"S-Senior A-Aurora…?"
Ray mumbled, cheeks puffed like a squirrel caught in the act, still chewing on cake with an awkward expression.
Cute…
Aurora thought, lips curling into a small smile, though her expression stayed composed.
"N-Nice to meet you, Senior," Ray stammered, hastily swallowing the cake and scrambling to recover what little dignity he had left.
Aurora's smile deepened, her tone teasing yet light.
"Looks like junior is polite."
{Polite my foot. Why are you calling a brat your age senior? You're the master of the great me. How can you bow to some star-blessed punk?}
Shut up…
Ray gave an awkward laugh. "Haha…"
And just like that, the two strongest students of their respective years stood face-to-face, exchanging small talk while somewhere else the tension was rising like waves.
***
"Demons are going to attack the students, all the teachers will be transferred somewhere else," Elysia said in a serious voice.
Ash quietly listened to her, but inwardly—
How the hell does she know this…?
What the fuck is happening here…?
"You must be shocked, right? How I know... But you know Amelia, right? She said she had a dream..." Elysia told him about the dream.
Listening to her words, Ash was dumbfounded. But still, his mind remained calm, even though his thoughts were a little chaotic.
Dreams that show the future...?
Don't tell me… Fuck, fuck... shit. There was only one person in the story who could see the future.
That fucking witch—ah, no… what was her real title? Ah, right... it was Fate witch, No...Fate Watcher.
Wait, wait, wait—don't tell me that Amelia is that unruly witch... but how can that be?
The novel never revealed who the Whisperer truly was, but it did mention that witch. She was linked to the Whisperer in some cryptic way, appearing after the fall of the World of Akumia at the hands of the angels.
She came to become a party member of Ray, who was with his harem members. But what was scarier about her was that she could see the emotions of a person.
Ash used to call her a witch because of her nasty personality. With her emotion-seeing ability, she caused many fights between the harem members.
You could basically say she found joy in watching people fight. She was also the most hated character in the novel.
Reader comments went from "Queen slay" to "can she please trip and fall into a pit of plot holes."
Ugh… but why am I angry? Must be out of habit…
Even Ash didn't like her.
It makes sense now—seeing how she was pursuing me. And since she couldn't see my emotions, she must've decided to test my patience.
Shit, I've come under her radar…
It was a pity, but he couldn't do anything about it.
Many things became clear to Ash now—why she behaved that way, why she had such a personality, who she really was, and how she was able to enter the academy.
It makes sense now… she mentioned her grandpa. That means the Whisperer is an old man, and he must've requested the Principal to accept his granddaughter.
How could the Principal refuse the Whisperer's request, especially when it was so easy? If they could make him owe a favor, they'd benefit.
But why did they decide to show up now?
Ash was confused. That's when it hit him.
I'm the reason.
If he hadn't used the Whisperer's name, this situation wouldn't have happened.
In the end, it was all his doing.
"Hey, do I look like an idiot? Stop thinking and say something," Elysia said with a sharp voice. Her usual kindness was nowhere to be seen.
Coming out of his thoughts, he asked, "Why are you telling me this? You should tell the instructors."
"Let's stop this drama—I'm getting irritated," Elysia said in a low voice, but it held a hint of anger. "What do you think, Ash Burn? That I wouldn't know who you are just because you decided to stay away from me and act differently?"
It was good that they were near the corner. If anyone else had heard that, it would've been a disaster.
W-what the... W-wait...
Ash was scared—literally felt like the ground beneath his feet vanished.
"Although I don't know why you're doing this, after today's event is over, you will tell me everything. Do you understand?"
What should I say now? She just dropped two bombs at once.
Right... she was always like this…
Still, he tried. "I've already told you I'm not the one you're looking for. And as for the attack—"
"Do you really want me to beat the shit out of you like that night? And now I've gotten much stronger. It would be a good experience, right?" she asked with a smiling face. Even her eyes were curled up, but to Ash, that face was like the devil.
S-shit...
Though usually gentle and kind, she wasn't always like that. Whenever she got angry, she would beat Ash up to relieve her anger.
She called it therapy. He called it trauma.
There was even a time when Ash brought the topic of breaking up because of it.
That night, she beat him up all night long. Just thinking about it, a shiver ran down Ash's spine.
He had nothing to say. He knew no matter what he did, if he tried to deny her words, his future would be pitch dark.
So he changed the topic.
"Did you say they will enter from a portal?" he asked.
"Hmm… I'll allow you to change the topic since there are more pressing matters. But don't think I've forgotten."
"Yes. They will enter from the portal."
He finally accepted it. I knew it. This idiot just needs to get scolded for his brick-like brain to start working.
She knew when it came to love and feelings, he was a little stupid. But that's what she liked about him.
Isn't he like a child? Trying to hide things from his mother? Hehe...
Ash looked at her smiling, giggling face and thought, She's not normal.
Just a moment ago she was serious, now she's smiling like a happy idiot. How can someone have this many mood swings?
Leaving that aside, he focused on the info she told him.
Demons are going to enter from the portal… but those fuckers are already here. Do they plan to open portal to create more chaos?
He clenched his fists, then looked at her and said—
"Let's leave this place."
To which Elysia went silent.
She looked into his cold and indifferent eyes and said.
"You're not even showing a little happiness after seeing me again. And now you're telling me to leave… and let these kids die?"
That's another reason I didn't want to tell her. She's not like me. She has a kind heart. She won't let anyone die if there's a way to save them.
Ash stayed silent, then looked her dead in the eyes and said—
"...I can't lose you again."
His voice cracked, just slightly, but it was enough to shake something inside him. He didn't know why those words came out.
He hadn't planned to say them. They slipped through the cracks of his control like water leaking through stone, carrying with them a weight he had long tried to bury.
The moment hung heavy.
His chest ached—not from pain, but from the pressure of emotions that had never quite healed. The memories, the guilt, the grief… they were all clawing their way back to the surface, tearing through the silence he had wrapped around himself.
Elysia froze.
Her breath caught as her mind struggled to process what she had just heard. Her lips parted, trembling, but no words came. That fire in her eyes dimmed for a second, overtaken by something deeper. Something gentler.
Her anger didn't vanish—but it wavered.
She had expected lies. She had expected denial. She had expected him to push her away like he always did.
But not this.
And just as she took a shaky step forward, as if she might say something—maybe to reach out, maybe to hug—
BOOM!!!
***
Few Moments before..
"Instructor Elva!" Grace shouted, her voice cutting through the buzzing chatter in the grand hall as she sprinted toward her with Amelia and Lyra trailing behind.
Heads turned instantly. Students who were chatting or waiting for instructions froze mid-sentence. Even some instructors raised their brows. Not far away, Ray and Aurora stopped talking, both glancing toward the sudden commotion.
Lyra quickly leaned in, whispering sharply, "Why the hell did you shout like that?!"
"But the situation is urgent!" Grace shot back, voice dripping with frustration.
"Idiot, do you want the whole hall to panic?!" Lyra snapped, trying to keep her voice low. "Do you even realize what they'll think if you start talking about that now?"
"She's right," Amelia added, her voice softer but still firm. "You really shouldn't have shouted like that. There's a way to handle this, you know."
But Grace wasn't listening anymore. Her face was tense, her eyes sharp with worry. Without saying a word, she grabbed Instructor Elva's hand and pulled her away from the group. The others followed, though they were unsure of what to do next.
Grace didn't waste time. She quickly told Elva everything—Amelia's dream, the warning signs, and what Elysia had told. Her words came fast, but she didn't leave out any detail, even as her voice shook.
Elva stayed quiet, her face growing darker with each passing sentence. She didn't ask questions, didn't interrupt. She just listened, understanding more than anyone else in the room.
Because she knew.
She knew exactly who Amelia's guardian was, and more importantly, what that man was capable of.
If a girl like Amelia, raised under his watch, had a dream like this… it wasn't just a dream. It was a warning. A premonition.
Elva took a deep breath, then released her full aura without hesitation.
BOOOOM.
The air in the hall shifted instantly.
It wasn't loud or flashy, but it was powerful. The pressure hit everyone like a wave, making some students stumble or step back, struggling to breathe under the weight of it.
Elva's aura wasn't wild. It was controlled, precise, and it carried the force of someone who had seen real danger and faced it head-on.
She wasn't doing this to show off. She was sending a message.
***