A chill run through across my skin, raising every fur in a sudden, bristling swell of fear that surges through my throat. The radiant eyes of the gentle-faced elder lock onto us for a fleeting moment before he turns away. Amidst the ensuing silence, he breaks it with an unexpected pronouncement.
"I believe it is still too early to check if all the students have returned to their dormitories," the old man states, his voice soft yet strangely powerful. Every professor turns back, their faces etched with disbelief and suspicion.
"What do you mean, Headmaster?" Professor Aek asks, his voice a low rumble. His usually composed face is now fixed, his gaze unwavering on the man addressed as 'Headmaster,' a sight that leaves us gaping. "Is it not our duty, Headmaster, every first day of the academic year, to cast the protective barrier spell to ensure its strength?"
"Indeed, Headmaster," Professor Steve concurs, his demeanor somber and serious, a stark contrast to his classroom persona. "Furthermore, today is when the barrier's defensive power is at its weakest. Therefore, if we don't…"
"Mr. Baron mentioned he sensed a student who has not yet returned to the dormitory, is that correct?" the headmaster inquires calmly, his sharp eyes fixed on the elderly groundskeeper. Naturally, the professors pause to listen and nod in agreement. "That is the implication. It would be best if we first located that student and brought them back to the dormitory. Only then should we proceed with casting the spell to reinforce the barrier."
As the faculty members erupt in a hushed, fervent discussion, we feel the magic subtly waning. Our bodies begin to lower. Anya nearly stops breathing as the tip of her long, black hair with its pink highlights almost brushes against Professor Steve's bald head. But then, abruptly, the hamster turns towards us, letting out a sharp, warning screech. This causes the entire faculty to turn their attention to it, their expressions puzzled. Subsequently, they look up at the ceiling where we are concealed. Instantly, as if a spell has been cast, both Anya and I are pressed firmly against the ceiling.
"What do you see up there, Shabu?" Baron asks the tiny creature, its sharp fangs bared, its eyes glowing with a vivid, unsettling red light. The old man follows his gaze and sees it too, but then his brow furrows in confusion. "There's nothing there. Are you imagining things?"
"This little fellow must be quite old; his mind is likely wandering," the headmaster remarks with a smile, clasping his hands behind his back. His right hand holds his wand, the tip emitting a soft blue glow. He looks up at the ceiling once more. "I see nothing but emptiness, and I hardly believe a student would be so foolish as to use a levitation charm on themselves. Would you agree, Professor Nita?" The elderly man turns to a young, beautiful, petite female professor who stands with an air of dignified composure, her eyes sharp and intelligent.
"I concur, Headmaster. At this point, none of the first-year students are proficient enough to cast a levitation charm. However, it's possible that second to sixth-year students might be capable," she replies.
"It's impossible for it to be them. I instilled a fear of dark arts in them since their first year. Even if a first-year student is wandering around here, they should be nearby," Professor Aek states flatly. "Let's search for them first. If we find them, perhaps a punishment of writing lines to fill a page would suffice. Tomorrow, I have a class with the first-year students; I will endeavor to frighten them about the Lord of Dark Arts as much as possible."
"Very well then, Professor Aek. I shall entrust this matter to you. Try to make them understand just how much…" The headmaster trails off, his gaze rising to the ceiling. His eyes fix on Anya and me. "…the dark arts lord is the antithesis of everything we stand for, and how desperately it seeks to consume us."
.....
Soon after, the faculty members walk towards the opposite end that leads to the dormitory building. The hallway falls silent once more, the magic spell waning. Our bodies, unable to withstand the pull of gravity any longer, slowly descend to the floor. The suffocating silence, coupled with the pitch darkness, makes it difficult to breathe. Anya presses her lips tightly together before drawing her wand and conjuring a light spell. Then, we hastily make our way back to the dormitory.
"What is Lord of Dark Arts?" I inquire, breaking the silence. Anya's countenance is troubled, her footsteps quickening with urgency, prompting a question in my mind.
"They are wizards who become consumed by the Dark Arts, eventually transforming into fiends," she replies, her voice trembling. "They have committed heinous acts against wizards since ancient times, and they can even turn wizards into fiends by persuasively opening their hearts."
"Why isn't there any mention of them in history books?" I ask, my curiosity piqued further.
"I don't know either, but if I had to guess, it's probably to spare students who have suffered from fiends, like me, from having to live in fear," Anya's words cause me to pause. Then, I begin to connect the dots, tracing back to the question that has lingered in my mind since I first stepped into her home.
Where is Anya's father?
Suddenly, it dawns on me that she is too young to discuss such serious matters at an inappropriate time. So, I remain silent, refraining from asking any further questions, despite the myriads of thoughts swirling in my head.
Upon reaching the front of the dormitory building, the young girl extends her hand. The barrier is gone. We hurriedly rush towards the stone steps, chanting a spell to ascend to our respective rooms.
At one point, as the stone is levitating above the ground, I glance back and see someone standing in front of the dormitory building, waving their wand to create a sturdy barrier guarding the entrance. It must be one of the professors.
...
"Dark Arts originates from wizards like us, who seek to learn the dark arts for their own strength," Professor Aek explains in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, his expression grave. Of course, I am granted the right to attend the class like any other human, and I even garner special attention from the students. But as Professor Aek begins to discuss the topic of Dark Arts, the students' faces turn pale, devoid of any color. "It has caused chaos in the Caronia world for a long time. Darkness gradually consumes the hearts of those who desire power, leading them to embrace the dark side, even abandoning their families, claiming it was for their sake. But they do it for themselves, especially the Lord of All Fiends, the 'Dark Emperor'."
Anya's expression is uneasy. I gently nudge her leg with my short, soft front paw. Her face brightens when she sees me smile, which seems to soothe her heart to some extent. I cannot comprehend how those Dark Arts fiends have ever trampled upon the pure and fragile heart of this young girl.
"I myself was once a Dark Arts fiend," Professor Aek declares, and then, without any hesitation, he removes his shirt, revealing his bare upper body to the students. Intricate and bizarre tattoos cover his muscular physique, causing most of the female students to blush crimson. But the others are shocked, their mouths agape. I am no exception.
Professor Aek's expression remains calm.
"These tattoos appear when one has mastered the Dark Arts. The number of tattoos determines the power level of that fiend."
"So, that means..." A male student sitting in the front speaks, his voice trembling as if he is terrified.
"I was once a high-ranking Dark Arts fiend, proficient in all the killing curses. One could say I was the strongest among the fiends. If I had remained a fiend, I might have become another Dark Emperor," he says in a low, ominous voice. "But then, I returned to being a wizard thanks to Headmaster Connor. And you, Jack, I'm glad you fear the Dark Arts, because it's more agonizing than the seven circles of hell. Even death offers no escape; you have to pay for your sins until your soul is torn to shreds."
The boy's face turns ashen immediately. His body trembles uncontrollably, just like the rest of the first-year students.
"You are too young to understand the ways of the adult world," Professor Aek says as he puts his shirt back on, but the terrifying patterns remain etched in our minds. "The government hunts down these fiends and can execute them on sight, as they are often too dangerous to capture alive."
The Defense Against the Dark Arts class, which should be fun and teach us how to fight, turns into Professor Aek recounting a depressing tale, casting a gloomy atmosphere over the room, leaving no student with any desire to learn further.
The bell for self-defense class rings, signaling lunchtime. Most students flock to the large convenience store at the heart of the school. Anya and I watch our seniors and classmates jostle, their hopes dwindling as they try to buy lunch. Our stomachs begin to rumble with a frantic hunger.
"I feel like we need to find time to buy out this whole store," I say, sighing as I think of ribs.
"The money in my pocket won't last us for food here until the end of the year," Anya says, shaking her coin purse and sighing.
"There are many others facing the same problem as us," I observe, looking around. Several students stand gazing at the convenience store, packed tighter than sardines. But then Anya spots someone not too far away.
"Should we help that person?" Anya asks, walking towards a freshman who was in our class. "Can't get into the store, Jack? It's really crowded today."
"I didn't expect it to be this crowded. Yesterday, my mom made me lunch, so I didn't need to buy anything. But today is different," he says in a calm voice. He's a young man with short black hair, his forehead exposed. He has a slender, fair face, sharp eyes, and a prominent nose. At that moment, Anya is stunned by the young man's handsomeness, her face flushing crimson like a tomato. "Excuse me, we were in the same class just now, right? My name is Jack. Nice to meet you."
He extends his hand. Anya hesitates for only a moment before taking it. I, meanwhile, glare with murderous intent, ready to cast a spell to turn this rootless kid into a toad and bite him with all my might.
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To Be Continue Ep.10