Heroes of Veridia: Evelyn's Journey

Evelyn and the White Knights stood among the crowd of students as the Manager addressed them about the recent death. The atmosphere was tense, a mix of curiosity and fear spreading throughout the room.

A nervous male student, his voice trembling, asked, "What will happen to the murderer?"

The Manager clasped his hands together, his tone steady. "He will be handed over to the police. However, most of you know about the deceased girl's family, and you already understand what his fate will be." He paused before continuing, "The agility and reflex training will continue, but the time has been changed. It will be more intense in the evening. Prepare yourselves." With that, he walked out, instructors and guards following closely behind.

As murmurs spread among the students, one of them whispered, "Why would someone kill in an assassination school?"

A blonde-haired student scoffed, "He must be stupid."

Evelyn leaned toward her group—Logan, Selene, and Vivian—and said, "If the murderer has a short fuse, blondie might be next."

Logan, his expression serious, replied, "He killed someone under the noses of trained assassins and hasn't been caught. He's not stupid enough to go after another student right away."

Evelyn smirked playfully. "I said 'if.' He's already done it once, so why stop now?"

Vivian, with a glance toward the instructors, added, "The instructors and guards are now cautious."

Selene, unimpressed, shot back, "If they weren't paying attention this whole time, they're frauds for thinking they can mold us into assassins."

Logan defended the school's reputation. "Phantom Edge is the best assassin school in Veridia. Most of the top assassins out there were once students like us."

Selene, with a teasing smile, responded, "And the bookworm strikes again. Bet you topped your class, didn't you?"

Logan shrugged. "I had some competition."

Evelyn and Vivian exchanged surprised looks, not expecting Logan to answer so casually.

Selene, with a playful glint in her eye, continued, "If your bully," she gestured to Evelyn, "had bullied the suspect, maybe they did it for revenge."

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Are we playing detective now?"

Selene crossed her arms, smirking. "Got anything better to do?"

Logan's voice grew more thoughtful. "We don't know when or how she was killed. Getting that info would help. I just wish we could get some details from the Manager, but I doubt he'd tell us anything."

Evelyn shrugged lightly, her tone playful. "You haven't tried yet. Selene could sweet-talk the Manager, and you two could make yourselves useful by checking the girl's dorm for clues."

The group paused, waiting for Evelyn to share what she planned to do, but she remained silent.

Vivian broke the silence, her voice curious. "And what will you be doing?"

Evelyn smirked, pretending to be modest. "I'm going to prepare for the upcoming test. You guys are way better than me." She chuckled lightly. "I'll be in my dorm if you need me."

Selene raised an eyebrow. "You think I can get the Manager to spill any information?"

Evelyn turned as she walked toward the gym door, her voice casual. "You just want to know how she died. What's the harm in that? Tell him you and Logan want to gain experience by helping with the investigation. As for me, I've got preparations to make." And with that, she made her exit.

Vivian relaxed on the ground, her gaze shifting to her friends. "So, what are we going to do?"

Logan responded confidently, "I'll ask the instructors for permission to examine Leah's room."

Selene, with her usual playful tone, added, "And I... will talk to the Manager."

Vivian sighed but agreed, "I'll keep an eye out for any suspicious activity."

Logan turned to her, "Could you also keep an eye on Vanessa and her friends?"

Vivian groaned, "Do I have to?"

Logan nodded, and with a reluctant sigh, Vivian agreed. "Okay."

With their objectives set, Selene and Logan left the gym to complete their tasks.

Meanwhile, Evelyn made her way to her dorm. A few students lingered in the hallway, chatting casually.

Suddenly, a voice spoke in her mind—it was Number One, communicating telepathically from Veridia. He had just completed his hero registration and gained his official Heroic Heights identification. Now, Number One was an official hero of Veridia.

"I'm done," Number One informed her.

Evelyn quickly responded, "You can't use my card to make big purchases. They'll think you stole it. Start by catching some petty criminals and handing them over to the police. Heroic Heights will deposit money into your account. Then find a place to stay. We'll talk tomorrow." After thinking for a moment, she added, "Actually, just keep catching criminals and helping other heroes until I need something. Use my card for whatever you need, and try not to get yourself killed."

Suddenly, she was interrupted by a voice from the hallway. A familiar silver-eyed boy approached her, "Who are you talking to?"

Evelyn glanced around to make sure no one else was watching. "No one."

Number One cut in telepathically, "I'll get back to you."

Evelyn replied mentally, "That would be great," before turning her attention fully to the boy in front of her. "Can I help you?" she asked, casually slipping her hands into her tracksuit pockets.

The boy shifted nervously. "I'm Adam."

Evelyn nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"I wanted to thank you for giving me your food the other day. I appreciate it," Adam explained.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I never gave you my food."

Adam looked confused, gesturing toward the cafeteria. "But..."

Evelyn cut him off with a chuckle. "That wasn't my food. But since he was with me, it's mine, so yeah, you're welcome."

She expected him to leave, but he continued standing there. "Do you... need something?"

Adam shifted awkwardly before finally blurting out, "I was hoping you could help me with the morning exercise. On the first day, you were struggling, but now you're finishing before most of the students even wake up. How did you do it?"

Evelyn's eyes narrowed slightly as she replied carefully, "I worked harder than everyone."

Adam frowned, clearly not convinced. "In just two days? That's not possible. Were you pretending to be weak?"

Her patience wore thin, and her voice dropped to a dangerously calm tone. "Sorry, I can't help you."

Not deterred, Adam stepped closer, positioning himself directly in front of her. "Are you gifted? It's not against the rules to use your gift here, so why are you hiding it?"

Evelyn's voice dropped even lower, her tone icy. "I. Worked. Hard."

Adam raised his hands defensively. "I'm sorry. I don't want to be stuck eating that small portion forever. I want to get stronger."

Evelyn, calm but slightly amused, asked, "And you think I'm the one who can help you?" She pretended to be surprised.

Adam nodded enthusiastically.

Evelyn shook her head, chuckling softly. "You're out of your mind. There are plenty of people here stronger than me. Go ask them for help and leave me out of it. I can't help you."

"But—" Adam began.

"What?!" Evelyn snapped, growing tired of the conversation.

"They've been bullying me," Adam confessed, his voice quieter now. "I can't go to them."

Evelyn sighed, slightly softening. "A friend of mine will help you." Without another word, she walked away.