Miss Joanne stood at the front of the classroom with the topic 'Classification of Beasts' boldly spelled out on the screen.
Students were still pouring into the class as it was a few minutes away from 8:30.
Two weeks had passed, and I still hadn't checked out the martial arts class. Ever since I accepted Ralph as my sidekick, I had personally supervised his daily workout routine, leaving me with nearly no time to do anything else.
Of course, this arrangement wasn't permanent. I planned to do this for a month or so. When he got used to the routine, I wouldn't have to hound him down every day.
However, I had to admit, Ralph had heart. He was weak physically, but his will was stronger than I expected. On the first day, he pushed himself until he nearly passed out.
I had to stop him myself, or he would have kept going.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have high hopes for that kid," I said in a low tone.
[Don't forget you are a kid too. In fact, he's a year older.] Lyxor said, and I rolled my eyes.
"8:27…" I frowned while checking the time.
My eyes darted around the classroom, but Ralph was nowhere in sight. This was strange because he always came to class between 8:00 and 8:10 a.m.
Even with the fatigue he suffered, he had never missed a class—let alone now, when he was getting used to the routine.
"Could he be sick?" I muttered with a raised eyebrow.
[If he was, he would text you,] Lyxor reminded me, and I nodded.
Ever since exchanging numbers, Ralph kept dumping information about his private life—ranging from what he ate in the cafeteria to what he planned to wear to class.
It was clear he had no other friends, so I never scolded him for it.
Pulling out my phone and going through my messages on my Swi-gram social media app, I realized his last message came in around 5 p.m. yesterday, when he boarded an academy shuttle that would take him back to the dormitory after our training session.
"Strange…" My eyes narrowed and my instincts screamed foul play at the top of their lungs.
"Good morning, everyone," Miss Joanne's voice pulled me out of my reverie, and I put my phone away.
"Today, we're going to talk about the two primary categories of beasts you will encounter as a guardian, both within and outside the walls. Does anyone know this?" Miss Joanne asked while her eyes darted around in search of a raised hand.
"Mutant beasts and evolved beasts." Silver's voice came from the bottom left corner of the auditorium.
My eyes shifted in that direction but stopped on Dean Hall, who was gazing at me with a hint of mocking amusement on his face.
'What's this?' I wondered as our eyes remained locked.
[If something happened to Ralph, he has something to do with it,] Lyxor concluded in a leveled tone, and my brows knitted.
After our little confrontation, everyone knew I had made Ralph my partner, especially since he was always sitting and leaving with me. The members of the big four never bothered us again, so I naturally stopped paying attention to them.
But this?
'If something happens to Ralph, I'll hurt him,' I concluded.
[Don't tell me you are already attached to that kid?] Lyxor chuckled, but I shook my head.
'He is part of my property now. No one is allowed to touch my properties. It's just that simple.' I broke eye contact with Dean and returned my focus to Joanne.
'You are also picking up human traits. A few weeks ago, you were no different from a machine with no emotions. Now you've learned how to laugh.'
[What nonsense are you talking about?] Lyxor denied outrightly, but I didn't press him any further.
Miss Joanne pulled out a remote and clicked a button, bringing up a vivid, animated chart.
"Mutant beasts," she continued, "are those that have undergone slight genetic changes but have failed to evolve, just like powerless humans and slaves. They lack the potential to complete the evolution process. These beasts are categorized into four threat levels based on their potential danger to humans."
The chart shifted, showing images and descriptions of various mutant beasts.
"Level 1: Minimal Threat," she said, pointing to an image of a small, furry rat-like creature. "These beasts pose minimal threat to humans and are generally harmless unless provoked. They are typically small in size, with limited offensive capabilities. Think of small rodents, harmless insects, or non-venomous snakes."
The screen displayed an example—a cute but slightly odd-looking rodent scurrying in the underbrush.
"Level 2: Low Threat," Joanne continued, and the image changed to a deer-like animal with slightly glowing eyes. "These beasts pose a low threat to humans and may exhibit defensive behavior when cornered. While they have some offensive capabilities, they are generally easy to avoid or deter. Examples include non-aggressive mutated wild animals like deer or rabbits, and mildly venomous snakes with non-lethal bites."
I watched in silence as an animation showed a mutated, glowing-eyed rabbit cautiously hopping away from a human figure.
"Level 3: Moderate Threat," Miss Joanne said, her tone growing slightly more serious. "Beasts in this category pose a moderate threat and can cause significant harm if encountered. They may exhibit aggressive behavior when provoked and require caution and respect. Examples are medium-sized predators such as coyotes or smaller species of big cats, and venomous snakes with potent but treatable bites."
The display showed a coyote with protruding bones from its body and slightly exaggerated teeth.
'Caution and respect?' I scoffed in my heart while my eyes blazed with disdain.
The dog that killed Lia fell within this category. Miss Joanne's words did not do justice to the vile nature of these creatures. This made me begin to doubt everything she said about the last two.
It felt like she was reading a script and had never encountered these beasts before.
"Level 4: High Threat," Joanne continued, unaware of my disdainful gaze and sinister thoughts.
The screen showed a large, bear-like creature with sharp claws.
"These beasts pose a high threat to humans and can cause severe injury or death if encountered. They exhibit aggressive behavior and require skilled handling or avoidance strategies. Think of large predators like bears or big cats, and venomous snakes with highly potent and potentially lethal venom."
The animation depicted a bear-like beast charging at a fleeing figure.
There was silence, with a few hands raised. Joanne didn't rush to accept their questions. She waited for her words to sink in for a few seconds before pointing at the most eye-catching member of our class.
He was as old as Alex and other members of the big four, with dark hair and green stripes.
However, what I found most interesting about this boy was the black cloth tied across his eyes. The kid was blind but never needed help walking around—and to make matters worse, he always carried a sheathed sword.
This kid was Dylan Page, but he insisted on being called Lone Sword.