Aric walked along the streets with sluggish steps. He was headed right for the central area, the place where Maverick told him to go.

He put his hands on his pocket and he felt a strange cubic shape within. He took it out and observed the peculiar object.

It was a cubic shape, small enough to grasp fully in his hands. It did not have much weight, just like paper. Its color was purple, and there were small white dots that moved around the cube.

As Aric looked at the cube, it felt like he was staring at the void. He would have stared at this thing for hours if he had not heard the chattering of people around him.

Aric quickly put the object back in his pockets. This small and insignificant object was an object capable of creating chaos and damage to the school.

He did not know the specifics of this cube, but he knew that it would destroy one of the school’s defenses. A barrier would be broken down and the school would be open to vulnerabilities.

He did not know what Maverick planned, but he knew that it would cause chaos to the school. His father was one of the board members of Wolrath’s rival school, Blacklade Academy.

These two academies are sworn rivals, and both schemes take each other down. Spies were sent to each other to monitor and disrupt each other in an attempt to take the top position of the school rankings.

After months of planning, Maverick and his conspirators came up with this plan. This cube is was what Maverick had told him to bring inside the school.

In exchange for his freedom, Aric had to sell out his school.

Aric looked around him and saw the students loitering about with smiles on their faces. They were also headed for the Central area, a place where they could let off some steam and have fun.

There were couples walking hand in hand, there were groups of men and women walking together, and there were also people walking alone.

Their faces would soon turn into looks of horror and despair because of him. He stopped in his tracks as he thought about it.

He did not want to do it. He liked his school, and his friends. There may have been times that he had fights with other people, but it was not enough to hate the school.

This was the place where he thought he would flourish as a strong person. He would establish his connections while strengthening himself for the real world.

Now, he had to cause chaos. The future and the friends he had built in this school will be nothing but just a fading memory.

All this pain and anguish that he felt was because of his father. He despised Maverick deep into his bones. Aric’s face distorted into fury, and that emotion led him to be numb to the sin that he was about to do.

He started to walk, but it slowly turned into a fast-paced jog. He wanted it to be over with. He wanted to be done with it and get out. There was nothing else he could do.

The Central area was as busy as ever. Students were excited and crossed paths with Aric, but he ignored them. He had his eyes only to one building, the place where he would install the cube.

In the middle of the central area, an unassuming building stood with no windows, and no doors. Its color was dirty white and looked bland in comparison to the buildings beside it.

This building is named the central building and is the home to the very mechanism that generates the barriers of the school. Most of the students do not know of the importance of this building. Even Aric had no idea until Maverick told him.

No one could get inside this building without the proper key. Of course, Aric did not have it nor did Maverick; that is why they needed the help of one more person.

Aric circled the building as his eyes scanned the people around him. His eyes stopped when he saw a student with his back leaned against the walls of the building

This student had a bowl cut that had his bangs long enough to cover up both of his eyes. This student had his hands behind his back and had a smile as he noticed that Aric approached him.

Aric had furrowed eyebrows as he looked at this person. This student was familiar to him, and it was not until seconds of reminiscing that he remembered him.

The man that would help him get into the central building was Balen, his classmate. He saw Balen on the first day of school but has not seen him since, which is why it took so long to remember him.

He did not have a strong impression of Balen, so he was doubtful that Balen could help him. Aric approached Balen with caution in his steps.

“The weather is good today, right?”

“Yeah, but I like it black.”

Aric had asked Balen a special code, and he answered perfectly. This meant that Balen truly was the person that he was surprised to meet.

“How are you, Aric? Maverick been treating you well?”

Aric could not see Balen’s eyes, only the annoying smile on his face. Balen’s words made him remember the trauma he had to endure back at Maverick’s place.

He frowned and stepped forward, getting close to Balen’s face. He tried to show his dominance, and show him that he did not like getting treated that way.

“Wow there cowboy, don’t get your feathers too ruffled up.”

Aric’s intimidation did not affect Balen. He only smiled and repelled Aric’s aura with ease, which Aric found surprising.

He did not think that Balen was this strong because he did not stand out too much in the classroom. Even with the initial strength that Balen showed him, he was still doubtful that Balen could help him.