Lord of Annihilation

'I need to make an excuse for his disappearance.'

After confirming her thoughts Olivia immediately moved to resolve this issue. While she did not exactly know, the circumstances behind that event, she still decided to help him from inside the academy.

'I can just ask him when he gets back. Then I'll get a clear picture.'

Right now, Olivia was walking through one of the paths leading to the staff building. The material that she was walking on resembled stone, but was clearly something different. Trees and bushes lined the sides and right sunlight filtered through the leaves.

They were well maintained by the careful presence of multiple gardening robots. In fact, since it was quite early in the morning she managed to spot some of the robots.

The amount of students walking in the path or heading in the same direction were quite low. Classes usually start at around 9 AM and that's when the maximum amount of students are seen.

Walking through the path for a while, Olivia eventually stood before a building. It wasn't much different in it's exterior compared to the other buildings in the academy. It possessed the standard glass panels on it's exterior and was multi-storeyed.

Olivia paused before the building for a second and took a deep breath. She then proceeded to adjust her hair, as it was quite messy. Her eyes still carried a faint trace of exhaustion, a remnant of her lack of sleep. She then stepped into the building.

Paying no attention to the lobby or furnitures, Olivia started moving in the direction of the 'Interstellar Mechanics' department, Lucius speciality. Walking down the multiple corridors, it could be seen that Olivia was very familiar with the layout of the building.

She often used to come to this building to run errands for her teachers. After a number of twists and turns, and climbing a few staircases, she came in front of the required room.

Olivia gently pushed open the door and entered the room. Looking around the room was still quite empty, spare for a scant amount of teachers arriving early or staying overnight.

Like the students, the teachers were also provided boarding facilities. Since most teachers here were actually renowned scientists and thinkers of the human Alliance, they were also provided various facilities, such a private labs, research grants, etc.

Looking around Olivia finally noticed the room belonging to Lucius' teacher. He was also the department head of this course and a renowned scientist in the Alliance.

Many developments pertaining to wary travel and teleportation gates were put forward by this man. Teleportation gates existed, but could only transport items. Humans or other living being could not yet enter these gates. Upon entering, they just go 'missing' and are never found again.

Lucius' research aimed precisely at this question.

She walked towards the door and gently knocked on it.

"Come in." a voice was heard from the inside.

"Please excuse me! " said Olivia and entered the room.

Seeing the sight inside the room confused Olivia for a second. The teacher whom she had come to meet was sitting in the had chair. This was common and was not worth any thought. But directly opposite to him, in the guest chair, sat a young lady.

Looking at the young woman's profile, Olivia's mind paused for a second. The lady in front of her was simply, too beautiful.

Olivia herself was not inferior in looks compared to this lady. Any random passerby if asked this question would reply in the same. Yet, this young lady before her possessed a kind of noble charm. It was a kind of royal aura that just came naturally from their actions and demeanor.

She had hair that was as golden as the sun, smooth and fair skin that possessed the right amount of color and green emerald eyes. The clear glasses she wore did not diminish any of her appeal, but further accentuated her 'scholarly' aura.

Olivia quickly calmed down her thoughts and gazed back at the professor with a confused expression. Yet, the man in question had a reverent gaze in his eyes as he looked at the young lady before him. There was no malicious or stunned looks in his eyes. It possessed care and reverence.

"Then, I'll leave it with you Uncle." a crisp, clear female voice was heard.

Olivia turned in that direction and realized that it came from the young lady.

"No problem, Young Miss. I'll note it down. Lucius, is it?" the professor nodded his head and asked in confirmation.

"Yes, just Lucius. I don't think he posses a last name." the young woman spoke.

"Well, since I am done here I'll leave. It seems you have another student waiting for you." saying so she got up from her seat and started to move towards the door.

"WAIT!", Olivia suddenly intervened.

While her voice wasn't too loud, the room was very quiet at that instant hence her voice came off a little to loud. Both of the other occupants in the room paused and looked at Olivia in confusion.

Olivia could not care about the looks that they were giving her and hurriedly asked, "What happened to Lucius?"

Hearing the question, the young lady's eyes brightened and spoke, "Oh, it's just that I had come here to inform the professor that Lucius would not be coming to the academy for a few days."

The professor also nodded his head in response.

"Ah, how do you know this?", Olivia continued asking.

"Lucius sent me a message this morning, asking me to inform the professor. That's why I came here first thing in the morning. Is there something wrong?", the young woman asked, slightly tilting her head.

If not for Olivia's panicked state of mind right now, she would have looked at this action and thought 'cute'.

"How are the both of you acquainted?" Olivia asked another question

"Could you please tell me, why you are asking me this question? I believe I don't have to tell everyone who my friends are." the lady asked in response, her tone showed that she was a little displeased.

Olivia stopped for a second and realized that her actions right now were considered rude. The lady in front of her clearly meant no harm, yet Olivia was repeatedly asking her questions and investigating her. Olivia felt a little embarrassed and lowered her head.

Sensing the slightly hostile atmosphere, the professor who was silent all along, gave out a little cough and explained.

"Cough! Miss Snowden, that lady there is Miss Mayer. She is a close friend of Lucius, i believe."

Hearing that the displeased look on Reyna's face immediately disappeared and she spoke up, "Ah! Is that so. You should have told me that first."

Olivia mentally thanked the professor for and properly apologized to the both of them.

"I'm sorry for coming off a bit rude. It's just that Lucius has been missing for almost a week and it worried me."

"No offence taken, Miss Mayer. I can't have two of the brightest minds in the alliance to squabble in front of me." the professor accepted her apology and spoke in a gentle voice.

Olivia then turned towards Reyna and bowed again, "I'm sorry for asking you this again, Miss Snowden. But could you tell me how you are acquainted with Lucius? He usually never speaks with anyone else on his own accord."

Seeing the overly polite actions of the lady in front of her, Reyna was immediately flustered and spoke hurriedly, "Ah please don't apologize. Also do call me Reyna."

She then paused for a second to calm down and continued, "We are co-partners on a research that we are currently working on."

Her tone was a little smug. It felt almost like 'I snagged this treasure that everybody seemed to ignore.'

Hearing her tone Olivia was even more confused and spoke up, "Miss Reyna, I'm quite confused. Could you please tell me in detail. What research?"

Hearing her favourite topic come up, Reyna's countenance changed. She rushed towards Olivia and grabbed her by her arms. Locking the two of their hands together, she then began leading her out of the room.

"Of course, let's head to a more comfortable location. Tell me more about yourself too." Reyna spoke excitedly and started to lead Olivia.

"Wait a second!", Olivia exclaimed, but Reyna paid no head and just grumbled, "Just call me Reyna. I don't prefer to be addressed to as Miss". Olivia quickly turned her head to apologize to the teacher before being pulled by Reyna.

Looking at this scene before him, the professor gave out a light smile. He then sighed lightly and said, "Ah youth! Must feel good to be young."

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In another another location, inside a warehouse.

The interiors were mostly dark and eerily silent. In the distant depths of the warehouse the sounds of something cracking and tearing were faintly heard.

Heading deeper in the muffled cries of a grown man could also he heard.

In a room deep within the warehouse. A young man stood on top of an bald, muscular guy. The muscular guy was in an extremely pathetic state.

All of his limbs were twisted in bizarre directions. His eyelids were skinned and blood poured onto the ground from his eyes. His entire face was disfigured beyond recognition. His body was no longer straight, but was bizarrely flexible. It almost seemed as if he had no bones in his body.

This was precisely the case.

The two people were surrounded by a scene that could be described as a place, straight out of hell. Limbs, blood and other body parts were scattered all around them. The pungent smell of blood and other bodily wastes decorated the room and a thin blood mist hung around.

The young man reached down to remove the gag from the bald man's mouth. Cries of pain leaked out of his mouth.

The young man spoke, "So are you going to tell me now? Or do you want to go for another round."

He then continued to speak in absolute indifference, "Although, I don't think your body will last long enough to survive another round."