After helping Bright to figure out his problem, we prepared for class and headed out together.
Everyone left the dormitories at almost the same time.
Was it the euphoria or anticipation of receiving our first lecture in the Cube?
…For that, I had no idea.
Surely, some had gone earlier, ahead of the rest and some would come later.
However, the majority of us walked to the lecture hall in the Central Area of the Cube.
Chattering and several whispers filled the environment outside as we walked but the bulk of the discussion was on what had happened the previous day.
…The slashing down of our numbers.
Before the dawn of today, everyone had gotten wind of the news and the jolts of shock that accompanied it as well.
The competition was real.
They began to understand a bit of how serious life in the Cube would become.
But that was not all that had happened anyway.
Along with the messages sent through our IDs, we also received our class designations.
Ten classes alphabetized from the letters A to J, with each one containing a total of thirty Trainees each.
How we had been shared was solely at the discretion of the instructors—a rather subjective manner of division if you asked me.
Even now, I couldn't tell what the criteria were for placing a person in a particular class.
I could guess, in retrospect, that our skills and their assumptions of our potential had something to do with it.
The reason for that was simple.
I don't know whether it was a coincidence or not but somehow, everyone in my class ended up making the top thirty of the trainees' list of the Cube in my year and we were designated as Class A.
We didn't know how they were able to accurately judge or speculate our potential but it was spot on.
…Maybe, it may not have been so subjective after all.
Bright had been assigned to Class B.
Ding–!
The sound of the elevator chimed as it slid open for Bright to depart on the 10th Floor, making his way to Class B.
"I will see you after school then," he said as he waved at me before leaving.
I gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement with the door of the elevator slowly shutting me in again for one last lift to the 11th Floor where Class A was.
A few seconds after Bright had alighted the elevator, I was doing the same with a group of other trainees who were my new classmates.
Stepping out of the lift, my eyes captured the class sign that was a short distance ahead.
The minute that I saw it, I fell under a cold shower of nostalgia as memories assaulted my mind.
I heaved a sigh and lowered my head as I tried to play it cool.
I looked up at the sign again as if challenging how it made me feel and puffed my cheeks.
'Class A-1.'
The other recruits went ahead of me, enthusiastically rushing into the classroom with profound excitement on their faces but unlike them, I had nothing in my heart but indifference.
I was not annoyed by the fact that I'd be in class nor was I excited by the thought of it.
I didn't care much for the class itself really and was going to wing the situation as it came.
However, there was something I did care about.
Now that I was close to standing before that in a few seconds, I felt uncertain of myself.
Creak–!
The door creaked open as I proceeded to enter the class.
As I entered, I halted a second later and let out a deep exhale.
"Excuse me," a voice requested in confidence… no, in a somewhat of a demeaning manner as the owner of the voice approached me.
Handsome young man with blond hair and looked the same age as I was.
It was the pompous brat of the Kenton Family.
…Terrence Kenton.
Now that I was barely a metre close to him, my heart stopped.
My fingers flicked with doubt and my mind went blank.
I didn't know how to react to the situation and from the looks of it, Terrence didn't care as he shoved his body into mine, pushing me to the side while he walked out of the class.
As I contemplated what had happened, a chuckle escaped my lips and I looked at the door of the class.
'Nothing is different with him even at a younger age. I should have known.'
Terrence had always been a proud brat but the admiration that people held for him and his strength blinded them to this personality of his.
Of course, he had asked that he'd be excused and that was all justification he needed to bump into me two seconds later.
'Sure,' I uttered inwardly, '...sure, bump into me all you like.'
I turned around and went toward my old seat in the class that was about the third row if one counted from behind.
I sat at the right corner of the room where the windows were, so I could get some air and also, see the things happening outside Class A-1.
It did feel good many times whenever I looked out through the window to see what surrounded us.
I calmly sat down and stretched my arms with pops going off while also cracking my knuckles at the same time to relieve the stiffness in my hands.
"Those are some loud pops, man," someone commented from behind him.
I turned around and examined the face of this person.
'Otis… Vernon.'
Otis Vernon.
The son of the renowned and powerful hunter, as well as Guild Master to the second ranked hunter guild in the world—Mortice Vernon.
Staring at him up close, I couldn't help but recall the man he would become in the near future.
But for now, I had to focus on not coming off as weird since I was already staring for more seconds than I should.
A chuckle escaped my lips, acknowledging his comment on a lighter note.
"Well, I needed the relief," I replied.
He spun the golden and black fountain pen in his grasp with profound dexterity as he stared deep into my eyes, his sea-blue eyes unrelenting.
"I'm sure it was," he answered back with a smile.
Otis extended his hand out to me in courtesy.
"I'm Otis," he said, keeping his family name hidden.
Tch, if only he knew that the Professor who would be taking the first class would foil his plan.
It didn't matter if he hid his name since it would still be exposed shortly.
I shook his hand and looked him in the eyes and replied.
"..Luxane."