When I stepped through the gate, I found myself back where it all started—the auditorium. In front of me were two people I didn't expect to see: Alliah and the school principal. They were speaking to each other, and it seemed rather friendly.
When they caught sight of me, Alliah was the first to rush over. She jumped on me, and considering my weakened state, we both collapsed to the ground. Even while we were on the floor, she didn't let go. Her arms wrapped around me so tightly that it was getting increasingly hard to breathe.
"I missed you so much!"
Alliah and I had been living together for only a few months, but in that time, it seemed she had grown attached to me.
"I thought something might've happened to you."
Maybe the reason she thought that had to do with the destruction I saw on the island earlier.
"What happened on the island?" I decided to ask.
"From what I heard, the students got into an all-out fight, but most of the damage came from the four people leading them." The answer didn't come from Alliah; instead, it was the principal who spoke.
"The four leaders?" I asked, a little confused.
There were three faction leaders on the island, not four.
"Yes, four leaders," the principal said confidently, as if he had no doubts about what he was saying. "We thought something might've happened to you, and we were ready to count you as the only casualty. But then a girl spoke up. She claimed she was with you when you disappeared near some runes."
That girl must've been Luna.
"So, did you manage to defeat the Basilisk?" the principal asked, staring deeply into my eyes as if he wanted to intimidate the truth out of me.
I answered him without shifting my gaze.
"Yes, I did."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Well, that's good. We're happy to welcome you into our school. Your entrance ceremony is in a week's time, where you will be placed in your class and receive all the necessary items you'll need. I'm sure your guardian will explain everything you need to know."
He gave a polite bow and then exited the auditorium, with the men in black following closely behind him.
"I'm so happy you're alive," Alliah said again. Her voice sounded like she wanted to cry, but as usual, she flipped the switch in a matter of seconds and regained her composure, even if it was just for now.
"Let's go," she said, pulling me to my feet and locking arms with me in the same instant. We walked quietly as we exited the school. Every couple of seconds, I could feel her eyes locking onto me, as if she were just about ready to bombard me with questions.
But she didn't—at least not until we exited the school and entered her car waiting just outside the gate.
"So…" Here it was, the question she really wanted to ask. "Did anything interesting happen while you were on the island?"
"No, nothing noteworthy," I replied flatly, hoping she wouldn't pry any further, but that was just a fleeting dream.
"You know, I was the healer who took care of some of the injured children that came out of the gate. I can't remember how many of them came out screaming that a samurai wearing a golden mask attacked them for no reason. You know anything about that?"
She gave me a stern look.
"No, I'm not surprised, though. There were a lot of crazy people on the island."
"Haah!" She let out a deep sigh. "Don't worry; I made sure no harm would come to you…" She paused, her voice suddenly turning solemn. "There was this one kid… His body was so burned that they couldn't even recognize him. I tried my best, but…"
The person she was talking about must've been Conner. I always found it strange how she cared about people she didn't even know.
"I didn't know him, but still, he was someone's child, and now he'll be disfigured for life. The others had broken arms and concussions, but this one was just too… too inhuman. I-I… Wa…" I could hear her struggling to get the words out until she finally calmed herself and spoke more steadily.
"Was it you?"
This was why she was so worried; she was afraid I might've done something—something she couldn't forgive. No, she would forgive me, and that's what scared her the most. Her attachment to me would cause her to overlook everything I did.
This was part of what made her such an indispensable weapon for me. For whatever reason, she held a deep affection for me. At first, the time we spent together training and talking about nonsense seemed to stem from a sense of duty or responsibility on her part. But over time, I could see it morphing into something more.
Why was that?
To me, she was nothing more than the girl I latched onto for my own survival—A tool I exploit at every turn for my own gain.
I gently touched her hand, which was tightening around the steering wheel.
"No, I never met such a person. I don't know anything about how he got his injuries."
I had no intention of letting something so simple jeopardize my relationship with Alliah since I needed her—at least for now. The truth was best left hidden.
She released a deep sigh that sounded like she had been holding her breath or had forgotten to breathe.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked. I know you would never do something like that."
She seemed to calm down a bit afterward, and we changed the subject. Now that that was settled, there were questions I wanted to ask her myself.
"What do you know about the language called Ling-dei?"
She didn't seem surprised at all by my question, almost as if she had expected it. She gave a slight chuckle before answering.
"I knew you would have questions. Everyone who's ever met a dungeon boss always has questions. Let me guess: the Basilisk was spouting off about gods and whatnot. He might've revealed which god granted you Favor."
I couldn't believe that all of what she just said was a simple guess.
"That's exactly what happened."
"Well, you're going to learn about it sooner or later. But it's not for me to tell. You'll learn all you need to know at the Hero Academy. The next four years are going to be brutal for you."
She didn't even answer my question, and from the look on her face, I could tell she wouldn't either. Not that I was in any shape to press her; it was taking me a while to adjust to this new attribute.
My head was throbbing. But I didn't mind; it was exactly as the Basilisk said—I could see everyone's movements perfectly, to the point where I could predict them.
As Alliah and I spoke, it felt like I could read her emotions just from her body language alone—nothing went unnoticed by my gaze. Every breath she took, whether shallow or deep, how fast her heart was beating—everything. I had a feeling that if I mastered this skill, it could do even more.