Free Web NovelChapter 23: Something’s wrong 2
Ethan couldn’t help but be taken aback.
He found himself unable to tear his eyes away from Nero’s back as he gradually walked away until he began to fade from view... until he had vanished completely.
Why do I feel this way?
It was a strange feeling that had come over him, one he couldn’t understand or explain.
"He really is a weirdo... How did you recognise him again?" said Ravian, casually slinging his arm around Ethan’s neck, which snapped him out of his thoughts for a moment.
"You know what? Calling him a weirdo like that... aren’t you afraid you’ll find yourself soaring through the skies?... alongside your ancestors."
Aris said, raising her eyes with a meaningful gesture, which made Ravian immediately understand what she meant.
But he merely shrugged indifferently.
"Oh, don’t worry. Nothing will happen to me... unless someone tells him so."
Then he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Knox, who was standing quietly.
Nox noticed this immediately and said in a calm tone:
"We don’t talk much, so... yes, I won’t tell anyone." He paused for a moment, before turning his gaze towards Ethan. "By the way... how long are we going to be standing here?"
"I agree, but it seems Ethan isn’t with us at the moment."
Ravian said with a slight smile.
Aris put her hands behind her back as she slowly approached Ethan.
"When he’s lost in thought, he gets a bit scary... I feel like he’s planning something."
Ravian chuckled softly.
"Hahaha, just like us, isn’t it?"
"..."
Then he shrugged and said:
"I’m just joking. What on earth could we possibly be planning?"
Al-Rafian wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye, brought on by laughter.
Whilst everyone else continued to chat and joke, Ethan remained silent, lost in his thoughts.
Ethan’s eyes moved instinctively towards the path where Nero had disappeared a moment earlier.
That strange feeling... hadn’t gone away. In fact, it had got worse.
He clenched his fist without realising it.
"Ethan?" came Aris’s voice as she waved her hand in front of his face, tilting her head slightly.
"Where have you gone off to?"
"Nowhere... just thinking."
"About the Stateless Neron?"
"..."
"Perhaps."
She raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Don’t tell me you’re starting to worry about him."
"No."
A sly, sidelong smile appeared on Ravian’s face.
"Oh? Then why are you still staring at the spot where he went five minutes ago?"
"I’m—" Ethan stopped suddenly, as if something had occurred to him. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"Oh... why are we still standing here? Let’s go before the canteen gets crowded. I’ve still got training later with Knox."
He didn’t even wait to finish his sentence. He’d already started walking.
Ravian and Aris exchanged a brief glance before a faint smile spread across their faces, whilst Knox remained silent as usual, walking quietly behind Ethan.
What’s going on with me? Why do I feel so confused...?
Damn.
And why does it feel like my head is full of noise?
Ethan clenched his fist tightly.
There was a strange feeling haunting him... a vague sensation, as if only a thin thread separated him from understanding everything.
From knowing the reason for this feeling that had begun after Nero’s words.
A feeling told him he already knew the answer... but, at the same time, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Just forget about it.
He couldn’t come to any conclusion, so he tried to take his mind off it.
He turned slightly towards the others and asked:
"Does any of you have any idea what all this noise is about?"
"Huh? Have you finally felt like speaking? I thought you’d gone mute," said Ravian sarcastically, glancing sideways at Ethan.
"Stop joking, Ravian. There’s a time and place for everything,"
Aris said in a sighing tone.
"..."
Nox finally spoke, in his usual calm voice:
"This is probably because we’re in the week when the extra-curricular activity you’ll be joining will be decided."
Ethan furrowed his brows in surprise.
"Activities? What’s that?"
Nox showed no interest in his surprise and replied calmly:
"It’s exactly what the name suggests. You have to choose an extra-curricular activity that suits you, and you can use it to develop your abilities."
"Can’t I just ignore it?"
"No. It’s compulsory." Knox paused briefly before adding:
"And the Academy takes it very seriously." He then gave Ethan a scrutinising look.
"And from what I’ve seen and learned about you so far... you want to become stronger, don’t you?"
Ethan paused for a moment before replying:
"Yes... you’re right."
Knox shook his head as if he’d anticipated the answer.
"Well, then you’ll have to join the Death Club."
"..."
There was a moment’s silence.
Even Ravian and Aris slowly turned to look at him.
Ethan could do nothing but stare at him as if he hadn’t heard properly.
Knox continued in the same calm tone, as if he hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary:
"You’ll find everything there to help you develop quickly, as members will be given tasks to track down criminals... and execute them... which will put you in dangerous situations.... Fighting when your life is on the line has countless benefits. Your instincts will develop rapidly, and you’ll grow stronger at a faster pace—if you manage to survive, of course. Then you’ll appreciate the—" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"..."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Appreciate life more?"
Nox nodded quietly after Ethan finished the sentence for him, then sighed slowly.
"Huh..."
But Ethan suddenly stopped listening.
He frowned immediately as he looked towards the raucous commotion in front of him.
A large group of students had gathered in a circle, as if something were happening in the middle.
"What’s going on?"
Aris asked in surprise.
Before anyone could answer, a student walked past them. He looked like the sort who liked to speak without even being asked.
"One of the nobles is beating a commoner up."
He said it with strange enthusiasm, before continuing: "I think he’s nearly smashed his face in." Then he stopped suddenly after noticing Ethan.
"Oh... you’re commoner too, aren’t you?"
Ethan nodded silently. The student’s face lit up immediately.
"Good! That means the nobles won’t be able to look down on us like they used to." He smiled with obvious enthusiasm.
"After all, the commoners took first place this year."
"..."
There was a moment of silence.
Then the student left, still talking excitedly, but Ethan was barely listening to him.
He began to move slowly towards the crowd.
The closer he got... the louder the noise became. And his unease grew. Until he finally arrived.
And then—his eyes widened instantly.
In the middle, there was a boy lying on the ground, begging in a trembling voice whilst being beaten relentlessly.
But that wasn’t what froze him in his tracks.
It was the person who was beating him.
Nero.
His body was shaking violently, blood trickling down his forehead and covering his face, as he continued to strike without the slightest hesitation.
