An awkward silence filled the room. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to speak up, but I knew that I had to take charge. With confidence in my eyes, I looked at the man on the stage and repeated, "I have experience when it comes to demons."

The man lifted the right corner of his lips in a small smile. "Good," he said, before glancing at the man with the long black hair standing in the corner and giving him a nod. I couldn't help but wonder who this other man was and what his role was in all of this.

The man on the stage continued to talk, explaining how this year's curriculum would focus on teaching students how to deal with demons and demonic power. As he spoke, I listened intently, eager to learn more about this, curious why would they even bring it up since the demons were supposed to be kept hidden.

As I stood in the audience, the man on the stage kept glancing in my direction while he spoke. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, but I didn't bother to look away. I wasn't intimidated by anyone, especially not this man.

I could tell that he was trying to size me up, to see if I had what it takes to handle demons and the dark powers that come with them. But I knew that I was more than capable of handling anything that came my way.

But even as I listened, I couldn't help but feel a sense of boredom creeping over me. This man seemed to be taking forever to get to the point, and I was ready to get my hands dirty and start fighting demons if I needed to.

As the man finished speaking and the audience began to applaud, I stepped forward and made my way out.

I could feel the energy in the room shifting. The man on the stage looked at me with a mix of curiosity.

Feeling relieved to finally have some space to myself. It had been a long day of traveling and meeting new people, and I was ready to just relax in my room. As I walked, I felt a light weight on my shoulder and turned to see Zuri.

"Do you want to know who's this man?" she asked, tilting her head towards a stranger nearby.

I shook my head, "No, we need to go back to the room and finish unpacking."

Just then, Dante appeared, trying to be friendly. "You don't mind if I follow you back, everything is still new to me here," he said.

I sighed, already feeling annoyed. "Do whatever you want. But don't bother me," I replied curtly.

With that, we made our way back to the room, Zuri perched on my shoulder and Dante trailing behind us. I couldn't wait to finally have some peace and quiet.

As we kept walking, a group of guys with blue jackets walked past us, looking down on everyone as if they owned the place. I tried to ignore them and keep walking, but one of them pushed me roughly and turned around to face me, with short dark hair and piercing blue eyes.

"You made my jacket dirty," he sneered, looking down at his now smudged jacket.

I let out a short sigh, already feeling irritated by the interruption. "Your mouth made it dirty," I replied, staring back at him with a cold gaze.

The guy seemed taken aback by my answer, but before he could say anything else, his friends dragged him away, their laughter echoing down the hallway. I shook my head, feeling annoyed at their rudeness, I knew if I had to let it happen, at least they should learn after.

"...Rowen?" Zuri whispered.

"Not now," I replied and stared at the retreating back of the guy with the blue jacket, feeling a surge of anger and frustration building inside me. Without thinking, I lifted my finger and started to circulate the blood inside his body, feeling the power of my magic coursing through me.

The guy fell to his knees, coughing and spluttering as some blood came out of his mouth. I watched him with a cold gaze, feeling no remorse for what I had just done. He had pushed me for no reason, and I had simply defended myself.

I leaned forward and spoke in a low voice, "Now it's dirty." With that, I turned on my heel and continued on my way back to the room, with Zuri still perched on my shoulder.

I knew that my actions might have consequences, but I didn't care. I was tired of being pushed around and treated like dirt by people who thought they were better than everyone else. And if anyone crossed me again, they would face the same fate as the guy with the blue jacket.

I could feel Dante's eyes following me as I walked back inside our room. He was trying to say something, probably trying to praise me for my recent victory in the tournament. But I couldn't be bothered to listen to him. I had other things on my mind.

The noise in the hall was still echoing, as people whispered about my power. I could feel their eyes on me, and it was starting to annoy me. I just wanted to be left alone.

"Hey Rowen, congratulations on your victory!" Dante called out to me.

I turned to look at him and gave him a half-hearted smile. "Thanks," I muttered, not really interested in talking to him.

Dante continued to follow me, trying to make a small talk, but I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. The noise from the surrounding people was starting to grate on my nerves and I couldn't wait but to just shut the door.

"I heard you're really good with a sword," Dante continued, oblivious to my disinterest.

I stopped walking and turned to face him. "Look, Dante, I appreciate the praise, but I really don't have time for small talk right now," I said, my voice laced with annoyance.

Dante looked taken aback, but quickly recovered. "Oh, sorry Rowen. I just wanted to be friendly," he said.

I sighed, "then try looking for friends somewhere elese."

Dante nodded understandingly. "I get it. Well, if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me," he said, before walking away.

As I tried to settle into my new dorm room, I couldn't shake the feeling of irritation that settled in my gut. The main villain was now my roommate, and I knew that I needed a plan if I was going to survive the coming days.

The hero of the story had asked me to befriend him, to try and gather information that might be useful in our fight against him. But the thought of becoming friends with someone who had caused so much pain and suffering made my skin crawl.

I knew that it was the least I wanted to do, but I also knew that it might be necessary if I was going to keep myself ready.historical

As I unpacked my belongings, I tried to come up with a plan. I couldn't just ignore him, but I also couldn't let my guard down around him.

I decided to keep my interactions with him to a minimum, only speaking to him when absolutely necessary. I would try to gather information from him, but I would also be careful not to reveal too much about myself.