Aria raised her eyebrows before speaking. "Are you serious? Or is this just a dream I haven't finished yet?" she said in disbelief.
Loraine entered the room, followed by Wein Arcveil, who was carrying the two of them inside.
Glen was still asleep on the table, while Aria had already begun studying a few things before she was startled and approached the two of them.
"Where did you find these?" Aria extended her fingers to touch the two pups, just a few seconds before turning her gaze to Wein and Loraine at the same time.
Then she smiled and said something puzzling, "So... you two are the ones who found them?" Aria teased mockingly.
"Wein found them," Loraine responded a split second after Aria and immediately cut off the conversation before Wein could even enter it.
"Oh... that's boring. Put them on my table," she sighed in disappointment before instructing them to place the wolf pups down.
Wein understood what Aria meant but chose to remain silent, instead giving Aria a quick eye gesture before placing the wolf pup on the table.
After placing it down, Aria immediately took over and retrieved several instruments to examine it, such as a Runex that could emit light and other devices.
Runex was a tool that functioned like technology—floating screens and such—what they referred to as Runex technology.
Moments ticked by as the wall clock chimed before she placed several more Runex devices, while the wolf pup remained calm.
"This one is approximately five weeks old. Health, nutrition, and all other factors are fine, but it's still recovering from prolonged exposure to the fog," she explained.
"What about its species? Is it really a dire wolf?" She stepped between Wein and approached the table to inspect the wolf pup.
At times like this, it was not possible to just randomly draw blood from a creature. Instead, she examined it from head to tail, comparing its form to reference images of other wolves and measuring its body at an early age.
And the results confirmed it was undeniably a Dire Wolf—from the larger size for a five-week-old pup to other distinct characteristics.
Wolves also learn to walk properly at around five weeks of age, and it seemed this one could walk, but for some unknown reason, they had gotten lost and ended up trapped.
"Yes, I can hardly believe it, but what I'm seeing is the truth," her voice trembled as she spoke, relying on data and sources from books. Aria was stunned before finally stating the obvious. "These are two Dire Wolves."
---
Slowly, a door that only had a frame and no physical form began to manifest in a certain location within Aetheris Academy.
A red circle formed in the center, slowly filling the frame until something that resembled a portal emerged.
With circular waves spinning in its core and constantly shifting patterns, it pulsed for a few seconds before electric sparks rippled and something appeared.
Slender legs stepped through, followed by a well-proportioned body and elegant hair flowing in the wind and portal pressure.
Her red eyes stared menacingly, slicing through the fog in front of her, alongside another woman with shoulder-length light blue hair walking just behind.
The two women stood right in front of the portal gate, wearing military uniforms bearing the elegant Gladius emblem—a mark of nobility and power. Every golden stitch and bronze, silver, and gold ornament gleamed on their attire.
---
[Something strong is here. I can feel it—and you'll meet it soon. But before that, prepare yourself.]
He lifted his pocket watch and listened to the academy's radio broadcast.
Aetheris Academy was searching for a solution, but all attempts so far had failed. Now, they were officially announcing the cancellation of the examination to deal with the situation.
Director Claudia stated that everything was out of control and that even now, many unknown individuals had entered the Academy, overwhelming the institution.
Wein stood atop the roof, the highest point of the Drakvaris dormitory building, listening to the school's main broadcast, which he had been waiting for these past few days.
The announcement ended with a conclusion: the Academy was halting the exam and choosing to prioritize our safety and well-being amidst this apocalypse.
Seconds later, a strong wind struck, jolting Wein slightly, but he quickly regained his balance.
Looking around, he recalled what had happened over the past few days and started wondering why the fog hadn't reached the top floor.
Several questions formed, following the flow of his thoughts, until the most pressing one surfaced.
"Has the fog stopped spreading?" he muttered slightly louder, leaning forward just before something surprising pulled him back upright.
A raspy and calm voice came from behind. "You're right, young man," the voice said, as if knowing everything.
His hand crept into his pocket, feeling for the grip of his revolver, just in case, before he turned around.
Once he got a hold of it, a mental push urged him to turn around and ask, "Who are you?" A fitting question to ask someone wearing a hood and fully covered clothing like an assassin.
A war mask, a hooded head, and dark leather clothing all gave off the aura of someone who operated in the shadows.
"Would kids believe me if I said assassin?" he shrugged, taking a few steps before stopping.
"You certainly look the part." Recalling what the man had said, Wein didn't try to dig up more information from him, instead attempting to contact Persephone.
'Do you know him?'
[No. You should be suspicious of him.]
If even Persephone didn't know who he was, how had this person managed to bypass everything? Director Claudia did say many unknown individuals were entering the Academy.
His hand gripped the revolver in his pocket tightly, eyes locked sharply on the supposed assassin.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Well… my parents told me not to tell my name to someone without a face."