CHAPTER 16 - 16 – EX-CHRONIST (PART 2)

Chapter 16 – Ex-Chronist (Part 2)

"F-Fifty million?!"

The stunned cry echoed across the classroom like a thunderclap. The students were visibly shaken, each face turning pale as the number rang again in their heads. That figure wasn't just high—it was inconceivable. For many of them, who had grown up in the comfort of Earth with secondhand stories about Chronists and Aevum, the reality was crashing down like a hammer.

Even with their contacts and relationships with veteran Chronists, this particular detail had never surfaced. It was as though it had been deliberately hidden from them—or worse, ignored.

"What do you mean fifty million in the first day?!" someone blurted out, voice rising.

"That... that can't be right!"

"There's no way that's possible... right?"

The disbelief gradually gave way to something far more visceral: fear. Pure, creeping dread.

Their imaginations, until now filled with adventures and glory, were suddenly flooded with horrific images. Fifty million dead—in just one day. Not even the most catastrophic wars or natural disasters in recorded history came close to that number.

Jack's jaw tightened, his face falling into shadow. Fifty million... The number spun in his head, difficult to grasp. He had heard about casualty statistics and the survival rates for those who returned from Aevum, but this...

'That's insane... Even knowing the odds, I never expected something like that.'

He turned his head slightly, his voice low. "Did you ever hear about this before, Lune?"

Lune didn't seem as shaken. She furrowed her brows, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Hm... now that he's saying it out loud, I think I did hear a rumor like that once. But you know... In Aevum, that kind of death toll isn't that rare. Some disasters in history have claimed more lives—and faster."

Jack fell silent.

His concept of Aevum continued to warp and darken. He already understood it was a dangerous realm, but the scale of what was being revealed was simply beyond his comprehension.

'In Aevum... death is more common than anything else.'

Shane's voice continued, each word sharp as a blade.

"Yes. Fifty million... or maybe even more." His tone was flat, as if he had numbed himself to it. "Most of them died not because of some great enemy—but because of the desert. The blistering heat. Getting lost, dehydrated, starving. Or worse..."

He paused. His hands trembled slightly as he recalled something only he had seen.

"They were eaten. By monsters."

A collective shudder rippled through the class. Shane's voice dropped to a near-whisper, but it cut deeper than a scream.

"Beastial nightmares that infest those deserts... They don't care what you are. Where you go, they will find you. And they're strong. Not just strong—savage. I've seen predators on Earth, sure. But these... these things make them look like household pets."

He clenched his jaw. His eyes grew distant, hollow.

"I watched people get torn apart—ripped into pieces—in just seconds. No time to run. No time to scream."

He inhaled sharply and gripped his head with both hands, as if trying to keep the memories from overwhelming him.

"I didn't look back. I didn't stop. I didn't think. I just... ran."

The entire class was gripped in a paralyzing silence. Not even the most talkative students dared speak.

"I still remember the screams. I still smell the blood," Shane said, voice hoarse. "I'm sorry for the... morbid imagery. But you have to understand. This isn't a playground. It's not a goldmine waiting for the brave."

His eyes swept across the students, now frozen in a mixture of horror and disbelief.

"I know what you think. That becoming a Chronist means fame, power, money. But that's just the surface. Behind it is something waiting to chew you alive the moment you drop your guard."

One of the students audibly gulped.

"I knew Aevum was dangerous... but I've never met someone like this before..."

"Are most people like him after coming back?" someone else murmured.

Jack leaned back slightly in his chair, arms folded, eyes narrowed. He could see it—see how their perspectives were crumbling before his eyes. Before, they saw Aevum as an opportunity. Something glittering in the distance, mysterious and promising. That illusion was now shattered.

The veteran Chronists painted pictures of opportunity and greatness. But Shane? Shane was revealing the side no one ever dared show. The broken ones. The survivors who came back... scarred, disillusioned, and silent.

They had vanished into obscurity, not because they failed—but because they couldn't bear to speak about what they had lived through.

"I ran for what felt like forever," Shane continued after a long pause. "I was burnt from the sun, starving, dehydrated. I passed out more times than I can count. But by some miracle, I stumbled upon a native village."

His tone softened slightly, almost reverent.

"They saved my life."

No one replied. The room felt like a funeral. Students sat motionless, their gazes low. Some looked shaken to the point of nausea. Others had gone pale. But all of them were clearly questioning everything they once believed about the other world.

Jack observed the room with detached interest. 'What an interesting sight...' he thought. 'Did they really think it was going to be all adventure and riches?'

Shane finally broke the silence again, lifting his voice with renewed resolve.

"I'm not telling you all this to scare you into quitting," he said. "Especially those of you who weren't chosen yet. My goal isn't to crush your ambition."

His voice firmed. "But you must understand the gravity of what lies ahead. If you go into that world without the right mindset, without the preparation... you won't last long. You won't even have the time to scream."

His eyes burned with conviction now.

"Those who made it—who survived and thrived—they made the right decisions. They fought through hell and carved their names into history. You all can do that too. But not with arrogance. Not with ignorance."

The atmosphere began to shift slightly, from cold despair to a somber determination.

"And over the next few days," Shane added, "I'll teach you how to do that."

***

The rest of the class passed in a trance. Shane continued sharing details of his journey—where he went, what he did, the monsters he encountered, the challenges he overcame. Despite the grim tone earlier, his stories now carried a spark of awe.

Jack found himself more invested than he had anticipated. The creatures Shane described, the vastness of the desert, the odd behaviors of the people he met—everything felt surreal, almost like fiction. Yet it was all too real.

So much so, he no longer regretted attending the class. In fact, he couldn't wait to hear more.

Eventually, the class came to a close.

"Next time, I'll talk to you about survival—how to find food, shelter, and water. Thanks for listening."

He stepped back. The students remained still for a beat before slowly gathering their things.

"My god..." one of them muttered, still in shock. "That was a rollercoaster..."

"I feel like a completely different person now..."

"Yeah, screw that. If I get chosen, I'll cry. That world's not for me."

Jack slung his bag over his shoulder and walked toward the door with Lune at his side.

"What's your take on everything he said?" he asked as they stepped into the open air.

Lune shrugged slightly, though her eyes were serious.

"I don't think he lied. In fact, I'd say he underplayed it. He described the Hanging Pearl Deserts pretty accurately. Harsh terrain, unstable heat, constant danger. But he was lucky he didn't end up near the gravity storms. If he did..." She shook her head. "He wouldn't have survived."

"Gravity storms..." Jack muttered. "Pieces of land hanging in the air, connected by storms... Feels like something out of a fantasy novel. I wouldn't even be able to imagine it."

Lune smiled faintly. "This is nothing, my love. You'll see things that'll make even your wildest thoughts look tame."

As the two strolled through the campus gate, Jack suddenly veered off in a different direction.

"Where are you going?" Lune asked.

"Somewhere quiet to practice. I can't do it at home. If I make any noise, my parents will catch on."

Lune nodded approvingly. "Smart."