Unknowingly to Tessa, a small smile formed on her face after seeing Chaos. "How was your training?"
"It was okay," Arin replied. "It was worth going there."
Riya had already told him about what she had discussed with Tessa, so he wasn't surprised and instantly knew what to say.
"Hmm, okay," Tessa said.
She glanced at his wrist, checking to see if he was still wearing the black bracelet. However, she didn't know that Arin had already put it in his pocket before arriving at the forest.
'There's nothing there,' Tessa thought. 'But I remember that Arin was wearing a black bracelet yesterday.'
Deciding to push that thought aside, she focused on Chaos.
"And how about you?" Arin asked.
Tessa smiled. "I'm fine... Thank you for asking."
Arin nodded before getting straight to the point. "A Portal will open up in this forest two days from now. It's called a Shadow Portal."
Confusion was evident on Tessa's face, but since Chaos was explaining, she decided to wait and see if she would understand.
"This Portal will be open for a very short time, so if I don't enter before it closes, we'll miss the opportunity," Arin said, folding his arms.
"Inside this Portal, I'll be able to acquire what is called a Shadow Seed," he continued. "With it, we'll gain a powerful ally."
"Ally?" Tessa muttered, furrowing her brows.
"Yes," Arin said. "You'll just stand where the Portal appears and wait for me to come out."
Arin's explanation wasn't overly complicated, so Tessa understood, but she still had questions.
"I still don't understand this 'Shadow' you're talking about," Tessa said.
Arin already knew about it from the novel, so he had a clear understanding.
"The Shadow Race," Arin began, "went extinct due to a war among themselves. Only two of them survived—the Shadow General and the Nightmare Shadow."
Tessa listened carefully without interrupting.
"In an attempt to reach another Realm, they were transported to the Human Realm. If they come out of the Portal, they'll arrive here in this forest, inside the Academy," Arin explained. "By entering the Portal, we'll not only prevent casualties but also gain an ally through the Shadow Seed they possess."
Tessa nodded in understanding. She didn't even bother asking Arin how he knew all this because she already knew what his response would be. She trusted him enough to believe he wasn't lying about this.
Arin wasn't really lying. If he didn't enter the Portal, the two surviving Shadows would emerge, and the consequences would be disastrous. However, his true goal was obtaining the Shadow Seed.
He could easily let the Shadows come out and cause Chaos, but that would result in heavy casualties. Moreover, something else would happen if he entered the Portal—something that would benefit him.
'If I play my cards right, Chaos will still come from this,' Arin thought, 'but this time, the other students won't suffer. The Chaos will be focused on Alex.'
"How strong are those two Shadows?" Tessa asked.
"They're strong," Arin replied, a grin forming on his face, hidden by his mask.
"...But not stronger than Alex."
"I see..." Tessa muttered. "I'll help in any way I can."
"Okay," Arin said, turning to leave. "There's also something I'd like to teach you, but that'll have to wait."
Tessa was taken aback for a moment before responding. "O... Okay."
"Also, I won't be coming tomorrow," Arin added. "I'll be training."
Tessa nodded as Arin walked away, leaving the forest.
She sighed. "Talking to him is even more comfortable now..."
Before, she had felt tense speaking to him, but she was adapting. Now, she felt relaxed when talking to him.
As she strolled out of the forest, her thoughts were occupied. 'Even after fighting Alex in that forest, a foolish part of me still wondered if he really killed my parents, but...'
She stopped walking for a second.
'After Chaos showed me that ritual he was performing, I realized that the smoke oozing from his body and the bodies in that cave was the same as the smoke he emitted during our fight in the forest.'
Tessa continued walking.
'That alone proves that what Chaos showed me was true. Alex isn't who people think he is.'
'I knew this ever since I met Chaos,' Tessa thought. 'But now, I am truly sure.'
At this point, she steeled her resolve. There was no turning back anymore.
'Time to complete my new Spell...'
"These teachers think being a Principal is easy. They don't know what I go through every day," Principal Orion muttered as he continued arranging the pile of papers on his desk.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Alex walked in with a slight frown on his face. His gaze settled on Orion before he approached the chair and sat down.
Orion sighed, massaging his temples. "You're really serious about not knocking before entering my office, huh?"
Alex stared at him. "There are more important things to discuss than knocking, Principal Orion."
"What is it this time, Alex?" Orion asked.
Alex squinted his eyes, folding his arms. "I assume you've set up a meeting for me with the King."
Orion leaned back in his chair. "Yes. You'll head to the castle in two days. I've already informed the King that you'll be coming."
"I see..." Alex muttered. "Perfect."
"I have a lot to discuss with him," he added. "A lot..."
Orion frowned. "At the very least, make sure you don't just barge into the throne room. You'll be in the castle then, not your old principal's office."
"Make sure you remember that," he added.
"Okay, okay," Alex said, standing up, ready to leave the office.
He turned back with a grin, staring at Orion. "Any words of wisdom for me today, old man?"
Alex laughed as he walked out of the office and closed the door with one thought in mind.
'It's time for me to do what I do best...'
A/N: Bonus chapter for 100 power stones. Thank you!