Shadows of the Tundra and Whispers at School

*Trrriiing*

"Alright, that's all for today, hope you all will revise this when you return home," the math teacher, Yamato, announced as he concluded the class, signalling that it was time for lunch.

"Thank you for your guidance!" All the students chimed in unison, although not all of them seemed particularly enthusiastic. Observing their lacklustre response, Yamato couldn't help but shake his head before leaving the classroom.

As the teacher exited the class, the students also dispersed. However, today, there was something odd. The students couldn't help but cast furtive glances at three individuals in particular: Kevin, Su, and Shroud.

The previous day, the three people in question were conspicuously absent, and today, Hayato was also missing.

While many remained uncertain about the specifics of what had transpired among the four, the students were acutely aware that something significant must have happened to keep them all away from school for two consecutive days.

The mysterious absence had piqued the curiosity of their peers, leaving them to speculate and exchange whispers in hushed tones.

While Kevin and Su had grown somewhat accustomed to the occasional scrutiny and hushed discussions among their peers, the sharp stares and whispered conversations still made them somewhat uncomfortable.

In contrast, however,  Shroud appeared unperturbed by the attention he received, largely ignoring the gazes directed his way, which were notably fewer in number compared to those directed at Kevin and Su.

Casually rising from his seat, Shroud was about to make his way to the cafeteria. However, he briefly paused, contemplating whether he should extend an invitation to Kevin and Su to join him.

As Shroud contemplated whether he should invite them or not, he weighed the potential consequences of drawing even more attention to himself due to the lingering stares and looks that Kevin and Su were already receiving.

However, he also considered the fact that extending this invitation might create a sense of indebtedness between the three of them.

Just as Shroud deliberated, Kevin rose from his seat, his request arriving at a perfect moment. "Hey, Shroud, mind joining us again for lunch?"

Shroud couldn't help but inwardly acknowledge the perfect timing. He nodded, accepting the invitation. "Sure, I can tag along."

With that, the three of them got up and left the classroom, heading to the cafeteria together. As they left the classroom, the whispers in the class began to ripple through the air.

While Kevin and Su couldn't quite discern the nature of the hushed conversations, but Shroud, thanks to his heightened senses—a perk of his Outlawed Rank—was privy to the students' comments.

"Looks like there would be three princes of Senba Academy now," one student remarked.

"You think so? In my opinion, I don't think I would call Shroud a prince," another replied.

"Then do you have any other suggestion as to what to call Shroud if not Prince?" a third student chimed in.

"Maybe Jester, but that also doesn't seem right since he doesn't look like someone silly; rather, he gives off an aura of a serious individual," another student mused.

"I agree. Shroud's aura is more like that of a person with high authority, like a king, but I'm not sure whether he should be called one," yet another student offered.

"If he's a king, then I must be a god. There's no way he's better than me, let alone Kevin and Su," someone boldly claimed.

"Shut it, Yamuchi," came the retort, silencing the exchange. The varying opinions on how to classify Shroud's position at Senba Academy filled the air as the students pondered the trio's evolving status in the school hierarchy.

Shroud continued to hear these murmurings among the students as he walked alongside Kevin and Su.

The debate about what to call him in light of their newfound notoriety seemed to be the topic of the moment.

He couldn't help but reflect on the complexity of gaining fame—while having some recognition wasn't inherently undesirable, the kind of fame it brought with it had to be useful; otherwise, it amounted to nothing more than unwarranted attention.

As Shroud walked through the academy's hallway, the chatter of the students faded into the background. He couldn't help but contemplate the sight of these teens at the peak of their youth.

"They are still teenagers after all. Well, that's to be expected from these, well, normal teenagers," he mused, a pensive expression forming on his face.

At that moment, a familiar face flashed in his mind: Luna. It had been over a year since they had last had any contact with each other.

Shroud's thoughts momentarily drifted back to the time he had spent with his cheeky junior. He hadn't exactly hated her presence. His gaze then shifted forward, focusing on Su and Kevin.

Observing the two individuals whom he had only recently met, he could only make one comment about them: "Honestly, they are pretty normal."

Unlike Luna, who was truly a unique and unforgettable individual in her own right, the two princes of Senba Academy appeared to be like ordinary people.

Shroud shook his head, trying to push the memories of that person to the background, but he couldn't help but wonder, "What is she doing right now?"

****

In the far reaches of Northern Asia, where the world seems to stretch to infinity, lies a land of extraordinary beauty and chilling desolation — the Siberian Tundra.

It is a place that defies the imagination, where nature reigns with an iron grip, and the very earth beneath one's feet remains perpetually frozen.

As the sun paints the vast horizon in shades of pink and orange, the tundra awakens from its icy slumber.

Here, in the northern expanse of Siberia, the Ural Mountains stand as ancient sentinels in the west, guarding this enigmatic land. To the east, the boundless Pacific Ocean whispers secrets of distant shores.

Yet, today, in this remote realm, someone had willingly ventured into the heart of the Siberian Tundra.

This individual resembled a goddess, her long white hair coupled with her mesmerizing golden eyes that radiated an otherworldly aura, an enchanting glow reminiscent of the celestial orb that hung above the sky.

Her skin, as pristine and luminous as the moon's surface, exuded an unfathomable vitality, as though she held a secret connection to the cosmos.

She had an unmatched allure to her, that could capture the hearts of both men and women alike. In this harsh land, she stood as if she was impassive to all the cold and harsh climate of this region.

Unlike many who wore warm and heavy clothes to protect themselves, she didn't wear any heavy clothing; instead, she was adorned in a luxurious pure white dress as she traversed the unforgiving tundra.

And this individual... was Luna. The same Luna whom Shroud had called his junior during his time at Dalton Grade School. However, unlike her teenage counterpart from that time, she now appeared as a mature woman.

"It should be north from here," Luna stated before she continued her journey in a northern direction. After travelling an unknown distance, she finally came across a tribe of people who lived on the northern plains of the Tundra—the Nenets.

Luna moved her hands through the air as if reality itself was succumbing to her will. The space trembled and strange lines began to materialize.

The lines danced in an intricate pattern, weaving in and out of existence. They coiled and weaved, intertwining with one another, forming a map of the world before Luna.

Luna observed the map, and on it, there were a total of 13 marks scattered across the map. Each of them was marked with a different stamp or, more specifically, an insignia of some sort.

Luna's frown deepened as her eyes fell upon the leftmost mark on the map, which indicated the city of New York. Beside it, there was a comment written: "Failed," along with a photo of a mysterious smiling Rabbit.

Her attention then shifted towards Greece, where a flowery insignia was present, glowing with the most beautiful shade of pink.

However, her gaze didn't linger there for long as she looked at another mark, this one located in Siberia. The mark seemed to come to life, emitting a shade of orange, and a cooldown timer appeared at the top of the mark.

"This should do, hopefully, this individual won't show up," Luna said, her gaze fixed on the smiling yellow rabbit with narrowed eyes.

****

At the cafeteria of Senba Academy, three individuals were peacefully having their lunch, and these three individuals were, of course, Kevin, Shroud, and Su.

Yet, beneath the guise of their peaceful expressions, there lingered a feeling of discomfort, particularly for the two among the three. As for the last individual, they remained mostly passive.

The reason behind Kevin and Su's discomfort stemmed from the persistent stares directed at them and another underlying issue.

The two friends exchanged glances with each other instead of focusing on Shroud, contemplating how they should proceed with their plan to befriend this individual before them.

Meanwhile, Shroud noticed the two's lingering gazes and couldn't help but wonder, 'Exactly what are these two plotting?'

However, as he was lacking any concrete idea about their intentions, he opted to disregard their stares. He took a sip from his cup of tea, only to discover it was empty.

Seeing his cup already empty, Shroud got up from his seat, a move that caught the attention of Kevin and Su. He informed them, "I will be back after refilling my tea," and made his way to the counter to replenish his cup.

As Shroud left the table, Kevin and Su immediately sprang into action, huddled together and conversing in hushed voices.

"So, any idea as to how we should ask him to be a friend?" Su inquired. Though Su was undoubtedly a bright student, if anyone were to overhear their conversation at this moment, they might think otherwise.

To outsiders, the matter of becoming friends with someone was as simple as extending a handshake and asking, "Can we be friends?" This was how most friendships typically began. However, Shroud was not just an ordinary individual.

In the eyes of Kevin and Su, Shroud was a unique person due to his past and his exceptional abilities. Upon hearing Su's question, Kevin responded, "I have thought of one plan, but I'm not sure if he would accept it."

"Oh really? What's your plan?" Su inquired, to which Kevin explained, "I was going to say to him, 'Hey Shroud, how about we become friends? In the future, if someone bullies you, you can ask me for help.'" Kevin's suggestion made Su sweatdrop.

"Shroud getting bullied? Wouldn't it be the other way around if someone tries to bully him," Su remarked incredulously, to which Kevin acknowledged that it was indeed a stupid proposal but soon he continued, "I do have another proposal."

"Sigh, alright, let's hear it anyway," Su said as he braced himself for Kevin's response.

"How about we offer him a tour around the city instead? Think about it, he just arrived in the city, and I think it would be a good way for us to make friends with him if we do him a favour by giving him a tour," Kevin suggested.

Su found this idea plausible, but a question still remained, "Will Shroud agree to it, though?" he asked.

"Agree to what?" Shroud's unexpected voice interrupted them. Both Kevin and Su turned to their sides to see Shroud holding another cup of hot tea, his usual poker face in place.

"Oh, Shroud, we were wondering..." Kevin's voice trailed off as Shroud questioned once again, taking a sip of his tea, "*Sip*, Wondering what?"

"We were wondering if we could give you a tour of the city next weekend, consider it a token of gratitude for helping us with the school fight case," Su said, with Kevin nodding in agreement.

"*Sip*, sure, I would appreciate that," Shroud responded in his usual monotonous voice, his poker face firmly in place.

"I see, look, we mean no harm. We just want to give you a tour—wait, what did you say?" Su asked, clearly surprised that Shroud had accepted their offer without hesitation.

"Your offer, I accept it, *sip*," Shroud replied, taking another sip of his tea.

"Okay, that's great," Kevin said just as the bell rang, signalling the end of the lunch break.

As the bell rang, the students began to exit the cafeteria, leaving Kevin and Su to get up from their seats. However, something strange occurred. They noticed that Shroud remained seated, leisurely sipping his tea.

"Umm, Shroud, the lunch break is over," Su reminded him. Shroud simply nodded in acknowledgement, saying, "I know. You two can go ahead."

Shroud's response was swift and direct, but it left Su and Kevin looking at each other with troubled expressions.

They were unsure about what to do next. Gathering some courage, Kevin attempted to get Shroud to stand up, but he was met with Shroud's piercing, narrowed eyes.

Seeing Shroud's intense gaze, Kevin froze in place, a deep sense of fear gripping his heart. His body felt as if it was in a state of free fall and this feeling became more profound with each passing moment, but then, just as suddenly as it started, the tension dissipated when Shroud averted his gaze.

Kevin snapped back to the present, his back covered in a cold sweat and his hands moist. "What was that?" he thought, his expression one of fear as he continued to look at Shroud.

"I'll arrive at the class after I finish my tea, so there's no need to be so concerned," Shroud reassured them as he returned his attention to the cup of tea in his hands.

"No, Shroud, I think you don't get it. It's not that we are too concerned about it. It's just that the cafeteria rules say that—" Su was on the verge of explaining one of the cafeteria rules to Shroud when a voice cut in.

"What is happening here?" A new voice chimed in. Kevin and Su looked at the source of the voice to see a woman with glasses and an old visage. Both of them thought, 'Crap, it's the lunch lady,' while Shroud didn't even look in her direction.

The elderly woman approached the trio with an annoyed expression. After getting close, she scolded them, "The bell has already rang. Hurry and go back to your classes. Don't you know that it's not allowed to stay here after the bell has rang?"

The woman pointed out that it was against the school rules to remain in the cafeteria after the lunch break bell had rang. Kevin and Su were already on their feet, but Shroud remained seated, drawing the woman's attention toward him.

As the woman approached Shroud, ready to enforce the rule and make him leave, her expression hardened in annoyance. She raised her hand, prepared to force him to get up, but her action was abruptly halted as she locked eyes with Shroud.

Terror suddenly gripped her heart, and her legs started to shake, causing her to collapse on the ground with a pale expression. "My apologies, miss. I am a new student at this academy and not too familiar with the rules. I hope you can overlook this action of mine," Shroud calmly explained.

Although Shroud apologized for staying in the cafeteria after the bell had rung, he also subtly suggested that this wouldn't be the only time he might break this rule.

The lunch lady, still trembling, responded, "Ah, yes. I hope this action won't... I hope I won't catch you doing this, again." She spoke in a shaky voice, but she didn't dare to utter the last word.

With that, the woman hastily left the cafeteria. Kevin and Su were left bewildered, as they had never seen the lunch lady so terrified before. Meanwhile, Shroud calmly took another sip from his cup.

To be continued...

****

A/N: Hope you enjoy the chapter and feel free to comment. Your thoughts and criticism are valuable in helping me improve and stay motivated to write more.

There might be a spoiler in this chapter.