Ruby's gaze was full...of thankfulness, not that I deserved any, whereas Serena's was full of suspicion.

She had probably noticed something was off.

My performance wasn't necessarily surprising to any classmates, considering my participation in class, so thankfully, I was more or less ignored otherwise.

Serena did occasionally glance at my notebook, now sitting next to me, but seeing it was normal, she simply flicked her tongue.

Does she expect me to be some genius, too?

However, as the school day came to an end and I prepared to exit the classroom, I looked up and saw a familiar figure, who usually rushed out the door to train, waiting at the exit.

Honestly, it was surprising she had waited this long.

Leaving the row and exiting the room, I purposely made a right into an isolated part of the building, and as expected, a voice called out from behind me.

"Wait!"

Sprinting up as I turned around, Haerin paused and glanced at me before asking.

"How...did you know that question would be on the exam? The golem one! Do you have the answer key? Did you buy it from someone? I'll pay wha-"

...that's what she's curious about? Not the secret room!?

Snapping me out of my thoughts, she impatiently tapped my shoulder and continued.

"Hey, this is important to me. Trust me, I really need to get top 50 on the next ex-"

Clicking my tongue, I simply tilted my head.

Haerin was an interesting character.

She went from the top of the world, with the perfect life and family, to nothing.

From the happiest to the most sorrowful character.

The reason?

Her father.

In the demon's most dangerous mission to date, they sought to corrupt a high figure within the human world, the target being Haerin's father.

As the guildmaster of the humans' second most powerful organization and husband to a powerful hero, he was the perfect target.

And, unfortunately, it had already happened a year ago, preventing me from stopping it.

Thus, there was only one way to prevent the mass destruction that Haerin's corrupted father would cause.

I was hoping Haerin would have seen my skill and told her father, having him scout me into the guild, yet...it seemed I wasn't on that level, yet.

Seeing Haerin tapping her foot rapidly, I answered.

"Just a guess based on the material we learned."

I just had to continue sparking her curiosity.

With those words, I left her, reentering the main corridor and heading outside, toward a familiar building in the distance.

Dance practice; it was once a week, and as a member, I was forced to go.

Walking into the theater lobby, I was immediatly met by many new faces.

The dance club members from the first, second, third, and fourth years were all there, bringing the total to 40 people.

There were two groups within the club, each performing at a different skill level: advanced and beginner.

Walking into the theater and approaching Gemma, the leader of the beginner group, I paused and peered inside at the stage, where the advanced group was already performing.

Defy.

To advance, I had to defy the past and make a new future.

With that thought, I entered a smaller room within the theater building, where glass mirrors were on all four walls with a slippery wooden floor below us.

Immediately, I formed a line with my fellow first years and some second and third years in the beginner group, following Gemma's instructions and stretching.

...

...

...

As we took a water break, I glanced to my side at Carissa, narrowing my eyes.

With the timeline in this world disrupted by my killing of Zyn, the second incident could begin now at any time.

I wondered if...it had already started.

But with Carissa's poker face, there was no way to tell.

...

...

...

Walking out of the theater, Carissa hurriedly walked forward, her eyes dull and blank.

However, at that moment, as she passed by the doors of the main academic building, a figure suddenly emerged.

With her purple hair lazily tied in a messy bun, Serena casually strolled out of the building, an oversized white lab coat on.

Halting abruptly a couple of meters away, Carissa's eyes locked onto her figure; however, she did not say anything.

Unbeknownst to Serena, though, a spark of... anticipation suddenly lit up in Carissa's eyes.

*BZZZT*

*BZZZT*

Snapping Cariss back to reality, her smartwatch rang out below her constantly, a holographic blue screen popping out of it.

[Magnus / Carissa / Leo / Haerin]

[Leo: About to grab food at the cafeteria, anyone there?]

[Haerin: On my way from the training hall.]

[Leo: Magnus, Carissa?]

[Magnus: This is Haerin. I grabbed his smartwatch; he's on the way as well.]

[Leo: Carissa?]

Ignoring the notifications on her smartwatch, she looked back up and watched until Serena was out of sight before finally heading towards her dorm building.

Unlike Athen's twenty-seven-floor building, resembling a skyscraper and housing students of ranks of 1,000 to 2,000, Carissa's dorm was contained in a wide two-floor building, more a less a mansion.

Passing by the beautiful and fresh garden and flashing her student ID to a security guard outside the mansion, Carissa entered and took a right into a corridor with a crimson carpet, entering her dorm.

It was massive, with three separate rooms: a kitchen with a living room, a massive bedroom, and even a personal gym with countless machines.

There was even a hot tub in the corner of her bathroom.

Yet...it was oddly plain.

The couches in the living room were untouched, the expensive plates in the cabinet unused, and the walls were plain without any decorations.

Entering, Carissa immediately walked toward her bedroom, where a single book lay on the king-sized bed.

The book seemed ancient, its crimson-red cover faded to a purple and stained with dirt.

Yet, Carissa picked it up and caressed it for a few moments, even hugging and rubbing it against her chest, not caring about the stains that appeared on her uniform.

It had only arrived yesterday.

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