CHAPTER 33: CH 33: AVA.

"It’s Nightwalker! He’s here!"

An awakened yelled from out the auditorium.

All heads swiveled in its direction and a plague like silence rippled the giant space.

Then the murmurs rose up to take its place. Some already stretching their necks to catch even the faintest glimpse of Nightwalker from the outside.

Then someone finally stood, shuffling back people in his row and heading out.

Ava leaned against the polished desk on the centre stage, arms crossed as she watched him actually try to leave her class without permission.

Micheal finally reached the door, after hearing his father was on academy grounds his curiosity on why was piqued.

He had ignored everyone entirely, why the hell was his dad here? He’s the Paragon and he never shows up to see him.

His foot hovered above the entrance’s threshold but it wouldn’t drop.

An eerie chill engulfed him— it engulfed everyone.

Every muscle. Every heartbeat. Every breath. Even the slightest movement such as the blink of an eye— lapsed.

But their minds were still fully conscious; completely aware that their bodies weren’t responding to them.

’What the hell is going on?’ Aegon thought as he hands lagged in contrast to his brain which was having a million thoughts.

~Ktak... Ktak... Ktak~

Ava’s heels tapped across the desk before she sank lazily into the chair, eyes gleaming like she already knew the ending.

"This will be your first and only warning... You never leave my class without my permission."

Her words echoed in their ears like poison.

~Tchk!~

With the sharp snap of her fingers— they all blinked.

In the next second, they opened their eyes to find themselves back in their seats, including Micheal.

They all whipped their heads at her.

"Alright, let’s begin class."

• · ─ ·✶· ─ · •

Transcendent, Ava Therin.

Rank: Transcendent | Faculty: Soulcraft | Affinity: Chrona | Role: Instructor | Aether Control: Exceptional.

Chrona: Time dilation, acceleration and temporal freezing. The ability to control time.

• · ─ ·✶· ─ · •

’Jesus fucking Christ. How powerful is she?’

Aegon swerved his head both sides to see both Quinn and Cara just as dumbfounded as him.

Looking across the room to see Micheal— probably the strongest Novus amongst them, rendered obedient like a chained wolf.

Ava smiled. "Now that I have all your attention, let’s begin. What do you know about survival?"

"..."

"You?"

She pointed randomly at an awakened.

The awakened looked behind him, not sure if he was the one being called. Turning back to her and pointing a finger at himself and mouthed "me?"

"Yes. Me."

She mocked him.

"Survival in the Adept Trial is about finding a way to continue living..."

She arched a brow, confused.

"Like the need to keep going—"

"Please sit down. That’s vague but I’ll accept it—" she raised five fingers in the air.

"Shelter. Clean water. Hunt and forage for food. How to navigate. Start a fire. And then most importantly— the zeal to keep going.

You might think you understand that but I promise you don’t. Imagine something with me— your lungs are burning, your muscles aching, your brain pounding and every fibre of your being begging you to stop.

How do you keep going on from that? You don’t. Your body? Like it or not isn’t built for scenarios like that."

She raised her feet onto the table and crossed them, eye darting across the room.

Like a Jaguar sizing up her next prey her eyes locked onto someone— well, more particularly, a group of someones.

Quinn’s arm still slightly intertwined with Aegon’s, Cara’s eyes constantly stealing glances at where they locked— her eyes darting from their arms back to Quinn’s gaze.

Aegon sat between them as uncomfortable as a priest in a strip club, but he tried to ignore them and fixed his eyes on Ava.

Then there was Mira, not even sitting with them yet the tension was practically suffocating. She sat directly in front of Aegon— her body shuffled down so much it was her back on the chair.

’What the hell is going on between these kids?’ Ava thought before calling out for Aegon.

"You?" She didn’t point— it wasn’t needed, her sharp eyes were enough.

Everyone followed her line of sight back to Aegon.

"What is your relationship with those three girls?"

She asked aloud for all to hear.

Quinn’s arm drew back into her lap, her face downcast as a faint pink rose within her cheeks.

Cara’s eyes shot wide, her fingers moved to her chest in self accusation while her face twisted in disgust.

But Mira just let out a high pitched squeal and buried her face into her palms.

"I’m still waiting for an answer?" Ava continued, "What are they to you? Friends? Roommates? Love triangle... Or is it a square now? Or maybe just non-monogamous?"

’Why are all the teachers in this school so inappropriate?’

The conversation had gone on for too long, and he’d had still said nothing. The longer the silence stretched the more the stares and murmurs from the Novuses increased.

"Uhmm..." he scratched the back of his head, stalling, hoping a meteor would save him from whatever was happening right now. "What’s wrong with being non-monogamous?"

Her brows shot up but so did everyone elses. "Wow. So you’re in a relationship with all of these girls?"

"I never said that," he continued. "I just said nothing would be wrong if I was."

Ava’s smile didn’t falter — if anything, it sharpened.

"Confidence is admirable. What’s your name?" she asked, voice dripping like venom-laced charm. Sharp yet intriguing.

"It’s Aegon, Aegon Dhalar."

She slid her feet off the desk, slamming into the ground.

"But it’s a dangerous thing to flaunt when you haven’t earned it."

Her eyes flickered — and the air twitched.

For a second, only he felt it— time stuttered. Everyone else around him completely frozen in time. Pen stopped mid-air, cough caught mid-breath leaving only her and him.

Ava leaned forward, elbows on knees, gaze locked on him.

"Let’s see if your mouth holds up when the Trial starts."

Her tone was calm, almost casual — but beneath it was the unspoken promise of pressure.

~Tchk!~

Just like before, she snapped her fingers and the world continued to move.

Then, just as suddenly, she rose from her seat.

"That’s enough for today. Class dismissed."

No one moved. Not until she was gone.

Aegon exhaled — the room finally breathing with him. Quinn looked away. Mira still hid her face. Cara muttered something under her breath.

And in the silence that followed, he realized — she hadn’t just tested his courage.

She’d... Let’s say taken an interest, in him.