Three days have passed since the incident in the library. Headmaster Aldric managed to banish Malphas and close the temporary portal, but the damage was quite severe. Half of the library was destroyed, and the academy was forced to close for a week for repairs. More worryingly, Kenji disappeared without a trace after his contract with Malphas was broken.
Aeris sat in his room in the male student dormitory. Although his physical body had recovered thanks to the healing potion, his mind was still filled with anxiety. The system in his head continued to provide updates on the movements of demons around the academy.
[MONITORING SYSTEM ACTIVE]
[DEMONIC ACTIVITY: DECREASED BUT STILL PRESENT]
[RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN HIGH ALERTNESS]
"There's nothing I can do but wait," Aeris muttered as he stared out the window. Titan, his Ancient Golem, stood silently in the corner of the room like a loyal guardian statue.
Knock knock knock.
A soft knock on the door made him jump. "Come in," Aeris replied.
Surprisingly, Seraphina Valemont entered with a tray of tea and small pastries. The golden-blonde-haired girl was wearing an elegant light blue dress, different from her usual academy robes.
"Seraphina? What are you doing in the boys' dormitory?" Aeris rose from his chair. "Isn't this against academy rules?"
"Rules can be waived in certain situations," Seraphina placed the tray on the table with graceful movements. "Besides, I have special permission from the Headmaster to visit you."
"Special permission?"
Seraphina poured the tea carefully, her eyes occasionally glancing at Aeris. "As the one responsible for the incident in the library, I feel obligated to make sure you are okay."
"It wasn't your fault. You were also a victim of Lilith's manipulation."
"Still," Seraphina handed her the teacup with a soft smile that felt oddly intense. "I want to make up for my mistake by... taking care of you."
There was something about the way Seraphina said the word 'taking care of' that made Aeris feel uneasy. "Thank you, but I'm good enough. You don't need to bother."
"Not bothered at all," Seraphina sat down in the chair across from Aeris, too close for normal conversation. "In fact, I felt... attached to you after that incident."
"Bonded?"
"The Soul Resonance you did back then," Seraphina's violet eyes stared deep into Aeris's. "I could feel your soul touching mine. It felt... intimate."
Aeris nearly choked on his tea. "I-intimate? Soul Resonance is just a technique for communicating on a spiritual level. There's nothing intimate about it."
"Really?" Seraphina leaned forward, her face getting closer. "Then why do I dream about you every night? About how you saved me from the darkness?"
[WARNING: UNUSUAL BEHAVIORAL PATTERN DETECTED]
[SUBJECT: SERAPHINA VALEMONT]
[PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: POTENTIALLY OBSESSIVE]
The system gave a warning that made Aeris even more wary. "Seraphina, you may still be shaken from what happened. You should take a break and—"
"I am not shaken," Seraphina interrupted in a suddenly cold tone. "I am very aware of what I am feeling. And what I am feeling is... possession."
"Possession?"
Seraphina stood up and walked around Aeris' chair like a predator stalking its prey. "You have touched my soul, Aeris. That means you are responsible for what happens to me next."
"That doesn't make sense. Soul Resonance doesn't work that way."
"It doesn't make sense?" Seraphina stopped right behind Aeris, her hand on the young man's shoulder. "Or do you not want to admit that there is a special bond between us?"
Aeris stood up quickly, pulling away from Seraphina's touch. "Seraphina, I think you misunderstand. What happened in that library—"
"Was the moment you saved my soul," Seraphina interrupted again, this time with an obsessive smile. "And because of that, my soul is now yours."
The situation was getting increasingly uncomfortable. Aeris tried to change the subject. "How about we talk about something else? Like about the lessons you missed or—"
"You've been avoiding me," Seraphina glared. "Every time I try to get close, you always find a way to distance yourself. Why?"
"I'm not avoiding you. I just—"
"Just what? Not interested?" Seraphina's tone turned dangerous. "Or is there someone else that caught your attention?"
Before Aeris could answer, the door to the room opened again. Leon Ashford entered with a serious expression, followed by a blonde girl Aeris didn't recognize.
"Aeris, I need to talk to—" Leon stopped when he saw Seraphina. "Seraphina? What are you doing here?"
"Visiting a friend," Seraphina replied in a fake sweet tone. "Is something wrong, Leon?"
"Nothing, just..." Leon glanced at the girl behind him, then back to Aeris. "I brought someone who would like to see you."
The blonde girl stepped forward with elegant movements. She was about 165 cm tall, with clear blue eyes and a beautiful yet unassuming face. She wore an academic robe with a special emblem that signified her status as an outstanding student.
"Let me introduce myself, I am Elena Brightwater," the girl smiled kindly. "I've heard a lot about your amazing taming abilities."
[CHARACTER IDENTIFICATION COMPLETE]
[ELENA BRIGHTWATER - ORIGINAL HEROINE]
[STATUS: PRIMARY LOVE INTEREST FOR LEON ASHFORD]
[ABILITY: LIGHT MAGIC SPECIALIST]
Aeris almost sighed. This was the main heroine of the novel he was reading. "Nice to meet you, Elena. But my abilities aren't as special as people say."
"Don't be modest," Elena laughed softly. "Taming an Ancient Golem in the entrance exam? That's a feat never recorded in the history of the academy."
"That was just luck," Aeris glanced at the Titan who was still standing still.
"Luck can't explain the bond I see between you two," Elena observed the Titan with an admiring gaze. "Ancient Golems are known to be very selective in choosing masters. The fact that he would submit to you shows that there is something special about you."
Seraphina who had been quiet began to emit an aura of displeasure. "Elena, shouldn't you be focusing on your Light Magic studies? Why the sudden interest in taming?"
"I'm interested in all aspects of magic," Elena replied diplomatically, but there was a competitive glint in her eyes. "And Aeris' abilities are very interesting to study."
"Study?" Seraphina stepped closer to Aeris in a gesture that clearly showed ownership. "Aeris is not a research subject."
Leon watched the tension between the two girls with a confused expression. As the original protagonist, he should be the center of attention, not Aeris.
"Uh, maybe we can continue this discussion somewhere more neutral?" Leon tried to defuse the situation. "Like the academy garden or—"
"No need," Seraphina interrupted, wrapping her arms around Aeris possessively. "Aeris still needs to rest. You can go now."
Elena raised an eyebrow at Seraphina's behavior. "Since when did you become so... protective of Aeris?"
"Ever since he saved my life," Seraphina replied with a sharp glare.
Aeris could feel the situation getting more complicated. On one hand, Seraphina shows an unhealthy obsession. On the other hand, Elena begins to show an interest that could disrupt the original storyline.
"Leon," Aeris tried to distract him. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something important?"
Leon seemed to have just remembered. "Ah, right. I wanted to ask about... the changes that have happened to you lately."
"What changes?"
"Before the incident in the library, you seemed like a completely different person," Leon looked suspiciously. "The way you spoke, your confidence, even your knowledge of magic. It was as if you... became someone else."
[WARNING: ORIGINAL PROTAGONIST BECOMING SUSPICIOUS]
[MAINTAIN CAREFUL RESPONSES]
Aeris swallowed. Leon began to suspect the drastic change that had happened to him. "Maybe that life-and-death experience changed my perspective on things."
"A life-and-death experience can't explain how you suddenly learned the Soul Resonance technique that wasn't even taught in the academy," Leon stepped closer. "Or how you were able to identify Seraphina as the demon vessel."
Seraphina also looked at Aeris suspiciously. "Leon is right. I myself didn't realize Lilith was in my body, but you seemed to have known from the start."
Elena also joined the interrogation. "And the Luck Manipulation ability you used... that wasn't ordinary magic, was it?"
Aeris felt trapped. The three people stared at him with gazes demanding answers. The system in his head rang a warning of a critical situation.
[CRITICAL SITUATION DETECTED]
[MULTIPLE CHARACTERS QUESTIONING MC'S IDENTITY]
[RECOMMENDATION: DEFLECT OR CREATE DISTRACTION]
Before Aeris could answer, the Titan suddenly moved. The Ancient Golem walked to the window and stared out with a wary posture.
"What's wrong, Titan?" Aeris followed his golem's gaze.
In the distance, the sky began to turn an unnatural reddish color. Birds flew in panic, leaving the trees around the academy.
[URGENT ALERT: MASSIVE DEMONIC SIGNATURE DETECTED]
[DISTANCE: 5 KILOMETERS AND APPROACHING]
[ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: 30 MINUTES]
[THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN - SCANNING...]
Elena, who had a high sensitivity to magic, also felt the change. "Something's coming. Something very powerful."
Leon immediately grabbed the hilt of Dawnbreaker. "Another demon?"
Aeris shook his head. "This is different. Bigger than Malphas."
Seraphina stared at Aeris with an unreadable expression. "How do you know it's bigger than Malphas? You haven't even felt its aura directly." The question made Aeris realize his mistake. he almost leaked the existence of the system.
Suddenly, Headmaster Aldric's announcement voice echoed throughout the academy via magic communication.
"All students and staff, immediately gather in the main hall. We have received reports of the arrival of a long-sealed Ancient Demon. This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill."
Leon, Elena, and Seraphina exchanged glances with serious expressions.
"Ancient Demon?" Elena swallowed. "Weren't they extinct since the Great War a thousand years ago?"
"Not extinct," Aeris whispered, the information from his system letting him know more. "Just sealed. And it looks like the seal is starting to break."
Seraphina looked at Aeris with an increasingly suspicious gaze. "Again, you know something you shouldn't know."
Before the situation could get more complicated, the system gave information that made Aeris' blood run cold.
[SCAN COMPLETE]
[IDENTITY CONFIRMED: ANCIENT DEMON BELPHEGOR]
[RANK: DEMON DUKE]
[SPECIAL ABILITY: MEMORY MANIPULATION AND SOUL EXTRACTION]
[WARNING: TARGET APPEARS TO BE SEARCHING FOR SPECIFIC OTHERWORLDER]
[PROBABILITY ASSESSMENT: TARGET IS SEARCHING FOR YOU]
Aeris felt the world spinning. Belphegor, one of the most powerful Ancient Demons, was searching for him. And what was more terrifying, the demon's memory manipulation ability could reveal his secrets about his homeworld and system.
"Aeris, your face is pale," Elena touched his arm worriedly. "Are you okay?"
Before Aeris could answer, Leon came to a conclusion that made him even more depressed.
"All these strange incidents started when you changed drastically, Aeris. It's as if your new presence has attracted the attention of demons." Leon stared at him sharply. "Who exactly are you?"