Vale was sitting in a large lecture hall. His tour around the academy didn't take long. After Luna showed him all the important faculty rooms, lecture halls, and the canteen, she had another errand to run and left him here, where he and the other students who had just finished the first trials were to be welcomed.
He sat at the far back of the lecture hall, in the last row. There were maybe 60 other people in the hall with him, but since most wanted to be as close as they could to the lecturer, nobody sat near him.
Most students looked to be around his age, with a few being slightly younger or significantly older. Nobody knew if they would face the trial after their death, so many chose to just live until their last day. That's why there were often people in their 80s or even 90s who returned after successfully finishing their first trial. It was rare, but it still happened. Those who were his age had probably chosen death by choice, wanting to become Awakened.
Dying around his age was often advised, sometimes even requested, if the number of Awakened was low and the government felt the need to increase it.
Although the Kingdom of Verythmia had a King, it was the government that made all the decisions. The King functioned more like a public figure, used to inspire people and give them hope in times of need.
"Quiet!" snapped the lecturer, watching the immature behaviour of the students.
It was an old man, around his late 50s. A gray beard and hair stretched from his head down to his chest. He had a look of disgust as he studied the lecture hall, as if disappointed in the current batch of students.
The loud chatter stopped. Now the lecture hall, completely silent, waited—expecting the old man to continue speaking.
"First of all, congratulations to all of you for completing your first trial. It is indeed great to see more and more people return successfully. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what happens next, but it is protocol…You will learn and train as much as you can for the next two weeks, then you all will consume the Pill of Life and face your second trial."
Vale knew very well what the Pill of Life was—everyone did.
It was a poison that killed a person without any pain or struggle. The name was greatly misleading, with many people calling it the Pill of Death instead. The little red pill was even capable of killing an Awakened if consumed. It was truly a despicable little thing.
The lecturer continued speaking for a few more moments before a heavy knock was heard from the metal door leading to the lecture hall.
"Who's interrupting my lecture?" snorted the lecturer.
"Apologies, Sir Edward. We have another returner. She just appeared on Academy grounds."
"She appeared on Academy grounds?" asked the lecturer, studying the two young women.
One of them, Vale already knew—it was Luna.
The other was around his age. She had short, dark violet hair that matched her purple eyes. She was wearing the Academy uniform and bowed deeply to the lecturer.
"My name is Ayla. It is an honour to be taking your class, Sir Edward."
The old man nodded in approval.
"You truly are lucky. We were just getting started. Please take a seat."
The old man seemed to be in a better mood as he continued the lecture.
Ayla sat at the far back of the lecture hall, in the same row as Vale but many seats away. She had a certain presence as she walked—her steps almost unnoticeable. She appeared noble and composed as she strolled to her seat.
"As you know, the Academy has developed a new type of artifact that will allow you to appear in the Demon Realm near your peers and so you will be divided into groups of four, picked by the faculty to best suit your roles. You will then enter the Demon Realm with your group, to increase your chances of survival."
"What?"
Vale was not aware of any artifact that allowed people to enter the Demon Realm together. To his knowledge, when people entered, they would be scattered in random locations, and with the vast expanse of the Demon Realm, the chances of encountering another person were fairly low.
This was odd.
As the Second Prince, Vale had always known about all the latest inventions. Missing something like this should not have been possible.
"Did the government hide it from the royal family? No, that doesn't make sense..."
As he looked around, the entire lecture hall nodded in agreement—suggesting that they all knew of the artifact.
Then, a sudden realization dawned on him.
The first trial was unique in many ways, but the biggest difference between it and the other trials was that time passed differently there. A person could spend just a few seconds in the first trial and return months later, or they could spend months in the trial and return seconds later. Nobody knew how time there worked, but even with the unusual flow of time, most people returned within the same year.
Had the invention taken place just after he left?
"How much time has really passed?" he questioned as he continuing studying the lecture hall.
"…And that is it for today's lecture. Tomorrow morning, you are required to report to the Ability Testing Facility in the southwest part of the Academy. For now, you can do whatever you want. Rest well—you won't have much time for rest starting tomorrow."
As soon as the lecture finished, people scattered—forming friend groups and making acquaintances—but Vale did none of those things.
He rushed out of the lecture hall building, looking for the nearest library. He needed to find out how much time had passed since his trial.
Soon, he entered the enormous library. Although he hadn't collected his Academy identification yet, the librarian was kind enough to let him in, even helping him find what he was looking for—latest newspapers.
His heart dropped as he stared down at the newspaper. The text in front of him was as clear as a sky on a sunny day.
80 years…It's been 80 years since he died.