Ryker sat alone at his small table, doing his best to ignore the stares from every direction.
"You're even more popular now that you've returned from the dead," Seris remarked, hovering sideways in front of him with an amused expression.
Ryker mumbled without looking at her, "Can you not speak to me while we're in public? People will think I'm crazy if they see me talking to myself."
"Now that's no fun" Seris smiled mischievously.
"You might not care about your public image because they can't see you, but I do!" Ryker said quietly.
"You don't have to respond to everything I say, but I will continue speaking. Just act like I'm talking to myself am already satisfied just knowing that you can hear me," Seris replied, completely undeterred by his protest.
Ryker sighed and quickly finished his food, eager to escape the attention. On his way back to the dorm, Seris suddenly said in a low but serious tone, "Ryker, don't stop walking and don't turn around. There's someone following you."
"What?! Who is it? What do they want from me?" Ryker panicked internally but kept his pace steady.
"It's a magic student judging by her uniform."
"Huh? It's a female student? Then I don't have to worry too much about it. She's probably an admirer of the previous Ryker," he said, regaining his calm.
Seris left his side to investigate the stalker's identity. When she returned, her expression had darkened. "I don't think she's an admirer."
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Because that student is Aurora Lysander, and she's a witch."
"So what? If the old Ryker could date someone like Gianna, he could attract other witches as well."
"Actually, Aurora is also known as the Witch of Necromancy. Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence that someone like her shows up right after you 'came back from the dead'? She probably thinks you got resurrected with magic or something, so she's spying on you."
"What an ominous title. Can she resurrect the dead with her magic or something? And most importantly, is she dangerous?" Ryker asked, genuine concern creeping into his voice.
'Aurora Lysander… I don't know any students by that name in my old world. Another difference in this world,' he thought to himself.
"No, she cannot resurrect the dead. I don't know if she's dangerous or not, but she has a bad reputation in the academy."
"How bad?"
"Rumors say she likes to experiment on corpses and other things related to the dead."
"Isn't there some kind of law that prevents people from messing with corpses in this world?"
"Well, it depends on what she does with the corpses, but for the most part, what she's doing is not illegal. She's probably just practicing her magic, which is pretty normal for magicians who study necromancy."
"Hm? Is necromancy considered Dark Magic?" Ryker asked, a realization dawning.
"Yes."
"I see, so she's also"
"Ryker! Watch out! She's casting magic!" Seris suddenly shouted.
"What?" Ryker exclaimed in surprise.
Before Ryker could even react, two bony skeletal hands emerged from the ground beneath him and grabbed his ankles with surprising strength, preventing him from moving.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Ryker shouted out loud, struggling against the supernatural hold.
"Calm down, she's just restricting your movements," Seris explained, trying to reassure him though her tone was cautious.
A small figure approached him from the shadows a moment later.
"Please calm down. I won't harm you," Aurora said to him in a flat, emotionless voice.
"You…" Ryker was taken aback by her appearance.
Aurora had a petite body and a delicate, almost doll-like face, making her seem much younger than her actual age. She had long silver hair that reached the back of her knees with piercing blue eyes that sent chills down his spine. When Ryker saw Aurora, he unintentionally muttered out loud, "beautiful"
Aurora's eyebrows furrowed dangerously after hearing his words.
"Who are you calling beautiful t!" She snapped before kicking Ryker in the knee with her black stilettos.
"Ouch! That hurts!" Ryker yelped, falling to the ground and clutching his knee in pain.
"I thought you said you weren't going to harm me!" he protested.
"That was before you started saying rubbish" Aurora retorted coldly.
"It's against school rules to use magic outside of official matches and the training center! You're going to get into a lot of trouble if the school finds out!" Ryker warned her, hoping the threat would make her reconsider.
"It's just a Tier 1 magic spell. I won't get punished over something so small as long as I don't kill you," Aurora shrugged dismissively.
"You skipped a few steps there! It should be 'as long as I don't hurt you'!" Ryker corrected, still wincing from the pain.
"Don't be naïve, Ryker. She's a witch. She can beat up another student in front of the teachers and get away with it," Seris interjected, her tone laced with bitter amusement.
Ryker gritted his teeth, realizing the harsh reality of this world's social dynamics.
'So it's just like my old world, where the rich and influential can get away with pretty much anything as long as it's not murder, huh?' he sighed inwardly.
"What do you want from me?" Ryker asked Aurora, trying to keep his composure despite his vulnerable position.
"I would like to take a look at your body and see if you've been resurrected with dark magic," Aurora stated calmly, as if she were asking to borrow a book.
"What? That's crazy. Of course, I wasn't resurrected with magic!" Ryker refuted adamantly.
"If that's the case, then why do I sense dark magic residue coming from you?" Aurora countered, her gaze steady and analytical.
"Dark magic? I have no idea what you're talking about," Ryker frowned, but his heart sank with anxiety.
Seris flew in front of him and explained quietly, so only he could hear, "Dark Bullet. When you use magic, its mana residue lingers around you for some time before disappearing. People with the same magic affinity can sense it coming from your body."
Ryker's heart dropped into his stomach. His secret was already exposed, and it hadn't even been two full days since he arrived in this world.
"Why aren't you responding?" Aurora pressed, suspicion growing more evident in her cold eyes.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about, but I definitely wasn't resurrected with magic! This is a misunderstanding!" Ryker stammered, desperately trying to think of a plausible explanation.
"Since you're so confident that you're not a reanimated corpse, you wouldn't mind me inspecting your body, right? I will immediately apologize afterwards if this turns out to be a misunderstanding," Aurora proposed, her tone seemingly reasonable but leaving no room for refusal.
Hesitant and feeling completely cornered, Ryker glanced at Seris for guidance. "Let her," Seris nodded with an enigmatic smile. "Trust me on this."
Although Ryker didn't fully trust Seris yet, he saw no other choice in his current position. Resigned to his fate, he sighed heavily.
"Fine. I'll let you inspect my body. But you better leave me alone afterward," Ryker conceded, his voice tinged with frustration and resignation.
"Thank you for your cooperation," Aurora acknowledged, her demeanor remaining composed and clinical.
'Cooperation, my ass! You basically forced me!' Ryker cursed inwardly, bracing himself for whatever invasive examination was about to come next.
"Can you lift your shirt up?" Aurora asked, straight to the point without any hint of embarrassment.
Ryker took a deep breath before complying, raising his shirt halfway to reveal his surprisingly defined six-pack abs apparently the previous Ryker had been quite fit.
Aurora requested without any change in expression, "A little higher, liftt it above your chest."
Without a word, Ryker lifted his shirt further, baring his entire torso to the cold night air. Aurora, standing on her toes due to her short stature, placed her small hand directly over his chest where his heart beat steadily. She closed her eyes and began her inspection using some unknown form of detection magic. Seris observed Aurora closely, ready to intervene if she sensed any hostile intent.
Aurora's mind worked methodically as she analyzed what her magic revealed.
'His heart seems fine… beating normally, no signs of artificial animation…'
'Blood circulation looks healthy… temperature is normal for a living human…'
'But why do I feel this strange void inside him? Like something is missing… or something else has taken its place…'
'There's definitely a trace of dark magic residue, but nothing indicating necromantic resurrection. The mana signature is too weak and too... different. This isn't reanimation magic at all.'
After half a minute of intense concentration, Aurora withdrew her hand, a frown of confusion crossing her delicate features. "You're not a reanimated corpse…"
Ryker hastily pulled his shirt down, remarking with clear irritation, "Thanks, captain obvious. I told you I wasn't resurrected, but you doubted me."
"But there's something else," Aurora continued, ignoring his sarcasm. "Something inside you that shouldn't be there. A void where something should exist. And that dark magic residue…" She studied him with newfound intensity. "What are you hiding, Ryker Vale?"
"Nothing," Ryker said firmly, meeting her gaze with as much confidence as he could muster.
Aurora studied him for a long moment, her analytical mind clearly working through possibilities. Finally, she turned to leave without another word.
"Wait, aren't you going to apologize?" Ryker called after her, indignant.
Aurora paused, glancing back over her shoulder. "I said I would apologize if it was a misunderstanding. But I didn't say when." With that cryptic statement, she walked away into the darkness, leaving Ryker standing alone in the empty pathway.
"Unbelievable… She didn't even bother apologizing properly!" Ryker muttered incredulously, rubbing his sore knee.
"At least her personality matches the rumors perfectly," Seris chuckled, clearly entertained by the whole encounter.
Ryker shook his head in disbelief and made his way back to the dorm, his mind racing with concerns about what Aurora might do with the information she'd discovered.
Meanwhile, Aurora didn't return to her own dormitory. Instead, she headed straight to the main school building, navigating the darkened corridors with practiced ease until she reached the infirmary. Despite it being well past operating hours, she pushed open the door without hesitation.
Inside, she found Miss Calia standing by the window, but she wasn't alone. A tall, imposing man in expensive robes embroidered with the Corvus family crest stood beside her. His presence filled the room with an oppressive sense of authority that made even Aurora, usually fearless, proceed with caution.
"Lord Corvus," Aurora acknowledged with a slight bow more respect than she typically showed anyone.
The man turned, revealing sharp, calculating eyes that reminded Aurora of a predator sizing up prey. This was Marcus Corvus patriarch of the Corvus merchant empire, father to Zayne and Damien, and one of the most powerful non-noble figures in the entire kingdom. His personal wealth could fund a small army, and his political connections reached all the way to the imperial court.
"Miss Lysander," Marcus's voice was deep and commanding, the kind of voice accustomed to being obeyed without question. "What did you find?"
Aurora hesitated momentarily, glancing at Miss Calia, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod of encouragement or was it warning?
"I inspected Ryker Vale as you requested through Miss Thorn," Aurora began carefully. "He is alive, not a reanimated corpse. I'm certain of this."
"You're absolutely certain?" Marcus's eyes narrowed dangerously. "My sources indicated suspicious circumstances around his return. Three months presumed dead, life tablet shattered, then suddenly reappearing with convenient amnesia?"
"One hundred percent certain, Lord Corvus. His body shows all the signs of natural life—heartbeat, blood flow, body temperature, cellular regeneration. Whatever Ryker Vale is, he's not undead in any conventional sense." Aurora paused, choosing her next words carefully. "However, there are... irregularities."
"Explain." It wasn't a request.
"There's dark magic residue on him. Recent use or exposure within the last day or two. But more concerning is what I sensed inside him a void, an emptiness where something fundamental should exist and..." Aurora's clinical composure cracked slightly, "there's something else there. Something I couldn't identify. It felt wrong. Like it doesn't belong in this world."
Marcus exchanged a significant glance with Miss Calia that Aurora couldn't quite interpret. "Interesting, very interesting indeed. And you're certain he's inhabiting the original Ryker Vale's body?"
"His body is definitely Ryker Vale's, i compared it to academy medical records Miss Thorn provided same scars, same bone structure, same everything. But his soul..." Aurora trailed off, uncertain. "I can't say for certain. There's something fundamentally different about his spiritual signature."
Marcus smiled, but there was no warmth in it only cold calculation. "Then my sons were right to be concerned. This entity wearing Ryker Vale's face represents a potential threat that must be dealt with decisively." He turned to Calia with the air of someone used to getting their way. "The duel will proceed exactly as planned. My full-contact authorization stands without modification additionally, I've arranged for imperial observers to witness the match."
"Imperial observers?" Calia's eyes widened with genuine alarm. "Lord Corvus, that level of involvement is highly unusual for an academy duel. It will raise questions"
"Necessary questions," Marcus interrupted smoothly. "The empire has strict protocols regarding unknown magical entities and potential possession cases. If this creature reveals its true nature during combat which I expect it will when pressed we'll have proper legal authority to contain or eliminate the threat immediately."
He walked toward the door with measured, confident steps, then paused to deliver his final statement. "The empire doesn't tolerate unknown magical anomalies, Miss Thorn. Surely you understand the necessity. We must protect our students, our academy, and by extension, our kingdom from potential dangers." His tone made it clear this wasn't up for debate. "The duel is no longer simply about my son's honor or academy rivalries. It's about security and public safety."
Marcus stopped at the doorway, turning back to address Aurora directly. "Oh, and Miss Lysander? I trust you remember our agreement clearly. You speak of this investigation to absolutely no one not your friends, not your professors, not anyone. The Corvus family has been quite generous in funding your research opportunities, and it would be unfortunate if those opportunities were to suddenly disappear due to indiscretion."
The threat was delivered with a pleasant smile, but Aurora felt the weight of it nonetheless.
After Marcus Corvus left, the room seemed to exhale with his departure. Aurora turned to Calia with genuine concern. "What have we gotten involved in here, Miss Thorn?"
Calia's expression was grim, her usual composed demeanor cracking slightly. "Something far bigger than a simple academy rivalry, I'm afraid." She moved to her desk and pulled out a sealed document. "Marcus Corvus doesn't just want Ryker defeated. He wants him destroyed, publicly and completely and he's willing to involve imperial authorities to do it."
"But why?" Aurora asked, her analytical mind trying to piece together motivations. "Even if Ryker is different somehow, is that really enough to warrant this level of response?"
"The Corvus family doesn't just want to protect their reputation," Calia said quietly, studying the sealed document. "They want to send a message. That anyone who challenges them anyone who makes them look weak will be crushed so thoroughly that the memory serves as a warning for generations."
Aurora absorbed this silently, then asked, "And what about you? Where do you stand in all this?"
Calia looked up, her violet eyes haunted. "I stand exactly where I've always stood ttrying to protect my students. All of them. Even the ones who might not be entirely human anymore."