"Take him to the healer," Daemon ordered. The students quickly carried Uriel out of the class.
He turned to Anubis.
"Follow me."
She frowned, clearly reluctant, but obeyed. As soon as she was gone, the remaining students sighed in collective relief and returned to their seats.
"What was that?" a pale-skinned girl asked, breaking the silence.
"Go ask her yourself, Zeel," another student muttered.
"Hmph! Not like she's strong. Uriel's just weak—that's why she could get him. She couldn't pull that on me," Zeel scoffed, then strutted out of the class arrogantly.
"Gina, why bother with her? She won't stop until she gets what she wants," said a black-haired boy to the girl who had tried to talk Zeel down.
Gina sighed and stayed quiet. He was right. It wasn't her business.
---
In the office, Daemon sat behind his desk, facing Anubis, who kept her head lowered. Shame? Guilt? Perhaps even regret? She wasn't sure. The truth was, she didn't intend to nearly kill anyone today—but she had. She'd sworn never to let anyone trample her again, but maybe… maybe she went too far?
Daemon raised his voice.
"You went too far!" His voice struck like thunder, making Anubis flinch.
"I expected you to discipline him, not almost kill him. Do you think Father will be pleased when he finds out his student nearly committed murder on her first day?"
Anubis remained silent, unnaturally calm. She hadn't meant to disappoint her master. She wanted to make him proud. Now she could only pray he wouldn't find out what had happened.
"Daemon, I'm sorry... I messed up," she whispered.
"I let my anger control me. Please... don't tell Master. I'll change, I promise."
Daemon watched her for a long moment, seeing how deeply she regretted her actions.
"Stupid girl," he thought.
"Does she really think Father would do all this for her if she were just a slave?"
He sighed.
"Fine. I won't tell him—this time. But if it happens again, he'll be the first to know."
A small smile of relief appeared on Anubis's face.
"Thank you, Daemon. Can I go now?"
He gave a curt nod.
Just as she turned to open the door, it opened from the other side. A woman stepped in. They exchanged a brief glance before Anubis stepped out. The woman squinted slightly as she watched her leave.
"There's something strange about her aura..." she muttered to herself, then walked toward Daemon.
"Sir, about the boy you sent to me..."
Daemon nodded for her to continue.
"There's something... off about the dark elements inside him. His inner core is badly damaged. It'll be a long time before he can resume school."
Daemon frowned.
"Understood. Keep monitoring him. I'll see what I can do."
The woman bowed and left.
---
Outside, Anubis—who had lingered near the door—had overheard everything. Her hands clenched into fists. She didn't expect him to be that injured. Azazel's words echoed in her mind:
"Just because you're hatred-driven and seek vengeance doesn't mean you have to destroy innocent lives. It's not worth it."
She remembered what the healer had said.
"Did he really deserve that...? I messed up. Badly."
She walked past her classroom, lost in thought, and before she realized it, she was at the infirmary. Too late to turn around now—Zenel, the smallish boy from earlier, had already spotted her.
"Are you... here to see Uriel?" he asked, stepping out of the room.
Anubis remained silent, unsure how to respond. They stared at each other for a moment until Uriel's voice called weakly from inside.
Zenel rushed in.
"Uriel? Is something wrong?"
Uriel, pale and fragile, looked toward the door.
"I thought I heard someone. Did anyone come to see me?"
"No... no one," Zenel lied.
Uriel sighed, disappointment heavy in his expression.
"I thought I had friends... So why didn't they come?"
He looked away—just as a voice echoed from the doorway:
"But I came to visit you... or am I not welcome?"
Both boys turned. It was her. Anubis stepped into the room. Uriel stared as if she were a ghost.
Zenel stood frozen.
"She... actually came in? What the hell is she doing?"
Anubis walked toward the bed and calmly sat beside Uriel.
"Surprised to see me?" she asked.
Then, unexpectedly—
"I'm sorry."
Both boys blinked in disbelief.
"I shouldn't have done what I did. I know I hurt you... and I'll take full responsibility for it."
She stood and walked out without waiting for a response.
The boys stared at the door in stunned silence.
"Did she just... apologize?" Uriel whispered.
"She came to see me?"
But even if she did... what could she do now? His core was shattered. He could never awaken another element. Everything he worked for—gone.
Zenel looked at his friend with sympathy. They had grown up together in an orphanage, suffering together until they ran away. They'd worked odd jobs for powerful mages, saving money just to enroll in school. And now this…
"Don't lose hope, Uriel... please," Zenel said softly.
Uriel only shook his head and turned to face the wall.
---
As Anubis walked back toward class, she overheard three boys whispering near a stairwell. Curious, she stopped to listen.
"I heard Uriel was beaten by a new student—a girl," said a boy with spiked brown hair.
"Yeah, but shouldn't we visit him? We're his friends..." said the one with black hair.
The others glared at him.
"Who said he was our friend? We were just using him. I'd never associate myself with a weakling like him."
"Hey. If you want to go see him, be my guest—but stay away from us. We don't want to be associated with losers," the third boy added, walking away with the first.
The black-haired boy cursed under his breath and ran after them.
Anubis's fists tightened.
"Cowards... traitors."
She stormed into her class, fuming, and sat down silently. No one dared say a word. Everyone still remembered what had happened earlier.
Not long after, a new lecturer walked in. He was tall, with sharp features, glasses, and a long ponytail. Not as impressive as Daemon, but still intimidating.
He cleared his throat.
"Today, we'll begin with the basics of awakening the air element. Listen closely."
He explained:
"To awaken air, one must go to a secluded place—preferably high ground like hills. Close your eyes, meditate. Free your mind. Visualize becoming one with the air. If you see a white orb, focus on it. Draw it into your inner core. But be warned: air is a stubborn element. It will distract you—taunt you. Lose focus, and it disappears. But if you succeed, the orb will burst inside you, spreading its essence across your spirit. Then, you will have become an air element user."
By the time the lesson ended, class was over. One by one, the students left—except for Anubis and one other.
The red-haired boy.
As she packed her books and stood up to leave, he approached.
"Can I help you?" she asked, unimpressed.
"My name is Ramiel. I hope we can be friends," he said, extending a hand.
She looked at it.
"I'm sorry, but I don't keep friends."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Ramiel stared at his still-raised hand, then clenched it gently and slid it back into his pocket. A faint grin tugged at his lips as he turned and walked out of the classroom behind her.