Outside the Academy,
The atmosphere was tense, the air heavy with unspoken fears and the lingering scent of rain-soaked earth.
The once vibrant academy grounds were now eerily silent…
“Please, calm down, Vice Principal!” Delphine implored, her voice trembling slightly as she placed a hand on Alaric’s arm. She could feel the tension coiled beneath his skin, his barely restrained power threatening to burst forth.
The dome stood before them, fragile yet impenetrable, a cruel reminder of the lives still trapped inside. The mere thought of Alaric’s touch destroying it sent shivers down her spine.
“There are still hundreds of students inside,” Kai echoed, his voice laced with urgency, “Please, calm down, Vice Principal!” His eyes darted toward the dome.
He was grateful… that Victor had managed to throw them out, especially Vesperine. But the gnawing guilt of those left behind weighed heavily on him. He couldn’t afford to let Alaric lose control, not when so many lives were at stake.
Alaric’s gaze remained fixed on the dome, The veins on his forehead throbbed painfully, each pulse a reminder of the humiliation he had suffered. The image of being tossed aside like a ragdoll by that snake creature replayed in his mind, over and over again, fueling his growing fury.
‘Victor!’ he screamed inwardly, the name leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. His teeth clenched so hard it was a wonder they didn’t shatter.
The students standing nearby watched him with wide eyes, their emotions a turbulent mix of awe and gratitude. In their eyes, Alaric was a hero, a guardian barely holding back his immense power out of concern for their safety. They (mis)understood his fury as a deep, protective instinct, believing that if not for the barrier, he would have already vanquished the creature threatening their lives.
No one had dared to rest since they had been pulled from the fray. The wounds on their bodies might have been treated, but the scars on their hearts were still fresh, still bleeding. How could they sleep peacefully when their friends, their classmates, were still inside that nightmarish dome? The very thought was unbearable.
They stood together outside, their clothes soaked through by the relentless rain, yet no one moved to seek shelter.
“Tsk, he should have thrown the others out too…” Alaric muttered, his frustration evident in every tense line of his body. If only Victor had managed to help the remaining students escape, Alaric could have focused on that accursed creature and dealt with it before the Principal arrived.
“Yes… I wonder why he didn’t?” Kai mused, his brow furrowed in deep thought. It seemed so logical… so simple—to have thrown everyone out, to have allowed the professors to shatter the dome and regain their powers. Why had Victor not done so?
The question lingered in the air, unspoken but understood by all. They nodded in agreement, each of them puzzling over the same question.
Aria and Selene gulped inwardly before Aria stepped up her voice barely a whisper as she spoke, “He said… everyone has their worth. So he saved them according to their worth.”
A murmur of understanding passed through the crowd. They knew Victor’s attitude well enough… his cold pragmatism, his unyielding belief in merit. It was just like him to make such a decision, to weigh lives against some unseen scale of worth.
Aria and Selene sighed deeply seeing everyone believing him.
Just then, a bright, blinding light pierced the darkness,
“N-No!” Finnian’s voice was a strangled cry, his face draining of colour as he realized what was happening to Helena.
His heart pounded in his chest, every beat echoing the fear that gripped him.
He knew….that the Archpriestess had forbidden this.
She had been adamant that Helena should never, under any circumstances, use her powers. And he had obeyed, ensuring that she kept her bloodline ability under control, even if it meant watching others die.
It was a direct order from Archpriestess!!
But now… now it was too late.
“I… I failed again…” Finnian’s thoughts were a chaotic spiral of guilt and despair. He could already feel the Archpriestess’s icy disdain, her eyes cutting through him like daggers. She wouldn’t even need to ask him or even give him tasks!!
‘This is all because of that Servant!’ Finnian’s anger flared, directed at Aether, the one person he had never trusted.
From the very beginning, he had seen Aether as a threat—a servant who was far too close to the Archpriestess, far too familiar with her. He had seen Aether massage her shoulders, a privilege Finnian had never been granted…. And worse, he had seen the interest in the Archpriestess’s eyes, an interest that terrified him.
What if Aether took his place?
And now, seeing Helena side with Aether, protect him, defend him… It was too much. Finnian had failed, yet again!
How could he face the Archpriestess now? How could he answer her questions, knowing that he had let her down?
The only thought that brought him any solace was the idea of paying for his sins with his life. Perhaps then, he could find some measure of forgiveness in her eyes.
“What’s going on?” Kai mumbled confusion and concern etched on his face. But before he could say more, Alaric, Delphine, and the other professors stiffened, their expressions shifting to one of grim seriousness, Delphine’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding, “Prepare the highest quality healing materials and… contact the Archpriestess!”
“Archpriestess? Why?” An emotionless voice cut through the air like a blade, and the world seemed to freeze in its wake. Even the rain, which had been falling steadily, seemed to hesitate, turning to icy droplets that clung to their skin.
Everyone immediately dropped to their knees as…. the Principal descended from the sky.
THUNDER!!
Her presence was overwhelming, her gaze cold and unfeeling. She hovered above the ruined academy, her indifferent eyes taking in the scene before her.
The once lush, green academy grounds were now stained with blood and gore. She could even smell the strong blood stench that leaking from her academy… HER Academy!!
The silence was deafening. No one dared to move, to speak, as the Principal surveyed the destruction. The professors exchanged nervous glances, their eyes flicking toward Alaric, who hesitantly stepped forward, his voice trembling as he tried to speak.
“P-Princip–”
A single, indifferent glance from the Principal silenced him, her gaze cutting him off more effectively than any words could.
“Delphine,” she commanded.
Delphine nodded, her heart pounding in her chest as she began to recount everything that had transpired inside the dome. Alaric stood rigid beside her, his jaw clenched so tightly that it ached.
He could feel the Principal’s disappointment radiating from her like a physical force, crushing him under its weight. He had failed her… the realization was a bitter pill to swallow.
Upon hearing the name, “Kennedy… ah,” the Principal struggled to contain her simmering anger, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
Just then,
“Incoming!!” Liora shouted.
Delphine braced herself, Just like before, they caught another student.
As they continued their desperate efforts to save everyone they could, the Principal’s gaze remained fixed on the academy, her expression a mask of cold detachment.
She knew the bond she had once shared with this place, a connection that had been so integral to her being, was slowly slipping away. She knew, with a heavy heart, that ever since the New Chosen Ones had logged in, her link to the academy was fading, unravelling like a fragile thread.
And then, breaking the silence, a girl who had just been hurled out of the dome, her face pale with fear, “T-That dangerous woman… she got Aether!” she stammered, her voice trembling.
Delphine, Aria, and Selene’s faces drained of colour, their eyes widening in horror.
“A-Aether…” Aqualina’s voice was barely a whisper, her fear palpable as she gritted her teeth. Regret gnawed at her insides. She should have brought Aether with her, should have stayed by his side, protected him, ‘That jerk Victor threw us out!’ she thought bitterly, her anger at Victor who threw her out without her consent!
The Principal stepped forward, her hand hovering just inches from the surface of the dome. But before she could make contact, Delphine caught her by the wrist, shaking her head with a look of sheer dread etched into her features.
Delphine didn’t know exactly what was happening inside, but the sight of only a few students emerging from the dome…. She could feel it… her vision slowly changing.
She could not slip it away now!
The Principal’s piercing gaze locked onto Delphine, her eyes cold and unreadable. She didn’t say a word, but the silent command was clear. Reluctantly, Delphine released her grip.
With a slow, deliberate movement, the Principal extended her hand and softly, almost tenderly, touched the dome…. Yet,
Crack!
The sound was sharp, and resonant, like the shattering of fragile glass. The entire dome fractured under her touch, splitting into a web of cracks that spread outwards like spider veins.
“P-Principal!” Delphine’s voice was filled with panic, her eyes wide with disbelief. The fear wasn’t hers alone… it rippled through everyone!
The Principal’s face remained impassive, her voice devoid of emotion as she addressed the girl who had just escaped. “What is Victor doing inside?”
“H-he was trying to defeat that dangerous big monster…”
The Principal frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. She knew Victor’s capabilities all too well. Even without access to Arcane energy, he possessed the power to obliterate the entire stadium with the reserves of Arcane energy within his body, ‘What is he doing?’ she wondered, her mind racing as she tried to piece together the puzzle.
Principal just stared inside the dome, she wondered what was going on inside… especially in the stadium.