Arin walked into the classroom, his eyes immediately taking in the rows of chairs and tables.
Students were inside, discussing various topics, mostly about today's class.
Without wasting time, Arin made his way to the last chair at the back and sat down.
As more students trickled in, he noticed the class wasn't particularly full; other students were likely in different classrooms.
Arin's gaze shifted to the front, where he spotted Tessa sitting. Her eyes looked distant, as if she were lost in thought. Despite the noise in the class, she seemed oblivious to it.
'It must have really hit her hard,' Arin thought as he observed her.
There was no doubt in his mind that she was reflecting on what he had shown her yesterday.
Finally, Alex entered the classroom, instantly attracting the attention of the girls, as usual. He walked over to the chair beside Tessa and sat down.
"Hey, Tessa, what's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Tessa shot him a glare but managed to soften her expression a moment later.
'This bastard... Ugh...' Just looking at him made Tessa lose her composure. The thought that the person who killed her parents was sitting right next to her, even holding her shoulder, was suffocating.
The concerned look on his face only made it worse.
However, she remembered that Chaos had told her to remain calm and not do anything without his instruction, so she quickly faked a smile.
"Oh, Alex. I'm fine," Tessa said.
"Are you sure? It seems like something's on your mind," Alex said, his eyes searching hers.
"I'm fine, there's no need to worry," Tessa replied with a smile.
"Okay. If anything is bothering you, just let me know, okay?"
"Yes, I understand," Tessa said.
Arin smirked as he watched the exchange.
'Good. She managed to stay calm,' he thought.
Suddenly, the chatter in the classroom ceased as a woman walked in.
In seconds, the students were seated, their eyes on the woman.
"Good day, everyone," the woman said as she walked to the center of the classroom before stopping.
She appeared to be in her late twenties, with long black hair and brown eyes. An indifferent expression settled on her face as she looked at the students before her.
"I'm your Magic Theory teacher, Miss Riya," she announced, her gaze sweeping the room. "We'll start as soon as I finish taking attendance."
"The definition of straightforward..." Arin muttered.
One thing he liked about her was her nonchalant attitude toward certain things; it was just... amusing.
"Albert Snowfield," Riya called out.
"Present," a male voice responded.
"Evelyn Xavier."
"Present."
And so she continued, calling out the names of the students and marking them down.
"Tessa Silverhart."
"Present," Tessa said, though it was more of a whisper.
Riya didn't mind; as long as she heard her, it wasn't an issue.
Alex turned to look at Tessa, concern etched on his face.
"Alex Whiteheart."
"Present," Alex replied.
Eventually, Riya had called nearly all the names in the class.
"Arin Vale."
"Present," Arin responded, just like the others.
"Good. That's everyone, so let's get down to business," Riya said. "I'm sure you all already know your Affinity and Rank. If I'm not mistaken, most of you have mastered at least two to three spells."
The students, including Alex and Tessa, nodded in agreement. Some had even mastered four spells, so it wasn't surprising.
"Normally, it would be better for each of you to tell me your Affinity and Rank yourselves, but as you know, this Academy has rules, and one of them requires that your Affinity and Rank be properly checked," Riya explained.
Riya found it a bit burdensome, but the students seemed excited; it was an opportunity to show off.
"So, let's head to the testing room," Riya said.
Immediately, the students began standing up and leaving the classroom. They already knew where the testing room was, so they didn't need Riya to guide them.
Once everyone had left, Riya followed behind as they descended the stairs and exited the main Academy building.
Arin casually slipped his hands into his pockets, wearing an indifferent expression as he blended in with the crowd.
As they walked, he found himself beside Tessa. As expected, she didn't recognize him—after all, he had been wearing a mask when they met.
A few moments later, they arrived at another building adjacent to the main Academy building and entered.
Finally, they reached a door with a small card on it that read "Testing Room."
Riya opened the door, and they all filed inside. The room was spacious, but the center was dominated by a huge transparent orb. Nearby, there was a large ball-like object.
"Okay, you will each channel your Mana to your hand and touch this orb one by one. After that, we'll check your Rank with this," Riya explained, pointing to the ball-like object.
"Understood," the students replied in unison.
"So... Alex, would you like to go first?" Riya asked, looking at him.
"Oh, no, no, I can wait," Alex said, waving his hands with a wry smile.
At that moment, Arin wasn't paying attention to them. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the orb and the ball-like object...
He already knew his Affinity, Rank, and even his Spells, thanks to the memories he had received. But he still wanted to check them out himself.
Due to his dealings with Tessa, he hadn't had the chance to test his spells, but now... he finally had the opportunity.