Raven went through the elevator.
'She said to meet on the top floor.'
He mused.
He pushed a button and leaned onto the wall of the elevator.
'Even though I didn't expend too much essence, I feel drained.'
Right now, all he wanted to do was rest.
The elevator finally stopped, after what felt like minutes as the door slid open, and Raven stepped out.
The corridor stretched before him. Long....
'The top floor is surprisingly empty.'
He thought as he walked.
"Runes."
Raven murmured, his gaze focusing on a light source that glowed faintly every few seconds.
There was one engraved into the walls every few meters to reinforce them.
After observing them for some time, Raven turned away and continued walking.
He looked down, staring at the polished marble floor.
'First scrolls, now runes.'
He knew he would be seeing more of them in the future.
'That'll be for when I enter the academy.'
For now, he would have to limit himself to seeing these unusual spectacles.
Raven hadn't even seen much of modern technology as he wasn't exactly the kind that could afford to live comfortably-he even had to sell some of his organs, and even then that wasn't enough.
Nothing was.
"Leave."
A voice rang out in the otherwise empty hallway.
The voice wasn't his own.
Raven looked up.
A boy—about the same age as him—leaned against the wall farther down the corridor. His posture was relaxed and his arms were folded.
Raven stared at him for a second, then, continued walking, ignoring the boy's words completely.
For someone who was standing not too far away, Raven couldn't even tell that the boy was staring at him.
'I don't think he has much of a presence.'
Hence, he completely ignored the boy's words.
"Leave."
The boy repeated.
Raven didn't even break stride.
He got closer.
"Are you deaf? I said you should get lost!"
The boy's patience was thinning.
Raven ignored him, though this time, his lips curved upwards, giving him the side-eye as he passed.
'He isn't shouting, even though he's obviously mad.'
Raven observed.
'It's like he doesn't want to get into trouble.'
'Perfect.'
"Excuse me." Raven began, "is that room ahead perhaps, Nyx's office?"
The boy's face hardened, he pushed off the wall and stepped forward with a scowl.
"That's Ms. Nyx to you. And what does it matter if her office is there or not? I told you to get lost already."
"Okay."
Raven said simply, continuing his walk to the office.
"The exit is the other way."
The boy's voice came, his tone stern.
"You told me to get lost. So, since I don't where that direction leads." Raven's eyes flicked towards the direction of the office. "I'll be getting lost that way. Now, if you'll excuse me."
Raven walked past.
"You!"
The boy's voice cracked with unrestrained anger. His composure—still until now, snapped.
His patience was stretched thin, the intruder wasn't listening to him. To make matters worse, the boy actually seemed to be enjoying himself, with a smile on his face.
In one motion, he lunged with sudden speed.
Raven's grin widened.
'Finally.'
He caught the boy's hand mid-strike, his own fingers locking around the boy's wrist like steel.
In a sudden motion Raven pivoted, twisting the boy's arm cruelly and slamming the boy into the wall with a dull thud.
The boy groaned, his cheek pressed against the cold wall as Raven's grip tightened around his twisted arm.
"You—"
Before he could finish his curse, Raven wrenched his arm tighter.
He leaned in close, his voice low and unhurried.
"Are you, perhaps, still at the novice rank?"
He questioned, his tone mocking.
His words seemed to hit the mark.
The boy trashed, but Raven's grip was practically iron. Every movement only wrenched his arm tighter, drawing a pained hiss from the boy.
"Let go."
The boy growled.
"How—"
Raven quickly stopped himself from completing his words.
'I almost asked him to pay me to stop.'
Old habits died hard.
"Is the room ahead Nyx's office?"
Raven asked.
"...."
He wrenched the boy's arm tighter.
"Answer me."
"...."
'Is he her disciple or something?'
He wondered.
The whole reason the boy was in this position was because of Nyx, after all.
He refused to let Raven through to her office.
He referred to her as Ms., even correcting Raven.
And now, he refused to answer if it was really Nyx's office ahead.
'I know that he can't be a member of the PRA with his strength, so that's the only one left.'
Surprisingly, the boy didn't rush at him to stop him.
Raven stepped into the office, closing the door behind him.
Nyx was not there.
Instead, it was a woman he had never met before.
"Is this Nyx's office?"
He asked.
The woman's eyes rose from the papers on the desk, staring at him.
Her gaze was unnerving.
"Raven Hesse?"
She questioned.
"Yes."
"Please sit down, the lady should be here in two minutes."
The receptionist gestured to a seat.
Then, the woman turned back to the papers on her desk and continuing filing the paperwork.
'Two minutes.'
'That's actually very oddly specific.'
He mused.
Then, without another thought, he began counting.
'1.'
'2.'
'3.'
'4, 5, 6, 7, 8.'
'115.'
Just then, the door opened.