Do you believe in God?

This question has brought on a variety of revelations into the world.

Everyone tries to find the answer to this question. Whether it be an ordinary person or the most skilled scientist.

But to begin with, what is God?

Christianity believes that God is the eternal supreme being who created and preserves all things.

According to the Qur'an, Allah is omniscient and omnipotent. He always knows what will happen. He knew all things before the world was created.

According to the Vedas, God is attributeless, opinionless, intangible, and indefinite Supreme Consciousness.

It has aroused countless debates, depicted immeasurable voyages, and broken many hearts…

Yet the question stays… no one has been able to answer it, nor prove its irrelevance.

Or is it so that we're asking the wrong question in the first place? Maybe we should not ask if God exists or if who is God but rather…

Does the devil exist?

One day these questions are to be answered. The very day you humans are to meet your end. The day you all receive your judgment. That would be the day you will see… not God, but me, the Devil.

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26th August

It was a pleasant morning with the sun shining in through the windows of the dorms, projecting its white light on the brown wooden floor. The array of rooms started to light up with noise as the students woke up and got ready for a new day.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" A wail pierced through Dorm C and put all the students in unease. A few rushed to the room the sound came from- Room 269.

What they saw was Yuki in his night clothes sitting on his bed in absolute horror and Antonio next to him. No one understood what was happening, but Yuki presumably had a nightmare.

"Hey, Yuki you good?" Asked Antonio.

"I- I saw a dream-" Yuki stammered

"What dream?"

"It was him- the devil. I-In a f-forst. That forest-"

"What was in that forest Yuki?"

"That forest brought me there. On its own."

"It brought you there?"

"Yes. The forest can summon anyone. And they will come. It is calling me. It is calling me from the dark. I don't want to go! I don't want to go, Tonio!"

"You're going nowhere Yuki, you're going nowhere." Antonio hushed Yuki to calm him down.

"No! It's a curse! Curse of Azazel! It will get me there anyway." Yuki began raising his voice.

"Calm down Yuki! Nothing is going to happen! Even if someone makes you go to the forest I won't let you go there. Now calm down, take a few deep breaths, and get ready. I'll make something for you to eat." Saying so he left Yuki by himself on his bed and addressed the crowd that had gathered outside to leave.

Yuki listened to Antonio's instructions and got ready as told. After eating their breakfast they walked to their class.

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Antonio and Yuki walked side by side, their figures casting long shadows on the grey pavement as the sun's bright rays bathed the surroundings in warmth. As they were walking Antonio asked Yuki about his dream, "What exactly did you see in your dream Yuki?" The question immediately made Yuki uncomfortable, yet he mustered the courage to answer it, "It was hell…" his voice dried up only in a few words.

"Yeah, I can tell it was something terrifying. But what exactly did you see?" Antonio inquired, his curiosity mixed with concern.

Yuki's face turned pale as he spoke with a shiver in his voice, "It was hell... literally..."

"And what did you encounter there?" Antonio pressed for more details.

Yuki fell silent, his eyes reflecting fear and reluctance. He struggled to find the words, but his voice barely came out as a whisper, "I... I can't go back there... I can't..."

Tonio sensed the deep distress in Yuki's voice and realized he might not be speaking to him anymore. They walked in silence, Yuki lost in his thoughts and Tonio following alongside him, unsure of what to say or do. They continued their journey together until they reached the academy.

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When they reached their class they took a seat adjacent to each other. While waiting for the class to fill in and for Miss Yuan to come in, a few students approached Tonio inquiring about the mayhem the news was already spreading. He explained the situation and asked them to not disturb Yuki. Slowly the class filled and then Miss Yuan entered. The atmosphere suddenly changed.

Her expression was more grim than usual which sent a chill around, making everyone anxious. "Students…" she addressed the class, "we here at Avalon HQ, have acquired some important information regarding mysterious activities taking place on Earth. We have decided to use this opportunity as a means for your training. We have decided to split you all into teams and send you to the site to analyze the situation. For your safety, we will be sending your seniors with you who will oversee the situation but not interfere until necessary. This is going to be a very critical mission and it all depends on your performance, that's why we have decided to nominate the best-performing students to the Student Council."

The ice broke, and small comments could now be heard going around the students. Those words sparked stars in everyone's eyes. For the students it seemed like a golden opportunity to get what they thought to be out of their bounds… but they didn't realize the gravity of the situation, and Miss Yuan knew that.

The joy and excitement weren't shared by Tonio Arnold and Yuki, they had their doubts, and they raised their hands amidst the growing babble. "I know what you wish to ask, Mr. Brown and Mr Prada. You wish to know what will happen to those who are already nominated for the student council, right? The answer to that question is, you would be directly made a member of the student council."

Their eyes went wide, at that very moment they knew it would be tough competition and only one of them could win. Tonio grabbed his golden shoulder buttons elated by his thoughts.

But this still didn't resolve Yuki's disarray. Elated emotions made Antonio forget about his friend sitting next to him, it was as if the news had everyone encapsulated in different ways and Miss Yuan was watching as the whole scenario was unfolding. Yuki decided to speak of his own and raised his hand.

"Yes, what is it, Mr. Tachibana?" Asked Miss Yuan, Yuki hesitantly stood up and asked, "Ma'am, about the location of the mission, where exactly is it on Earth?" Yuki asked hesitantly.

Miss Yuan didn't say anything immediately but rather waited. She observed Yuki's state for a few seconds and then said, "Middle East." Yuki noticed the deliberate lack of information and now he wanted to know more, his curiosity overcame any other weaknesses stopping him. "...where exactly in the Middle East, ma'am?". She took a moment to gather her thoughts, her gaze shifting from Yuki to the entire class. It was evident that she had a tale to share—a tale that held deeper implications.

"Two days ago," Miss Yuan began, her voice carrying a weight of significance, "a boy from the city of Hura took to an online forum to vent his frustrations. He expressed his discontent about waking up early in the bitter cold, awaiting a bus that would transport him to his destination." The students exchanged perplexed glances, trying to comprehend the relevance of this seemingly mundane story. Miss Yuan, aware of their confusion, pressed on.

"After approximately twenty minutes of ranting, he mentioned that his bus had finally arrived, and without further ado, he boarded it," she continued. Pausing for a moment, she observed her class, allowing the tension to build. And then, with a measured tone, she delivered the chilling revelation. "However, that boy and the bus he boarded were never seen again." A collective shiver ran through the classroom as if a gust of icy wind had swept through the walls.

Miss Yuan's words hung in the air, reverberating with a sense of foreboding. She revealed that similar cases of mysterious disappearances had been occurring with alarming frequency. Further investigations had uncovered a common thread among the missing individuals—they all possessed one of the elusive .

A heavy silence enveloped the classroom as the gravity of the situation sank in. The students grasped the severity of the circumstances, their minds racing with questions and concerns. What could be the connection between the and the vanishing individuals? How did these phenomena intertwine?

Breaking the silence, Miss Yuan pressed on, unveiling the location of their upcoming mission. The words "Yatir Forest" hung in the air, carrying a sense of both intrigue and trepidation. Situated in the country of Israel, the forest had become a hotspot for inexplicable Crux sightings. The organization had dispatched operatives to investigate the matter, only to discover a startling truth—the entire forest was concealed by a powerful magical veil, designed to evade the notice of authorities like themselves.

The revelation sent a ripple of astonishment through the class. The existence of such a clandestine operation, with its mysterious motives and hidden movements, posed a perplexing challenge. Miss Yuan revealed that they had compiled a list of suspects, but the true orchestrator of these events remained unknown.

The gravity of the mission was now apparent. Yuki's expression hardened. He knew what this forest was, and the actual solemnity of the dangers that lay there.

"There are many more things that need to be discussed but we will have to stop here, Miss Iva will be giving you more information on the immediate matter." Saying so Miss Yuan left the class, soon Miss Iva entered, smiling at Miss Yuan as she approached the podium.

Her face was as cheerful as always, it seemed as if she was enjoying the current situation. "So kids, are you ready to get your muscles hardened? I will be announcing your new schedule now, and let me tell you, it is full of training and training! Keep in mind this schedule is designed specifically to train you for this one mission. From now on, until the day you kids are sent to the forest, your schedule will be as follows:"

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1: Miss Yuan's Crux manipulation lectures: 90 minutes

2: Miss Iva's physical training: 120 minutes

3: Break: 30 minutes

4: Sir Jung Ji-Yeong (鄭 智英) Crux relics lecture: 90 minutes

5: Sir Jung Ji-Yeong (鄭 智英) Crux creatures lectures: 90 minutes

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"Now kids! You've got a lot on your plate and we have no time to waste! So let's just get your training started."