have something to do with yesterday's chaos" one of them wearing glasses finally spoke up in the silence. Even the attention of the high ranking students of year ten that stood beside them was drawn at that. Water had a reputation that they were all not willing to acknowledge before but now that someone brought it up, they couldn't help being invested.
Water clenched his jaw as he tuned around slightly trying to suppress his anger. "Little Oreo, are you done covering for littler Oreo?" he asked, voice deceptively light and concerned. At that everybody froze, now glancing at the demon surnamed Oreo- they all knew the trouble his little brother got into that almost earned him an early dismissal, a trouble he had been trying to clear up staining his name in the process.
Older Oreo smirked despite his anger. "Change of topic I see. So you are responsible. Poor outsider" he spoke eyes leaving Water's flaring ones to stare at the now occupied stage. "He fell into the swindler's trap" he added, voice taunting as a representative of the committee finally took the stage.
Water glared at him once more before turning to face the stage as well. The conversation did not go at all like he planned and he couldn't even talk back because of Older Oreo's dismissive tone. By the law of drama, that convo had ended and Water was NOT a winner.
'Shit! Why the fuck did Little Oreo suddenly target me?! Does he have a death wish?' he wondered in his mind before forcing his attention to go back to the stage. 'Whatever, I'll deal with him after the assembly. For now, I can revel in the shame of that mixed race' his lips curved in a gratifying smirk at the thought of Aryan, who had been hidden, being exposed in such a humiliating manner.
"Good day students of Navaliae academy. For today, the committee has nothing much to caution you about. Please avoid the west wing of the academic block and do make sure to remain alert and report any witnessed unauthorized entry or exit from academy grounds-
"-Also, today has been made a free day so after the assembly, you are to head back to your residences" the unexpected announcement caused an uproar among the students as they immediately started muttering. 'Not much? That one sentence sounds like a lot' thought most of the students.
Water raised a brow but said nothing. 'Never, in all the 800 years since Navaliae academy was established, was an impromptu free day declared. What the fuck happened?' he wondered.
"Students Water, Galdet and Erik, report to the committee's office after the assembly. For now, I invite the outsider responsible for yesterday's disruption to the stage to perform the committee's verdict." The representative concluded before turning and walking off the stage leaving the students in even more uproar.
"Seriously?'
"The council is really going to question those three?"
"Damn.... Older student Water had it coming though"
"Who on earth is responsible for the chaos at the library anyway?"
"I heard he was an outsider"
"He couldn't have been here for the first time though, right?"
The air was filled with students' speculations as they all wondered both of the mystery outsider's identity as well as the committee's decision to confront three of the academy's known quad of evil. All demons were known to have some level of evilness in them but these four would go out of their way to make trouble sowing discord amongst students- and all this time, they were neve called in for it because of their background.
Just who this mystery outsider was to be able to earn this response from the council, the students didn't know but they had high expectations of him.
Aryan stood on the other side of the stage staring up at the stairs he was to ascend to speak to the students. He could practically feel the excitement of the students on the other side buzzing in the air. He let out a breath.
"They expect too much from me" he muttered with exasperation. Despite everything he found himself getting a thrill out of the idea of finally being open- no more concealment, unfiltered appearance. His lips curved in that signature disturbing smile.
The female representative that had just come down from the stage nodded at him to signal his ascent. Aryan nodded back as he began to climb the steps leading to the top of the podium.
He took the first step, then the second and third. From the tenth out of fifteen steps leading to the top, Aryan could already see the large mass of students spread out all across the even larger mass of grass that was the field. The suns were now close as they approached the solaroid, now only a week and some days away, giving the dark clouds another red outline.
Everything was dark and brooding; the atmosphere, the uniforms, the heads of hair, the field itself. They were all so dark it was depressing.
Aryan's smile grew wider as he reached the top of the steps now only a few feet from the podium. That wide disturbing smile on his handsome face cradled by dark hair on the left and gold hair on the right together with heterochronic eyes was what the students of Navaliae academy witnessed an all at once, a great silence filled the place.
A shiver of fear ran down all their backs as they stared.
This outsider was pretty scary.