Meanwhile, Susie sat off to the side, her eyes closed in deep concentration as she observed a relic floating within the depths of her Mind Core. The relic resembled a small gravestone fashioned into a pendant, its significance hidden from the outside world.

Suddenly, Susie felt a gentle tap on her shoulder, breaking her concentration. Opening her eyes, she was met with the sight of Seren standing before her.

"So, what relic did you choose?" Seren inquired, his tone casual yet curious.

Susie smiled softly with her gaze meeting his. "The Sentry Pendant," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of excitement.

Seren's eyebrows were raised in surprise. "I didn't expect you to be the tactical or reconnaissance type," he remarked, a note of doubt coloring his words.

Chuckling softly, Susie shook her head. "Hehe, it's because I wanted to combine it with the scythe, I received from the Luminar Tree," she explained, a sense of pride evident in her voice.

Susie then turned the conversation back to Seren, her gaze alight with curiosity. "And what about you? What did you choose for your relic?"

"The Luminar crystal," Seren replied flatly.

"Huh?" Susie's confusion rippled through the air as her brow furrowed in genuine perplexity. The Luminar crystal was known for its ability to bend light, at most you could try to blind your enemies or distort light to mess with the opponent’s spatial awareness. It offered no defense, no offense, no healing, nor reconnaissance.

Seren, already expecting Susie's reaction, simply shrugged his shoulders, "If I tell you why I chose this, then you might switch your pendant in a heartbeat,"

"Aeee, why? Just tell me the reason. Aren't we friends?" Susie pleaded with her eyes wide like a puppy as she sought to coax Seren into revealing his secret.

Seren chuckled lightly at Susie's playful attempt to sway him. Meanwhile, Aldric, overseeing the proceedings, made sure that each student received their relics.

Clap

With a single clap, he gathered the students’ attention and instructed them to return through the black hole to the library. One by one, they complied, disappearing into the void.

Orion, observing quietly, remained outside until the last student had passed through. Without exchanging words, Aldric and Orion closed the gate and proceeded to the front.

Upon reaching the front gate, Aldric issued a command to the students, directing them to return to the main academy and head to class 9 on the second floor. His voice carried the weight of authority, leaving no room for question or hesitation.

As the last student departed, Aldric's smile faded into a solemn expression, his gaze turning towards Orion's weathered figure settled in his chair.

"...'The end is near' What does that mean?" Aldric inquired, his voice tinged with urgency.

Previously Orion had secretly transmitted this to Aldric when he had come out of the vault.

Orion remained silent for a moment, his aged features betraying a depth of contemplation. Finally, he spoke, his tone nostalgic yet enigmatic. "Exactly as it means," he replied, offering no further explanation.

Aldric's gaze bore into Orion, searching for answers that seemed just out of reach. Frustration flickered briefly across his features before he redirected his inquiry. "Why did you tell me this? The three families have treated you poorly for centuries, and I am no different”.

Orion scoffed softly in response. "I am not heartless like you humans," he retorted, his words carrying the weight of centuries-old grievances.

Aldric remained stoic as he watched Orion, then with a silent nod, he turned to leave. The weight of Orion's words lingered in his mind. Just before Aldric left, Orion's voice pierced the silence as he said his final advice. "Do not be attached to any of your students for this year”.

Aldric body shook when he heard this, he didn’t know what to think of this anymore. In the end, he just stayed silent as he closed the door shut.

Alone once more, Orion's gaze fell upon the black quill resting on his desk. His expression softened and a pang of longing echoed in his voice as he spoke softly to the empty room.

"Maybe I will get to see you soon, Freya."