Aeren and Lena found a secluded spot in the hallway, away from the other students.
"Let's go somewhere more private," Aeren said, his eyes scanning the space with an unsettling calm.
"I can feel some watchful eyes on us."
Lena's shoulders tensed. "Okay, my lord," she said quietly. "But do you know any place?"
"I haven't traveled all over the academy yet. What about you?"
"I'm the same. I haven't really explored much."
"Then let's go somewhere you feel comfortable."
Lena's gaze dropped to the floor as she thought for a moment.
"I feel most comfortable in my room. Would you like to come there?"
"Let's go," Aeren said, his polite tone a stark contrast to his cold expression as he glanced at an individual trying to eavesdrop. He ignored the figure and walked away with Lena.
A few minutes later, they reached Lena's dormitory room. The moment they stepped inside, Aeren shut the door, and a sudden, inky darkness engulfed the space. Lena gasped, her heart pounding, about to scream, but Aeren's hand clamped over her mouth.
"Shh," his voice echoed from all around her, a phantom presence in the blackness. "I won't do anything to you. Just listen."
Lena nodded, a frantic movement in the dark, and Aeren's hand slowly moved away.
"I have a task for you," Aeren's voice said, clear and loud despite the lack of a visible source.
"I'll do whatever you say, my lord," she said, her voice a strained whisper.
"Good. I would have done it myself, but I have other matters to attend to."
"No need to worry, my lord. Just entrust me with your task," Lena said, her voice more steady now, a well-practiced mask of obedience.
"Hmm, take this." He placed a paper in her hand.
"What is this, my lord?" Lena asked, clutching the paper.
"It's a list of people. You need to collect every single piece of information you can about them." His voice was cold and demanding.
Lena couldn't see a single name, but she didn't have the guts to say no. "I'll do it, my lord."
"Do it within a year," Aeren said, his voice a chilling whisper in her ear. "I don't like to be kept waiting."
"Yes, my lord," Lena replied. Just as she spoke, the darkness lifted, and the light returned to her room. Aeren was gone.
Lena looked around the empty room and let out a shaky sigh of relief. 'He was gone'.
She looked down at the list in her hand, her eyes widening in disbelief. A list of dozens of names stared back at her.
"How am I going to get all this information on these people?" she whispered, the panic returning.
Aeren returned to his class without anyone noticing.
The change in atmosphere from the private, tense room to the crowded, boisterous classroom was jarring. Students chattered excitedly as they arranged desks for the day's lesson.
"Listen, students," Professor Davin said, his voice booming with energy.
"I told you last time I would watch your combat ability and teach you the right way to fight. However, the higher classes have taken the training grounds today, so we'll do this in the classroom. Let's arrange the desks and chairs!"
All the students looked at each other with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Aeren joined them, pushing desks into a large circle in the middle of the room. A few minutes later, Professor Davin stood in the center.
"Bough, come forward," the professor said loudly.
"Yes, sir," Bough replied, his chest puffed out with a proud, confident air as he walked into the circle.
"Bough is the number one student in this class," the professor announced. "If anyone wants to reach a higher rank, you must at least be able to defeat Bough first. If you can't even beat him, you can forget about reaching a class higher than B. In the future, someone might even take your place."
He looked around the room, his eyes scanning for students with a spirit for competition.
"So, who wants to test their combat skills against Bough? Even if you lose, there's no shame in it. You will learn from a loss, and I'll tell you the weaknesses of your combat style so you can improve."
Professor Davin pointed to a few students, his gaze lingering on the quiet ones at the back.
"You students are at the bottom of the class, right? I picked all of you because I thought you needed more teaching than others," he said.
"Yes, sir. You are right. We barely made it in and want to reach a higher rank!" a student named Gen said with excitement.
"That's the spirit! At least you've learned the truth about yourselves. Give your introductions to the others," Davin said, nodding with a proud smile.
"I'm Gen, I rank 240."
"I'm Pearl Feil, I rank 229."
"I'm Aeren Drevin, I rank 230."
"I'm Kate, ranked 220."
"I'm Ross, ranked 223."
The professor looked at all of them and asked, "Who's going to go first?" Kate's hand shot up with excitement, but Professor Davin's eyes fell on Aeren.
The boy was pale, with no visible excitement and an incredibly frail frame. He was the perfect target to start with.
"You," the professor said. "What did you say your name was?"
"I'm Aeren Drevin."
"Yes, Aeren. You go first, the others will go after you."
A hint of condescension was in his voice.
"Yes, sir," Aeren replied.
"Remember, Aeren, you don't have to feel shame for losing to others. Just learn from them." Professor Davin patted Aeren's shoulder.
Aeren stepped into the circle, ignoring Professor Davin's words and the silent judgment of the students. He looked at the faces around him, the piercing eyes that wanted to size him up. He ignored them all and focused on his opponent, Bough.
The two of them stood facing each other. Aeren, with his still, almost serene presence, and Bough, his muscles tense and his expression a mix of arrogance and impatience. A hush fell over the classroom.
"He looks like he's about to pass out," Gen whispered to Pearl. "I bet he goes down with one hit."
Pearl nodded. "He's probably a bookworm who never trained. You have to wonder how he even got in with a rank like that."
Aeren could feel the weight of their judgment, but he didn't react. He simply stood there, his arms at his sides, his demeanor unchanging.
Professor Davin looked at them both. Aeren seemed emotionless, while Bough looked excited. The professor ignored both of their emotions, wanting to focus on their assessment.