As I scanned the classroom for an empty seat, my attention was inevitably drawn toward a few particular individuals.
Haughtily seated on the second row to the right was a blond youth with sharp purple eyes and a dignified, almost imposing face. His slightly long hair rested naturally over his broad shoulders, framing a perfectly sculpted jawline that looked as though it had been carved by a master sculptor.
From time to time, I noticed several girls sneaking glances in his direction. The moment their eyes met his, they would blush deeply and hurriedly turn away, whispering among themselves in barely contained excitement.
Leon Crimson.
The protagonist's rival.
A direct descendant of the Horton family—the very same family that held a majority stake in the SunMoon Guild, currently the largest guild in the human domain.
You could tell at a glance, I thought as I observed him from the corner of my eye, that he was one of those classic arrogant young master types.
His condescending gaze swept across the classroom, as if everyone present existed on a lower plane than him. Every movement, every subtle expression, screamed superiority.
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth and granted everything he could ever want, it was almost inevitable that his personality would develop this way.
But to be fair, Leon wasn't a villain.
Not really.
Despite his arrogance, he was firmly on the side of the "good guys." His attitude was more a result of his upbringing than malice. Surrounded from birth by similarly arrogant elites, he had simply absorbed their behavior.
In fact, after I made several adjustments to his character during development, he eventually grew into one of the most popular figures in the story—especially among female readers.
At present, he was insufferable.
But as the story progressed and he faced repeated setbacks and failures, he would mature. Slowly. Painfully. Yet undeniably. By the later arcs, he would become far more tolerable… even respectable.
While Leon drew the attention of most of the girls, the boys had their eyes fixed elsewhere.
Seated directly in front of him was a slender beauty whose presence rivaled even Freya's.
Her sleek black hair was tied loosely with a simple hairpin, cascading down to her waist. Her delicate face, free of any makeup, radiated a natural beauty and innocence that stirred a subconscious desire to protect her in anyone nearby.
Ignoring the quiet attempts of others to strike up a conversation, she remained focused on the book in her hands. A cold, aloof aura surrounded her, making her incredibly difficult to approach.
Eleza Valentin.
Daughter of Victor Valentine—known across the human domain as "Dawn Hunter", the leader of the second-largest guild.
Like Leon, Eleza had been born into privilege. But unlike him, she had not grown arrogant or haughty.
She was well-mannered. Intelligent. Calm. And often kind.
Whenever the protagonist found himself in trouble, Eleza would quietly step in to help, never asking for recognition or praise.
If she had a flaw, however, it was her coldness.
A deep, ingrained coldness.
Born into such a prestigious family, she had been exposed to political schemes and power struggles from a young age. Other guilds and shadow organizations frequently targeted her, hoping to use her as leverage against her family.
Forced to navigate deception and danger far earlier than most, she had matured too quickly. Emotional distance became her shield, giving rise to her aloof personality.
Watching her sit there in silence, I shook my head and resumed searching for a seat.
After a brief glance around the room, I chose a spot on the third row to the right.
As far away from the main characters as possible.
There was no way I was getting involved with them.
I was just going to sit here like a proper background character—pretend to be air.
Why?
Simple.
The main characters were literal calamity magnets.
Anything that could go wrong would go wrong around them. Getting close was practically an invitation to disaster.
I was here to live.
Not to die.
Besides, even if I did try to interact with them, the most likely outcome was being completely ignored.
Glancing at the clock, I noted the time.
8:30 A.M.
Classes wouldn't start until nine.
With nearly an hour to spare, I rested my head on my folded arms and closed my eyes.
—
"Attention!"
A sharp voice echoed across the classroom, jolting me awake.
I lifted my head just in time to see the instructor standing behind the podium, her gaze sweeping across the room.
"Today is your first day," she said calmly, "so nothing special is planned. But I sincerely hope none of you slacked off during the period after your acceptance."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"How do you expect to graduate from this academy if you lack discipline?"
—BAM!
She slammed her hand onto the podium.
A powerful shockwave rippled outward.
Desks rattled. Chairs scraped violently across the floor. Most of the students—including me—were pushed back in our seats.
Only a handful remained unmoved.
Freya.Leon.Eleza.And a few others.
Her gaze lingered on them for a brief moment, a trace of satisfaction flashing across her face.
"There will be no slacking off in my classroom."
Placing both hands on the podium, she straightened.
"Now, we'll begin with self-introductions. I am Aria Longbern, your personal instructor for this year—and for the years to come."
That name.
I knew it.
Of course I did.
She was one of the characters I had spent the most time designing.
And standing there now, she looked every bit as striking as I had imagined.
The Calamity Witch… Aria Longbern.
Her black hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, her presence commanding the room without effort. Every movement she made drew attention, as though the air itself responded to her.
But what stood out most were her violet eyes—beautiful, dangerous, and deep enough to make one lose themselves if they stared too long.
From a young age, she had practiced an extremely rare enchantress art, granting her an overwhelming presence that affected both humans and demons alike.
On the battlefield, she was terrifying.
With her abilities, she could turn allies against one another and completely collapse enemy formations.
Even now, as she stood calmly before the podium, the classroom was utterly captivated.
Even Leon seemed affected, his usual arrogance faltering for just a moment.
As for me?
I quickly averted my gaze and steadied my breathing.
She wasn't someone to mess with.
Not only was she immensely powerful, but she was also an S-rank member of the Union, ranked 156th on the Hero Registry.
Approaching her carelessly would be suicidal.
"I'm sure most of you already know who I am," Aria continued, unfazed by the reactions around her.
"As it's your first day, I won't take much of your time. I can already see some of you look exhausted."
Her eyes briefly swept across the room.
"Perhaps you were too excited to sleep… or trained all night. Either way, we'll keep this session short."
An angel.
She was an angel sent from the heavens.
I lowered my head slightly, calming my thoughts.
Amitabha.
I am one with the sky.