Chapter 16

He had just stepped out of the portal with another boy and was heading towards us. He came to halt just in front of me and was deep in conversation with his friend, oblivious to everyone around him.

From his straight ravishing jet black shoulder-length hair which was parted sideways and shone in the sun to that graceful oval face which enumerated a pointed chin, thin red lips and a fair complexion, he was the embodiment of perfection. One of the most prominent features was those captivating charcoal eyes, black as a raven, dark and cold as an abysmal abyss. There was no warmth in them and I seemed to have fallen right in. His long eyelashes curved upwards as if fanning his thin eyebrows. The black tank top and black cigarette pants he adorned were clinging to his chiselled body. A tattoo of a raven on his left shoulder glistened in the sun. He wasn't all muscular like werewolves but he was well-built with toned muscles. He stood at least 6 feet tall and was carrying a giant sword on his back.

Undoubtedly, he was the most handsome creature I had ever seen. Was he a werewolf or vampire or maybe a warlock? He could be a folkshel as well. I had no idea, it was all a bit new to me. And, I was feeling overwhelmed. I was staring and it was impossible to peel my eyes off him but it's rude to stare. I tried to avert my gaze only to find more people staring at me and talking in hushed voices.

I tried to look for Tanzil but she was clinging to a huge boy with curly brown hair and an overly muscular torso. That must be her boyfriend, I thought to myself.

Suddenly, there was a loud whistle in the air. Everyone turned around to see where the noise had come from. A girl with curly yellow hair which was cut short stood in front of us. She had a mischievous smile on her face and was holding a whistle.

"Hello! everyone and welcome to the 'Universal Institute of Magical Beings' I, would like to welcome all of you on behalf of the institute. I am Shumal, one of your teachers/masters/sensei/instructors and student facilitators. Call me whatever you like. You will be divided into groups and every group will be assigned a Sensei. You will obey their every command and they will be responsible for you. Refusing to obey your sensei or any other instructor will lead to serious consequences and can result in expulsion. We here at this institute don't believe in any rank, creed, colour, or royalty. Every student is equal here irrespective of their background. You will be judged and ranked here only according to your performance both in the classroom and outside on the field," she announced in a soft but authoritative voice.

A few more teachers had joined her and they seemed to be discussing something between them. After they were done talking amongst themselves she asked us all to stand in a straight line facing them.

" This time we have 25 novices which we will train to turn into "Slayers" so you people will be divided into groups of 5. If your name is called, please step forward," her voice was almost melodious and I couldn't help but stare as she began to sort us in groups.

Those who got sorted into groups went and stood with each other and started introductions with each other. Some looked pleased with the suggestion while others appeared to be a bit disappointed.

"Serene," she called my name and looked up to see as I stepped forward. I instantly felt others starting to murmur. I tried to focus instead of paying attention to the voices.

"Ayrden," and a short girl with blue-black hair stepped forward and came to stand on my left. She had a smile on her face and shook hands with me.

"Arlo," a tall lean boy with red hair and red eyes stepped forward and came to stand at a distance from us. He had lowered his gaze so as not to make eye contact.

"Mikasim," and the muscular curly brown hair boy Tanzil was clinging to came forward with a huge grin on his face and stood too close to me for my liking. Tanzil, on the other hand, didn't look so impressed because of his sorting. She was pouting from the looks of it.

"Zeph," the boy with dark hair and eyes I saw earlier stepped forward and came to halt at a distance from us. He looked uninterested and his expressions were totally blank. He had his hands in his pockets and was staring at us with a bored expression. His friend on the other hand looked cheerful.

"Artins Drugh will be your Sensei," she announced. I looked up to see him as he started to walk towards us. He had a mesmerising personality and looked only a few years older than us with his piercing golden yellowish eyes and brown skin which almost glowed. He oozed authority and his solemn expressions told me that he was not a man to cross.

"Heya! everyone. I will be your instructor/teacher/comforter/parent/Sensei and whatever role you would like to give me. I will always be there for you people to provide practical guidance in conquering your fears and mastering your strengths. If anyone has any questions, queries or issues my door would always be open. I would like all of you to try to get along and act as a team. For the next two years, this institute will be your home and hopefully, you will consider it one too. Get acquainted with each other and let's head back to the institute, where you people will be allocated your rooms and further instructions."

All of us nodded silently and awkwardly stared at each other, not really knowing what to do.