The Author's POV

[Lock, class A-25, Friday 4:45 P.M.]

Sitting in my usual seat, I listened attentively to the class lecture.

Or at least I tried...

Despite the fact that two weeks had passed since the Hollberg incident, the classroom's atmosphere wasn't as lively as it was back before the incident.

Glancing at the classroom, I could see why...

Almost a quarter of the students that used to sit around me were now gone.

Despite not knowing many people, I found out, a couple of days after the incident, that Evan and Cassandra were part of the people that had died during the incident.

...the same two people that were part of my group.

In spite of the fact that I didn't know them that well, the fact that two people I was acquainted with had died went to show how tragic those events were.

Literally, anyone could've died that night...

"Alright, that marks the end of the lecture"

Snapping me out my thought was the engineering professor's charming voice. Just like before, throughout the whole time I had stayed in the lock, she was the only professor that didn't pay special attention to lineage or rank.

Whenever I asked her questions regarding the lecture she would always patiently and calmly explain what I didn't understand.

Therefore, although I didn't necessarily understand what she was teaching, I didn't hate this class.

Right after the lecture ended and the professor left the classroom, everyone remained seated.

That was because we still had to have our end-of-week tutor time. This was a small session we had every Friday and it was where Donna, our tutor, would spend the last remaining fifteen minutes of the day to share any announcements that have been made by the school.

-Clank!

Right on cue, entering the classroom, Donna made her way towards the podium. Walking, as though the wind was blowing, each of her steps caused a thin purple undulation of magic power to spread across the classroom.

Instantly the whole room fell silent. The pressure that emanated from her body caused everyone to stop whatever they were doing.

It was evident that she wasn't in the best of moods, and everyone could feel it.

Arriving in front of the podium, Donna staked a few papers on the table before clicking her tongue and dismissing them.

Sighing, Donna looked at the classroom and spoke.

"Alright, as most of you can probably tell, I'm not in the best of moods"

Raising two fingers she said

"I have two announcements for you guys today..."

"One, there will be a rank readjustment, and that wi'”"

Right after she finished the first half of her sentence before she could continue speaking, disrupting her speech were whispers that resounded throughout the whole classroom.

"...rank readjustments?"

"It isn't even the midterms..."

"What's going on?"

-Smack!

"Quiet!"

classroom. As if a

I spent two minutes

...great

of seconds after smacking the

some of you are confused as to why your ranks are being readjusted...the

or for worse, we have to

hands on the podium, Donna's eyes swept through the classroom before she

please be quiet and wait for me to finish announcing the new rankings before announcing the

-Nod

Donna's piercing stare, everyone could only

of

here are the

her tablet, Donna quickly read through

Voss, still rank

still

.

.

.

rank and

.

.

.

moves up five

.

.

.

so subtle that only by paying close attention would anyone have been

a total of 200 ranks and is now

name and rank were announced,

ignorance, I tried my best to keep a stoic face. With

the fact that I had now caught the interest of a few important individuals.

my rank rising by 200 ranks may have contributed to adding a couple of extra

...

the rank adjustment came to an end. Following that, she cleared her voice and once again spoke. Though her voice was sweet, her

arduous hours of talk, the higher-ups have

she finished announcing, right before anyone could

mid-term exams so more than a holiday

resounded throughout the classroom as

the people here I was probably the one that

down these couple of months, I hadn't had time

two exams. The theoretical

judge my strength, I was currently in the top 100. Maybe top 50 if I fought with my

to one day reach the top 10. Being top 100

was most

got any of the concepts they were talking about in

that I was totally hopeless, it's just that for some of the stuff I had to learn, I had to go back

to study

agonized over the problem for a bit longer, I just threw it

was used to leaving

the end of the announcements. I hope to

that she had already lost everyone's attention, Donna could only

her stuff, she

-Clank!

I too started packing up my stuff. Today was the last day

finally time to go

this world, I would always get messages from them. Be it

back in my

I disliked