Chapter 8: Curiosity
"Her name's Rizel. She looks normal now, but she'll eventually become one of the most dangerous villains this world has ever seen," I said, leaning back in my chair with my hands behind my head.
But she seems so innocent, the voice in my head pointed out.
"She probably was, initially. People don't usually start off wanting to burn the world down." I shrugged, watching the girl in question chat with her friends below. "But something changed her."
What?
"Curiosity."
The silence that followed was almost deafening.
"Look, I know it sounds ridiculous," I continued, anticipating the obvious question. "But it's not ordinary curiosity. Her bloodline ability amplified it to an insane degree. Imagine being so curious about something that it literally consumes every waking moment of your existence."
That still doesn't explain—
"She became obsessed with understanding the protagonist. Started as simple curiosity, but when you can't turn off that mental switch, curiosity becomes obsession. Obsession becomes possession. And possession..." I trailed off, watching Rizel laugh at something her friend said. The sound was actually pleasant. Hard to believe that same laugh would one day accompany some truly horrific acts.
So she falls for him?
"In the most twisted way possible. When she realized he wasn't interested in commitment, she decided the logical solution was to eliminate every other girl in his life." I rubbed my temples. "The worst part? She was smart about it. Made it look like accidents, coincidences. By the time anyone figured it out, half the female cast was already dead."
The classroom door opened, cutting off my morbid exposition. A man strode in with the kind of presence that made everyone shut up immediately. Finally, someone with actual authority.
"Take your seats. We're starting," he announced. The scramble that followed would've been comical if I wasn't so focused on survival strategies.
"I'm Maxwell Glen Wilston, your Mana Theory instructor for the next month," he continued once everyone settled. "You're currently in a combined class because the initial assessments were insufficient. After this month's grading period, you'll be split into advanced and standard tracks."
A girl in the middle raised her hand. "The dorms are set up for pairs. Is there a reason?"
"After grading, you'll receive permanent roommate assignments. And yes, I mean permanent—until graduation."
The collective anxiety in the room was almost tangible. I felt it too. Being stuck with the wrong person could be a death sentence, literally in my case.
"Can assignments be changed?" someone else asked.
"Under specific conditions, but the process is extremely difficult."
More nervous murmurs. Maxwell pointed to another raised hand.
"Last question on this topic."
A girl stood up. "My assigned roommate is male. Isn't that inappropriate?"
The whispers started immediately. I had to admire her directness.
"Gender isn't a factor in assignments," Maxwell replied after a pause. "However, placements consider power levels. You won't be paired with someone who poses a physical threat. Additionally, there are severe penalties for rule violations. You'll learn the specifics later."
He moved to the front row. "Now, introductions. Standard procedure."
And so began what I could only describe as the most stressful roll call of my life.