C23. Groupings

"He might become a danger to the students," A hushed whisper echoed through the still hallway as two pairs of rushing footsteps echoed down the deserted lecture corridors, "We can't just let a monster roam around the academy!"

"I know," Professor Sylis' grim voice replied as they turned the corner and entered a room with a giant sign labelled 'Staff Entrance Only' by the entrance.

"Here," She tossed Yerindin a small bottle housing a black palm-sized crystal, "It's a paralysing crystal." Sylis explained, talking out a cluster of keys from her pocket and entering a back storage room, a small lit candle in hand.

Yerindin frowned as he raised it up to inspect the object closer, "Paralysing crystal?" His eyes suddenly widening as he whipped his head over to Sylis in surprise, "Forbidden magic?"

Sylis glanced around before nodding her head, beckoning for the crystal back before grabbing a map from a shelf and spreading it out onto a table beside them.

"Have you heard of the Monsters of the Dark Forest?" She inquired, pointing her finger at a dark patched area on the map.

"That children's tale all parents tell their kids at night?" Yerindin frowned, tilting his head, "What about it?"

"The monsters who devour those who wander the forest at midnight." Sylis spoke, tapping her finger repetitively, "It's not a fairytale."

Yerindin blinked in confusion as he glanced up at Sylis' serious expression, a tiny doubt in his mind, "What do you-"

"Deep in a sealed cave. A clan of monsters dwells," Sylis muttered, moving her finger slightly down and tracing her nail in a circle at one specific area of the map. "Right around here."

"What kind of monster-?" Yerindin walked slowly over to the map, scrunching his eyebrows.

"That I don't know." Sylis admitted, glancing back up, "But whatever it is, it's powerful. Much more powerful than you or I."

Yerindin paused as he contemplated the situation, slowly processing everything that was said to him in the past few minutes.

"What are you thinking of doing?"

Sylis let out a small smile as she twirled the black crystal in her hand, "We let monsters fight monsters."

Yerindin crossed his arms as he squinted at the crystal in slight concern, " The chances of success?"

"High enough."

"What if we fail?"

"There'll be no way to trace it back to us." Sylis pointed out with a short shrug of her shoulders before tucking the crystal, and it's container back into her pocket, then rolling up the map and sliding it into its previous spot on the shelf.

"Fine. I'll trust you on this one," Yerindin gave a slight nod and sigh as he slowly turned around and creaked open the door before silently leaving the storage.

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"Lenso!" I could hear Sara's ear-piercing scream in the dormitory hallway, all the way from the confines of my room.

With a slight groan and a slight roll of my eyes, I sluggishly hopped out of my bed and let out a quick stretch; my eyes automatically locking onto the sunlight peering through the tiny crack between the thick maroon curtains.

"Lenso!" Sara's voice rang out once more, this time accompanied by another familiar voice.

With a sigh, I quickly walked over to the door and swung it open to see the eager looks of Sara and Palmer, a piece of paper in their outstretched hands.

"Lenso!" They forced the paper into my hands with a wide grin, "Read it,"

I raised an eyebrow as I glanced down.

[Examination Information and Groupings]

I quickly scanned the dozens of groups listed on the paper before spotting the one I was looking for.

[Group 19

Group Supervisor: Professor Sylis

Group Leader: Sara

Group Members:

Lenso

Aliguard

Elliot

Zeffern

Palmer]

"We're in the same group!" Sara announced with a glimmer of excitement in her voice.

"And we have Professor Sylis as our supervisor!" Palmer added with a small fist-bump to the air.

Without much of a response, I squinted my eyes slightly at the sight of Professor Sylis being our group supervisor, a hint of suspicion slowly rising from within.

"You don't seem excited…" Palmer slowly lowered his arms as he stared at me in confusion, "Did… you not want to be in a group with us? Or do you not like the professor? Or do you find it weird that Sara's the group leader out of all of us...?"

I glanced up at Palmer's dejected expression,

"I'm sure that's not what he meant," Sara gave Palmer a heavy stomp on the foot, "There's nothing wrong with me being the leader, right?"

"Yeah. Cause not." I awkwardly replied, handing back the paper, "I'm really glad I'm in a group with you." I gave Palmer a quick pat on the shoulder as I walked past him and down the corridor towards the academy cafeteria.

"I told you so, c'mon. If we don't hurry, breakfast will be over." Sara said with a look of pride, quickly strutting after me with an elated expression, leaving behind the mildly confused Palmer standing there with the single piece of paper in hand and a cluster of students walking around him.

"Was that sarcasm?" Palmer frowned tilting his head as he gave the piece of paper a glance and turned his head back towards the direction in which I left, before blinking twice and realising I was almost out of view, "Wait. Wait for me," He shouted, bolting down the hallway and quickly catching up to us as we entered the cafeteria.