After reaching the center of the stage, Rock gave Sleepers a long look. When his gaze passed through Otto, he felt a slight discomfort, one that he had no idea as to why. Silk, who was at his cheek, felt it too. A chill passing through her exoskeleton.
But he didn't pay Otto any attention and returned his gaze to the front rows of the crowd. Finally, he said in a deep, reverberating voice:
"I am Awakened Rock. Sleepers, welcome to the Academy."
Everyone listened to him, without making a sound, all except Otto.
And why would he? He could probably say the entire speech along with Rock if he wanted to. Instead, he looking around, curious about all the extras the novel had never bothered describing.
Seeing in real life, he understood why. Most of them looked… too normal, well, normal to a pack of future power beings. And he knew why, after all.
'Most of them are going to die in the Forgotten Shore…' It was their Fate, one they couldn't escape.
But what if they could? What if he tells them? What would happen? Would Fate break? Would find another way to kill them?
'Will I be sent to the Forgotten Shore as well? …Probably not.'
They were sent there because their Fates were tangled with that place. His wasn't. In fact, he could be sent literally anywhere: the Underworld, Bastion, the Chained Isles, the Desert… hell, he could even end up in God's Grave, for all he knew. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that the story began at the Forgotten Shore, he would very much like being sent there.
He'd have a chance to snatch the Weaver's Mask, the Mantle of the Underworld—maybe even Saint, if he were lucky. Still, it was better not to. Breaking Fate so early was probably the worst idea imaginable. Not only would it spoil his wish to explore, but it would also throw the entire plot into the dumpster, robbing him of his greatest advantage: knowing the future.
'At least until Sunny becomes Fateless, I should go around changing anything important.'
So it felt strange, standing in a room full of walking dead people.
"... But in the Dream Realm, no such restrictions exist. Theoretically, you can stumble upon an Unholy Titan and die before even realizing what happened. So be careful and stick to the regions with enemies on par with your own rank. It's not an ironclad guarantee, but at least there will be less of a chance of you biting off more than you can chew."
The speech wasn't far from ending. Otto let out a loud yawn—one loud enough to attract Luke's attention.
"Hey, since when were you there?" he whispered.
"I just got here."
Their talk attracted the attention of the two young women at Luke's side. For a moment they were surprised, not by his sudden appearance, but by his dark blue uniform. They thought he was another Instructor, only for a second thought, before ignoring and turning back to Rock.
"That is all for today. Next, follow the instructions sent to your communicators to find your assigned dormitory. Once settled, you may proceed to the cafeteria for some late supper. There will be a round of interviews after that, to prepare your suggested curriculums. Get a good night's rest. Your training starts tomorrow."
With that, he gave them a short nod and left.
'Late supper? How long did I napped?'
Now that Rock left, the talk began once again, more intense even.
"Let me introduce you," Luke said, pointing towards the girls. First, he pointed towards the one at the right. "This is Layla."
Layla had black hair at wrist length, light green eyes that at first glance seemed emotionless, but Otto could sense a certain suspicion in them. With her ivory skin, Otto couldn't deny that she was pretty.
"It's a pleasure." she said, with a small nod.
"And this is Lara." Luke continued, pointing at the girl at the left.
Lara had platinum blond hair that reached her neck, which didn't suit her red eyes at all. At least she wasn't looking at him suspiciously, instead she seemed cautious, as if Otto was some kind of animal. Not that he cared.
"Pleasure to meet you." she said, shortly.
"Nice to meet you two," he responded emotionlessly. "I see you later, Luke. I have to find someone to give me a communicator."
"Don't you have one?" Luke asked.
"I don't"
"I see. Then, let's exchange numbers when you get one."
Otto raised an eyebrow, why would he do that?
"Sure." he responded without much thinking, "Then I will be going. See you later"
They waved goodbye, and Otto vanished into the crowd.