"No. You cannot." A cold and authoritative voice vibrates inside the classroom.
Everyone knows the owner of the voice, except for Kassandra of course.
Kassandra turns her head in the direction of the voice. She starts scrutinizing the guy from head to toe. "I don't think you have the right to decide whether I'm allowed to take this seat or not. I believe you are just a student like me."
Everyone was very shocked. The new student has the guts to say those words against him.
The guy sternly looks at her. He did not say a word. Instead, he raises his right hand towards Kassandra. Everyone near Kassandra hurriedly stood up and run away from her side.
"Ruprecht, I think you have to think ten times before you continue what you are about to do. The director has released an order about what you did last time you escaped from the Academy. You don't want me to repeat what is stated in that AO, right?" Prof. Lucila crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Using that AO against me? Fine. You win this time Prof. Lucila. But after that memo expires, I will teach those who fought against me the necessary lesson they must learn." Ruprecht focuses his gaze on Kassandra while talking to Prof. Aerea Lucila.
In a blink of an eye, Ruprecht is now sitting on his desk. Kassandra got a little surprise of his quick movements. As if he teleported from where he is standing going to the chair on her left side.
"Alright, Everybody, go back to your seats now." Prof. Lucila commanded those who stood up earlier.
When everything is settled. Prof. Lucila starts the lesson.
_____________________
After long hours of continuous lecture about elemental powers, the bell finally rings as a sign of school lunch break. Everybody quickly dashes out of the classroom, including her seatmate. Kassandra was about to stand up when a group of girls blocks her way.
"Hey, new student. Who the hell are you to speak rudely against our Prince Tehmo?" It was Antoinette.
"Are you pertaining to Ruprecht?" Kassandra did not want to talk back, but she is on her way.
"Who else? Prince Tehmo is one of the best in our city. A lowly being like you are not allowed to talk back against him." One of Antoinette minions brusquely said to Kassandra.
"Excuse me, but I believe your prince is just a student in this school. If he wanted to apply his own rules, then tell him to build his own kingdom and be the prince he wanted to be." Kassandra said a very calmly manner.
"You really are an ingrate!" Antoinette attempted to slap her face, but Kassandra caught her right hand.
"You!" Antoinette shouted.
"Teach her some lesson, Ms. Tonette." One of the girls encourages her to harm Kassandra.
"No need to tell me." Antoinette cast some spells. Everyone expected that she will transform into a Tigress, but after a moment of waiting, nothing happens.
"What are you waiting for Ms. Tonette? Teach that bitch a lesson she must learn."
"Don't rush me!" She almost screamed at the other girl. She freed her arm from the grasp of Kassandra before she tried to transform again. This time, she succeeded. She smiled wickedly before she rushes towards Kassandra.
Antoinette tried to scratch her face but like what happened earlier, Kassandra caught her arm and to her surprise, she transforms back to her human form.
"What the hell happened?" Antoinette asks herself.
"Maybe you are just tired, Ms. Tonette. Why not give it another try." One of her minions comforted her.
"I think you are right." Antoinette tried to transform again but she failed to succeed.
The girls surrounded them started to blurt out inaudible words.
"What did you do to me?" Antoinette angrily questioned Kassandra.
"I did not do anything to you. Maybe you just lost your power." Kassandra smirked. Honestly speaking, she does not really know what happened and why Antoinette was unable to use her animal morphing power.
"Girls, I think that's enough. You must go to the cafeteria, almost everyone is enjoying their lunch now. Why not you go and join them?" It is the class representative.
"I think Class Rep. Mauro is right. Maybe Ms. Tonette is just lacking the energy that's why she can't use her power properly." One of the girls suggested.
"It didn't end here." She gravely looks at Kassandra before she walks out of the classroom. Then the bunch of idiotic girls walks after her.
"Are you alright?" The class representative asks Kassandra. "By the way, I'm Mraz Mauro. I'm the class representative of II-Class C. If you wanted to know anything about Noel Academy, you could freely ask me anytime." He offered his right hand to shake her hand.
Kassandra looks at his hand. She was thinking if she will accept his kindness. When Mraz noticed her hesitation, he retrieved back his right hand and instead, use it to scratch the back of his head.
"Can I ask you where the room of II-Class A is?" Kassandra monotonously asked Mraz.
"Sure, I can escort you to its location if you want." Mraz smilingly offers help.
"Is it far from here?"
"It's on the south side of the Academy, they are in the Night Grand Quarters building, the building where the director's office is located."
"How far is it?"
"Just a kilometer away from here." Mraz pointed something behind Kassandra.
Kassandra quickly turns around. "Is that the Noel Academy's map?"
"Yes, you could ask Prof. Lucila for a copy of that If you want."
______________________________
"Tehmo. How was your class?" Cael Gestus, the left hand of Tehmo teases him. They are currently resting and eating in the student lounge for the elite students of Noel Academy, or those students belong to all levels of Class A.
"Are you asking for your death wish?" Tehmo said while taking a bite of the apple.
"I guess staying in the classroom really makes you sick. I heard it is a memorandum from the director. As a way of his punishment, you will be staying in the academy, attending classes and skipping is prohibited. So that means no special mission for you?" It was Zoe Frigus, the right hand of Tehmo and his most loyal friend.
"I guess so. Kieran will be handling outside affairs for a month. Prof. Lucila really sold me out this time." Tehmo is now calmer than a while ago.
"I heard the one you almost got hurt was admitted to the Academy as the new student. What is her power?" Zoe intriguing question.
"I don't know, and I don't care. She looks weak and she belongs to Class C, so there is nothing special with her." Tehmo took another bite.
"She is definitely not a delinquent, so the only reason why she is in Class C could be that she really is weak," Cael said before he gets another piece of sausage.
"Could it be, or not." Zoe's intriguing statement.
"What are you implying?" Cael asked him.
"I heard Prof. Lucila personally attended her application. She also made a deal with her in order to persuade her and enroll in our school. You know Prof. Aerea, she is a Class A teacher, she teaches the geniuses of this academy. She will never waste her time to a student if she isn't a big catch." Zoe's long explanation.
"Interesting. You have a big point, Zoe." Cael agreeing to Zoe Frigus.
"A deal huh? I want to know what kind of deal she made with Prof. Lucila." Tehmo crashes the remaining apple while staring blankly to nowhere.
"Are you interested in that new student?" Zoe's another inquiry.
"Very. I wanted to burn her alive until her bones and soul turns into nothingness." Then Tehmo ignites the apple until it turns into ashes and disappears into the thin air.
"It seems that the new student offended the prince." Cael releases a short laugh after realizing how exciting it could be.
__________________________
"So, this is the Night Grand Quarters, the establishment for Class A students and the place where you could find the director's office. The first floor is the common area, where you could find the two cafeterias, one for the commoners and the other one for the special and elite students. The second floor is where the classrooms of Level I and Level II located. The Academy's special library, where only Class A students could access, is also found there. The third floor is where you could find the classrooms of Level III and IV. Also, the Night Grand Quarters hall is situated on that floor." Mraz, the II-Class C class representative informing Kassandra.
"How about the 4th floor, I believe this is a four-story building."
"The fourth floor is where the director's office." It was apparent that Mraz is uncomfortable to give her a piece of information about the fourth floor.
"And?" Kassandra innocently asked Mraz.
"Actually…" Mraz said in a very low voice. He surveys the area to see if somebody is near them. "No one knows what other things you could find in there. Only the prince and Mr. K's beloved student could go up there." Mraz almost whispered to Kassandra's ear.
"the prince? Don't tell me it's Ruprecht?"
"Yes. You got it right. As per the Director's beloved student, well, I was not able to meet him yet. I heard he is a year older than us." Still in his very low voice.
"That is quite…" Kassandra was unable to continue what she is about to say because a group of Class A student is approaching them.
"Hey, Mraz! Why are you here?" Aelian, one of the Class A students asked the Class C Representative.
"Hi Aelian, it was nice to see you! Well, I am taking our new student to your classroom."
"To II-Class A classroom? Why? Do you know someone there?" Aelian directly asked Kassandra, even though they are not yet formally introduced to each other.
"Chloe Bion. My best friend." Kassandra has no choice but to reply.
"Oh, the shy freak. She is in the classroom, taking her lunch." Then she snatched Mraz's arms and lead him away from Kassandra. "Let's go, Mraz, eat with us, it's been several months, and we already miss you."
"Kassandra, just take the elevator and proceed to the second floor. And don't mind Aelian, she called everybody freak." Mraz explanation while Aelian and the other students drag him to the Class A cafeteria.
Kassandra just nodded and ignore what just happened earlier. Luckily, the elevator is empty. She goes inside and looks at the buttons on the right side.
"What the hell is this? Mraz did not inform me that their number system is different. How am I supposed to know where the button for the 2nd floor is?" Kassandra was in a panic because the door is about to close, and she did not press any button yet.
"Let my inner instinct dictates the floor." She pressed the first button that catches her eyes.
Then something unusual happened. A small pointed like needle comes out from the button and prick her index finger.
"Ouch!" She said but couldn't retrieve her finger away from the button until her blood slowly runs throughout the symbols and it unexpectedly turns black. A red light then emitted around the button as if it was being activated. Then after a few seconds, the elevator moves upward.
When the elevator stops, its door opens to a very dark hall where you could see nothing but a wall and a big black door. Kassandra slowly alighted the elevator. She surveys the area to see and check if there is a possible danger around her.
Left without a choice but to move forward towards the big black door, Kassandra carefully walks in front of her.
"What place is this?" She said while reaching for the two long metal door handles.
"This is the fourth floor. Who are you?" A calm voice of a man is slowly approaching her. The man is tall and handsome, but he looks young.
Kassandra slowly turns her eyes to the source of the voice. She was unable to reply because of so much shock as if she was caught doing something bad.
"Why are you here? And how do you get here?"
"I'm Kassandra, I am a new student here. I came here through the elevator. I'm sorry but I was lost. I was supposed to go to the second floor to meet my friend in her classroom." Kassandra's detailed explanation. She has a bad feeling that if she did not tell the details, something bad might happen to her.
"You are not from this building?"
"Yes, I'm not. I am a student of II-Class C. I was confused by the symbols in the elevator, so I arbitrarily choose any buttons that caught my eye.
The man looks at her without showing any emotions. He weakly smiled before he talks back.
"I'll show you the way to the second floor." Then he walks past her and then slightly bends his head to the left as if telling her to follow him.
"Wait, can we just use the elevator again?" Kassandra asked the guy.
"That thing only brings you up; it did not let you go down. Don't worry, you are able to come here alive, so I'm sure you will be able to come out in one whole piece." The handsome guy smiles at her.
Kassandra was unable to speak as if she swallowed her tongue because of so much nervousness.
__________________________
"Hey, Antoinette. Did you see Kassandra?" Mraz asked one of his classmates the moment he went back to their classroom.
"Kassandra who?" Antoinette replies without looking at him. She was busy polishing her claws as if she was getting ready for a battle.
"The new student. Prince Tehmo's seatmate." He said while looking at her empty seat. Surprisingly, her seatmate, Tehmo Ruprecht is already there.
"Unfortunately, I was not able to see her during lunch break. Because If I got myself lucky earlier, I am now cleaning my claw to rinse off her stinky blood." Antoinette said while her eyes are still in her claws.
"Everybody, go back to your respective chair, the class is about to resume." Prof. Gunnar said to his class. "Is everybody present?"
Tehmo raises his hand when no one answers the teacher's question.
"Yes, Tehmo." Prof. Lennard casually asked him.
"My seatmate is not yet here. I'm kind of worried because I am not yet done giving her a good lesson to remember." He said without giving a hint of his emotion.
"Who is your seatmate?" Prof Lennard Gunnar curiously asked him. Somebody offended Techmo, and it surprises him that he or she was not yet able to taste his ruthlessness.
"The new student Prof Gunnar." Antoinette suddenly speaks out.
"Are you pertaining to Kassandra?" The professor was now smiling maliciously. It is also apparent that he is preventing himself to burst into a loud laugh.
"That girl is really famous. Even the great Prof. Lennard Gunnar knows her." Tehmo Ruprecht smirked.
"I don't know. I just heard that someone has the guts to talk back to the prince." Prof Gunnar obviously teasing Tehmo.
"Excuse me, Prof. Gunnar." Antoinette raises her hand. She transformed back to her human form.
"Yes. Ms. Bastiaan?"
"Are you here just to talk about that new student? I believe you were paid to teach us and not to talk about some senseless things." Antoinette is really a bitch.
"Oh, I'm sorry Ms. Bastiann, I am at fault. So, to start our lesson, please briefly discuss the topic we tackled at our last meeting." Prof Lennard peevishly replies.
"Are you kidding me?" Antoinette's mouth left ajar because of so much shocked. While her classmates laugh hilariously because of the misfortune that Prof. Gunnar imposed on her.
______________________
"What is this place?" Kassandra was unable to keep her mouth from asking him.
"This is the way to the second floor." They are now walking in a dark tunnel where dense iron rods are neatly aligned on their right side. As if the tunnel is a long and big prisoner of something she never wanted to imagine.
"Thank you for guiding me back." She uttered making sure that his calm and kind treatment does not change.
"I preferred if you will not talk loud or not talk at all. This place should be kept quiet so we wouldn't disturb them." The guy said without looking back at her.
Kassandra did not reply. She just attentively looks at his back and ignores the things that she could see in her peripheral view.
"Ignore them. You could hold my hand if you want." The guy turns around and offers his hand to her.
Kassandra looks intently at his right hand. Then a flashback crossed her mind. The exact thing happened before, but she could not think of where and when did she experience it before.