Luka was not happy to come back to the academy. This place had been a nightmare, and he was finally free.
And yet, he had one word from his young master, and Luka was back in this hellhole.
"Young Master Luke, the principal is ready to see you now."
The secretary informed Luca, and her eyes glared daggers into his face. This secretary had been in this school ever since Luka had studied here. And he was surprised to see how old and fragile she looked now.
The once tall and forbidden gate of the principal's office looked so typical now.
'This is what happens when you grow up. Things that once scared you no longer look so scary now.'
Luka opened the door and looked at the principal. It had been a few years since he had seen the older man. The principal looked remarkably older. But the air of power and certainty around his figure still held others captive.
"What makes you visit me, Luka? I thought someone vowed never to return to this academy for as long as they lived. What happened to that person…hmmm."
The principal taunted Luka, and he gritted his teeth. He remembered yelling those words at the top of his lungs when he graduated.
"I did not want to come back either, you know. But circumstances called me back here. There is not much I can do about it either. Anyway, I want a job at your academy for now."
The principal looked at Luka, his eyes searching Luka for something. The intensity of that gaze made Luka nervous, but he refused to back down. He did not want the principal to win in this game of pressure.
Finally, the principal looked away and sighed.
"I can see that you do not want to be here either. I can only guess what brought you here currently. Did young master Elias put you up to it?"
The principal asked, and Luka flinched. That was all the principal needed to confirm his suspicions.
"Fine, I won't ask you any more questions regarding your presence here. We are low on help, so I cannot look at the gifted horse in the mouth. You can be in charge of the new student Rachael."
That was what Luka wanted and what Young master Elias had asked Luca to do. But it all felt too easy to him. He could not figure out what the principal wanted from him.
"Don't look at me with that suspicious expression. I might have been wary of Rachael before, but she is a dear student of mine now. I want what is best for her. But I am afraid I do not know that I can dedicate to her."
"Rachael is too young for us to take into this academy, but I cannot turn her away for obvious reasons."
The principal quickly informed Luka of what was going on. Luka had also caught on to the situation and sighed in relief.
"Yeah, well, it suits me fine. As long as I do not have to deal with many brats, I have no problem being a teacher."
They both finally agreed, and Luke sighed the form. From that day onwards, he was a substitute teacher at the academy. And he hated every second of that experience.
.........
"This corridor leads to the cafeteria and the dorm facility area. You can come here 24/7, but be careful during the exam days. The library has specific timings, so please keep to them."
The guard was currently giving Rachael and Emily a tour of the facility area. The further he took the pair, the more awed Emily looked at this facility.
She could not believe that such a fantastic place existed while paying next to no fee.
'Shit, the demon sure is lucky. I wish I could live in such a fun place as well. There is no extra work and a lot of benefits.'
Emily was jealous of Rachael, but she could not show it. She would have to visit Rachael a lot to enjoy the benefits of this place.
"Excuse me, but the student dorms start from here. Parents and guardians are not allowed beyond this point."
The guard informed Emily and stopped her before she could enter the living area. Emily was taken aback, and she felt her temper rise.
"What do you mean I am not allowed past this point? How is that fair? Who made this rule?"
Emily questioned the guard. But the guard refused to back down. He did not cower in front of Emily's gaze and looked back at her with annoyance.
"This rule was made concerning the student's safety and well-being. You are not the only guardian who is not permitted past this point. Now, please calm down and follow the rules of this place."
The guard warned Emily. She immediately felt quiet once she realised that her temper tantrum would not work against these guards.
'Tsk, this sucks.'
Emily stopped walking, but Rachael continued to walk. The interior of the student quarters felt cosy.
Rachael liked this place, but she could not feel comfortable there. It might have something to do with all the glares she was getting. People were looking at her and judging her.
Some students looked curious to see her walking into the room; others looked cautious. And then some looked angry.
Rachael also noticed another significant point - the students here looked much older than her. The youngest student she saw in the room was at least 12 years old.
That made the 9-year-old Rachael the youngest in that batch.
"Who is-Ah? It's you. Finally, you are here. Come, I will introduce you to everyone."
The teacher had been informed about Rachael's presence. She wasted no time in pulling Rachael into the lobby and making her stand in front of the crows.
People looked at Rachael with a curious expression. They waited for her to speak, but Rachael had no intention of starting the conversation.
The teacher looked awkward once she noticed this. She decided to take matters into her own hands and coughed to gather everyone's attention.
"Everyone, this is Rachael. She is new here and a special case. I hope you all become friends with her and treat her with respect."
The teacher informed the students. It would have been better for Rachael if the attention had not been brought to her. But all the students were looking at her now.
"Hey, how old are you? Which class are you going to join?"
"Are you going to be able to keep up with us? Have you awakened your ability?"
"What is your family like? Are you from a well-established family or a new blood?"
Children could be ruthless when they wanted to be. Rachael was bombarded with questions from all sides and did not know what to do.
She opened her mouth to answer these questions, but the children continued to speak over her. They just wanted to ask her questions, not let Rachael answer.
And the teacher was no better in this regard. She noticed how uncomfortable Rachael was getting. But she decided not to interfere. Children needed to resolve their problems themselves.
Adults should not mess with their business, or the children will never learn to resolve their matters.
"You should answer these children, Rachael. They want to be your friends, so help them out here."
The teacher encouraged Rachael, not even realising how the kids looked at Rachael. These kids would tear Rachel alive if she gave them a chance.
"Excuse me, but can I head to my room now? I feel a little faint. I will socialise with these kids tomorrow."
The teacher was taken aback. She had been ordered to care for Rachael and wanted her to make friends first. But since Rachael wished to avoid being in the kid's company, the teacher could not do anything.
"Alright, you can head to your room now. BuHe make sure you greet your classmates later."
The teacher had the wrong idea. She thought Rachael was supposed to be in the same class as other students. It would have been better for Rachael if she had also been in the regular classes.
But the next day, she proved the teacher wrong. She looked over her class list but did not see the familiar name in it.
Rachael was not assigned to her class.
.........
Rachael looked at the empty classroom and sighed. She was the only student in her class.
She quietly sat down and waited for the teacher to arrive. That could help her understand what was going on here. Her wish was granted when the door opened, and a familiar figure entered the room.
Luka looked exhausted, but he still dragged himself into the room. Only one student was in the class, but Luca decided to be professional.
"Welcome, and congratulations on being selected for the academy. As you can see, we only take the best students, and you all made it. Congratulations, and keep up the good work. As for the syllabus…."
Luka's deadpan voice sounded scripted. He must be reading from a script. But Rachael needed to learn what he was doing here. What brought Luke to this academy?
"In short, this academy is everyone's dream destination. So, make sure you do not tarnish its name. Now, if you have any questions, ask me. Otherwise, we can start the syllabuses. You don't have any questions? Good! We can move forward now."
Rachael raised her hand, wanting to ask a question. But before she could ask anything, Luka rubbed his temple in agony.
"Kid, before you ask any questions, I would like to tell you that I have no answers for you. Please go with the flow and accept your place in his academy."
Luka's voice sounded ready to beg. Rachael felt terrible for him, not deciding to ask him questions. It was clear that Luka was not at fault here. Asking him unnecessary questions could cause him trouble.
"Fine, I get it. But am I the only one in this class?"
Rachael asked, causing Luka to sigh.
"You are the only student…for now. I think we will ask for a few more.