The morning bell sounded like a distant gong—deep and commanding, echoing through the academy halls with eerie precision.
Kite arrived at his first actual lecture early, not out of eagerness, but because he hadn't been able to shake the alert from his system all night.
[Hidden Trait Progress – Observation vs. Lilith Noire: 12%]
[Resonance Monitoring Active…]
Whatever that meant, it wasn't going away. And worse? He hadn't seen Lilith since their spar.
The classroom was wide, circular, with ascending seats around a central platform. Floating blackboards rotated above the professor's podium, filled with diagrams of anatomy—beasts, humans, hybrids. Several students were already seated, and a few glanced at Kite as he entered.
None recognized him.
Good.
He took a seat near the middle. Not too close to the front. Not too far in the back. He wanted to listen. But he didn't want to be noticed.
No such luck.
A shadow dropped into the seat beside him—lean, tall, and already smirking.
"You're Kite, right?" the boy asked, voice low and too casual.
Kite didn't look. "Depends."
"On?"
"Whether you're planning to be friendly or break my legs."
The boy chuckled. "Friendly for now. Legs later."
That got Kite to glance.
Dark gold eyes. Reddish-brown hair. Perfectly tailored uniform. Not a speck of sweat or dirt. This guy hadn't come here to train. He came here to be seen.
"Name's Valen," he said, extending a hand.
Kite shook it.
It was cold. Not unnatural. Just… practiced.
"Valen Aerden," the boy added, as if the surname should've meant something.
Kite tilted his head. "Should I know you?"
Valen's grin widened. "Most do. My family funded one of the smaller academies before Banter's opened its gates to commoners."
"Congrats."
A pause.
Then, Valen leaned in a little.
"You know Lilith?"
Kite blinked. "Why?"
"She doesn't talk to anyone. And yet… she talked to you."
"Maybe I'm charming."
"Maybe," Valen said, tone friendly—too friendly. "Or maybe you just don't know what you're walking into."
Before Kite could respond, the classroom darkened. The rotating blackboards snapped to stillness, and a tall, bone-thin figure in blood-red robes walked in.
"Silence," the man intoned. "Lecture begins now."
His voice was quiet. Everyone still heard it.
"Today," the instructor said, "we study the anatomy of a Class-2 Shadowfang Beast. A creature that devours Qi and disrupts cultivation channels with its venom. You will learn how to kill one. Or you will die when you meet one."
With a flick of his hand, a projection shimmered into being—an enormous wolf-like beast with black smoke pouring from its mouth.
Kite leaned forward, studying every inch of it.
The room filled with murmurs and soft note-taking as the instructor began pacing.
Valen didn't take notes.
He just whispered, "Still surprised she chose to speak to you."
Kite didn't look at him.
He just whispered back, "Maybe she just likes boys who don't talk during class."
The corner of Valen's eye twitched.
[Threat Detection: Moderate hostility sensed]
[New Rival Encountered: Valen Aerden]
[Personality Trait: Concealed Competitor]
[Blood XP: +1 (Social Edge)]
[+1 Charisma]
[Lilith Affinity Observation: Passive Shift – Rival Detected]
Kite smirked to himself.
Interesting.