As Jaden looked around, a voice drifted into his ears.

"Jaden!"

All three of them — Jaden, Selina and Shelly — turned towards the direction of the voice, and their eyes fell to Arden, who was watching them with a smile stretched across his childlike face.

A similar expression appeared on Jaden's face as he stepped forward toward him, but he halted mid-step and turned around to Selina and said, while offering his hand to her, "Let's go."

She looked at his hand and scanned the crowd that filled the vast room before nodding and accepting his hand, a smile appeared on her face.

'It's warm...' she thought.

He looked at Selina and then at Withey and Blacky, who were in his other hand. A frown descended onto his face as he spoke, "I don't have a free hand for you..."

Selina looked at Shelly, offered her hand and added, "Here."

Shelly looked at Selina's hand, grabbed it with her own, and they began to walk towards Arden while making sure not to bump into the others.

After about three minutes, they reached Arden.

Arden smiled widely and stepped towards Jaden to hug him, but seeing that he had no free hand, he stopped and said, "I'm glad that you weren't that far from us."

"Us?" Jaden questioned as he let go of Selina's hand.

Selina looked at him with a saddened expression as she thought, 'You didn't have to let go...' She hid her frown soon after finishing the thought.

Arden turned, and the two figures, which were standing behind him, became visible.

Jaden looked at the two figures with a faint smile and mumbled, "So you three were together."

Arden nodded, pointed at Jamie and complained, "Not him... He had left us saying he is busy," he paused and turned towards Jamie before continuing, "not so busy anymore, huh."

An annoyed look appeared on Jamie's face. He snorted and looked away.

Jaden slightly chuckled at their bickering.

At the same time, Navin walked over to him and asked, "Were you at the dorm?" his voice was merely a whisper.

Jaden shook his head and answered, "No, I was at the training centre."

Navin nodded and asked, "Did you get what you were looking for?"

Jaden raised an eyebrow at the question and pondered over it before answering, "I did... I can see the road now."

Navin smiled, patted his back and spoke, "That's good."

A smile also appeared on Jaden's face as he looked around himself. These were the people who had always helped him, and these were also the people he was running away from because of his paranoia.

As he looked at them and began to think of everything he had gone through till now.

From how he appeared in this world after slipping to death in his previous one to learning magic spells and fighting beings that he didn't even know could exist. It was truly a strange life, yet he wanted to live it... even strangeness had its charm, after all.

Beep... Beep-Beep... Beep...

Suddenly, everyone's academy badges began to glow red, and the world shifted.

Jaden blinked and found himself standing in his dorm room.

He shook his head and walked towards his bedroom with the devouring pups in his hands.

"Bre!" "Bru!"

***

Maria stood before a dreamgate with other teachers in tow... all of their faces were dark because the dreamgate that had appeared within the academy was a Master ranked dreamgate.

Maria turned her head towards Kathrine and asked, "What did the members of the dream church say?"

"They prophesied more gates to appear within the academy, and they also said that there's a possibility for a saint-ranked dreamgate to appear," Kathrine replied with a dark look.

Maria's expression turned dark. She nodded and turned her head towards the receptionist of the House of Shadow, "Did you send the reports to the ducal houses and the imperial family?"

The old man brushed his age-streaked silver beard with his left hand and answered, "I did."

"...Would it be possible for the emperor to come if a saint-ranked dreamgate does appear?" Kathrine asked.

The old man shrugged and replied, "I don't really know. With the cleansing going on, I don't really think he will get the information in time."

Everyone's expression darkened even further at his words.

"Hah... I think those nightmares are also getting ready to begin their cleansing," Maria said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The old man chuckled at her words and said, "The light may not reach here, but the shadows will."

"I hope the darkest of them reaches here, then," Maria added, and everyone nodded at her words; they knew who she was talking about, after all.

She was talking about the second Sovereign of humanity, the one who chooses to stay hidden unless the world calls for him - the Shadow Sovereign.

What grander call can one receive other than a saint-ranked dreamgate?

All of them watched the dreamgate, and Ansel questioned flatly, "Where's the headmaster?"

"The headmaster won't be the one attending to this dreamgate," a soft yet prideful voice reached all of them.

They turned in the direction of the voice, and their eyes fell on a woman who appeared to be in her thirties.

She had long black hair that cascaded down till her waist, and her eyes were crimson red. She wore a white and green Paladin armour of the Nature Holyland.

Maria studied the person who stood before her and mumbled, "Yorina Zion... the hand of Nature Pope and the contractee of the Fairy of Space."

Yorina shifted her gaze to Maria and spoke with narrowed eyes, "You forgot to add the principal of Arcane Knight Academy, War Princess."

Maria waved off her hands and muttered, "Yeah, yeah. You just got too many titles... If I begin to say all of them, the dreamgate would have already been taken care of before I finish."

Yorina shrugged and added, "Well... wouldn't it be your first time reaching the finish..."

A vein throbbed at Maria's forehead as she turned away and mumbled, "Still better than being a slut like you."

"Sure, if that makes you feel better," Yorina stated, and her lips curled up into a smirk.

Seeing the bickering between the two of them, Kathrine nudged Ansel and asked, "Do they know each other?"

Ansel turned his head and nodded, "They are childhood friends."

Kathrine's eyes sparkled in understanding, and she nodded faintly. "I see."

"How long till it breaks?" Yorina questioned.

"Five hours," the old man replied.

Yorina looked at him with a deadpan look and muttered, "Then why are you all standing here instead of asking your acquaintances for help?"

Everyone turned and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Yorina furrowed her brows at their looks and muttered, "What?"

Maria stared into her eyes and replied, "You are the one who teleported all of us here."

A confused look appeared on Yorina's face as she mumbled, "Yuka... when did I ask you to teleport them at the dreamgate?"

She waited for Yuka's answer, but there was no reply.

"Yuka?" She called.

A few minutes earlier.

"Let me go!" Yuka shouted and tried to free herself from the cruel man who had trapped her in the cage of flesh and bones — his hands.

Jaden narrowed his eyes and said, "Why can't you just teleport me?"

"What do you mean 'WhY cAn'T yOu JuSt TeLePoRt Me?'? I can't teleport you because you are to stay here!" She shouted.

"But I want to go out," he added.

Yuka blinked a few times and asked softly, "Are you stupid?"

He furrowed his brows and replied, "No, I am not."

"Yeah... like you would agree to it," she mumbled with doubtful eyes and spoke, "It's dangerous for you to be out."

He shook his head and explained, "I know that it's dangerous... but it's also an opportunity and I have to make use of it."

"What are you talking about?" She questioned with a puzzled expression.

"You already know that I have an affinity for all eight elementals, right?" He asked.

Her eyes widened before she mumbled, "W-well yeah..."

"I know this is hard to believe, but I am different from others," he said in a serious tone.

Her eyes widened, she struck her chest with an open palm, and a wide smile appeared on her face as she spoke, "You don't have to worry! My contractee already told me about humans like you."

Jaden's eyes widened at her words, his expression hardened right after as he thought darkly, 'She knows? But how? I haven't even met her yet...'

"You don't have to feel alone, I am with you no matter what you are!" She said with a serious look on her face.

'What is she even talking about?' He thought, and a frown appeared on his face.

"What do you know, Yuka?" He asked.

Yuka cleared her throat and answered in a low voice, "That you like sword fighting instead of cave diving."

"..."

______

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