"Princess!! Help me!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I clutched onto Nira desperately.
"Get the fuck off me!!" She kicked me off.
I fell. "I'm dying!!"
"You fucking stink of sweat!"
I had just finished running all the laps that Professor Black had told me to.
It wasn't actually that bad. My body was significantly stronger than most due to the spirit contract.
However, during the run, I swear the sun had some sort of vendetta against me because the heat it was emitting was insane.
I barely finished with my clothes drenched in sweat, my fatigue made it hard to move, and I had turned to Nira for help.
"Help me!!"
"Fuck off!!"
Although she kept saying she wouldn't help, for some reason, she stayed by my side instead of just leaving.
The rest of the class had left, and I was the last one to finish, so when I dragged myself off the track, I saw Nira, which is how this situation began.
'Fuck it.'
I focused.
'Cool.'
In an instant, my body cooled down.
"Did you actually just use a spell?" Nira asked, dumbfounded.
"No, I used my mind." I calmly answered as I pushed myself up.
'I'm not technically even lying.'
"Whatever... class has started already, and I'm missing it because of you."
"You know you could've left," I spoke calmly.
"And leave you here so pathetically?" She scoffed.
I smiled. "So you were worried about me."
"Ye-wait no!!" Her face flushed red with embarrassment.
"Pfft-Hahahaha." I laughed.
"You!" She shot a glare at me.
"Don't worry," I wiped a tear as I stopped laughing. "I won't tell anyone the princess is actually a good person, not that they'd believe me anyway."
"..."
Weirdly, I felt sweat begin to form on my body again, and the temperature started rising rapidly.
"What the-"
My eyes widened as I looked at Nira, who had a flame forming in her hand.
"Princess, wait! I was joking!!" I waved my hands.
She let out a sadistic smile. "Start running."
"No, really!! I'm sorry, okay!!"
"5."
"Princess, let's have a civilised conversation." I began backing away from her.
"4." She began slowly approaching me.
'Shit!'
I ran as fast as I could back onto the field.
That was the time I did a few extra laps thanks to Nira's amazing encouragement and support.
------
After escaping Nira, I found myself...
'I'm lost.'
I was currently standing in the middle of a large courtyard within the academy, and I didn't see any other students, so either everyone was still in class, or this wasn't a place students were supposed to be.
I decided to explore.
Was that pretty stupid? maybe?
The courtyard had an arrangement of small murals and a large statue that stood tall in the middle, grabbing my attention immediately.
I stepped toward the statue and got a closer look.
It was a marble statue of an old man with a large sword in his hands, wearing a serious expression.
It was pretty dramatic looking.
I looked down at the words embedded in the statue.
"The first headmaster... Aurelius Aethon... King of Flame..." I read the words.
There were many other titles.
"The man who singlehandedly sealed away..." My eyes widened.
'Impossible.'
The words said this man had been the one who sealed away the dragons... this didn't make sense. The novel said the churches had sealed away the dragons hundreds of years ago because they posed a massive threat to their plans.
'Unless...'
A very dangerous thought came to my mind.
Despite not being hot, I felt sweat begin to form as I wiped my forehead.
'Something's not right.'
My head snapped in all directions.
Everything looked normal, but I felt that there was something very wrong.
'Vaelis! What's happening?!'
'...'
I got no response.
'Shit!'
I sprinted out of the courtyard and back into the halls of the academy.
I came across a classroom...
The door was...
"Open." The word slipped out of my mouth, making me flinch.
I slowly walked toward the door.
Stepping inside, I saw the lights on, but... silent. "Papers on desks like students just left. A chair was pushed back mid-turn, like someone had stood up suddenly.
I walked to the end of class I came to the teacher's desk.
The coffee was still... warm.
"Haa...Haa...Haa..." My breath grew haggard.
I sprinted out, going to another classroom, but...
The same.
"No-no-no." My face paled.
There wasn't anyone.
I dashed into class searching the desks, but I found nothing.
-Badump
-Badump
-Badump
I clutched my chest as the sound of my heart seemed to echo through my mind.
My mind raced with possibilities as I ran. But no matter how much I thought I couldn't understand the situation.
As I ran, a familiar open space came into view.
I paused.
I saw the statue again.
'...How?'
I was back in the courtyard.
I felt a shiver down my spine.
My heartbeat was so loud I couldn't hear my own breath.
"Haa...Haa...Haa..."
I felt the need to run... and I did.
I ran through the halls but...
'Again.'
I was back, and the statue stood in front of me
No... something was different.
The statue...
had moved
I didn't see it move, but I was sure it was in a different place than before.
"Haa...Haa...Haa..." My breath grew more and more strained as anxiety began to rise within.
I stared at the statue...
waiting.
It didn't move.
"Haa...haa...haa..."
I dashed back into the halls.
But once again...
I was back.
And the statue had moved once again; this time...
It faced me.
A thick smell of blood pierced my nostrils.
Although it wasn't moving, I felt as though it was looking directly at me.
I unconsciously took a step back... then another.
I stared at the statue directly into its eyes.
"...!"
The statue began to shed tears.
Tears of blood.
I froze...
My body wouldn't move.
The blood seeped out of the statue's eyes, falling to the ground.
-plop
-plop
-plop
The sound of droplets of blood falling to the ground seemed to cover everything.
It was all I could hear.
I was beginning to get desperate.
And the more desperate I got, the more my mind cleared.
I closed my eyes and focused.
'Manifest'
"..."
Opening my eyes, nothing happened, no ice, nothing.
It dawned on me.
"This isn't real."
My previous fear and anxiety disappeared, and a strange calmness took over.
I walked straight toward the statue despite feeling its gaze.
I stopped right in front of it and stared straight into its eyes.
"Did you enjoy watching?"
For a moment, the statue didn't move its figure, remaining completely still.
Then...
Its eyes moved, making direct eye contact with me, and its lips curled, forming an unnaturally wide smile that no human could have.
"It was quite entertaining." Its voice was raspy and unnatural.
My brows furrowed at the sight, and I felt my stomach twist. "What do you want?" My tone was cold.
Its smile widened, sending a shiver down my spine. "What do I want?" It paused. "That's what I should be asking you."
"What do you mean?" I questioned it.
"You don't seem to understand." It sounded... amused. "You are currently in my hands... because you dug too deep."
"..." I didn't answer.
It wasn't bothered by my silence and continued to smile. "You found out something you shouldn't have, and now you're paying the consequences."
"Don't talk bullshit," I spoke.
"..."
Its smile faltered at my words.
Seeing this, I spoke again. "You can't touch me."
"..." Its smile began to... widen. "Very interesting!" It clapped with its marble hands, creating a dull yet heavy clapping sound.
"..." I stared at it.
"Child, you'd make a great addition. Why don't you join us?" It spoke.
"...Fuck off."
For the first time, the statue frowned, and this time... I smiled.
"You think I don't see through your lies," I scoffed.
"..." It simply stared at me.
"You fuckers call yourselves the 'saviors', but from my perspective, you're just a bunch of delusional psychopaths with too much power."
"...HAHAHAHAHA!!" It let out a laugh that vibrated through the air, and I felt immense disgust swell within.
"You think you can oppose us?" Its tone grew cold. "Child, you have no idea of the truth that lies beyond this world. You're merely a pawn on a board far beyond your understanding."
"...That may be true... but I refuse to allow your plans to come to fruition."
"..." It didn't reply.
"You listen to me. THIS... IS MY WORLD." I pointed at the ground.
It stared at me for a moment.
"...Very well." It spoke.
The world began to blur, and a void of pure darkness swallowed my vision.
"I look forward to the day that happens."
I felt my consciousness being pulled away from my grasp.
"Until then... Good luck."
"Haaa!" My consciousness returned, and my body jerked up from shock.
"Haa...Haa...Haa..." I clutched my chest.
I took a moment to scan my surroundings.
I was still in the courtyard.
I looked back at the statue but...
It didn't look back at me; it simply stood there.
'Vaelis! Are you there?!'
'What's wrong?' Vaelis answered.
"Haa... thank god." I let out a sigh of relief.
'Are you okay?' Vaelis asked.
'You didn't see?'
'Didn't see what?'
'...Shit.'
'What happened?' Vaelis asked.
'I'll explain in the dorm.'
I got up and began heading to the-
'Wait... which way is the dorm?'
'Haa... I'll lead you.' Vaelis sighed and began giving me directions.
There was a lot to talk about, but right then...
I needed rest.