It had been a week since the department announcements.
The official first day of training had finally arrived, and Spectra was buzzing with activity. First-year students were being gathered into their respective classes for the introductory lesson.
Seraphina and the others were in one of the large instruction halls, a spacious and well-lit room with tiered rows of seats, allowing everyone to have a clear view of the podium where the instructors spoke. The layout resembled a small auditorium, designed to accommodate a large number of students without compromising communication.
This was just one of the first-year classes, and even so, the room was full. There were easily over two hundred students present.
Seraphina was seated next to Derek, watching the instructors on the podium with a bored expression. The lesson was nothing more than an introduction to the department, explaining what would be taught throughout the year and what challenges the students would face.
A few rows ahead, Luna was seated next to Arthur. The two were quietly chatting while the instructor spoke about the importance of physical conditioning, improving combat techniques, and the mindset required to act as a hero.
Most of the students were paying attention, some jotting down notes in small notebooks or devices, while others simply listened. The introduction didn't bring anything particularly surprising, it just reinforced the department's structure and the expectations for the students.
Seraphina rested her chin on her hand, letting out a sigh. This type of class was never her strong suit.
She preferred to be in motion, actually training, rather than listening to speeches about things she already expected.
After some more time, the class came to an end.
The instructors gave their final instructions and dismissed the students. A murmur spread throughout the room as students stood up and began to leave.
Seraphina and Derek walked down the corridor along with the rest of the students leaving the room. The hum of voices mixed with the sound of hurried footsteps as groups discussed the training introduction.
Derek, stretching his arms behind his head, tried to start a conversation.
"So, what did you think of the class?"
"Was it as boring as you imagined?"
"Hmph... It was what I expected."
Derek let out a light chuckle.
"So that means yes?"
She shrugged, dodging a group standing near the wall.
"At least the practical part starts tomorrow. You think they'll split us into groups or throw everyone into the arena to see who survives?"
Seraphina let out a short sound, noncommittal.
"Maybe both."
"But considering this class has over two hundred students, I think they'll split us up soon. It doesn't make sense to train everyone together."
"Uh-huh."
Derek sighed.
"Did you at least hear half of what I said?"
"I did."
"Then pretend you care a little."
"I am pretending."
Derek rolled his eyes, but a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
He was already used to it. He had known Seraphina long enough to know she wasn't the type to show much interest in long conversations, especially when the topic wasn't something that truly intrigued her.
Even so, it never really bothered him.
If it had been anyone else, they might have seen it as cold or uninterested, but Derek knew that was just how she was. In the end, Seraphina always listened, even if she didn't show it.
Farther ahead, Rachel and Maya were walking together, their voices easily audible in the hallway.
"I didn't see Evan in class."
Rachel replied without hesitation.
"That was to be expected from him."
Seraphina, who was listening to the conversation, frowned.
The response was too quick, as if Rachel had already known he wouldn't be there from the start.
"What do you mean?"
Rachel kept a casual tone.
"He was never the type to follow rules just because others expect him to. It's not strange that he disappeared on the first day."
"So that means he chose a department?"
Rachel gave Maya a small smile, as if she could tell she was trying to dig for information.
"We all chose one, didn't we?"
"Yeah, but... I thought he'd go for 'Advanced Combat' too."
"What do you think he chose?"
Rachel looked away, the smile still lingering.
"No idea, but we'll find out soon."
Seraphina followed the conversation without showing anything, but her mind was already spinning with thoughts.
Rachel seemed to know more than she was letting on, but she wasn't giving anything away directly.
Evan had always been unpredictable, but as far as Seraphina knew, all first-year students were required to choose a department. So, if he hadn't shown up for class, where exactly was he?
She didn't ask anything, just kept walking.
But Rachel's words stuck in her mind.
————
34 Minutes Later – Special Operations Department
The room looked ordinary, similar to the other instruction halls at Spectra. Tiered seating surrounded a central podium, where Selene was calmly speaking. However, the atmosphere was different. There wasn't the usual noise of other classes, nor the typical excitement of students eager to prove themselves.
Those who were there knew exactly why they were in that room. None of them were naive enough to treat it like a regular class.
Evan was no exception—he had his reasons too.
He needed to keep the original storyline on track as much as possible, without losing control of his own narrative. Besides, the fixed salary just for being part of the department was too tempting to ignore.
But that wasn't something he could say out loud.
Admitting he joined just for the money?
That would be insane.
Selene walked through the center of the room, watching the students as she spoke.
"You are here because Spectra deemed your skills suitable for this sector. That doesn't mean you know how to use them properly."
Her tone was cold, but direct.
"Conventional heroes waste energy. They can afford to fight freely, without thinking about the impact of every move. We don't have that luxury."
She raised her right hand. A cold mist formed in the air, and in an instant, a wall of ice rose beside her.
"When you release energy naturally and without control, you need a large amount to achieve a result."
Then, without changing her stance, she raised her left hand. This time, only a small, sharp ice spike appeared in the air, gleaming menacingly.
"But if you refine that energy and use it with precision, you can achieve a decent result with much less."
The room fell even more silent. Everyone there understood what she meant.
Evan watched the demonstration closely. This was exactly what he'd been training with Maya.
Selene crossed her arms and let her gaze sweep across the room.
"We need a volunteer."
Eyes quickly shifted away.
Who would be crazy enough to get humiliated on the first day?
Then, her eyes locked on Evan.
"You. Come to the center."
Evan blinked slowly.
Crap…
'...Why me?'
He muttered to himself, getting up with a sigh.
'Is she mad because I wasn't paying attention earlier?'
Evan stood and began descending toward the center, feeling several sharp gazes on him, filled with curiosity and anticipation.
As soon as he stopped in front of her, Selene kept her cold gaze fixed on him.
"Defend yourself."
Evan froze for a moment.
What?
"You're going to attack me?"
"Yes."
Like she was asking him to stop a landslide with his bare hands.
Evan kept a neutral expression, but inside, his mind was already spinning.
Either she was very confident she wouldn't hurt him, or she was completely insane.
And he didn't want to trust either option.
Everyone in the room remained silent, but he could feel the eyes on him.
He wasn't confident at all that he could handle himself against an S-rank.
The level gap was absurd.
He knew that.
But at the same time, his control over his shadows had improved a lot since the battle against Seraphina.
He had learned to use his energy more precisely, to shape it more efficiently. He was still far from ideal, but he was no longer the same as before.
He released his shadows, which spread in a dark aura around him. Small tendrils of darkness emerged from the ground, ready to intercept any attack.
The air in the room grew tenser.
Even without anyone saying anything, he noticed the surprise on the faces around him. His power was far too similar to Selene's. Like her, he didn't control several basic elements or use generic abilities. He mastered a single trait and pushed it to the extreme.
————
The sound of sword strikes echoed through the training field as Seraphina refined her movements. Her body had already memorized the posture, the sequence, the weight of the blade slicing the air. Each strike was fluid, precise—but her mind wandered.
She had already heard that the Advanced Combat Department training would intensify the next day and preferred to get ahead. The more time she spent idle, the more restless she felt.
In the middle of the session, she was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Hey, Seraphina!"
She halted the movement at the last moment, turning her wrist before resting the blade at her side.
When she looked over, Alex and Jenna were approaching.
"Have you seen Evan?"
Seraphina frowned.
"No."
Alex let out a sigh.
"Of course not. That guy has a knack for disappearing whenever someone needs to talk to him."
Seraphina kept her gaze on them.
"Why are you looking for him?"
Alex exchanged a quick glance with Jenna before answering.
"Well, you two are close, aren't you?"
Seraphina blinked.
The irony of that was almost laughable.
Close?
If Evan were there, he'd probably let out a sarcastic laugh.
So would she, if it weren't for the fact that, in a way, what Alex said made sense.
Ever since she met him, Evan always crossed her path in unexpected ways. The duel, the entity, the enigma, the strange way he spoke and acted around her, as if he knew more about her than he should.
But close?
She had no answer for that.
"If you see him, can you let him know we wanted to talk to him?"
Seraphina just nodded.
Jenna shook her head, placing her hands on her hips.
"... Though if we had his number, we wouldn't need to keep searching for him every time."
Seraphina watched them walk away and then returned to training.
However, no matter how much her blade cut through the air, her mind was elsewhere.
Her last conversation with Evan still lingered unresolved.
She had asked what she meant to him, a question that, from the outside, made no sense.
They weren't close.
They hadn't known each other for long.
Anyone who heard that would find it strange.
But Seraphina knew exactly why she had asked.
The duel, the entity, the way he acted like he knew her, like he cared.
That was what made her ask.
And it was his answer that made her back off.
"An acquaintance from Spectra."
She tightened her grip on the sword and took a deep breath.
It was time to stop thinking about it.
But something still bothered her.
In recent days, the name "Cursed Heir" had been circulating through Spectra.
Seraphina never paid much attention to rumors, but she ended up hearing Luna mention it. Her friend was obsessed with the enigma, trying to understand the strange concepts mentioned in the text. Something about refraction keys, something Seraphina didn't even know what it was.
The comments from other students also made her think.
The theory going around was simple: the person responsible for that enigma was probably cursed.
After all, who else could know so much about curses, if not someone who carried one?
Seraphina tried to ignore it.
It didn't make sense to waste time on baseless rumors.
But for some reason, a discomfort grew inside her.
She remembered seeing Evan in the library with a book that Luna said was about curses.
She remembered the entity's words about his future.
She remembered how Evan avoided answering anything about himself.
Seraphina spun her blade and sped up her strikes, her sword cutting through the air with force.
If it were someone else, maybe she would've decided to ignore it.
But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't.
Evan was hiding something from her.
She didn't know what it was, but every time she tried to forget, something new would come up, pulling her back to that doubt.
Maybe it was a coincidence.
Or maybe not.
But as long as her doubts remained unanswered, she had no intention of ignoring him.