The voice echoes across the corridors of the freshmen, an announcement to gather outside for assembly. All the students rush towards the assembly grounds, most of them happy, joyful, and excited, but Ric… he slowly walks behind the crowd, still disturbed by the dream, thoughts racing in his mind

  “That dream, its still vivid, as if that actually happened to me in reality, the fear that I experienced, it was my first time going through something like that. it felt eerie, and even if it was just a dream, I felt like if I died there, I would not… be me anymore. And that light, I felt like it pushed whatever that was away, but I don’t know why, ever since that light shone, I am exhausted, it’s like I didn’t sleep at all. I feel weak.”

  He look at the locket on his chest, ”This locket feels like a burden” his eyes starting to slowly turn crimson again, “Should I remove it?” this single thought echoed in his mind “Remove it? remove it ,remove it… remove it!”

  His hand slowly reached towards the locket,

  “Remove it!!”

  he grabbed it and started to take it out, he couldn’t think straight, and his body slowly moved on his own. but as he was in that trance, someone slapped him on the shoulder, snapping him back to reality.

  “Hey Ric! What’s up!”

  It was Yota, cheerful and excited,

  “Are you ready? This is going to be epic! The start of my journey to become the greatest demon hunter ever!”

  Yota was beyond excited, so much so that he didn’t even notice Ric’s eyes changing back to normal, dark circles beneath them, his tired face. even though Yota was observant of Ric all the time, since he knew about Ric’s nightmares, this time his joyfulness got the better of him.

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  “You know, I was so excited that I could barely sleep last night!“

  Ric was grabbing his head, Yota’s voice echoing and unclear to him, as he slowly regained himself, but Yota still didn’t notice it and continued

  “Thinking about how I can finally learn from real magicians! Not just books, but real professors! People who have probably hunted demons! Man it is exhilarating! Aren’t you also excited?!”

  Ric tried to reply “W-Well, yeah I am…“ he hid the stinging pain in his head from Yota.

  “I bet you are! Everyone is! You would be stupid to not be excited! We can learn so many things!”

  Yota kept going on and on as Ric just silently listened as the pain slowly subsided and he came back to normal.

  “I woke up early! And dragged Jim… I mean took Jim with me, but he left just now, saying that he wanted to freshen up first.”

  Upon hearing that, Ric asked Yota

  “What rank you and the others get?”

  Yota rolled his eyes for a second and answered

  “I got an A, same with Jim, Ren got B and Jeff also got B and coincidentally they are living in the same dorm, it’s the same with Fray and Desos both got B too and they also live in the same dorm.“

  Ric was somewhat relieved, “Its good that none of them are below C Rank, the living conditions are one thing, but the social discrimination would be worse.”

  Yota glanced at Ric and asked

  “By the way, what’s your rank?”

  Ric nonchalantly replied

  “it’s S.”

  Yota sighed as if it was what he expected and said

  “You know what I am gonna do after this?”

  Ric still replied calmly

  “I don’t wanna know.”

  To which Yota joyfully exclaimed

  “I will still tell you anyway, I am gonna go and make a circle real quick! Learn some advance spells, make another circle! aaand learn more advance spells and…”

  Yota kept on talking as Ric just looked at him, a faint smile on his face, a smile which showed the inherent gratitude Ric felt towards Yota. To him who was fading further and further into the darkness, Yota appeared like the light shining through it all.

  As Yota was speaking, he notice Ric’s face and exclaimed

  “Hey! Why are you smiling?! You think I won't be able to do it? I can do it! No… I will do it! Don’t get cocky because you are higher ranked, I will soon surpass you, and you shall witness the might of me! The future greatest demon hunter!”

  Ric chuckled, and he teased Yota

  “You can’t even beat me in a race, how will you surpass me?”

  Yota got angry, and yelled out

  “That was when we were kids! It will be different now!”

  Ric smirked and said

  “Yeah? Then last one to reach the assembly grounds is the loser!”

  Ric ran away, leaving behind his worries, enjoying the moment with Yota as he follows Ric from behind and keeps yelling “That’s not fair! You had a head start!”