"We'll be back, Ermand," Timothy said, resting a hand on Ermand's shoulder, who was sitting motionless on his bed. "I'm sure if my cheating is caught, I'll be with you, packing my stuff."

"Timothy," Emile scolded. "Don't worry, Ermand. You'll find your Aslehm as soon as possible and you'll be with us in our second year. I'm sure."

Ermand knew his words were just for the sake of bringing comfort to Ermand. Both of them were tentative if Ermand would achieve his Aslehm way before the first examination starts. They exited the room when they heard the first chime, leaving him alone with his packed bag that was dragged from under his bed. The scene of him entering into their room and spending all of his time during the two seasons of the year with them were still precise in his head. Moreover, he didn't know how to face his family, especially Mrs. Chisel, who had high hopes of him.

Timothy and the rest others seemed happy after their first exam was over. They said it was easier than they anticipated about how it would be. The second exam was Defense which was also quite good for them. All that time, Ermand spent his time either in his room or eating alone in the mess hall. And finally, it was the last exam of the series, the exam of the subject-clan studies. Ermand had nearly packed everything in his bag while his friends watched him with dismay. They weren't expecting it. The four of them hugged him before they left for the final exam.

"We'll always be there for you," Charlie whispered before leaving him alone in the room.

The exam seemed a bit difficult for Timothy and Charlie since it was Professor Derek Chestnut who prepared the question paper. The questions he prepared were just like him, insolent and difficult to understand.

It was Professor Chestnut in their class as the invigilator and cheating while he's there was an arduous task. During the middle of the exam, a thumping sound echoed through the walls of the classroom. The students looked around them doubiosly. But they soon ignored it and went about writing their answers. Again, an explosive sound followed after the second thumping.

Many of the students tried ignoring and immersed themselves in writing their exam as fast as they could and free themselves from the examination hall. But Timothy stared out of the window motionless.

"Concentrate in your exam, Timothy Chestnut," the Professor said, giving a gentle slap against his head.

Timothy was compelled to concentrate on the question to which he doesn't know the answer. He glanced at Charlie, two benches ahead to his right.

"Know the answer for eight?" Charlie mouthed, glancing at the Professor strolling behind them.

"No," Timothy mouthed. "Three?"

Charlie gave him a thumbs up and produced a small piece of paper from the inside of his bottle green sweater. He watched out for the Professor before levitating the small bit with his finger.

"Perfect," Timothy whispered, muffling his snicker and grabbed the small chit of paper.

"What in the world are you both doing, Timothy Chestnut and Charles Daller?" Professor Chestnut said in a grave tone from behind them.

Charlie turned to his paper, gulping. Timothy immediately swallowed the paper bit.

"Swallowing is not a good option, Chestnut. Get up!" He hissed, turning his back away from them.

Timothy flinched and got up from his bench, wrinkling his nose. Emile shook his head at them and continued merciless writing on the paper.

Professor Chestnut's scolds were muffled by a large explosion sound that seemed like a streakfall that hit the grounds of Agledon University. All of the students were shaken with the sudden uproar.

"I will be right back," Professor Chestnut said, hurrying out of the classroom. He sweated while he dashed out of the classroom.

While in the dorm, Ermand ran toward the large glass window to watch a streak fall on the grounds of Agledon.

What will happen now?

He placed a hand on the glass of the window, gulping. The streakfall was louder than usual. It's intensity has increased to a greater extent. Nothing was right. When he was staring outside the window, a pain struck his throat. It was so intense that it caused him to fall on the bed.

"Ahh-" He groaned in pain.

The pain soon travelled all over his body, not missing any part of him. Ermand gasped for breath as the pain hit all of his nerve endings. He thought that he would succumb to death.

He wriggled in the bed and later fell on the ground horribly. He had no one to call for help. Either everybody must be taken into a safe place or still in their classroom, but never near to him.

Tears sprang up in his eyes as the intensity of the pain increased double the level it had ever struck in him. For a moment, he thought it was better if he died rather than experiencing the excruciating pain. Death can never be more painless than the situation he was under. It wasn't the hammering effect he was having, rather he experienced the torment of being pierced with daggers on every part of his body.

"Arghh!" He cried. His hands were closed into a tight fist that banged at the bedpost. He couldn't be more hurt.

To his relief, the pain faded away before Ermand thought he had died of pain. He immediately ran out of the dorm and to the corridors to his classroom. That was the only idea that had popped up in his mind. Get to the classroom as fast as possible and seek help.

"Everybody, rush to the great assembling hall!" Professor Chestnut shouted to the students, who did as he was told before he could even finish.

"What about Ermand?" Edwin asked his friends.

"Let's go to the dorm before Professor Chestnut sees us. Come," Emile replied, deviating from the crowd of students rushing to the Great Assembling hall.

They didn't realize that Alfreda Trainor noticed their deviation from the crowd and quietly followed after them. While the friends dashed toward the dormitory, Ermand hurried to his classroom to find no one there. There were only papers lying on the desk, benches and the floor.

Everybody must've hurried out of the classroom.

He turned left and right, thinking where the rest of them had gone. A sound disturbed him from his thoughts. The sound seemed as if it belonged to a hurricane. He followed the sound, trying to find its source.

What if it's coming from the students and teachers who must've gathered in some safe place.

Ermand walked forward in search of the safe place he thought. He was surprised to find that the sound had emerged from the same small room in his dream. The same room they found Damien sneaking into.

Ermand walked slowly, expecting something perilous to happen. The situation outside the college building wasn't right, it made him doubt what would be happening inside the room. He peeped into the room through the narrow gap between the almost closed doors. A thin and lean dark figure before him but his clear vision was covered by the doors. While trying to peek in, he accidentally stumbled upon the door and fell in front of the figure with his back at him, creating a crashing sound.

His eyes bulged out of incredulity. He frowned, shut his eyes and opened to see whether what he had seen was true or if he was just dreaming or having hallucinations. The tall figure walked to him, his footsteps echoed in Ermand's ears.