Inside a building full of future protectors.
Two people with smiles on their faces walk through the hallway of the fifth floor littered with a couple of students.
They scoured the floor looking for a certain number whilst occasionally chatting with each other.
"Man, I can't still believe it."
"Yeah, same with me,"
Their minds both flash back to a place that almost made them deaf.
Shouts at their sides, steel reverberating below.
It was understandable that even by now the ringing in their ears had yet to stop.
"I think I'm going to have a sore throat tomorrow, haha.."
"Just how much did you scream earlier, lol"
They were both students of Class A.
A division of students emanating good potential in their auras,
But the reason they could not rid the glee on their faces.
Was because their class had beaten the most elite group of their age flawlessly.
"I mean can you blame me?"
"Not a single one of us lost!"
The other students in the hall let out a glance as the A-Class student's voice could almost pierce the walls.
"Hey, man, settle down, if you keep shouting, how are you going to brag about it tomorrow?"
"You're right, you're right,"
"Anyways, let's find this room, so we can celebrate,"
"Oh, yeah, we're free for a couple of days, right? I'm going to get wasted later, haha."
Both of them could hardly wait to taste the warm taste of alcohol in their throats.
But the only reason they didn't go straight away to a convenience store was to buy beer and whiskey.
Was because a certain bald-headed man gave them an order.
They couldn't disobey, no they wouldn't dare to disobey.
Because without the training that they experienced by that hairless professor.
They would have never tasted glory against a class higher than theirs.
"Man, all that training was worth it huh?"
"Yeah, at first I hated Carn The Bald, I mean dude barely gives us any time to rest,"
"Yo, don't call him that, I think he deserves our respect now, I mean if he didn't train us that harshly, would we have been able to beat the Honor Class?"
"Yeah, you're right..."
Both of them continued to walk through the halls.
With each step, the thirst for an evening celebration in their hearts did not wane.
"Still, couldn't he just send him a message through the bracelet?"
"Probably because it was urgent, I dunno man, let's just get this over with,"
Minutes pass by as they slowly pass door after door.
Looking for the number that was told to them by their professor.
Eventually after strolling almost the corners of the floor.
They had found it.
"Ah, wasn't this the one?"
"Finally!,"
Wasting no more time they proceeded to knock as loud as they could.
Not a moment long after,
A young man with darkish skin slowly opens the door.
Wearing a white bland shirt, he meets the two students with ruffled hair and barely opened eyes.
"Troi Leobrera?"
"Yes?"
"Professor Carn has ordered us to tell you that he is asking for you to meet him by his office,"
"Couldn't he just send me a message?"
"I dunno it was probably urgent, anyways, that's all,"
The two students made their way to the elevator with haste.
Troi closed the door of his room,
Scratching his head,
He could not help but wonder why was he being called by the professor of a class he was not from.
Soon he took his bracelet which he set near his bed.
'Well, this alarm was useless,"
He wanted to get some sleep before enacting his plan to infiltrate the Coldfeathers,
But all he could do now was let out a groan of annoyance.
Deleting the alarm he had set in his bracelet, he soon ventured forth out of his room after changing into his uniform.
Using the map that was in his bracelet, it took almost no time before he found the office of the bald professor.
"Ah, welcome, junior," With a huge smile Carn greeted the young man who had entered his room while he sat behind his desk.
The light in the room was being reflected by his hairless head as he gazed at Troi.
"Take a seat, please, I have something I want to discuss with you,"
Troi sneakily took a glance at the room.
It was neat, devoid of any dust, the books on the shelves, the piles of paper on the desk, everything was organized.
It was clean to the point that it almost shone like the light reflecting in Professor Carn's head.
Troi sat down on the chair that had the softness of that of a cloud.
His hand and body felt like he was in heaven as he sat.
But his mind was curious,
'Why did he call me here?'
And rightfully he was,
As while he was making his way here.
He kept thinking about the novel.
None a single line ever described about a man named Carn.
So he did not know what to expect.
But nevertheless, he did not keep his guard down.
"Why did you call me here, professor?"
"Ah, oh yes, but first,"
Carn stood up and walked towards the cabinet in the room.
Opening the compartment, he soon reached his hand to something.
What he took was a bottle with amber fluid slushing within alongside two glass cups.
Troi who was an avid drinker knew immediately it was whiskey.
And a part of his tongue started to salivate for he hadn't tasted one for quite some time now.
Professor Carn started to pour the whiskey onto the cups.
Before offering one to the young man,
"Here, I know you kids like to drink, right?"
Troi took the cups into his hand.
Observing the amber hue as it swished around the cup.
He was eager to taste a whiskey that came from another world.
But instead of immediately gulping it down his throat.
He gazed at it with his brown eyes.
He didn't know whether he was overthinking it or not.
But he put it down on the table in front of him.
"Sorry, Professor, I'm afraid I have to pass, I don't drink alcohol,"
Before letting out a blatant lie.
Professor Carn widened his eyes for a moment before composing himself just as quickly.
"Well, suits yourself,"
Before drinking the glass cup in his hand in one go.
"Haaah..."
"Never gets old, the elves really do know their stuff,"
Troi's lips twitched for a second.
After hearing that the whiskey came from the kind that practically is intertwined with nature, he could only imagine how tasty that drink was.
'Damn it,'
But he shook it off his mind.
Setting down his cup, Professor Carn's eyes now set on Troi.
"Look, student,"
"The reason I called you here was to apologize,"
Troi instinctively jerked back his head out of confusion.
"What for Professor?"
"You see, most of the Honor Class students are nobles, and even the commoners have some kind of organization or guilds backing them up,"
"Even that Reynold fellow,"
"I mean how the hell did he get the favor of President Braum?"
"Just, haaaaa,"
Troi knew something was off as he listened to Professor Carn,
Every ounce of sleepiness he was feeling was cast away.
In his mind, he knew he had to get out of the room.
But before he could stand up.
*CLICK*
'What the f*ck!'
Metallic clamps emerged out of the chair.
Locking his arms and legs in the seat.
Like an embrace from two lovers who had not met for a very long time.
Troi immediately tried to wiggle and struggle but no matter what he did the chair did not budge.
"But then there's you Troi,"
Troi's eyes then gaze back at Professor Carn.
"Parents killed by a monster before you were 3 years old, Orphaned in St. Lucraria, and yet without any backings or hand helping you, you still managed to carve your way up here with nothing but your spear,"
Professor Carn slowly stood up from his seat behind the desk.
"I applaud your determination, student, but the fact remains,"
Crouching before Troi who was still trying his best to struggle out of his seat.
He soon opened his mouth,
"You have no one backing you up,"
Troi flinched not because of what Carn said but because of a sharp sensation he felt in his right shoulder.
Turning his head,
A syringe with some sort of black fluid started to seep through his skin.
In just a second all of it was sent through his veins.
Carn soon stood up and went back to his seat.
Staring at Troi,
He began to smile as he took something from his desk.
"Do you know what I injected you, junior?"
A loud thud could be heard as the bald professor put something on his wooden table.
A bottle of black fluid lay beside the papers.
"Blood of a Hymoth,"
Troi's eyes widened, in the novel he knew that the blood of such a creature was regularly taken by those who wanted to strengthen their bodies.
It is used in small dosages as it could cause someone to go insane and not just that it was extremely expensive and only those with blustering bells could ever afford it.
"Junior, in just a few minutes,"
"Fear will break your mind,"
"And the entire academy will know, that an Honor Class student died a pathetic way in trying to attain strength he did not deserve,"
Carn let out a smile as he looked at Troi now still.
He waited for tears to come out,
He waited for the screams.
The agony.
But,
His eyes started to furrow.
'Wha- What the hell?'
Even after a couple of minutes,
Not a groan or a whimper.
Nor a tear nor a laughter.
Troi sat in silence chained in metal.
While his eyes now dull stared right through Carn's soul.