ROOM 1313

2

Karl, however, kept looking at Liam with open hostility. Liam, however, didn't meet his gaze. Instead, he looked up at the man floating in the sky.

The old man was flying.

Back in the town Liam came from, nobody had ever achieved flight.

The elderly man stood high above the thousands of freshmen, his hands clasped behind his back. Although he looked to be in his seventies, the pressure radiating from him made even the proudest nobles lower their heads.

His gaze swept across the crowd before a faint smile appeared on his face.

"My name is Alaric Blackthorn, and I have had the honor of serving as the Principal of Blackthorn Academy for the past forty-two years."

His calm voice echoed throughout the academy without the aid of any spell, reaching every corner of the enormous campus.

"Congratulations."

"You are no longer children. From this day onward, you are students of Blackthorn Academy."

The moment he finished speaking, excitement erupted across the plaza. Cheers, whispers, and conversations instantly filled the air, making the entire place noisy.

Alaric raised a hand.

Silence immediately returned.

"We all know the history of Blackthorn Academy, so I will keep this brief."

"Thousands of years ago, the Six Great Races fought one another without end. Hatred was passed from one generation to the next until war became all anyone knew."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in.

"But eventually, every race realized the same truth."

"No one truly wins a war that never ends."

"So, the leaders of the six races laid down their weapons and founded this academy."

"They believed that if the next generation could learn together, compete together, and understand one another, then perhaps they could succeed where their ancestors failed."

Liam shook his head slightly in disagreement.

Although the academy was a good idea and had reduced casualties over the years, war still existed. The feeling of supremacy among the vampire and werewolf races had never truly disappeared.

The demons were more reserved but unbearably cunning. Throughout his eighteen years of living, Liam had lost count of how many times he had heard stories of demons and angels clashing and destroying entire worlds because of their deep hatred for one another.

The number was simply too many to count.

Humans always seemed to be at the bottom of the food chain. Their quality had declined throughout the years, and now there were even humans being born without cores.

Humans were despised and seen as weak, and in Liam's opinion, the existence of Blackthorn Academy was one of the main reasons humanity had not been wiped from the face of the world.

And that was exactly why Karl had been so unreasonably annoyed when Liam had likened his race to humans.

But that was the truth.

Every race had originated from humans.

So Principal Alaric was both correct and incorrect.

All the races had become more restrained because of Blackthorn Academy, but that didn't mean they lived together in the harmony he implied.

At times, there were even more deaths than before.

Alaric's sharp eyes slowly swept over the sea of faces.

"That is why Blackthorn Academy exists."

"It is not merely a place to learn magic or swordsmanship."

"It is a place where the future of every race is forged."

His expression grew stern.

"Outside these walls, you may be a prince, a princess, the heir of a great clan, or the child of an ordinary family."

"But inside Blackthorn Academy..."

"You are simply students."

"The academy recognizes no race above another."

"No family name grants privilege."

"No title earns respect."

"Only your character, your effort, and your achievements will determine your worth."

His voice became firmer.

"You will study together."

"You will train together."

"You will complete missions together."

"And whether you like it or not..."

"You will learn to rely on one another."

"I do not expect all of you to become friends."

"Some of you carry grudges older than your own lives, passed down through generations."

"But I expect discipline."

"I expect respect."

"And above all, I expect every one of you to remember that the greatest enemy is not standing beside you."

"For if the Six Great Races ever forget why this academy was built..."

His gaze drifted across the six towering banners fluttering above the campus.

"...history will repeat itself."

A heavy silence settled over the freshmen.

Then Principal Alaric smiled once more.

"Now then..."

"Let us begin with the one tradition every freshman eagerly awaits."

"The room allocation ceremony."

Principal Alaric slowly raised his right hand.

The air around him trembled, and a deep humming sound echoed across the enormous plaza as countless strands of golden light gathered above the stage. They intertwined, growing brighter and brighter until they formed a colossal mirror suspended in midair.

Gasps instantly erupted from the crowd at the magical sight.

The mirror stood over twenty meters tall, its frame forged from an unknown silver metal covered in ancient runes. Its surface wasn't reflective. Instead, it rippled like calm water beneath the moonlight, releasing a gentle glow that blanketed the entire plaza.

An indescribable pressure spread from it, causing even the proud nobles to subconsciously lower their heads.

Liam stared at it through his glasses, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"So that's the Mirror of Destiny..." he muttered.

Alex nodded, unable to take his eyes off it.

"My grandfather used to tell me stories about it."

Liam had heard the stories too.

The Mirror of Destiny was older than Blackthorn Academy itself.

No one knew who had created it or how it worked.

Yet for thousands of years, it had chosen every student's roommates without fail.

There had never been a single mistake.

Not even one.

People believed the mirror could see things no living being could, and some even claimed it could peer into the future itself.

Whether those stories were true or not, no one could deny one fact.

Every legendary partnership recorded in history had begun with this very mirror.

Even the founders of powerful clans had once stood before it, waiting for their names to be called.

"I wonder who I'll end up with," Liam said, letting out a quiet breath.

"Hopefully me." Alex grinned.

"I hope so too." Liam nodded.

"I'd rather not share a room with some arrogant noble," Alex said jokingly.

"Imagine ending up with the Vampire Princess." Liam chuckled.

Alex shivered dramatically as his eyes drifted to Lily.

"I'd rather sleep outside."

Fear crept into him as he spoke. For a human, one of the worst things imaginable was sharing a room with anyone other than another human.

Above them, the Mirror of Destiny pulsed gently.

Its glow slowly intensified.

The room allocation ceremony...

Had begun.