After walking for a while they reached the grand lobby prompting Aiden to quickly take in his surroundings.
With marble floors, high ceilings, and a striking chandelier. The reception area was staffed by impeccably dressed attendants who discreetly screened visitors before granting them access to the three elevators.
Not only that, the air was cold, really cold, but Aiden found it soothing, he loved the cool feeling in this lobby, as he breathed in the pleasant smelling fragrance in the air.
"Greetings Elder!"
Aiden suddenly heard something prompting him to turn toward the source of the sound.
To his surprise, he found out that a random dark-haired man had greeted Three Face with a small bow before continuing his walk.
Feeling confused by the oddity, Aiden continued following only to watch the process repeat itself.
Soon enough they reached the attendant counter, and as soon as they were within reach, the attendants at the counter greeted them with a smile.
"Greetings Elder!"
Their voice simultaneously sounded out, giving Aiden and Mai a pleasant surprise, this was something that they hadn't seen before, Three Face on the other seemed used to it.
Noticing this strange oddity, Aiden was curious, wanting to know the reason why these people greeted Three Face like this, but upon thinking about it for a second he decided to not ask any questions, a single question could cause a slip of tongue and Aiden didn't want that on his plate.
"It's rare to see you stop by ma'am, how can I be of service to you?" One of the women at the counters asked.
With a fleeting tone, Three Face ordered, "I need you to register these two for me, skip all the long procedures and just get on with It, also they'll need an escort so they can attend the class going on at the sixteenth floor, make it quick."
Hearing this the attendant scrambled, hurriedly pressing a few buttons, and soon she handed Aiden and Mai a mechanical card as she explained, "They are blank for now, your rank will be added after an ability test, and your code names after the initiation.
Hearing this Aiden nodded as he gazed at the metallic card on hand, it read:
Name: Aiden Frostfall
Code Name:
Rank:?
Merit Point:?
-----------------------
Meanwhile, on the sixteenth floor of the Silence headquarters, there was a door that led to a spacious classroom, filled with comfortable seats and a big screen at the front.
In this room, one would also notice a group of familiar adults ten in number all in black attire.
Serena, her expression calm, wore a traditional business suit, her black hair glowing as it flowed freely down her back. She was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
Arlet, looked bored, her hands on her chin as she tried to suppress a yawn, she too wore a traditional business suit. She was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
The dark-skinned Eloise, her pinkish braids flowing down her back lay on her desk, she had long since fallen asleep. She was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
Noah wore a business suit as well, his expression laid back as he listened to the teacher's lesson. He was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
Meanwhile, Finley's long curly brown hair cascaded as he sat there with his legs crossed, dressed in a black t-shirt and pants, he was one of the people who didn't look too formal. He was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
Another person who refused to wear a suit was Bruce, he sat straight, his expression aloof as he gazed intently at the teacher, he was wearing a dark long sleeve with folded sleeves revealing his silver watch, and he also wore a pair of black leather shoes, and fitted black pants.
Unlike the others, Bruce had jumped three levels passing the rank of initiates and directly joining the Silence as a Level 4 Agent (Operative).
Thalia, shrouded in her black blindfold, wore a business suit as well, but unlike before, she didn't have any floating shards above her head. She was a level 2 initiate (Apprentice).
Lila's youthful appearance and silver eyes dampened the effects of the black gown she wore, instead, she looked like a kid playing the role of a black swan. She was the only one who had a book with her, but she wasn't writing, instead, she seemed to be drawing. She was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
Blessing, the other dark-skinned girl in the group remained composed, as she sat straight, she wore a formal business suit. She was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
As for Felix, he wore a black T-shirt covered by a sleek leather jacket, he also wore black jeans followed by a pair of black kicks. He was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
There was also the muscular David who wore a black business suit he was a level 1 initiate (Novice).
The dress code of all black was obviously kept quiet well within the Silence.
Standing on a pedestal in front of the class was a white-haired man with green eyes, he wore a black business suit like the rest of the people in the room, making it seem more like a business meeting than a classroom.
These adults sat patiently without making a single sound as they gazed at the white-haired man in front of them intently listening to his lecture.
"So, that's how a grade six hell crystal is formed, any questions?" The white-haired man asked.
The class was enveloped in a momentary silence until Felix a blonde-haired man with striking blue eyes asked, "If a grade one hell crystal is currently valued at one million Creda's, what is the value of a grade six hell crystal? Is it like sixty million or something?"
"And how can hell crystals affect our chances of breaking through to the next level?" Another voice sounded out, it was Bruce, a man with dark red hair and dark eyes, he had a burly and intimidating appearance but by the gentle look in his eyes, one could tell that he meant no harm.
Earnestly listening to the questions being asked, the white-haired man nodded and answered Felix's question first, "You're mistaken about something Felix, hell crystals aren't just a million Creda's with each addition level, for example, a grade two hell crystal is worth 15 million Creda's at the moment, as for a grade 6, that's a natural treasure, stored like gems by every organization who has one, it's simply not something money can buy."
Turning towards Bruce, the white-haired man continued, "The importance of hell crystals when breaking through-"
The white-haired man suddenly stopped as he put his hands on his ear, if one looked close enough, they would notice a small black earphone on his person.
Bruce who was listening to the teacher, watched him answer a call, he wondered what would be so important to make him stop in the middle of class.
After they had been brought back to the shelter a few days ago, Three Face left them with this white-haired man who led them to a hotel to freshen up.
Then they went shopping, with the White-haired man funding the entire trip, after they had bought some black clothing, they were escorted to the Silence where they were tested and assigned ranks according to their strengths and qualifications.
The journey had been long but they made it. At first, they had been grateful to the white-haired man for taking them out, but he explained that there was no need to be thankful, his reasons being that the entire trip was funded by the Silence and that he was only completing a task that he would be rewarded for.
After a day of rest at the hotel, they were brought back here where they were to receive their first reward which was an exclusive lecture on some topics sensitive to Contractors.
"It seems that we're getting some newly rescued survivors with us," The white-haired man said with a smile.
Hearing the teacher's words, everyone was surprised, they couldn't believe another person had escaped.
"More people actually survived?" Serena's voice sounded out, her eyes as wide as circles, the only reason they had managed to make it was because of Bruce's strength and leadership skills, but to think another team survived as well.
The class suddenly became rowdy as the group discussed which of the teams could have possibly survived.
Meanwhile, Bruce suddenly felt his heart skip a beat as he gazed ahead of himself, he suddenly felt a strange feeling overwhelm him.
The class was quiet as everyone waited patiently for the survivors to arrive, but not everyone seemed to care though.
"Scribble!"
"Scribble!"
The sounds of faint scribbling could be heard as Lila drew on her notebook, she hadn't been paying attention to the lesson and she didn't seem to care.
"Hehe," she let out a faint giggle as she raised her drawing to observe.
"What's that?" A voice suddenly sounds out behind her clearly curious about what she had drawn.
Lila, a bit startled quickly hid her book and turned back, and when she saw that it was Ethan she stuck out her tongue and said, "I won't tell."
"Tick!"
Saying this she quickly turned back to continue drawing when she heard the sound of a tick that drew her attention to the door.
"Tap!"
"Tap!"
"Tap!"
The sounds of footsteps sounded out as Lila watched a man with long black hair walk in.
He entered the room with an air of quiet confidence, his attire commanding attention even in the dimly lit space.
Clad in a sleek ensemble, he wore tailored trousers that hugged his slender yet muscular frame with precision, the fabric draping elegantly over his long legs.
Each step he took seemed purposeful, the black leather shoes glinting softly under the ambient lighting as they made contact with the polished floor.
A black turtleneck shirt adorned his torso, its fitted silhouette accentuating his athletic build while providing a stark contrast to the pallor of his complexion.
The high neckline of the shirt drew the eye upwards, highlighting the angular contours of his jaw and the taut line of his throat.
Over his shoulders hung a long coat that trailed behind him like a cloak of shadows, its black fabric billowing subtly with his movements.
The coat reached down to his heels, its length adding an element of drama to his silhouette as he strode confidently through the room.
As he approached, his long hair caught the faint light, shimmering like a dark veil around his face.
Tied back into a neat ponytail that cascaded down his back to his waist, each strand seemed to dance with a life of its own, framing his features in a frame of darkness.
And yet, it was his eyes that held the most captivating allure. Like twin pools of ink, they gleamed with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the shadows, their depths unfathomable to those who dared to meet his gaze.
With each blink, they seemed to draw you in, compelling you to unravel the mysteries that lay hidden behind their enigmatic facade.
An equally beautiful woman followed behind him, one with flowing red hair and eyes of scarlet, she looked dashing in her suit but her palazzo pants highlighted an underlying sass in her person.
The duo commanded attention as soon as they entered the room without even uttering a single sentence.
Seeing these two people Lila used her Contract out of habit, her silver eyes scanning the two as she tried to peer into the strengths.
"The red-haired girl has fourteen layers," Lila thought to herself as she turned to the dark-haired man.
Looking at him she suddenly frowned in confusion, as she muttered to herself, "Is he a normal human? How is it possible that he has no layers?"
As Lila observed Aiden out of curiosity, Aiden also seemed to feel something as he turned to Lila, his dark eyes meeting her silver eyes.
As soon as they made eye contact, Lila suddenly felt the world around her darkening as she was pulled into his nightmarish gaze.
It was cold really cold, and just when she felt as though she was being devoured, he turned his gaze away from her sending an all-to-human chill down Lila's back.