I walked through the academy's hallways, my mind somewhat elsewhere. The night had been restless, and to make matters worse, dreams of my previous life were becoming increasingly frequent.
'My previous life... huh.'
Anyway, my class was named Orion. At Eloria, classes were named after constellations. Why? I had no idea. Maybe it was just because it sounded cool?
The night before, my classmates had spent hours chatting in the class group. Endless conversations about anything and everything. It was so exhausting that I ended up muting the notifications and going to bed.
One notable point: just like in the original story, I wasn't in the same class as Liam.
Noah and Liam were in separate classes. Noah was in the Orion class, while Liam was in Lyra. That wasn't exactly surprising. After all, it was hard to imagine the main villain and the destined hero sharing the same classroom. That said, both classes had their own unique appeal.
They were also rivals, a rivalry that dated back to the very founding of the academy. Why exactly? Good question. I forgot.
'You can't remember everything, after all…'
The hallways were crowded. I eventually reached an imposing door with the word 'Orion' written boldly above it. This was where I would be taking most of my classes.
I checked the time: 7:45 AM. Fifteen minutes to spare.
'Perfect.'
Arriving early meant I could pick the best seat — a crucial decision for the whole year!
Without hesitation, I stepped inside, fully expecting an empty room where I could take my time. Instead, I was greeted by the sight of a bustling crowd.
The sheer number of students caught me off guard. Rows upon rows of desks were already filled, with only a handful of scattered seats left.
'Wait... what the hell? How many of us are there?!'
My eyes darted around in disbelief. The noise, the movement, the sheer chaos—it felt overwhelming. I had imagined a quiet room where I'd be the first to arrive, but reality had other plans.
I squinted in irritation. My brilliant plan to get here early and claim the best seat had just gone up in smoke. Clearly, I wasn't the only one with this idea.
'A good reminder that I'm not as clever as I thought...'
As I entered, a few students glanced at me briefly before returning to their conversations. Some girls, however, continued to sneak glances at me, their curiosity evident. It was clear that many were already comfortable; some had even started forming friendships.
'Hopefully, there's still a good seat left.'
I walked slowly, scanning the rows. The room was spacious, equipped with sophisticated devices whose purpose I didn't understand. But as I scanned the room, one seat caught my attention.
It was perfect. Positioned on the left, not too far forward or too far back, it offered an ideal view and ensured discretion.
'Lucky day!'
I rushed to claim it… but stopped in my tracks.
'Wait a second. This might be a trap.'
It was too good to be true. Students were seated all around, yet this spot was conspicuously vacant. Suspicious.
I glanced at the adjacent table. A boy was slouched there, his legs propped up, headphones on. His tanned skin and long brown hair tied in a ponytail gave him a laid-back, almost careless look. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully despite the surrounding noise.
"..."
I recognized him instantly. Rowan Valen, from the second ruling house of the human domain: House Valen.
House Valen, like all ruling houses, was incredibly powerful. However, Rowan wasn't the heir. That role belonged to his elder brother, who had already graduated from the academy. Unlike others, Rowan showed no interest in power or managing his house. In the original story, he occasionally helped Noah, but their relationship remained distant.
'Doesn't matter. This seat is mine.'
I understood why others avoided it. Despite coming from a prestigious family, Rowan's demeanor was unusual. Most preferred to steer clear of anything — or anyone — that seemed odd or unconventional.
I approached the table. Rowan cracked one eye open to glance at me briefly, then shut it again, ignoring my presence entirely. I took the seat, a satisfied smile on my lips.
'Thanks to him, I've secured the perfect spot.'
With that settled, it was time to observe the class. Maybe some things had changed from the original story.
The class was a mix of all three races. There were so many students that finding someone at a glance would have been daunting for anyone… except me. It only took a few seconds to get a general idea of the situation.
'Hmm, overall, it's just like in the novel. There are mainly four people to watch out for— the ones who'll fight for the top four spots in the class early on.'
My gaze returned to the boy snoozing beside me.
Well, there's Rowan. Despite his laid-back and nonchalant demeanor, he's undeniably a genius. Just like most main characters, really… At this point, no one in the class can beat him in a duel — well, except for one person.
I shifted my attention to the other side of the room, where a breathtakingly beautiful young woman was seated. Almost every boy in the room was either staring at her or awkwardly trying to start a conversation.
She had striking white hair and deep green eyes that seemed to pierce through to the soul. Her slender, graceful figure naturally drew attention. Her pointed ears left no doubt about her race: an elf. But not just any elf.
It was Maelys Starfall, direct heir of House Starfall, considered the most powerful ruling house in the elven domain.
No less.
Needless to say, she wasn't an ordinary student. Despite her apparent inaccessibility, this coldness was only a facade. Her status and pride made her seem distant, impervious to simple relationships like friendship. The way others treated her didn't help either; they either worshiped her or avoided her entirely.
However, Liam had perfectly figured out how to break through her barrier. By becoming her equal and sharing their spot as top students in their respective classes, he somehow managed to gain her trust… and she eventually became part of his harem.
'Liam, that bastard, is really good at that...'
After analyzing Maelys, I turned my attention to the third notable person in the class: Aram Durok.
He was also a member of a ruling house —the Durok House of the dwarven domain. However, Aram wasn't the heir; that honor belonged to his cousin from the main branch. As a descendant of a secondary branch, Aram's position within House Durok granted him little say in the family's affairs.
He had neatly slicked-back brown hair, and his appearance defied the usual stereotypes about dwarves. Contrary to popular belief, their stature wasn't as diminutive as one might imagine: Aram stood at about 4'11 —short by human standards, sure, but far from extraordinary. Additionally, their features weren't coarse or unattractive as the stories suggested. In fact, Aram's face had sharp yet refined features, giving him an almost noble appearance.
What made Aram particularly interesting, however, wasn't his height or appearance. It was his trait — one that would prove incredibly valuable to me in the future.
I looked away momentarily, pondering the best way to approach Aram. He wasn't overtly hostile, but his wariness toward strangers made him hard to befriend.
'Well, all in due time. Aram, you and I will get along eventually… but not right now.'
A faint smile crossed my lips as I moved on to the fourth person on my list.
She was sitting not far away, chatting calmly with another girl in the class. She had jet-black hair, cut short — a change I hadn't noticed before. Her striking blue eyes stood out vividly, and her pale skin highlighted her delicate features. A small surface piercing near her left eye added an intriguing touch to her appearance. Her slender figure stood out particularly well in the academy's feminine uniform.
Of course, it was Camila.
In the original story, she was in the same class as Noah, but she remained so discreet during the first part of the novel that she was almost forgotten. Her role didn't truly become significant until the middle of the story.
Camila Alves didn't come from a prestigious or influential family. On the surface, she seemed to come from an ordinary background. But only on the surface, because even with all my knowledge of the novel, I knew little about her aside from the antagonistic role she would eventually play.
'Hmm, so she cut her hair…'