A Few Minutes Earlier...
Tessa's cloak fluttered, her steps inaudible as she dashed toward the girls' dormitory building. Her movements were as swift as the wind, and in mere seconds, she reached her destination. Without hesitation, she entered her room and shut the door behind her with a firm click.
Letting out a sigh, she tugged at her cloak, tossing it onto the bed. 'I'm tired...' she thought, exhaustion clinging to her like a shadow.
She inhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling as she made her way to the bathroom. After a few minutes, she emerged, her black bluish-pink hair damp, drying it off with a towel. Despite the refreshment, something gnawed at her, a lingering tension in her mind.
Unable to settle, she paced back and forth in her room, her brow furrowed in frustration. Thoughts raced in her head like an unrelenting storm. Her eyes darted to the table beside her bed. 'Or should I...?'
After undergoing extensive training before her arrival at the Academy, Tessa had honed two distinct fighting styles. Her first style, by far the strongest, remained unseen by any of her classmates, including Alex. It was also the same for her second fighting style which was the weakest.
"That's about to change tomorrow," she mused, her lips curling into a faint smile. "If what Chaos said was true."
The curiosity still tugged at her, but she dismissed it with a shake of her head. "It doesn't matter how he knew. I'll just use my weakest fighting style tomorrow."
That would keep her hidden. If she reserved her true power, Alex wouldn't recognize her in future encounters, particularly during the upcoming expedition.
Tessa's gaze shifted to the window, where the moon stood in full view. "That settles it," she whispered to herself, standing still for a moment as if sealing the decision in her mind. "I'll use my second fighting style tomorrow."
With her mind finally made up, she began to unwind, preparing for bed. Or at least, she tried to.
"Chaos..." she muttered, deep in thought, before standing up once again and moving toward the desk. She opened the drawer attached to it, pulling out a small jotter. With a snap, she flipped it open and laid it on the table.
"I wasn't really paying attention in class that day, but..." Her voice trailed off as she scrawled a note. "I think there are about five students from my class who can use the Water Element."
Her suspicions about Chaos weren't surprising in the slightest. He was a student, like her, and could use the Water Element. It was likely he was in the same class, meaning the first step in narrowing down who he was would be to identify the other boys who could wield water magic.
"I don't remember all of them..." Tessa mumbled. "But there's one. Hector."
She jotted his name down before closing the jotter with a firm nod. The girls who used Water Element magic could be ignored; after all, Chaos was male. Now, she just had to figure out the remaining boys.
Her eyes lit up with a sudden realization. "There's no need to rack my brain. I'll ask Teacher Riya before class starts tomorrow," she murmured to herself. "I'll come up with an excuse for why I need the information."
With her plan now fully formed, Tessa decided it was finally time to sleep. She had pushed herself far today, and her body screamed for rest.
As she lay down, memories of her earlier breakdown outside the Academy clouded her thoughts, hardening her expression.
"This is just the beginning..." she whispered, closing her eyes.
*********
The Next Morning....
The morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting warm rays across Arin's face. He stirred, blinking sleep from his eyes as he gradually became aware of his surroundings.
Before he could even sit up properly, a sudden sharp pain shot through his head. "Tch..." He clicked his tongue, clutching his temples.
"What the hell is this?" Arin muttered, a deep frown creasing his brow. His head pounded relentlessly, almost as if something were drumming inside his skull.
The pain didn't ease for a full ten minutes, leaving him bedridden until it finally subsided. When it did, his mind felt foggy, as if a dense mist had settled over his thoughts. Every time he tried to concentrate, his focus would scatter, leaving his head frustratingly blank.
"Ahh..." he groaned, scratching his head. "What is going on?"
His gaze drifted to the window, the sun now casting golden light across the room. "Maybe I should just do it now? No... Night would be better."
He dragged himself out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, but then—
*BAM!*
"Ugh!" Arin groaned, rubbing his leg after crashing into the table. He hadn't even noticed it right in front of him. "What the...?"
Something felt off. It was as if his body and mind weren't in sync. Shrugging off the discomfort, he proceeded to freshen up.
Forty minutes later—twice the time it normally took him—Arin finally stepped out of the bathroom. His head was still in a fog, and nothing he did seemed to shake it. Everything felt sluggish, as if his mind were being smothered by some unseen force.
"Everything else feels fine... My mana's normal. So what the hell is this?" he muttered to himself as he began getting dressed for the day.
After putting on his uniform, he stood in front of the door for a few seconds, trying to gather his thoughts. Eventually, he took a deep breath, steeled himself, and stepped out of the room.
As soon as he left the dormitory building, the warmth of the sun greeted him.
With a determined expression, he set his gaze on the main Academy building. "I don't know what's happening... but I need to figure it out. Before things get worse."
Meanwhile, Tessa's bluish-pink hair flowed behind her as she hastily walked toward the main Academy building. Her expression was stern, and she moved with purpose.
"I think I'm still early..." she muttered, weaving through the crowd of students. "I need to find Miss Riya. She's my only lead on this...."
While all these were going on...
[An Unwritten Event is happening.]