Ryan had not planned to go out, he was supposed to stay in the dormitory and have fun, that was before he broke his console and received a message telling him he had to serve as a guide for a newcomer. He didn't mind because he had already planned to see the director, only the problem was where he had to lead him: the Aegis residence.
He had heard about it upon his arrival, it had also been shown to him from afar, but he had never ventured to go there. For good reason: the rumor said that most of the residents were not really stable. So, he preferred not to really mingle with any of them.
Ryan was waiting in one of the four central buildings of the institute, in the reception hall. A mysterious mist appeared in front of him, swirling, and inside was the one he had to guide.
The young man who appeared after the mist disappeared was the complete opposite of him. Handsome, well-built, black hair streaked with mysterious thick red strands.
Shauwn was no longer in the director's office, he had appeared in a hall when the violet mist that had carried him dissipated. The place seemed empty for no valid reason.
"Excuse me..." said Ryan, somewhat frightened.
A masculine, foreign, and trembling voice behind him spoke. Surprised, he stepped back to put a face on the one who had called him. It was a boy, the same age as him, frail, curly chestnut hair and brown eyes with almost black pronounced circles under his eyelids.
His appearance had nothing extraordinary and he seemed harmless. However, that was no reason for him not to be on his guard. Having observed his reaction, Ryan calmed down and preferred to introduce himself fully.
"I am Ryan PIERCE, I was assigned by the director to guide you to your accommodation so..."
Shauwn simply nodded in response. When he opened his lips, only his name came out.
"Shauwn... Shauwn ARKYNAS," he stated in a dry and neutral tone.
Ryan had not looked him in the eyes at first, but as soon as he did, his interlocutor's eyes fascinated him. Shauwn had two eyes of different colors, the left eye amber hazel and the right eye navy blue. What drew the most attention was the red color centered deep in both eyes, spreading like a star.
He did not linger too much on these details and began the task he had been entrusted with. Soon, the two left the Arcanum institute complex.
---
All along the way to his accommodation, Shauwn did not talk much. He only said a few words which were enough for Ryan, surprisingly talkative, to keep the conversation going. At first, he had noticed that the young man with the dark circles seemed hesitant, unsure of himself, and was holding back in one way or another. He did not know why, but he preferred not to get involved nor to ask why, that suited him. Shauwn noticed that around his guide's wrist there was an accessory, to say the least, interesting. It was a wrapped chain with a cylindrical padlock. Staring at it made his interlocutor uncomfortable, who was frantically touching the object of his interest, so he restrained himself.
Ryan, for his part, hesitated and paid attention to everything he said in order not to provoke a sudden reaction like in the hall. Nevertheless, after a few minutes spent in his company, he noticed that Shauwn was rather calm and reserved, not at all interested in him in any way. The only moment he showed interest was when he noticed his talisman, however when he realized it made him anxious, he stopped. He did not talk much, barely a few words, which was enough for him to understand and read between the lines.
Thanks to their exchange, Shauwn understood the layout of the island he was on. Mystic Isle was an archipelago, and the island he was on was called the Arcanum complex, in reference to the institute. It was divided into four main zones: zone A, zone RI, zone DR, and zone AE.
Zone A or Arcanum included the institute and all its facilities, the residential zone (RI) where the professors who wished to live, the dormitory zone where the students were housed, and the Aegis zone where Shauwn's apartment was located. For a reason that escaped him, Ryan seemed reluctant to talk about it in detail.
That was because in truth, Aegis was reserved for a certain type of student in particular, whom they had decided to name among themselves: the Students in Special Isolation (SSI). Thanks to whom, according to a common unspoken agreement, it had been decided not to provoke them and to stay away, because the opposite had contributed to traumatizing half of the current third-years who had been second-years during a particular incident. Moreover, each of them was the cause of several other incidents, which had contributed to their stigmatization.
Unfortunately, the person concerned himself was not aware. The information he had received at least allowed him to map out in general the layout of the different zones.
Arcanum to the north, the dormitories to the south, Aegis to the east and the residences to the west. Good.
Circulation was free between the zones but there were some restrictions regarding the residential zones and the Aegis zone. The path was calm but dotted with vending machines and certain spaces to encourage exchanges between students.
"When I came, I passed through a rather lively town..." Shauwn said, intrigued but did not show it.
"Oh! I know what you mean, that must be one of the social islands!" added Ryan, full of enthusiasm.
From what he knew, the social islands were different from the university city. It was a place where most of the independent adult supernaturals who were not students could be found. There were many shops, a shopping center, and multiple leisure places adapted to all tastes, as well as restaurants, a city of supernaturals.
Access to the islands was restricted to weekends for those who wanted to go and free during Arcanum's inactive periods. Some social islands were only accessible for certain events. Shauwn understood that Mystic Isle was self-sufficient, focused on itself. The most intriguing thing was how humans had not discovered this place.
Maybe Mystic Isle is located in one of the unstable zones? Shauwn thought inwardly.
Arriving in the Aegis zone, Ryan had only indicated to him the location of the residence and after that, he had disappeared. Leaving no trace. Nothing supernatural or superhuman, he had just run away. That reinforced the idea that there was something fishy around this residence. His senses were on alert.
The Aegis residence was a modern light concrete building of three floors, with straight and clean lines. Each floor had narrow balconies protected by simple metal railings, and large sliding glass doors that let in the light. At the front, a large dark stone wall framed the building and the small parking lot in front. Two imposing stone statues, representing armored warriors, stood guard in front of the access doors.
As soon as he felt ready to enter, he was stopped by the two statues, blocking his way with two swords.
"STATE YOUR IDENTITY"