Dan looked around carefully. It was just as he remembered it before Cain came along.
This meant he had traveled back in time again, just like the last time when he used the space element.
Dan got up from his bed and began to think deeply:
"What was that thing? It killed the S-rank professors... even Ms. Serena!"
He kept thinking, his face pale and his eyes wide with worry:
"Does that mean it's stronger than the S rank? Maybe the SS rank? Or higher?
But how ?the Academy is equipped with an advanced firewall to keep out external attacks. I'm curious how he managed to penetrate it.
And the professors... they were in the forest to protect the students, not for fun!"
Dan started to think about what he saw
"The traces of blood... I'm pretty sure he killed Ms. Serena first. Then the other professor came after seeing the blood, followed him, and killed him the same way he killed Elena.
But what on earth is this creature?
It was very tall, definitely over two meters. It looked like it could think!
I'm sure it didn't want to attract attention, but I'm curious why it came to the Academy."
Feeling a bit dizzy, Dan decided to leave the room for a bit.
"Oh no..." I forgot that at this time some of my blood was drawn... I feel a little dizzy, but there's no time to rest."
He went directly to Professor Serena's office , thinking all the way through what he was going to say:
"I can't tell her I went back in time. No one would believe me if I said it was just a dream."
He reached the door to her room and quickly opened it.
Serena looked at him in surprise and said:
"Boy, you almost broke the door!"
But he immediately interrupted her, his voice trembling:
"Professor! I saw a monster wandering around the academy! I know it sounds strange, but it really was a giant monster! I couldn't see his face! I..."
Serena gently interrupted him, trying to calm him down:
"Easy, Dan. Take it easy. I'm sorry, but I didn't understand anything you said. Take your time."
Dan took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, and then said:
"I just saw a monster over two meters tall! He was wearing a torn black robe."
Serena looked at him with a serious expression, and asked:
"Can you describe it more precisely?"
Dan gave a gentle shake of his head, trying to focus, and then shared his thoughts:
"As I mentioned before, his body was humanoid, but he was very thin. I couldn't make out his features, but he was holding a black dagger in his right hand, and his presence sent chills through the body. He wasn't human."
Serena paused for a moment, then in a lighthearted and playful tone, she said:
"Dan, are you having hallucinations? I've never heard of a monster like that before.
Also, I should mention that the Academy's barrier is pretty much impenetrable. If something had gotten through, we would have been told right away."
Serena looked at Dan with such intense curiosity, as if she could see right through him. He looked nervous and panicked, but she saw an undeniable sincerity in his gaze.
She let out a deep, relaxing sigh and said in a soothing tone:
"Okay, I'll go check for myself. I can't ignore your words when you're like this."
Then she added, putting a hand on his shoulder to reassure him:
"Don't worry, I won't be reckless. I'll let the academy director know first, and we'll handle it carefully."
Dan cleared his throat and nodded, but the worry never left his face.
"I saw him go into the woods."
Serena said as she headed for the door:
"Just stay here and get some rest. I'll be back as soon as I know for sure."
She paused for a second, then turned to him one last time:
"And thanks for coming right away and letting me know. If what you saw was real, you really did save lives."
Serena walked out of the room quickly, leaving Dan standing there with his heart still pounding and his mind full of unanswered questions.
______
Serena walked out of her room at a steady pace, but inside she was on high alert. Dan's words were still on her mind, and the panic on his face wasn't an act—not for a kid his age.
A creature over two meters tall, wearing a black robe and carrying a dagger?
She'd never heard of such a thing especially with the magical barrier protecting the academy .
She pulled the communication device out of her pocket and pressed it to activate the connection.
"This is Ms. Serena. I'm requesting a direct connection to the Academy director "
A few seconds later, the headmaster's deep, confident voice came through:
"What is it, Serena?"
"Dan Noctine, a Silver Class student, told me he saw a strange creature in the Academy's area. His description doesn't match any known monster... He sounded scared, I don't think he's lying."
There was a brief pause, and then the Academy director
"I see. I'll reinforce the barrier myself for now. Go check out the place he mentioned right away, but don't go alone — be careful. Let me know as soon as you're done."
"Got it, I'm on my way."
She ends the call and heads to the area Dan had mentioned.
Serena made her way through the forest around the academy, her steps quiet, her eyes scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary. The trees were quiet, and there was no sign of anything strange in front of her.
Was he delusional?
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a call from the director.
"Serena, did you find anything?"
His immediate response
"No, it's completely quiet, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary."
There was a quick pause, and then he spoke more clearly.
"Bring the boy in right away... We've found a crack in the barrier. Something has breached the academy's boundaries."
After hearing the principal's words, Serena didn't hesitate. She quickly turned around and ran back towards the academy building. Her face was tight, and she had this vague feeling that what Dan saw might not have been a hallucination.
She got to the room, opened the door, and saw Dan.
She said in a serious tone:
"Dan, come with me. The manager needs you right away."
Dan didn't say a word. He could see how serious she was. He followed her quietly through the academy's hallways until they got to the top floor, where the principal's office was.
Dan and Serena were standing in front of the door and when the guards saw them, they immediately let them in
The two of them went in, and there was a tall guy with silver-white hair and blue eyes that shone like lightning. He's standing in front of a huge hologram map that shows the lines of the barrier surrounding the academy, with one section pulsing an unsettling red color.
He looked up at them and spoke in a firm but calm voice:
"You're Dan, right?"
Dan nodded without saying anything.
The academy director , Ilaris Draven,the genius lightning mage,stepped forward and looked directly into his eyes.
"Tell me what you saw... every detail. The crack in the barrier we detected means what you say is true."
Dan took a deep breath and started talking about everything he'd seen, his heart pounding faster than his voice.