Disaster strikes when you least expect it described Kaius's situation perfectly. As dangerous as her stats were, now wasn’t the time to worry about her.

  The tension in the hall was palpable. The students’ gaze wandered between the blonde elementalist, Calen, and the beautiful newcomer. An entire hall was filled to the brim, but not a peep out of anyone. Not everyone was crazy like Emil after all.

  Noel took advantage of the momentary distraction to sneak beside his best friend as Kaius watched from afar.

  The Sensor only glanced at Kaius for a moment before turning her gaze back to Calen.

  “Get out of my way,” Calen yelled.

  “Or what?” she stood unbothered.

  “Are you sure you wanna do this? You just got kicked out of Starland. Keep this up, and you might find yourself ousted to the Wailing Woods next,” he threatened.

  She almost looked amused. “Bold of you to insinuate that your little merchant troupe can somehow influence the Guild Council.”

  “What about Duke Craven?” he asked.

  She suddenly stiffened at that name. It was such a subtle reaction that others might have missed it, but Kaius was trained by the best.

  Seeing her not respond, Calen smirked. “Oh, haven’t you heard?” he asked teasingly.

  “I am finally getting that surname you were so worried about. In fact, the Duke will personally grant it to me.” His pompous smile slowly returned to his face. He sounded sure of his victory.

  The sensor, however, didn’t give in.

  “Hmph! Just because we let you be, you think yourself above the Guild Council?” she spat.

  “Duke Craven or not, I am still the vice-headmistress of this academy. Act up in my school one more time, and I’ll show you exactly what I dare do.”

  Calen’s face darkened.

  He seemed unwilling to give in, but he had struck a wall. It wasn’t a fight he could win with just his pride.

  “You will regret this,” he mumbled through gritted teeth and stormed out with his lackey.

  The room collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

  Kaius accidentally met Emil’s gaze but just as suddenly looked away. He wasn’t ready to unpack all that just yet.

  “That was so cool, miss!” Emil said with stars in his eyes.

  “Elise,” she casually introduced herself.

  She took a moment to observe the excited boy and said, “That was incredibly stupid.”

  “I only did what was right. Isn’t that why you stepped in?” Emil smiled proudly.

  Elise sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Get back to your table,” she said.

  She clapped twice to get everyone’s attention.

  “Alright, the show’s over. Back to whatever you were doing. And you,” she pointed to Kaius, “Follow me.”

  All eyes in the room suddenly turned towards Kaius.

  He cursed in his head. She did this on purpose.

  But what's done is done. He quickly composed himself before following her out of the hall.

  He knew this was coming the moment she first singled him out with her gaze. Of all the traits, it had to be a sensor, the wretches with the weirdest, most unpredictable skills.

  If only his true sight could reveal more about her skills or even which senses she had trained the most. He didn’t even know what exactly caught her attention.

  She broke him out of his thoughts, saying, “I didn’t catch your name.”

  “Kaius,” he said. “Where are we going?”

  “My office. I thought you’d appreciate the privacy.”

  Kaius didn’t react. He was too smart to rise to such obvious bait. He tilted his head and put on his best clueless expression.

  “Privacy for what, exactly? I had nothing to do with what happened back there.”

  “Is that how you wanna play this? That's fine too,” she said cryptically.

  Kaius just played dumb. Since she was dragging him all the way to her office, she would eventually reveal her cards anyways.

  It didn’t take long to get there.

  It was just a typical office with the desk facing the door and a big window at the back; nothing grand.

  Kaius took a seat opposite her and waited for her to start the conversation.

  “So, what's your deal?” she asked.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  He didn’t let it slip, but he was instantly relieved.

  She had nothing. If she actually knew something important, she wouldn’t be fishing blind, and more importantly, she would already be at his throat.

  “You can drop the act now. We both know you are different from the other students. Who put you up to this? What is your real goal?” she pressed, leaning over the desk, trying to intimidate him.

  Kaius stayed calm and furrowed his brows to fake confusion.

  “I really don’t know what you are talking about. What goal? I am here for the mandatory training, just like everyone else. If you tell me what exactly you are looking for, maybe I can help you better,” he said, convincingly baffled.

  She sat back down and leaned back in her chair.

  “I see. How do you know that boy, the one who stood up to Calen?” she asked.

  The obvious attempt to change the topic was a point in Kaius’s favour. As long as he kept his mouth shut, she couldn’t do anything.

  “Who, Emil? We just met last night. I barely even know him,” he said.

  “That was quite a lot of anger you had for someone you barely know,” she accused, like she had caught him in a lie.

  “I am sure a lot of people were angry in that hall, you included. It had nothing to do with how well I know him.”

  “No, a lot of people were scared in that hall; that's how I noticed you immediately. And I was angry because I have the strength to back up my anger. What gave you the confidence?” she pressed.

  That was a weak excuse, and Kaius knew it. If she didn’t want to say the real reason, he could only use her excuse against her.

  “If I were confident, I would have stepped up,” he said.

  “I was angry at the situation but angrier at myself. I haven’t known Emil very long but he is a good person. His actions today have proved it without a doubt.

  I just wanted to be his friend, but now I am not sure if I am even worthy. That’s why I was so angry and frustrated,” he said, with his shoulders hunched.

  His fists had balled up under the table without him realizing.

  He was no longer pretending. His anger and frustration were real, and what he said wasn’t exactly a lie either. He just didn’t explain the whole picture, and looking at Elise’s expression, he didn’t need to anymore.

  “Alright, you can go now,” she said, abruptly ending the conversation.

  Kaius nodded without meeting her eyes and got up.

  Before he could open the door, she added, “I can see the things most others can’t, things hidden beneath the surface. Keep that in mind.”

  She had definitely sensed more than his anger, but if she didn’t want to bring it up, Kaius wouldn’t go poking the hornet’s nest either.

  He didn’t respond and walked out without looking back.

  He waited until he was well enough away from her office before he breathed a sigh of relief.

  This changed a few things. She would be keeping an eye on him now, but he wasn’t worried. He had trained for this. He was just disappointed that the academy wouldn’t be as fun anymore.

  Lost in his thoughts, Kaius walked around the campus. He didn’t want to return to the dorm just yet. Each room in the dorm was shared by three students, and his roommates happened to be the two people he wanted to avoid the most.

  But soon the sun set, leaving him with no choice but to return.

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  As soon as he opened the door, a cheerful voice greeted him, “Oh, you’re back? Took you long enough. What did Miss Elise say? Did she ask about me?”

  “It was nothing much,” Kaius said, averting his eyes.

  He was too ashamed to meet Emil’s bright smile. Noel didn’t even bother looking at him, but somehow, that felt better.

  Kaius steeled himself.

  It was better to draw the line. They were decent guys, but he had too many other things on his mind. He just couldn’t care about them like that.

  He told himself that it was only natural; he had just met them after all.

  Since Noel didn’t greet him, Kaius didn’t bother with him either. He just went to his bunk and started sorting his stuff.

  The room reeked of awkwardness.

  After a few minutes of deafening silence, Emil read the room.

  “What are you guys doing?” he asked soberly.

  Kaius didn’t bother turning around. He had better things to do than appease a child.

  “Why are you asking him? Do you think he is your friend? He has made it clear that he is not a part of our guild–or duo, as he called it. Stop bothering strangers,” Noel said snidely.

  “Noel!” Emil chided. “I know we have been through a lot today, but Kaius is our friend.”

  “What friend? We met him yesterday. What do you even know about him?”

  “I know that he is a good person. To me, that’s enough.”

  “Humph! Good person, my ass,” Noel mumbled.

  Kaius’s hands were still folding the clothes, but his mind was on the conversation. He kept lying to himself, trying to convince himself that he didn’t care.

  He didn’t want to admit it, but he was ashamed. Even with all his skills and training, he chose the coward’s way. He finally understood the true meaning of Arnott’s quote about life without principles. But the worst part was that if he could go back and do it all over again, he wasn’t sure he would choose any differently.

  Emil audibly sighed.

  “Don’t judge him too harshly, Noel,” his tone softened. “Or have you forgotten about the choices we made the first time we faced real danger?”

  Noel glared at Emil with fire spitting out of his eyes.

  “Don’t you dare bring them up!” he spat. “They are not tools for you to prove your point.”

  It was the first time Kaius had heard him get so worked up.

  “You are not the only one who lost your parents that day. I also lost my mother in that attack. I can bring it up all I want.” Emil held strong.

  “If we had helped them fight off those bastards, they would still be alive. But we didn’t. We ran away.”

  Kaius couldn’t see Emil, but he could hear the sadness in his voice.

  “We didn’t know the chief was on his way. We had no way of knowing how long the reinforcements would take. We didn’t run away because we were scared. We ran to honor their sacrifice– to not hold them back. If I knew the chief was so close, I would have fought by their side till my dying breath. I know you are trying to defend your friend, but it's not the same. It's not even close. Get that through your head,” Neol snapped.

  “Fine, you are right. It's not the same. All I am saying is don’t be so quick to judge. You don’t know his circumstances,” Emil spat back. The argument was getting heated.

  “And you do? Listen to yourself; you sound ridiculous.”

  “Fine, be that way. My heart says Kaius is a good person, and I will stand by him. You do what you want, but he is still a part of the guild, and that’s final.” Emil put his foot down.

  “Good for you, because I quit. He can have your back the next time someone threatens you, just like he did today,” Noel retorted before pulling the curtain around his bed.

  Just then, a knock interrupted the tense atmosphere.

  Noel had holed up behind his curtain, and Emil was still sulking at his desk, so Kaius opened the door.

  “Hey, is Emil here?” the boy asked.

  “Yeah, who are you?” Kaius asked back.

  “We are in the same class. Miss Elise asked for him in her office. I am just the messenger,” he said.

  “And why is she looking for him?” Kaius asked defensively.

  Before Kaius could get an answer, Emil interrupted him. "Let's go,” he said before following the boy out the door.

  He had barely walked two steps before he suddenly turned back.

  “Don’t beat yourself too much over it. I believe in you,” he said, patting Kaius on the shoulder before leaving just as quickly.

  Kaius just stood there.

  He needed to switch rooms. Spending the next two years without friends would be much easier.

  He didn’t want to go back inside, but he also didn’t want Noel to think that he cared enough to be bothered by him. So, he coolly went back inside and laid down, pulling his own curtain over the bed.

  The night was excruciatingly long; Kaius couldn’t sleep a wink. Maybe it was his conscience acting up or something, but he was uneasy the entire night, tossing and turning.

  His heart was pounding, and his head, throbbing. At some point during the night, he broke out in cold sweats. He wanted to get up and walk it off but was afraid he would run into his roommates. Even the thought of facing them made it worse. So, he was glad when the faint rays of sunlight sneaked through the curtains, ending the night. He finally had an excuse to leave the room.

  He quickly freshened up and left for class, only to find Noel waiting outside.

  “Good morning,” Noel greeted first.

  “Morning,” Kaius said. His anxiety came rushing back. He wanted to get away as soon as possible but didn’t show it.

  Even after giving him a few moments to say something, Kaius got no response.

  Just as he was about to leave, Noel finally mustered up the courage.

  “I just wanted to say I am sorry for yesterday,” he said.

  That wasn’t what Kaius expected. If anything, he owed them an apology, but he was too proud to admit it.

  “Emil was right. I was too hasty. But make no mistake, I still don’t trust you. Emil does, and he is a much better person than me. Just don’t let him down,” Noel said before briskly walking away.

  Since they were going to the same class, Kaius silently followed him.

  The weight of their expectations was slowly crushing him. He wasn’t a goody two-shoes like Arnott and had no interest in being one.

  He made a mental note to speak to someone about a room change after the class.

  As they neared the training hall, Kaius heard a commotion in the hallway. The students were loud and many, blocking the entire hallway, almost like a barricade.

  Kaius was in no rush. He stood towards the back, away from the agitated crowd. He didn’t know what had them so rattled, and he didn’t care. He was having a much shittier morning with his palpitations only getting worse.

  But then, Noel forcefully pushed through the crowd, which was unusual for his reserved self.

  Kaius didn’t know what took over him, but he also fell in step, slithering through the crowd. Hearing words like ‘horrifying’ and ‘gruesome’ thrown around casually only fueled his anxiety. But nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to see.

  “EMIL!” Noel let out a gut-wrenching scream, shaking Kaius to his core.

  Kaius was too shocked to look away, tears streaming down his cheeks, unrestrained. His nails dug into his palm, drawing blood. His pounding heart suddenly stilled, his anxiety wiped away by the blinding pain in his chest.

  His eyes were glued to the horribly swollen and bruised body of his friend, hanging right in the middle of the hallway with a noose around his neck.

  He fell to his knees, his legs unable to bear the weight of his loss.

  Noel’s haunting screams silenced the crowd. His pain hurt Kaius more than any nightmare could.

  Emil’s last words played in his head, his bright smile shattering his heart.

  He punched his thighs, begging for them to move.

  His friend was alone.

  He couldn’t leave him hanging like that. He needed to get him down. He needed to tend to his wounds so they didn’t hurt— to hold him so he wasn’t scared.

  Kaius forced himself up and walked closer to his friends. He held Emil’s limp waist, lifting him slightly.

  “Cut that fucking rope off,” he hissed at the kneeling Noel.

  Noel looked up with a tear-stricken, expressionless face and red eyes with barely contained fury. He got up with an unsettling calmness that chilled everyone to their bones. It was even more horrifying than his screams.

  He carefully removed the noose and helped Kaius softly lay his body on the ground.

  “Tch! Tch! Committing suicide at such a young age– such a shame,” said a mocking voice.

  Kaius immediately grabbed Noel, pinning him to the ground with all his strength, and covered his mouth shut.

  Noel writhed under Kaius’s strength like a rabid dog, eager to tear the fat bastard apart.

  Kaius glared at Calen, who was looking down at Emil with a smirk on his face. Anger bubbled inside his chest, threatening to burst out like a volcano, but now was not the time.

  “Oh, did I hurt your little feelings?” Calen mocked.

  Kaius had barely muffled Noel’s angry screams. If anger could kill, Noel’s gaze would have burned Calen alive many times over.

  Then, out of nowhere, Calen’s eyes turned glossy. He stood frozen, with horror etched on his face.

  “AAAAGH!” he screamed, covering his eyes. He almost tried to claw his eyes out but was held back by Al.

  “STOP! Please, no more,” he begged.

  “What's going on here?” an older voice boomed, breaking Calen out of his nightmare.

  It was instructor Nathan, the well-built warrior.

  “I see you haven’t learned your lesson yet,” Calen hissed, glaring at them with red eyes, and pulled out his firestarter.

  Kaius instinctively shielded Noel and Emil with his body. He was ready to tear the fat bastard apart, limb from limb.

  Before Calen could do anything, Nathan put his hand on Calen’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

  “What happened here?” the instructor asked, looking right into Kaius’s eyes.

  Kaius wanted to say something but feared it might open the floodgates to his barely contained rage.

  Calen straightened his clothes like he hadn’t just clawed his eyes out.

  “I think the poor boy couldn’t handle the academy and hung himself. It’s so sad. I do hope his friends can fare better,” he said, in a sickeningly sweet voice.

  He was smiling, but his eyes gave away his anger.

  “I see. And was it you who pulled him down?” Nathan zeroed in on Kaius. “Don’t you know it’s a crime to touch the body until it is officially inspected?”

  Kaius didn’t react. He wanted to burn this ridiculous performance into his memory.

  Even Noel had stopped struggling. He was just glaring at Calen with silent fury. Kaius’s hand slowly slipped off his mouth, but he still didn’t utter a word. He had probably caught on to the charade as well.

  “Since you are new here, I’ll overlook it this time,” Nathan said, acting gracious.

  “The class is cancelled today,” he announced. “Since this is just a suicide, you can take his body back for burial. The academy will give you a few days off,” he told Kaius and Noel.

  “What about all the cuts and bruises on his body? Are you saying he did all this to himself?” Noel interrupted him with an eerily calm voice.

  The question didn’t even faze Nathan. “It probably happened during training. Warriors fight with their bodies. This much is pretty normal,” he said.

  “And how do you know he was a warrior?” Noel immediately questioned back.

  “I am a teacher; It’s my job to know everyone’s trait.” A hint of irritation crept into his voice.

  “Is it? Then what is my trait? What is his?” he asked, pointing to Kaius.

  “Enough!” Nathan yelled. “I know you are sad over your friend’s death, but I will not tolerate disrespect. Now get him out of here before he starts to stink up the hallway.” He shooed them away.

  Kaius tightened his hold over Noel, but surprisingly, Noel didn’t resist. He didn’t react at all.

  Calen smirked at them one last time before leaving with Nathan. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving the three friends alone in the hallway.

  Kaius made a solemn vow to himself: no more holding back.

  Unbeknownst to him, a pair of ocean-blue eyes quietly observed them from a distance.

  Sweat marked her beautiful face as she looked at the scene, horrified. She was disgusted by what had happened to Emil, but she was even more terrified of Kaius. She had only sensed it for a moment, but that was enough for a fifth-tier sensor like her.

  They had unleashed a terrible monster; they just didn’t know it yet.