The classroom buzzed with anticipation as the students of students eyed the mysterious people standing before them. Five figures, cloaked in dark robes and bearing a range of weapons and magical artifacts, stood in front of the room, their expressions inscrutable. Whispers fitted through the room like restless birds.
"Who are they?" A student whispered.
"Adventurers, I bet. Don't you see their swords?" Another replied.
Ava, seated quietly at the teacher's desk, observed the scene unfolding before her with a mix of disbelief and calm detachment. Her fingers drummed lightly on the wooden surface of the desk, betraying a hint of nervous energy despite her composed exterior. The room's tension was palpable, and Ava’s usually serene expression seemed almost out of place amidst the students' chattering and the imposing presence of the mysterious group. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on the strangers, reflecting a deeper curiosity beneath her calm facade.
The tallest of the group stepped forward, lowering his hood to reveal a stern face marked by a single scar running down his cheek. His eyes, a cold shade of blue, swept across the room, silencing the Whispers.
"My name is Valek," he said, his voice calm yet edged with a stern authoritythat commande attention. "Today, we are here to prepare you for the real world. Beyond the protective barriers lies a place filled with danger at every turn— monsters, bandits, and things far worse awaits you in the shadows."
His gaze swept across the room, as if daring anyone to doubt his words, the weight of his warning settling over the students like a heavy cloak.
'I'm surprised that he had gotten the classroom quiet,' Ava thought as he observed Valek in action. 'With one single stare he managed to calm the class.'
'I'm shocked that the students wasn't overwhelmed by Valek's aura, most people would have freaked out just by his appearance.' One of the cloaked figures thought to themselves, watching their leader talk with the students.
"So, your class teacher had invited us today to train you to master in your various skills and talents." Valek explained, his eyes scanning the room, as if he was making an assessment on each individual students' potential.
No one dared to speak when the mysterious man's voice echoed through the room– an unspoken tension gripped the air. Some students exchanged wide-eye glances, their surprise evident in the way their hands froze mid-gesture or the nervous way how their seats shuffled. Others, however, leaned forward, their eyes glinting with barely concealed excitement. The thought of facing an actual Adventuring party had set their hearts racing, a spark of anticipation flickering in the room.
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The clench of fists, and tightening of jawlines— it was clear for some, the chance to prove to themselves against real danger was far more thrilling than any class lessons could offer.
Scott who sat in his seat, clenched his fists in excitement, his eyes beaming with determination and the will to prove himself, he stood up and slowly raised his hand, his heart beating heavily in his chest.
"What is it, young man?" Valek asked, ensuring about the reasons for him standing. With each word escaping his mouth weighing heavily in the air. "You stand up, so what is it you want to say?"
Scott clenched his fists, wiping his damp hands on his pants. His breath hitched as his eyes darted between the mysterious cloaked figures and the desk in front of him. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, louder with each passing second.
"I-I..." The words stuck in his throat, refusing to come. His eyes shifted nervously. "Uh, what exactly is our training with you?"
Scott sat down after he asked Valek his question, his heart pounding heavily, and trembling.
"You'll find soon enough, " Valek replied, a malevolent smile curling at the corners of his lips.
"What do you mean 'you'll find out soon enough'?" A student asked, frustrated by the answer given to them by Valek.
"You can't show up out of the blue and not explain to us!" Another chimed in.
Tension crackled in the air between the mysterious cloaked figures and the students. Although no one spoke, the heaviness of the atmosphere was palpable.
Ava sat at her table, her eyes widened ad Valek's commanding presence seemed to tame the chaos among the 1-F students. Around her, the usual noise of resistance and defiance was replaced by the uneasy silence. That was a once in a while occurrence.
"Before we proceed, are there any students absenttoday?" Valek asked, his calculating eyes sweeping over the room. "If not, we'll proceed with the introduction of the other members."
"Uh, sir," Samuel raised his hand, his eyes fixed on Valek. "A boy named Leon isn't here."
'Ah, where is Leon, though? I've never seen him in class when I entered with Valek and his party.' Ava thought, as she watched on.
"If he fails to show up today, he wouldn't be getting his full marks on this term's exam," Valek replied coldly to Samuel.
"An exam? I have never heard of such!" Alexis exclaimed.
"Miss Ava didn't inform us about an exam?!" Emma also chimed in.
Suddenly, all eyes—both the mysterious figures and the students—shifted toward the classroom door. There stood a shabby-looking boy with silver-white hair, dressed in a navy blue blazer and a white shirt. His breathing was heavy, and his disheveled appearance did little to command attention.
“Sorry I’m late,” the boy said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I was using the washroom!”
A murmur of suppressed amusement rippled through the room, the tension momentarily broken by his unexpected entrance. Valek’s gaze remained unreadable as he turned back to the class, a subtle smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.