Arin finally finished his meal, feeling Lina's gaze on him the entire time. She had been resting her chin on her hands, watching him patiently.
"That took quite some time," Lina remarked as she stood, stretching her arms. "You should get some rest after classes today. You still look tired."
"Hmm," Arin mumbled, slowly rising to his feet. "Yeah, I will."
With that, they both made their way out of the cafeteria, heading toward the Academy's main building.
Lina's lips curled into a smile as a thought came to her. "Oh, Arin, I'm almost done with my new spell!"
Her excitement broke through Arin's foggy mind, but it took a moment for him to respond.
"That's... good," he said, his voice a bit distant.
Lina chuckled softly as she glanced at him. "I'm sure I'll have it perfected by tomorrow."
Arin gave her a weak smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. He was too preoccupied. 'I'll complete mine soon enough,' he thought, feeling the weight of his own goals.
Of course, while planning his next steps, he hadn't forgotten the need to grow stronger. The Water Dragon Spell was one way to achieve this, and now, with the Chaos Element and a highly valuable item, his strength would soon increase.
With all of these, he was close to finishing a new Water Element Spell. 'I'll probably complete it tonight,' he thought.
They reached the staircase leading to the classrooms, and Arin felt the pull of exhaustion weigh heavier on him with every step.
"Okay, I'll see you later," Lina said, waving as she turned to head into her class.
"Yeah, see you," Arin replied, watching her disappear before trudging toward his own classroom. His usual seat at the back was a welcome sight, and he slid into it with a sigh.
Rubbing his temples, Arin grimaced. His head throbbed, and his vision swam slightly. It felt like a fog was clouding his thoughts, making it nearly impossible to concentrate. He barely noticed the other students, focused only on the heavy weight pressing down on his mind.
Moments later, the door swung open, and Riya entered, a book in her hand. The class immediately fell silent as everyone hurried to their seats.
Riya walked to the front and placed the book down on her desk before turning to face the students, her usual indifferent expression in place.
"Today," she began without preamble, "we'll continue discussing Mana. It's a broad subject, as you already know."
The students nodded dutifully as Riya launched into her lecture, her voice steady and measured. However, Arin could barely hear her. His head pounded, and his eyes threatened to close. It wasn't sleep he needed, but something to break the fog in his mind.
He winced, massaging his temples again. 'This is getting worse. If it doesn't stop soon…'
Meanwhile, Tessa kept glancing around the class, her gaze flicking between the boys. Some of them blushed under her attention, others shifted uncomfortably, and a few had less innocent reactions.
Hector, one of the more confident boys, smirked to himself as he adjusted his hair. 'Or does she like me? Hmm, yes, that explains why she's looking at me.'
Tessa, however, wasn't interested in anyone's infatuations. She was searching for something—or someone. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk as she narrowed her eyes. 'I can't figure it out here... I'll wait for the Weapon Training Class.'
For now, she let it go, deciding to focus later.
Meanwhile, Arin's condition worsened, and with a groan, he let his head fall onto the desk. He tried to think clearly, but it felt like his mind was wrapped in a thick haze.
'Maybe the system will know what's going on,' he thought, just as he began to summon it in his mind—
"Arin Vale!" Riya's voice rang out sharply, cutting through his thoughts.
Arin jerked upright, his heart racing as he blinked at the teacher. Riya's eyes were fixed on him, her expression stern.
"Miss Riya…" Arin muttered, his voice trailing off.
Tessa, who had been observing the class, suddenly turned to look at Arin. She squinted, recognition sparking in her mind. 'Arin... His name… it's one of the names she gave me. He's one of the Water Element users.'
Riya's expression returned to normal as she folded her arms. 'Last time, he seemed lost too, but he was still able to recall everything I said.'
Still, she needed to ask. "Arin, what have I been teaching since this class started?"
Arin sighed, pressing his hand against his forehead. 'Here we go again.' He rose slowly to his feet, his classmates' eyes following him, waiting for his answer.
Tessa's attention remained fixed on him, though she wasn't entirely sure why. 'Apart from his brown hair… there's nothing else that stands out.'
She frowned, frustrated with herself. 'What exactly am I looking for?'
One thing she did know about Chaos was his calm, composed aura. But how could she tell if any of the Water Element users had that? It wasn't something you could easily see.
Riya's voice broke through her thoughts. "Continue."
Arin cleared his throat, his mind struggling to keep up. "You were talking about Mana Stones and Mana Caves," he said slowly. "They're both connected to one thing… Mana."
The effort it took to speak was draining, and Arin could feel his energy slipping further. He paused, gripping the edge of his desk as he fought to keep himself upright. 'If this keeps up, I won't make it through tonight. I'll lose my chance.'
Riya stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing. "Go on."
'Not today, of all days…' Arin cursed silently as he tried to focus.
******
In an unknown location, dark, silent, and devoid of life, something was stirring.
Or rather, something was about to happen.
*WHOOSH*
A blinding red light flared to life in the darkness, casting sharp shadows everywhere, yet revealing nothing.
But that wasn't all...
*WHOOSH*
The light surged in intensity, then vanished just as quickly, leaving no trace.
Suddenly, a pair of glowing red eyes pierced through the thick darkness, menacing and full of malice. A raspy voice followed, its tone enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone listening.
"Tonight..."
The silence stretched for a few moments before the voice returned.
""Uhm... Aca... Academy?..... That's what he called it, huh?..... I see..."
"Kekekeke," a chilling laugh was suddenly heard.
"They sha... shall pay for ki.... killing... The Princess."
*
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[A/N]
Hey guys!! Don't worry, the way Arin will make the Spell will be explained. So, everything will be clear.