Chapter 25: Long Time No See

Silence descended between Aaron and Natasha as they strolled through the vast, luxurious-looking estate.

The estate was considerably larger than Aaron had initially imagined. Towering trees lined the carefully paved pathways, their branches spreading across the sky and casting patches of shade over the ground. Beyond them stretched beautifully maintained gardens, patches of colorful flowers, and expansive lawns that seemed to go on endlessly.

There wasn’t a single person in sight.

The only sounds accompanying their footsteps were the gentle rustling of dry leaves, the occasional chirping of birds perched on the branches above, and the faint whistle of the afternoon breeze.

Following Captain Stones’ instructions, the two made sure not to stray from their left as they ventured deeper into the estate.

At first, neither of them found the silence particularly strange. After all, they were walking through an enormous estate, and there was no reason to expect people to be scattered around every corner.

However, thirty minutes passed.

Then another thirty.

And eventually, more than an hour had gone by without them encountering a single person. By then, even Aaron had begun to find the situation somewhat peculiar.

He exchanged a glance with Natasha, who seemed equally uncertain about their surroundings.

"Uhmm..."

Natasha opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but ultimately decided against it. They continued walking.

Another thirty minutes passed before they finally arrived at their destination. And the sight that greeted them was considerably different from what they had encountered along the way.

Before them stretched an enormous open field, its expansive grassy landscape looking particularly vibrant beneath the clear afternoon sky. The grass was neatly trimmed, and several large trees stood at strategic intervals around the field, providing shade for those who preferred to stay away from the scorching sunlight.

Unlike the deserted pathways they had travelled through, the field was bustling with activity. Hundreds of Students.

Gathered across the enormous field were students from different academies, their ages, appearances, and attire varying considerably.

However, despite the sheer number of people, there was something that immediately drew the eye towards the centre of the field.

A magnificent podium stood on a slightly elevated platform, separated from the surrounding gathering by a considerable stretch of open grass.

It was a beautifully constructed structure, made from what appeared to be polished white marble. Several steps led to its elevated surface, where a single pedestal had been positioned. And resting atop that pedestal was an orb.

It was a beautiful, almost otherworldly object.

The spherical object was considerably larger than an ordinary crystal ball, its smooth, translucent surface reflecting the afternoon sunlight. A faint, mysterious radiance emanated from within it, giving the impression that something was constantly moving beneath its crystalline exterior.

Occasionally, subtle streaks of light travelled across its surface before disappearing into its depths. It looked less like an ordinary object and more like something that shouldn’t exist in the natural world.

The orb stood prominently above the gathering, almost as though it were the most important object in the entire estate. And perhaps it was.

After all, this was where the Awakening process would take place.

Aaron cast a quick, inquisitive glance around and noticed that the majority of the students were between seventeen and nineteen years old. With a curious frown, he observed his surroundings more intently.

Not everyone was wearing an academy uniform.

A handful of students were dressed in casual clothing, while some were even wearing... training suits.

Natasha looked around, slightly impressed by the sheer number of people.

"It’s... a whole lot of students."

Aaron nodded absentmindedly.

"Ye-Yeahhh..."

’’I’m joining the Ravstas Academy.’’ Natasha suddenly announced.

Before Aaron could say anything else, Natasha suddenly left his side.

With confident strides, she headed towards a group of students wearing Ravstas Academy uniforms and positioned herself behind them.

She folded her arms, wearing a determined expression that suggested she had already made up her mind about where she belonged.

Aaron stared at her for a moment.

Then he slowly raised his palm to his forehead.

’So naive.’

Natasha might have been tall, but just like Aaron, she obviously looked too young to participate in the Awakening process.

The two of them were already attracting unwanted attention by being among the few students without academy uniforms. Their youthful appearances made it rather obvious that they had skipped a few years and weren’t supposed to be participating just yet. Not every student would appreciate such an unusual development.

Some might find it amusing, while others could easily interpret their presence as an attempt to show off.

Unfortunately, Natasha didn’t seem to have considered any of that.

She was still young and relatively inexperienced, after all.

From a distance, Aaron watched as several female students approached her. Their expressions weren’t particularly welcoming. In fact, the condescending looks they wore were enough to tell him that they weren’t approaching Natasha with the intention of making friends.

He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but their facial expressions and the occasional glances they exchanged with one another made their intentions rather obvious.

Natasha, however, seemed completely oblivious to the hostility.

She continued responding with a pleasant smile, seemingly hoping to establish a friendship with some of the upperclassmen.

Aaron watched for a little longer before quietly sighing. It was only a matter of time before things got unpleasant.

He eventually looked away.

’Her dad said I should protect her in the dungeon. Not outside the dungeon.’

Natasha was on her own for now.

With that thought, Aaron narrowed his eyes and began examining the crowd.

He noticed several students stealing glances at him, but paid them little attention. Instead, he continued scanning the gathering, occasionally shifting his gaze towards the groups of students scattered around the field.

He was looking for someone.

More specifically, someone from Ravstas Academy.

Abigail. She was supposed to be here.

Aaron had expected to find her among the students wearing Ravstas Academy uniforms, but despite searching several times, he couldn’t spot her.

His brows furrowed slightly.

After another unsuccessful attempt, he decided to move closer.

Leaving Natasha behind, he squeezed his way through the crowd, ignoring the occasional protests from students who weren’t particularly pleased with his lack of consideration.

He continued searching as he walked, occasionally catching glimpses of familiar academy uniforms. Then, quite suddenly, his eyes settled on someone.

His body trembled.

There was no mistaking that figure.

The person was seated alone on a stone slab in an open section of the field, slightly separated from the other students. A rather conspicuous spot, yet nobody seemed particularly interested in approaching him.

It was Damien.