The trio, led by Alya through the Circle Market, explored countless stalls, marveling at the variety of goods on display. They spent the entire afternoon wandering the bustling marketplace. According to the Academy’s rules, every new student who passed their house trial was automatically awarded credits. The amount varied depending on the difficulty of the trial—ranging from 20 to 100 credits. Compared to completing Academy-assigned missions, earning these initial credits was by far the easiest.

As they walked, they indulged in small treats—candies, candied fruits, and sizzling meat skewers. While Alya and the boys focused on enjoying their snacks, Athena’s eyes roamed the market with curiosity. Julian, noticing her wandering gaze, nudged her.

“Aren’t you going to eat? You didn’t even finish your lunch. If Miss Alice finds out, she’ll start one of her dramas.”

Athena couldn’t help but smile slightly. She could practically hear Alice’s nagging: ‘Princess, this won’t do! How can you skip meals? If you don’t eat properly, how will you ever surpass your father?’ She sighed inwardly. I do miss them all.

Hearing Julian mention Alice, Ayden chimed in, grinning. “If Miss Alice were here, that Luna—or whatever her name is—wouldn’t have dared to insult Sister.”

Alya, who remembered Athena’s personal maid from her visits to the Arcane Empire, smiled fondly. Alice had always doted on Athena, caring for her like family. For Alya, meeting her childhood friends again was a blessing. She had feared being alienated at the Academy, but now she knew she had true friends who genuinely cared for her.

As they laughed and chatted, Athena’s gaze landed on a shop with a sign that read Soul Bound Care Center. Many senior students were coming and going, carrying packages. Curious, she gestured to Alya. “Do you know what that shop sells?”

Alya shrugged, indicating she had no idea. Just then, a second-year student exited the shop, struggling with a large parcel. Athena and Ayden exchanged glances before turning expectantly to Julian.

Julian groaned, muttering under his breath, “This brother and sister always make me do the dirty work.” With a resigned sigh, he strode over to the girl, flashing his most charming smile.

The effect was immediate. The girl turned beet red, stumbling over her words as she tried to answer his questions.

Ayden, watching Julian’s effortless charisma in action, let out an impressed whistle. “Wow! Brother is so handsome, isn’t he, Sister?”

Athena blinked at him in shock before dramatically gagging twice. Then, she turned toward Julian with a look of utter disgust.

When Julian returned, he was greeted by her expression. He sighed in mock offense, looking at Ayden. “Don’t tell me you called me handsome, and then she gagged.”

Alya giggled while Ayden smirked.

“Anyway,” Ayden quickly changed the subject. “What did you find out?”

Julian beamed. “It’s a pet care shop.”

Ayden tilted his head. “Wait… we’re allowed to bring pets to the Academy?”

Julian chuckled. “Not regular pets. Soul-bound pets—like Prince Alexander’s black pegasus.”

Understanding dawned on their faces.

“So if we have a soul-bound beast, this shop offers advice and products to care for them,” Julian mused.

Ayden’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I heard the first activity we’ll have at the Academy is finding our soul-bound beast! I can’t wait to see what mine will be.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring, their laughter and joy echoing through the market.

But for the Northern prince… his day was far from pleasant.

His life had never been easy. As the son and heir of the Crown Prince of the Northern Empire, he had grown up in a palace that felt more like a battlefield than a home. He had never known the warmth of a father’s guidance or the love of a mother’s embrace. He understood his place better than anyone—while the world saw him as a future crown prince, within those palace walls, he was nothing more than an inconvenience.

When the figure dragged him into the darkness, fear gripped him at first. But as they moved deeper into the shadows, his racing heart steadied. He didn’t know who this person was, but he understood their purpose.

Before long, they arrived at an underground lair—hidden beneath the very grounds of the Academy. He was astonished that such a place existed without anyone knowing. The chamber was dimly lit, the only source of light a blood-red glow, eerily similar to the one in his father’s chambers. In the center of the room lay an altar, where a dark figure was sprawled.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

From what he knew, the Abyss had no foothold in the Hunter’s Academy—yet here it was. Their apostles had already infiltrated.

Surrounding the altar were several black-clad figures. He could tell that some were professors, while others were students. The man who had dragged him into the lair released him, shoving him forward to stand before the gathered cultists.

“Prince Kane, it’s nice to see you,” the man drawled. “Weren’t you supposed to seek us out as soon as possible?”

Kane clenched his fists but kept his tone lazy, masking his frustration. “I was a bit busy.”

The man sneered. “Seems like you still don’t know how to set your priorities straight. Should I punish you for your defiance, Prince?”

Kane met the man’s gaze without flinching. He was no stranger to punishment. He had endured it so often that he barely saw the point in resisting anymore.

Another voice rose from the crowd. “You act like a spoiled brat to make His Highness leave you alone. But you’re just a puppet, a mere stand-in. Honor means nothing to you.”

Another scoffed. “Who do you think you are? Has her beauty blinded you so much that you wish to fight her fairly?”

A third voice sneered, dripping with contempt. “Don’t forget your place. His Highness has other plans for her.”

Kane remained silent. He didn’t understand their obsession with that girl. He admired her—her strength, her unwavering defiance against injustice. But as someone who knew his father’s plans better than anyone, he also knew one thing for certain.

She would never fit into them.

“Why did you bring me here?” Kane asked, his voice laced with irritation. “Are you wasting my time just because you’re bored? And what is all this mess?”

“Oh dear, don’t pretend you don’t know,” the man replied with a sinister smile. “We are summoning our lord’s blessing. And I do hope you’ll help us with it.”

Before Kane could react, several black-clad figures stepped forward, seizing him by the arms. Their grip was ironclad, forcing his hands toward the dark mass on the altar. As he was dragged closer, the details of the grotesque sight before him became clearer.

A dead animal lay sprawled across the altar, its body drenched in blood. Its stomach was torn open, intestines spilling onto the cold stone. The eyes had been gouged out, leaving nothing but hollow sockets.

His breath hitched. A sacrifice… they’re trying to summon the power of the Abyss.

A small part of him felt relieved—they hadn’t succeeded yet. But another part of him grew tense at the horrifying possibility: What if they use my blood as a medium?

Panic threatened to creep in, but he forced himself to remain composed.

The figures restraining him tightened their grip, their strength overpowering his own. A sharp pain shot through him as a blade sliced across both his palms.

Hot blood dripped from his hands, staining the cold, lifeless body on the altar. The moment his blood made contact, a faint glow flickered to life, sending a wave of excitement through the onlookers.

But just as quickly as it appeared, the glow extinguished.

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Disappointment turned their excitement into anger.

The man, his face twisted in fury, grabbed Kane by the back of his neck and slammed him onto the ground with brutal force. A sickening crack echoed through the chamber. Pain shot through his ribs, but he refused to show weakness.

The man crouched down, gripping Kane’s collar tightly. “Why are you such a disappointment?” he spat. “It should have been His little highness in your place, not a worthless stand-in like you.”

Kane met his glare with defiance, his jaw clenched.

It wasn’t the first time he had heard those words.

And it wouldn’t be the last.

The man tightened his grip around Kane’s throat, nearly choking him. His voice was low, menacing. “Listen to me carefully. Next time, don’t make me come looking for you. And if I ever see you getting close to those Arcanians…” He leaned in, his breath hot with malice. “I won’t kill you. But I have ways to make you wish you were dead.”

With that, he yanked Kane to his feet.

That was when he noticed it—the crack in the enchanted mask Kane was wearing.

Perhaps he had thrown him so forcefully that the mask, designed to alter one's appearance, had fractured.The moment the crack was revealed, a pair of dark blue eyes with vertical pupils locked onto him, blazing with barely restrained fury.

The cultist stared, his expression unreadable.

Then—a flicker of recognition. Barely there, but Kane caught it.

“What…” The man’s grip on Kane’s throat tightened. “What are you?”

For the first time, the cultist looked shaken.

But he quickly masked his unease, gesturing to one of the black-clad figures. “Fix his mask and bandage his hands before we send him back.”

With that, he turned and left, followed by the rest of the robed figures.

The remaining man silently patched up Kane’s mask, wrapped his injured hands, and straightened his disheveled clothes before shoving him toward the exit. Then, like a shadow, he vanished.

Kane was left alone.

Pain radiated through his body—his cracked ribs throbbed with every breath, and his hands burned from the fresh wounds. He staggered down the long corridor, trying to steady himself.

That was when Athena and her group returned.

Standing in the darkness, hidden from sight, he watched as they passed.

But just as he thought he was in the clear, Athena suddenly stopped.

She turned.

For the briefest of moments, their eyes met.

His heart pounded against his ribs.

Less than a second later, she narrowed her gaze, then turned back and walked away with her friends as if nothing had happened.

Kane let out a quiet breath of relief.

But as Athena continued forward, something lingered in her mind—his bandaged hands, the way he was slightly limping.

That wasn’t there before.

Her instincts whispered to her.

There’s something fishy about him.