The black-robed man opens up the back of the enclosed cart and performs a quick glance at all the stuff. “Hmm. And it's all there?” He asks.

Samantha nods. “Everything that was requested.” She responds.

“Okay, cool. And what about the portal?” The black-robed man asks.

“We left a group of students and some mercenaries behind. They're waiting for the college.” Samantha says.

The black-robed man smiles. “Awesome. Sounds good. Okay, you guys pass. Welcome to year two.” He says with a laugh.

Serah gives the man a suspicious look. “What’s your name anyway? Are you even a teacher at our school?” She asks suspiciously.

The black-robed man smiles. “You can call me Jerry. But mostly I like to go by ‘that black-robed dude’.” He says before letting out a laugh. “Oh, that reminds me. You should see Jahir. He has something to say to you.” The man says with a smile.

“Both of us?” Samantha asks.

The black-robed man puts a finger to his chin as he considers. “Yeah, why not? Tell him I sent both of you.” He says before walking away.

Serah looks to Samantha. “Looks like he made a decision on a whim. Can he do stuff like that? Does that guy have more authority than I think?” She wonders aloud.

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“Maybe. I also don’t know what that guy’s role here is. Other than messing with the students.” Samantha comments before closing the cart doors. “But forget about that. Let’s go tell the others the good news.” She says before leading the way to the students.

…

…

Serah knocks on the door and waits beside Samantha and Nickie for an answer. Nickie tagged along because she was curious and no one thought it important to stop her.

The door opens and Jahir was there. “Oh, Serah, it’s good that you’re here.” He says before looking to Samantha and Nickie. “Nickie’s here as well? And who’s this?” He asks, somewhat unsure of the situation.

“That black-robed dude said to say that he sent both of us.” Serah responds.

Jahir frowns. “Alright. No matter. All of you come in.” He says, receiving the implied intent. He lets out a sigh. If this is what you decided… He says, deciding to move forward with it.

…

…

The three girls sit opposite to Jahir, across from the desk.

Jahir lets out a sigh as he decides to get to the heart of the matter. “The college knows what you did in the Riot Kingdom.” He says, simply getting the matter out.

Serah’s eyes widen. Oh crap… She thinks to herself.

Samantha’s eyes also widen. No! How did they find out!? She thinks to herself.

Nickie tilts her head. “What are you talking about?” She asks.

“How did you find out?” Serah asks, deciding to just accept the matter.

Jahir shakes her head. “You three don’t realize the scope of this world. Not a single thing happens without someone else knowing about it. In this place, there are eyes everywhere, and they’re not always in a spot where you can recognize them.” He says before moving forward. “Anyways, certain powers outside this college saw what you did, and the decisions you made. They’ve let us know that they’ve made their judgement.” He says as he looks at the three girls.

“Judgement?” Serah asks with wide eyes.

“Judgement!?” Samantha exclaims.

“What are you guys talking about?” Nickie asks, still a little unsure.

Jahir lets out another sigh. “Yes. They’ve accepted the three of you to the Shadow Order.” He says somewhat seriously.

“What’s the Shadow Order?” Serah asks.

Samantha also tilts her head. She has never heard of the Shadow Order before.

Jahir lets out a smile. “The Shadow Order is an elite organization that spans the continent. A lot of behind the scenes work concerning our civilization is handled by them. I don’t know too much about them myself; other than they exist. But it’s something that’s greater than this school, and even the kingdom.” He explains. “The black-robed man will tell you more.” He says.