Aldrich sat opposite Dante, both of them silent, their backs resting against the wall.
Dante, eyes closed and head tilted back, appeared lost in thought or possibly on the verge of sleep.
Aldrich, on the other hand, kept his eyes wide open, his mind racing over the events that had just unfolded.
'Does he know?'
There was no way he could have figured it out.
Aldrich and Dante had spent less than three hours together—less than three hours!
There was no chance that Dante could have uncovered anything about him in that brief amount of time.
Prodigy or not, there's no way he could have pieced it together in just two and a half hours. It's impossible.
Aldrich's body felt restless, his mind uneased.
The world of Arthdal Chronicle had never once introduced the idea of reincarnation or transmigration.
Whatever had happened here, whatever strange twist had brought Aldrich into this world, was something entirely outside the scope of the novel.
And because there was no mention of it, it meant Dante, no matter how perceptive, would never consider something that didn't even exist in the narrative.
'Can he? No! There's no way that can happen.'
It was absurd to even entertain the thought.
But as much as Aldrich tried to dismiss it, doubt gnawed at him.
The chances of something impossible happening were, well, supposed to be impossible. But...
Dante was the one character in this world who defied all expectations.
If anyone could somehow see through the layers of reality, it would be him.
That's not good enough. Not now.
The door to the classroom swung open, and out stepped Professor Mariana, her lecture finally concluding after four long hours of speaking and listening.
Aldrich stood up, Dante remained slouched, eyes still closed, his posture making it seem as if he had fallen asleep mid-sentence.
"Wake up your partner and meet me in my office. Five minutes, no less," Professor Mariana demanded, her voice echoing through the hallway.
Aldrich glanced at Dante, his gaze lingering for a moment before he called out, "You can open your eyes now. She's out of sight."
Dante muttered something inaudible but slowly opened his eyes, his movements sluggish. "You knew."
Aldrich raised an eyebrow. "You might as well have it written on your forehead."
"You think she knows?" Dante asked, still groggy as he rose from the floor.
Aldrich reached out a hand to help pull Dante up. "It'd be pretty weird if she didn't."
They both made their way toward the hallway, eager to get the awkward encounter with their professor over with.
Aldrich had enough of Mariana's lectures, and he was more than willing to finish this unpleasant episode as quickly as possible.
"Let's just get this over with," Aldrich grumbled, heading toward the elevator. "I want to be done with her as fast as possible."
...
The two stood before Professor Mariana's desk, feeling like they were about to face judgment.
The atmosphere was tense, the silence heavy, as they waited for her to speak.
"Anything to say for yourselves?" Professor Mariana asked, her voice dripping with condescension. "I'm all ears."
Aldrich and Dante both stood in front of her, their eyes averted, unable to meet her gaze.
"Nothing?" she pressed, folding her arms across her chest and raising an eyebrow.
"If you have nothing to say," she continued with a sigh, "then I do."
Her arms unfolded as she leaned forward, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Talking during my lecture shows that you have no interest in what was being said. And more importantly, it's an act of blatant defiance. A photographic example that you have no respect for me. And I refuse to let that slide."
She fixed her eyes on Dante. "Mister Pendragon. I know who you are. I know what family you come from. A clan of prodigies, one of the three esteemed families in the mystic society. You're the pride of your clan, hailed as a genius—the genius, actually." She almost sounded like she was praising him.
Dante's expression remained neutral, not a flicker of emotion on his face in response to her words.
Professor Mariana's tone shifted sharply.
"Now, listen carefully. If you think your family's reputation will exempt you from the rules of this institute, think again. Let me break it to you—you couldn't be more wrong."
Aldrich stood quietly beside Dante, nervously watching the exchange.
If Dante, who had the authority of his entire clan behind him, was being scolded like this, then what did that mean for Aldrich, who had no such backing?
"You defy me again," she continued, her voice cold and firm, "and I will personally make sure you're out of this institute with a letter of expulsion in your hands. And don't think your clan can do anything about it. No one is above the rules here."
Aldrich swallowed hard, feeling a knot form in his stomach.
He had no standing here, no family name to protect him.
If she could treat Dante like this, what would stop her from doing the same to him?
"And you, Mister Aldaman," Professor Mariana's gaze turned to Aldrich, her eyes narrowing even further.
Aldrich's worst fears had just been realized.
"You decided to waltz into class fifteen minutes late, with no sign of worry or concern about the consequences," she said, her voice laced with irritation.
"When you walked in, you were calm, collected—like you hadn't a care in the world. Like you didn't even realize what you were doing."
Aldrich shifted uncomfortably, wishing he could sink into the floor and disappear.
"I don't know what hole you crawled out of, and honestly, I couldn't care less," Professor Mariana continued, her tone dismissive.
"What matters is that you earned a spot here. Eldora Institute doesn't just let anyone in, and you're here because you've demonstrated something special. You're here because you've been recognized as someone different from the others."
Her words, though seemingly supportive, held a dangerous edge. "But don't mistake that for leniency. If you think you can act however you please, you're sorely mistaken."
Aldrich knew exactly what she meant.
He had seen this coming a mile away, so it wasn't a shock when she continued.
"I can get you expelled just as quickly as you came in. Don't think for a second that just because you're special, you can get away with breaking the rules."
Aldrich stood frozen, his mind racing, but unable to form any coherent response.
"Both of you," Professor Mariana said, her voice growing more commanding.
"Eldora Institute is not a playground. This is not just any mystic academy. If you haven't figured that out by now, let me ask you one question: What the hell are you even doing here?"