A few seconds later, the Academy Hall was filled with all the first-year students. They all had the same thought in mind: 'This is certainly about that incident...'
Murmurs spread among the students as they waited for the announcement. Arin, however, felt slightly uncomfortable with the overwhelming number of sounds reaching his ears. But it was nothing he couldn't handle.
'I bet this is one of the reasons why the system tagged me as an Elite Vampire...' Arin thought. 'I'll eventually get used to it.'
Then another thought crossed his mind: if vampires needed blood, how were those in the Vampire Kingdom feeding?
Before he could ask Seraphine telepathically, he noticed something. His enhanced eyes scanned the entire hall, and he realized Alex wasn't present. However, he did spot Tessa at the front.
Arin sighed as he relaxed in his chair. 'It's not easy to quickly get over something like that...'
Suddenly, the murmurs died down as Orion Wynter, the Academy's principal, entered the hall. He walked to the front of the room and stopped before the students. Following behind him were three men and two women—one of whom was Riya.
Orion cleared his throat. "Good morning, students of this prestigious Academy."
He paused for a moment, placing his hands behind his back before continuing. "Without wasting too much time, I'll get straight to the point."
Arin rested his right palm on his cheek as he listened.
"An unfortunate event occurred last night, and neither the teachers nor I were present to stop it," Orion said. "Our precious student, Arthur, died as a result of this incident."
"The Academy is investigating what happened, but rest assured, we will find the culprit, and justice will be served."
Arin scoffed inwardly. 'Of course, he won't outright say it was a vampire...'
Orion paused again before speaking. "We will ensure Arthur receives justice."
Applause erupted from the students, continuing for a few moments before finally fading away.
"Now," Orion continued, "some new rules have been implemented to ensure the safety of our students."
At the mention of "new rules," the expressions of many students darkened, waiting to hear what would follow.
"First," Orion began, "all students must be in their rooms by 7 p.m. Anyone caught outside after this time will answer to me and face severe punishment."
"Huh? But we hang out around that time."
"Tch... this isn't fair at all."
"Stop complaining. It's for our safety. Or didn't you see Arthur's injuries? We don't even know what or who killed him."
"7 p.m.? Why not 7:30?"
The hall buzzed with murmurs, some complaining while others were content with the curfew.
"SILENCE!" Orion's booming voice instantly quieted the room.
He cleared his throat before continuing. "Secondly, the Academy's security has been improved, so don't think you can sneak around after curfew without being caught."
Arin squinted his eyes, folding his arms. 'Of course, he won't mention Brad's incompetence.'
"And lastly," Orion said, sweeping his gaze across the hall, "classes will be more intense from now on, including the Weapon Training class and other future courses."
'Maybe we'll start sparring with real weapons now,' Arin thought.
"That's all for now. You may leave," Orion finished, and the students began moving toward the staircase.
Arin climbed the stairs and made his way to his classroom, which was already half full. A few seconds later, the room filled up completely—including Alex, who hadn't been present in the hall earlier.
Arin noticed Tessa and Alex talking but chose to ignore them for now. He was anticipating something else.
'Today is the day he arrives...' Arin thought.
Riya entered the class with her usual indifferent expression, and the murmurs died down as everyone sat upright.
"Today, we'll discuss the absorption of mana," Riya said, arranging her books on the table—books she never used.
"But before that," she continued, "I'd like to introduce you to someone."
Arin smiled. 'This is it...'
"Come in," Riya called out.
A boy with short yellow hair walked into the classroom. The most noticeable thing about him was his large stomach—surprising for a seventeen-year-old. It looked as though he hadn't stopped eating since the day he was born.
He wore a creepy smile as he scanned the room. His uniform marked him as a student.
"He's a transfer student," Riya announced. "He'll be joining us from now on."
Hector frowned. "Does the Academy still accept transfer students? I thought that was stop—"
Riya shot him a deadly glare, and he immediately fell silent.
The boy continued smiling as he waved at the class. "My name is Leon Stormheart, and I'm very handsome."
"Pffttt," A girl in the class struggled to hold back her laughter after hearing Leon's introduction.
Riya, still indifferent, gestured to an empty chair beside the girl. "You can sit there, Leon."
Leon raised his brows. "I would've loved to sit next to this one," he said, pointing at Tessa, "but I suppose this other girl will suffice."
He laughed loudly, his large stomach bouncing up and down.
To the class, he was a freak. But to Arin...
'He's just like me... an Extra...'
But not just any Extra.
'An Extra with immense potential.'
Arin's smile widened as he stared at Leon. 'Now I can finally set my eyes on it... the Shadow Gate...'
In this world, there are magical devices used to measure time, so calling a specific time isn't out of place.