The first day at the Sentinel Academy had arrived.
Talon walked through the crowd of students with his head down. He had dressed so that no one would recognize him.
He wore his academy uniform. But over it, an extra hooded vest that covered almost his entire face.
And gloves. To hide his nailless fingers.
He then approached a large board on the wall that contained information about the classrooms.
'It seems my classroom is 5-A...'
His eyes moved down the list.
'Roxanne is in 3-A...'
He walked away and began moving through the hallways.
There were students everywhere. Chatting. Laughing. Socializing.
He checked the time on his phone.
07:55
Classes started in five minutes.
'It seems for almost everyone socializing is more important than being in their classrooms early...' He thought as he dodged a group. 'I suppose there's nothing wrong with that. After all, it's the first day.'
He finally reached classroom 5-A.
'This is it...'
There were few students. Most of the seats were empty.
'Great. I'll try to pick the seats in the back.'
He entered. No one paid attention to him. He was practically invisible.
'It's working.'
He sat in the last row.
He checked his phone one last time.
08:00 AM
And then after a few minutes more students began to arrive.
Some girls took seats right in front of him. Talon pulled his hood down a bit more, covering his face as much as possible.
Almost instantly, the professor entered.
Everyone immediately fell silent.
The man approached the front with firm steps. Tall. Wearing glasses. Severe expression.
He adjusted his glasses and observed them all.
"Good morning everyone. My name is Magnus Holloway," he said with an authoritative voice. "I will be your homeroom teacher throughout the entire first year at the academy."
He took a deliberate pause, letting his words reach everyone.
"I'm not interested in knowing your names. That's something I want you to be clear about from the start." His tone was cutting. "If I'm going to have to memorize names, I want it to be people who are worth it. Is that clear?"
An uncomfortable silence spread through the classroom, no one dared to respond.
"I detest mediocrity. My job is to improve those who stand out, not to level the mediocre." He crossed his arms. "And I imagine there must be too much of the latter here."
A student raised her hand timidly.
"Yes?" The professor pointed at her.
"I find it inconsiderate to make such a hasty value judgment..." She said with a trembling voice. "You should consider that perhaps there are many who are fragile and might feel bad about comments like that."
Magnus stared at her.
"Fragility?"
He approached the board and struck it hard.
BANG.
"It's because of that stupidity that sentinel generations keep getting worse!" His voice resonated throughout the classroom. "You come here to become protectors of humanity, not to do psychological therapy!"
He adjusted his glasses again.
"But what can I expect from the academy these days... Just think about it. Any idiot passes that damn stupid exam! There's no difficulty whatsoever! Why do they make you enter specifically gray-colored rifts? That's not even one percent of how truly deadly the Underworld is!"
He took a deep breath.
"But anyway... Let's not get sidetracked." He walked back to the front. "Since it's the first day, I think it's a good way to start by showing me just how disappointing this year's 5-A class students are."
He looked at everyone.
"So tell me... Are there any volunteers?"
No one raised their hand.
And then the door opened.
"I'm sorry. I'm late."
A boy entered the classroom with hurried but not desperate steps.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Murmurs exploded instantly, a collective murmur of recognition and surprise.
Talon observed everyone's reaction with growing confusion.
'But who is he? It seems like everyone knows him...'
"Stop right there."
The professor stopped him, making the boy turn around.
"Let this be the first and last time you're late to my class." Magnus pointed at him. "If it happens again, I won't let you into the classroom. Responsibility is something fundamental that a sentinel must have."
"Yes... I apologize. I promise it won't happen again."
"Go sit down."
The boy began climbing the stairs, looking for an available seat.
"Hey, Taria..." One of the girls in front of Talon whispered to her friend. "Who is that guy? Why won't everyone stop looking at him?"
"What?! Are you serious?! How can you not know who he is?!"
"Hey... Don't talk to me like that just for not knowing..."
Taria leaned in to whisper lower. "It's Noah Hartgrave. Son of Vincent Hartgrave."
Her friend's eyes widened instantly. "No way! Is it really him?!"
Taria just nodded.
Talon clenched his fists tightly, as soon as he finished hearing that conversation.
'Vincent Hartgrave...'
The name resonated in his mind.
'I remember that man. He was among the ten strongest using only arcane magic. That made him an icon. He was highly respected. And he also created the Iron Saints guild, one of the five most important in Eldralid...'
'Just like Eternal Blades.'
'But one day... they were all mysteriously murdered. That news completely scandalized Eldralid.'
'That completely brought down the guild. It was left as only ashes of what it once was.'
'Leaving only one member...'
He observed the boy who kept climbing.
'I never imagined he was his son. In fact, I thought he never had one...'
A girl interrupted Noah's path, smiling.
"Hey! Do you want to sit with us?"
Noah looked at her and smiled kindly, a polite but distant smile. "Thanks, but I'm fine."
And he kept climbing.
Passing by a group of boys.
"I don't know what they see in him..." One muttered loud enough. "He's just a weakling. Nothing special."
"That's not true..." Another responded. "He's the idol of the weak. That already makes him special."
"If he's the idol of the weak, he must be doubly so... right?"
Both began laughing with barely contained mockery.
Noah turned his head slightly to look at them, his eyes meeting briefly.
But he said nothing in response. He just continued on his way without altering his expression.
"Hey." The professor's voice cut through the laughter. "If you make those kinds of comments, then you must be surprisingly strong, right?"
One of the boys stood up, with exaggerated confidence. "In my case that's correct. You're speaking with none other than—"
"I'm not interested." Magnus interrupted him without the slightest courtesy. "Just come here and prove it."
The boy was visibly offended. But he went down to the front with quick steps, trying to maintain his dignity.
Meanwhile, Noah apparently was going to sit in the last row.
Talon felt panic.
'Please don't sit here...'
'Please don't sit here...'
'Please—'
Noah sat just two seats away.
There was direct eye contact between both.
Noah could see Talon's face under the hood.
'Shit... He already saw my face.'
Talon waited for some reaction.
But he didn't seem to care in the slightest. He just settled into his seat.
'He's just ignoring me? I suppose that works in my favor...'
At the front, the boy approached the professor.
Magnus extended his hand forward with his fingers open.
"Spiritus Ignis."
A flame exploded from his palm. Everyone looked away from the intense brightness that illuminated the entire classroom.
And when they looked back...
He had created what appeared to be a large creature made entirely of fire. Motionless. With a humanoid but distorted shape.
A spirit.
"I want you to throw your best spell at my fire spirit." Magnus pointed at the creature. "Now."
The boy looked at the spirit.
It was intimidating. Despite being motionless, its mere presence radiated power.
"Sure..." The boy swallowed. "Although maybe my attack won't be that powerful because I don't have my weapon with me..."
"I can't believe what I just heard." Magnus looked at him with absolute contempt. "A sentinel who depends on his weapon to fight is the maximum example of mediocrity there is. Are you going to tell a monster when it attacks you to wait for you to go get your weapon?"
A pause charged with judgment.
"What stupidity. Just sit down already."
The boy got angry.
"Don't treat me like that! You have no idea who you're talking to!"
"And I don't care either." Magnus snapped his fingers and the spirit disappeared. "Just sit down before I throw you out of my classroom."
"What?!" The boy clenched his fists. "I have the Zharun rune! I'm possibly the most powerful in this classroom compared to all the garbage here that only uses arcane magic! And you treat me like this? It's unacceptable!"
The professor took a step toward him.
"Do you want to see me angry?" His voice dropped dangerously. "I said sit down."
The boy hesitated.
And finally obeyed, returning to his seat without saying anything more.
As he climbed, his eyes settled on something.
A boy in the back. Wearing a hood.
'Oh no...'
Talon felt the gaze.
'It can't be... He's looking at me. What do I do? What can I do?'
"Hey, you!" The professor pointed directly at Talon. "Take off that hood right now! That's forbidden in my classroom!"
Talon froze.
'Shit.'
"Didn't you hear me?! I said take it off!"
Everyone turned to look at him.
With trembling hands, Talon slowly removed his hood.
His face was exposed.
Murmurs exploded instantly.
"I told you he was in this classroom... I saw his name on the list and you didn't believe me."
The professor narrowed his eyes with genuine interest.
"You're Cedric's son... Aren't you?"
Talon lowered his gaze. "Yes... I am."
Magnus observed him in silence for a moment.
"Talon... That's your name, right?"
"That's right."
"I memorized it because everyone wouldn't stop talking about what happened in the anomalous rift." He crossed his arms. "Without a doubt an incredible feat... I can't deny it. Being the only survivor of something like that says a lot about you."
A pause.
"You know... In another context I'd be angry about the fact that a student is wearing a hood in my class. But seeing that it's you, I can understand it. You want to avoid being stared at and all that." He nodded. "However, don't do it anymore from now on, okay?"
Talon swallowed. "Yes, professor."
"Excellent." Magnus smiled slightly. "Now come here and show us what you're capable of. I want to see how strong you are. Although I already think quite a bit for having survived that."
Talon's heart stopped.
'No.'
"I..." He began to sweat. "I don't... I don't feel confident..."
"It's okay, I understand." The professor maintained a kind tone. "I know it's the first day and it can be a bit embarrassing. But I'm sure everyone here is anxious to see your power."
"No, really, I—"
"Talon." The tone changed. "Come here, I said."
Absolute silence fell over the classroom.
"I was already very kind to you. And I'm not going to be permissive just because of who you are."
The murmurs increased.
"What's wrong with him...?"
"Why doesn't he want to do it?"
"Maybe he's shy. Just remember what happened at the ceremony..."
"So... Talon?"
Talon was breathing heavily.
'I have to find a way to buy time...'
"Can I... can I go to the bathroom first?"
"What?!" Magnus looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious?! Right now?! Can't you hold it?!"
"Please... It's urgent."
The professor exhaled with frustration.
"Fine. But no more than five minutes. And you better be back."
Talon immediately stood up and went down the stairs with quick steps.
All eyes followed him until he disappeared through the door.
✦ ✦ ✦
Talon reached the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
He leaned against the sink, breathing heavily.
'What do I do now?!'
'How do I get out of this?!'
'How can I continue with this lie?!'
His reflection in the mirror stared back at him. Pale. Sweating. Scared.
'Nothing comes to mind...'
DING. DING.
The sound exploded inside his head.
"AGHHH!"
The headache was instantaneous. Like needles piercing into his brain.
'That same sound... I heard when that strange message appeared...'
He slowly raised his gaze.
And there it was.
Floating in front of him.
The red window.
[ You Have a New Quest!]
"No..." Talon backed away. "No, please, no..."
His back bumped against one of the bathroom doors.
"NOT NOW!"
His scream resonated in the empty bathroom.
But the window was still there.
Glowing.
Waiting.
As if it had all eternity.