Put me to the test

"I do not say this to make anyone afraid. I am simply making us aware of what we are faced with.

Students in the lower realms should avoid staying in compromising corners of the school. Not to worry, the Vocras cannot survive for long without feeding on human souls, so sooner or later, they will be caught.

The guardians should stay back for an important briefing, the rest can go for their dinner."

As soon as the Dean concluded, the murmurs increased. Stefan listened in on the conversation. From what he heard, this was not the first time a Vocra had infiltrated the school, and the last time this happened, about ten students were killed, and it was only an E-level Vocra.

What would happen now that it was a D-level Vocra?

The students walked out of the auditorium one after the other, as Stefan waited for the meeting with the guardians to be over before he could go see the dean.

From his memories, guardians were students of higher realms who protected the other students.

To become a guardian, the mage must have achieved the fourth realm of shadows.

Stefan waited by the side as he watched the dean address the guardians. He did not know how long it was, but soon, they started dispersing.

Their uniforms were unique. The males wore black long jackets over their whites. Their epaulettes were different variations of red and there was a golden sigil engraved on their breast pockets.

Stefan figured the darker the colour of their epaulettes, the higher the ranks.

Stefan waited for the guardians to disperse before he approached the dean who was about to leave.

The frown on Macau's face deepened when he saw Stefan.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I was foolish, sir. I admit I was wrong."

Stefan had not remembered what caused him to leave the school, but whatever it was, this was no time to argue who was right or wrong.

There was silence before Dean Macau shook his head.

"You are too stubborn for a measly human with no powers. I warned you severally not to leave but you ignored my warnings. Now, did you find what you were looking for?"

Stefan frowned. He was looking for something? What was he looking for?

He did not know how to reply to that; so he just kept mute.

"I told you the prime minister would do everything in his power to find your family, but you insisted that you wanted to go find them yourself. You, without powers, how did you intend to achieve that?"

Wait a minute... his family was missing?

Dean Macau grew quiet when he noticed the surprised look on Stefan's face, but Stefan was quick to hide it.

Macau cleared his throat and brushed his beard with his fingers.

"Anyways, the principal told you sternly that if you leave the school, you should never return. We cannot afford to keep a student with no powers in the school anymore. I will let you sleep here for the night, but you must leave at first lights tomorrow."

He replied nonchalantly, looking away from Stefan.

Was that not too predictable? Since his parents went missing, and they could no longer fund the school, he was no more needed.

Stefan chuckled internally.

He did not know anything about this world or how it worked, but he was sure no one was looking for his family. People were shredded to pieces every day by the vocras.

The deaths caused immense pain at first but the more people died, the more if became the new normal, until they could feel nothing no more.

So no one would go looking for his family; they were just counted among the numbers and very soon would be forgotten. If they were not forgotten already. To these people, the only people that mattered were the living, once you were dead or gone missing, you were completely forgotten.

He was sure that was the reason why the owner of this body decided to leave the school and go look for them himself.

"If there's nothing more, I would be…"

"What if I've gained my powers?"

Macau turned to Stefan instantly, his eyes staring at him in shock, and then he laughed.

"That is not possible, Stefan. Your core is broken; you can never be a mage."

"Why don't you put me to the test, Dean Macau."

Stefan replied with determination in his voice, and Macau looked at him, shock written on his face.

No one could repair a broken core. No mage who had their cores broken ever recovered; they all returned to being normal humans. This was the first.

Macau was sure Stefan was lying, but the certainty on his face made him doubt.

First, Stefan was never this bold; he always cowered and never looked him in the eyes.

But this person… this person seemed different. Something must have happened to him outside there.

"If I find out that you are lying to me, you will be severely punished, Stefan Hodstev. This punishment may cost your life, do you accept that?" Macau warned sternly. He tried to threaten Stefan in case he was using this as a medium to stay longer at the School,, but Stefan's reply shocked him even more.

"I will gladly accept any punishment I deserve, Dean Macau."

He smiled, bowing a little.

There was quiet for some seconds, Macau staring at Stefan in disbelief.

"Well, in that case, I will inform the administration of your claims, and you will be tested. Your room is still empty; you can go back there for now."

With that, Dean Macau turned around and left.

Stefan heaved a sigh of relief.

He was surprised at himself for being that bold. What made him think what happened in the forest was not a one-time thing?

What if he failed the test?

Stefan wondered. Well, he did not have a choice. The end result was the same anyway. If he failed the test he would die, and if he left the school, he would still die. So he would rather try his luck than give up so easily.

Now to the next hard part, where was his room?

Stefan scratched his head as he stared at the pentagonal buildings, wondering how he was going to find his way.

He wished he could recover the rest of his memories as soon as possible. Maybe he would ask a student to give him a few knocks. The last time he was knocked, he recovered some.

Stefan was still thinking of his next step when he saw someone walk out of one of the buildings.

He recognized the girl immediately. She was the girl who bumped into him earlier.

Should he ask her for directions to the male dorm?

Stefan wondered, but just when he was about to call out to her, he noticed someone walking behind her.

Stefan wanted it to be a dream, but it was not.

Walking behind the girl was a girl with a dark aura hovering around her.

What is that?

Stefan felt the same way he felt when he was standing in front of that Vocra.

Was she the Vocra?

"Hey! Hey! Look behind you! White-haired girl, look behind you!"

Stefan screamed, but the girl could not hear him. She was just walking ahead as though she was being controlled by something beyond her.

He looked around him, but there was no one else there.

Suddenly, the girl with the dark aura began to walk faster, closing the gap between them. Stefan looked at her hands and long sharp claws had formed and she aimed for her heart.