"They're more stunning in person," Joel muttered, his voice filled with awe.
"Yeah, didn't expect even the Elites amongst the Elites to be present," Bobby added, equally mesmerized.
Stare, who had been wearing a perplexed expression since the Elites arrived, immediately turned to his friends, puzzled.
"Elites amongst the Elites?"
"Yeah, they're essentially the cream of the crop among the Elites, the ones destined to become high Tier Primes and topnotch future Heroes," Bobby explained.
"So, they're basically considered the future saviors of humanity?" Stare asked, his tone tinged with cynicism, as he observed the awestruck crowd gathered around the newcomers.
Bobby and Joel nodded in agreement. Bobby pointed out a tall, blond boy with crimson eyes and handsomeness that easily rivaled Stare's.
"That's Ares Voltstorm, son of Alexander Voltstorm, one of the three Tier V Primes and the top hero of New Earth."
"Ares is believed to have awakened an elemental fief, just like his father, and he was ranked number one in the Pre-Prime Seminar as the 'Most Promising Hero,'" Joel added.
"Pre-Prime Seminar?" Stare inquired with curiosity.
"Yeah Pre-prime Seminar as in the educational programme, organized specially for Elites like this, to equip them with basic knowledge on basic steps in being a prime." Bobby replied.
Bobby couldn't hide his frustration, muttering, "Lucky bastards."
Stare however seemed to grow more confused, as his expression showed more intrigue.
"You say the Elites had already undergone prior training? doesn't that make this whole academy thing basically unfair to the kids who aren't unfortunately Elites."
Bobby sighed, his patience wearing thin. "First life isn't fair. Second, while the Pre-Prime seminar was on, you were probably in some highschool class, not even aware you'd end up as a prime one day."
"That's the major difference between us and them," Joel added. While most of us weren't even aware of what future awaits us in consuming the Algos, they are already mostly sure of their situation even before consuming the Algos hence they could carry out the Pre-Prime training organized by the major powerhouse families and Heroes to further prepare them for their predestined fate
Stare nodded in understanding. He couldn't help but smile when he noticed the haughty look in Ares' eyes.
'What would his relationship with Ares be if they had crossed paths when he was brainwashed and wholly treading the Oracle's path? He would most likely try to exterminate me from jealousy and anger.' Stare thought amusingly.
'After all, he went through all of that training, just so he could be the best and on top, only for him to end up being bested by not his fellow Elites but 'some good for nothing nobody'... The Oracle usually puts such cliche situations on its paths huh?'
'Well on second thought, if the Oracle paths didn't have such Cliche situations and characterization then his plan would have been a lot more harder to execute.
Unfortunately, Stare wasn't planning on crossing paths with Ares or any other character suspected to play a major role in the Oracle's path as well, his only goal was finding Y-204 and getting all this over with.'
"The guy next to Ares is Xel Bolt," Bobby continued, drawing back Stare's attention. "He ranked ninth in the Pre-Prime Seminar, although he couldn't exactly be described as an Elite among Elites, due to his closeness to Ares, he made the list…"
"He is Ares' closest friend and has always been seen by his side. Ironically Xel's father, Bolt, is also the personal sidekick to Alexander Voltstorm."
Stare looked at where Bobby was pointing at and spotted an extremely pale, black haired boy with blue eyes that seemed dull with a stoic expression on his face.
"A lackey, then?" Stare quipped.
"Mhm," both Bobby and Joel nodded in agreement.
"That friendly-looking individual over there is Riley Equan," Bobby pointed out.
Stare followed Bobby's gesture and saw a young boy with a lustrous ebony complexion, short golden hair, and cheerful eyes, his face adorned with a broad smile.
"He's from a major powerhouse family called Equans, a power-house family majorly composed of Primes with the fief of precognition. Ranked at number four from the Pre-Prime Seminar. Despite his easygoing look, that dude is actually a monster."
"A seer, huh?" Stare pondered.
People with such gifts weren't rare during his previous Cycle of Evolutions, but they always seemed to have a peculiar habit of always creating persky situations. Oracle path or not, that dude was going to the top on his list of people to avoid in his stay here. As he watched the cheerful boy with golden hair, he made a mental note to exercise caution in his interactions.
"And now, my personal favorite among the Elites, Eleanor Frost-flames," Bobby continued, a touch of admiration in his voice. "She's the daughter of the esteemed Tier V Prime and hero, Frost-flames, and she secured the second position in the Pre-Prime Seminar."
'Frost-flames has a child already?...I wonder what Doush's reaction would be if he found out?' Stare thought amusingly, as he followed Bobby's gesture.
Stare couldn't help but be captivated by the stunning girl before him. Her fair skin, fiery-red hair, and deep ice-blue eyes seemed to possess the power to unveil even the darkest secrets concealed in one's soul. Her confident expression exuded independence and dominant strength.
As he gazed at Eleanor, Stare felt a flutter within him. His heart raced, and a strong sense of familiarity washed over him as he looked into her piercing ice-blue eyes. She reminded him of someone from his past Cycles, someone he had deeply cherished... Aurora.
"What is this strange sensation I'm experiencing?" Stare pondered, his hand instinctively moving to the left side of his chest, where his heart beat with newfound intensity.
It was one thing to feel a sense of recognition after all he could sense the girl also related to the Oracle's Path, but this feeling....this feeling was different. He sensed himself being drawn into her gaze in a way he had only felt when looking into Aurora's eyes.
"No, this is not right. My feelings for Aurora are not dictated by the Oracle's path. They are my own feelings, my own choice," Stare muttered with determination in his voice. However, a lingering sense of uncertainty persisted deep within him.
Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Stare hastily redirected his attention from Eleanor to the girl standing beside her.
This young woman was equally attractive, with brunette hair and captivating amber eyes. Even behind her glasses, the radiance of her eyes remained undiminished.
Stare was about to inquire about her when he sensed both Bobby and Joel fixating their gazes on him with unwavering intensity.
Turning to face his friends, he was met with their smug expressions, their smiles seemingly etched onto their faces.
"What's going on with both of you?" Stare asked, growing increasingly uneasy about their peculiar looks and intense scrutiny.
"You don't have to keep up the cool facade with us, buddy. If anyone should understand, it's us," Joel replied with his smug expression intact, while Bobby simply nodded in agreement.
Stare's bewilderment became palpable as he stared back at his friends, who seemed to revel in their mysterious knowledge.