"Her name's Rizel. She's at least normal for now, but eventually, she'll become one of the most evil and insanely powerful villains this world has ever known," said Lorelle, his hands resting behind his head as he lounged casually.
[But… she seems so… innocent,]
"She probably was at first," Lorelle admitted with a shrug. "But she began to change."
[Why?]
"She has a problem. One of the greatest catalysts for what she'll eventually become," he replied.
[… And that is?]
"Curiosity," Lorelle said simply.
[…]
"It's not just curiosity—it's something far more dangerous," Lorelle continued, lifting his gaze to the three girls chatting below. "Her bloodline ability awakened something in her. It amplified her curiosity to an uncontrollable degree."
[But why would curiosity lead to such an end?]
"Didn't you hear me? It's not normal curiosity—it's curiosity amplified a billion times. It's like an unquenchable thirst to know more about something. At first, she could control it, though. Actually, she didn't really have an issue with it at all. When the story began, she was completely normal," Aden mused, his brow furrowing. "But the problem arose when she became fixated on a single thing. That's when the curiosity spiraled into an obsession, an unstoppable force that consumed her entirely."
[Let me guess… that object of obsession is the son of the WILL?]
"Stop calling him that—it sounds weird. Just call him the protagonist," Lorelle said with mild irritation. "And yes, something like that. She just wanted to understand what he was. But the more she learned, the deeper she got sucked in, her curiosity growing stronger and more dangerous until there was no turning back."
[Still, that doesn't seem like enough to cause her downfall…]
"Curiosity evolved into obsession," Hw clarified, his tone growing darker. "That obsession turned into a twisted kind of love, paired with a terrifying level of possessiveness. She began obsessing over how he thought of her, and that's when things took a darker turn."
[… I see.]
"If the protagonist wasn't strong enough to defend himself, she would've taken him by force after he rejected her," He said flatly.
[He rejected her?]
"Not directly. No, instead, he mentioned something about another heroine. That's when she realized he had no intention of being with a single person. So she began thinking… what if she eliminated every girl he cared about?"
Suddenly, a man Lorelle guessed to be the teacher walked into the room. His strides were measured, his presence commanding. The murmurs died down almost instantly as everyone focused on him.
"Please take your seats. It's time to begin," the man said, and those still standing scrambled to find a spot.
"I am Maxwell Glen Wilston, and I will be your Mana Theory instructor for the next month," he announced, his voice steady and authoritative. "For now, you've been merged into one class, as the initial grading is insufficient. By the end of the month, you will be split into two classes—the higher rankers and the lower rankers."
Maxwell's sharp gaze swept across the room. "Yes, you," he said, nodding at a student who had raised their hand.
"The dorms seem to be designed for pairs. Is there a specific reason for that?" a girl asked from the middle row.
"Yes. After the grading tests, you will be assigned permanent roommates. By 'permanent,' I mean they will remain your roommates until you graduate from this institution," Maxwell replied.
"Can it be changed?" someone else asked.
"There are certain conditions under which changes can be made, but it's an extremely tedious process," Maxwell said, eliciting a wave of anxious murmurs. Many students exchanged nervous glances, clearly dreading who their roommates might turn out to be.
"You," Maxwell gestured to another raised hand. "This will be the last question on this topic."
The student stood. "Sir, my assigned roommate is male. Isn't that inappropriate?" she asked, and the room broke into hushed whispers.
"Yes," Maxwell said after a pause. "The pairing of roommates does not discriminate by gender. However, rest assured, placements are determined with power levels in mind. You will not be assigned to someone who poses a threat to you. Additionally, severe penalties will be imposed on anyone who breaks the established rules. These rules will be made clear to you later."
With that, he stepped forward. "Now, let's proceed with introductions. Formality demands it," he said, looking at the first student in the front row.
"I'm Ace Reeves," the student said, standing briefly before sitting back down.
And so began the monotonous roll call.