“You are late!” the Principal exclaimed, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Victor. He had just entered her house, long after their scheduled training time had passed.
Victor awkwardly scratched his head, trying to appear nonchalant but failing miserably, “Kind of… busy,” he mumbled, his voice barely audible.
“Busy?” she repeated, her tone incredulous and simmering with barely contained anger. “Busier than me, the Principal? Do you even comprehend the importance of our training?”
Victor could feel… she was really pissed off. He immediately changed the subject, and he stammered, “A-Anyhow, how is she doing? Is she alright?”
The Principal’s eyes flared with annoyance, but she answered curtly, “She left.”
“Left?” Victor’s frown deepened, confusion etched across his face.
“Yes, she just left,” the Principal repeated, her annoyance intensifying.
She had been shocked earlier to find a girl lying on a bed inside her house…. It’s her house.
She wasn’t even informed about this so she was really annoyed with Victor, “Mind telling me why you brought her here without informi—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Victor had already turned and bolted out of the house. Her lips twitched in frustration, and she muttered under her breath, “He really knows how to piss me off…” A dangerous glint passed through her eyes.
She would have to teach him a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.
Meanwhile, Victor, blissfully unaware of the storm he had left behind, hurriedly made his way to the girls’ dormitory.
He wasn’t sure why but he felt an inexplicable sense of dread gnawed at the edges of his mind, growing stronger with each step he took.
Upon arriving at the senior block, he was confronted by a guard.
And just about trick the guard…. realization struck him like a bolt of lightning, “I don’t know her room number, damn it!” Victor cursed under his breath, facepalming in frustration. With a heavy sigh, he resigned himself to returning to the Principal to get the details he needed.
As he trudged back,
Rustle Rustle…
A rustling sound caught his attention. Victor’s ears perked up, and he frowned, scanning the bushes nearby….. There, partially obscured by shadows, he noticed a silhouette moving stealthily toward a certain building.
Curiosity and a sense of foreboding battled within him, but he couldn’t resist the urge to follow.
The figure, clad in a hoodie, moved with purpose, Victor followed it!
“SSS!”
A sudden hissing sound startled him. Victor glanced down to see Snowflake, curled up and peacefully sleeping on his neck. His frown deepened as he watched the hooded figure wave toward the top of a building.
‘What is going on here?’ he wondered. He quickened his pace with carefulness.
“!!!”
Suddenly, the hooded figure stopped in its tracks. Victor’s instincts kicked in, and he quickly ducked behind a wall, holding his breath. He waited, counting the seconds, before daring to peek out.
The figure had resumed walking.
“Interesting…” Victor mumbled under his breath, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, ‘Looks like I have a long way to go to master hiding my presence…’ he mused, the thought lingering as he cautiously followed the mysterious figure, maintaining a safer distance this time.
Victor watched intently as the figure made their way toward the top floor of the building. His curiosity was piqued;
What could possibly be so important up there, aside from the old, rusted bell?
As he ascended the stairs, Victor’s heart pounded in his chest.
Suddenly, the hooded figure stopped and looked back, prompting Victor to flinch and duck behind the railing. His breath hitched, and he felt his pulse quicken.
The figure scanned the stairwell for a few agonizing seconds before resuming their climb. Victor let out a silent sigh of relief, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. He continued his pursuit, his steps as quiet as a whisper.
When he reached the top floor, Victor’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Where?” he muttered to himself, seeing the door to the top veranda firmly closed with no sign of the figure. “What’s going on…?” His mind raced. He was certain the figure had headed this way, yet there was no trace of them now.
Doubting his own senses, Victor ran his hands over the door, inspecting every inch. He pulled at the lock, testing it to see if it was functioning properly. Everything seemed intact and secure.
“Tsk,” Victor clicked his tongue in frustration, shaking his head. Just as he turned to leave, he heard a voice echoing through the stairwell,
“Who’s there?”
Victor flinched, quickly crouching down behind the railing. Peeking through the gaps, he saw a guard making his way up the stairs. ‘Shit!’ he thought, his heart pounding in his chest. He prayed the guard wouldn’t come all the way up.
The guard paused at the top of the stairs, shining his torch around. He inspected the door, noting that the lock was still intact. With a small nod, the guard began to turn away, but then suddenly,
“Who’s there?!!” the guard shouted again, his voice filled with urgency as he hurried down the stairs.
Victor exhaled slowly, relief washing over him, ‘Damn, man, it felt like I was in a horror movie or something…’ he thought, an amused smile playing on his lips. He started to walk away but then hesitated, a nagging feeling pulling at him. He turned back to the door, his mind racing with possibilities.
Thud
Victor yanked the lock with a precise force, breaking it. He quietly pushed the door open and stepped out onto the veranda, his senses heightened.
Sssssshhhhhhhhh
A gentle breeze swept across the veranda, carrying the scent of night-blooming flowers. From this vantage point, Victor could see the entire academy, its buildings bathed in the soft glow of moonlight without a moon!
He glanced to his left, where the large, old bell loomed.
“Haha… A typical bell for this academy… Haha,” Victor murmured, a nostalgic smile on his face. He recalled how many old academies in novels had similar settings, each one steeped in tradition and mystery.
As he turned to his right….. There, at the very edge of the wall, stood a lone figure, their silhouette outlined against the night sky.
Victor chuckled softly, “Hehe… A typical suicide point. Haha—”
“FUCK!!!” Victor’s voice broke the silence, his sudden scream startling the figure on the ledge.
The figure turned around, their face pale and eyes wide with fear, “V-Victor?”
“Kyra?” Victor’s heart lurched, recognizing her instantly. His surprise quickly turned to concern as he saw the distress in her eyes.
Kyra’s lips trembled as she spoke, “S-So, you did come again… huh?” Her voice was fragile like it could shatter at any moment.
[+100 AP]
“Listen to me, Kyra. Just step back. We will talk about this,” Victor said, his voice calm and soothing. He moved slowly, inching closer with painstaking care, not wanting to startle her further.
Tears streamed down Kyra’s cheeks. “T-They told me… they will hurt my family if I didn’t withdraw my complaint,” she cried, her body shaking with fear and despair.
Victor’s mind raced, piecing together the situation. ‘Those Bitches!’ he thought angrily, his fists clenching in rage, “You don’t need to worry, Kyra. The Principal promised she would take care of it. There’s no need to worry about that. Just step down, please…”
Kyra shook her head, her tears flowing freely, “N-No, Victor… Today, I-I realized no matter what, nobles will always be nobles, and I… as a commoner, am nothing more than a tool to be used and discarded,” she sobbed, her voice filled with hopelessness.
“Kyra, please,” Victor pleaded, his voice breaking. “Listen to me first—KYRA!!!” He screamed, reaching out, but it was too late….
Kyra let herself fall, her body plunging into the void.
Thud
Splatter