Novel Full Chapter 828: Back to Classes
Chapter 828: Chapter 828: Back to Classes
One week bled into another, and the manor settled into a rhythm of quiet paranoia. Airalai remained bound and watched in shifts, her aura dimming more each day under the parasite’s silent hunger. Bridge trained his nocturnal wolf until dawn most nights, its howls cutting through the stillness. And in between, Kain planned, instructed, and prepared.
But the season didn’t wait for him. With the end of summer break, it was time for the students of Dark Moon College to return. It felt like yesterday that he’d first joined Dark Moon College, and now he would be entering his third year.
The sky above the academy’s sprawling campus shimmered with the protective wards that had stood for centuries. Towers of black stone stretched toward the clouds, etched with glowing sigils. The air itself seemed heavier here—more saturated with spiritual power than anywhere else in the capital.
Kain stepped through the outer gate, in casual training clothing, his expression bored. Although many were nervously starting their first and second years, as a third year, he already knew what to expect from the first day of classes.
Kain alone carried an air of calm in the bustling courtyard. The moment he appeared, the atmosphere shifted. Heads turned, whispers spread like a ripple across water. A cluster of first-years, overdressed in fashionable clothes for their first day of classes instead of the practical training gear worn by the older students, leaned in toward each other, whispering in awe. They would soon learn that expensive fabrics were the worst possible choice for Dark Moon’s classes.
“That’s him.”
“The Kain Newman.”
“The one who fought in the National Tournament… I can’t believe he managed to represent Dark Moon College in Phase Two as just a second year.”
“And he’s the one who came up with that evolutionary method, right? The one the professors are still writing papers on?”
“I saw his team crush the first-ranked College First Celestial!”
“Second-ranked college First Celestial,” another first-year corrected smugly, puffing his chest out as if he’d been personally involved in the feat. “We’re
first now. Don’t forget it.”The awe in their voices wasn’t subtle. Their eyes sparkled with almost childlike reverence, and for a moment, the walkway seemed to split—students instinctively moving aside to give Kain a clear path forward.
Kain ignored the attention. He wasn’t surprised anymore. Dark Moon had a long history of prodigies, but the kind of feats he’d stacked up in only two years made him a living legend among the students. Heck, even amongst the professors, he probably had created more evolutionary plans with greater practicality, than most of them.
Among the gathered first-years, a timid girl clutched her books against her chest. She had spent the entire morning mustering courage. Her contract beast—a small feathered serpent—was nestled inside the collar of her shirt. Just like its owner, it was extremely shy. Too shy to be revealed. ’If I can just say hello,’ she thought. ’Just thank him for inspiring me to come here.’
Heart hammering, she stepped forward. Her shoes clicked softly against the stone walkway. Every nerve screamed at her to retreat, but she forced herself toward the tall figure in black training gear ahead.
Oomf
At least she was approaching that figure, who was now getting further and further away, until a large chest clad in pink blocked her path.
A taller girl with curled blonde hair and the polished poise of nobility stood in her way. Her nose was tilted upward at a perfect angle of superiority, her piercing green eyes narrowing at the trembling first-year.
It was Alaina Ashenclaw.
Everyone (except for the newly arrived first years) knew her—Alaina Ashenclaw, the second year noble who always carried herself like she was above the crowd. Back in her first year she had loudly flaunted her family name and mocked those she deemed beneath her. Before ever enrolling at Dark Moon, she had already been bragging about her supposed closeness with Kain. During her final year of high school, when Yara had evolved into a Cinderlight Salamander with his guidance, she had paraded the success as proof of their special bond. To anyone who would listen, she claimed to know him ’on a personal level’—never explaining what she meant by that, letting the implication hang in the air. Since entering the College her fixation on him had only grown.
“You.” Alaina’s voice was silken, but laced with condescension. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
The first year froze, words sticking in her throat.
Alaina leaned closer, voice dropping into a cruel whisper that was loud enough for the others to hear. “Do you really think someone like you has the right to approach him? He’s leagues above the likes of you. You’d just waste his time. Stay in your place.”
The timid girl’s throat tightened. She lowered her gaze, clutching her books tighter.
Alaina’s lips curved faintly. “That’s right. It would be humiliating for you. He’s too good for—”
But her words trailed off.
The first-year blinked in confusion, glancing up. Alaina’s superior expression had faltered, her eyes darting past the girl’s shoulder. Her posture stiffened, a tremor in her voice as the sentence died half-formed.
The first-year turned, following Alaina’s gaze.
And froze.
Walking straight toward Kain was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen.
Her silver hair shimmered like threads of starlight, her posture elegant but effortless, her presence commanding without trying. This was someone even the first years would easily recognize. The same-aged female equivalent of Kain’s fame at Dark Moon—Serena Storm. The prodigy who had awakened independently without the Awakening Ceremony, also joining the overall Top 5 with Kain in her second year, infamous for her lightning-imbued contract and her cold, untouchable beauty. She was nearly as well-known on campus as Kain himself—both a rival and, according to whispers, something more.
Serena quickly reached Kain and, without hesitation, Serena slipped her arm through his with an ease that spoke of deep familiarity.
The walkway seemed to go silent.
The first-year’s heart stuttered. Alaina’s face drained of color, then flushed red, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her lips parted, but only a strangled sound came out. She looked on the verge of collapse, her haughty mask shattering in real time.
Finally, she managed a broken mumble. “A-anyway… stay away from him!”
And then she spun on her heel and bolted, her blonde curls bouncing wildly as she sprinted away from the scene.
The first-year stood rooted in place, staring between Serena, who was walking arm in arm with Kain as if she belonged there, and the direction Alaina had fled. ’So this is the world of the nation’s top college’, she thought weakly, unsure whether to laugh or cry.