Coming back to the Master, he blankly stared at the orb, his expression unreadable, as if still processing the words he had just heard from the hooded figure—one of the table members.
His fingers twitched slightly before tightening into a fist.
And then, without hesitation, he crushed the orb with full force. Shards of glowing remnants scattered to the ground, disappearing like dust. His cold gaze slowly lifted to the figures standing before him, and his voice came out as a command, sharp and resolute, “I need you two to int—”
But before he could even finish giving them the order—
~Ding~
The smallest figure flinched before hurriedly retrieving a slate-like object from within its cloak. Its tiny hands trembled slightly as it glanced at the screen, and then its voice wavered, “M-Master…”
The Master’s brows furrowed at the interruption, “What now?” he snapped, turning toward the trembling figure.
The tiny figure recoiled at his sharp tone but still forced out, “O-Our research facility… i-it’s under attack!” It hesitantly extended the slate toward the Master, who snatched it without a word. His eyes darkened as he scanned the screen. A live structural map of their base was displayed, and at its centre, a red warning light blinked furiously over a specific tower.
His jaw clenched. “It must be them,” he growled, gripping the slate tighter. He didn’t need confirmation.
He already knew the culprits.
Aqualina and Celestia—those two brats who somehow escaped from the Maze Prison. But instead of fleeing like cowards, they had the audacity to turn back and attack his Research Tower!
His teeth ground together as the realization settled in. His plans—his carefully laid-out steps—were slowly being unravelled, one after another… His grip on the slate tightened!!
“First,” he ordered, his tone ice-cold, “make sure not a single one of our products escapes. I don’t care what it takes. And second…” His eyes flickered dangerously as his voice dropped to a chilling calm. “Capture those escapees.”
His face became utterly indifferent, void of emotion, as he added, “If they become too much of a problem… kill them.”
The two hooded figures before him stiffened at his words. The tiny one hesitated before speaking again, “A-Are you certain, Master? Killing Princess Aqualina… if her mother finds out, it could—”
The Master let out a low chuckle, cutting them off. A sinister smirk curved on his lips as he murmured, “By the time she finds out… she’ll already be taking her last breath.”
Then, as if recalling something, his expression turned serious once more. “Contact ‘Him.’ We need his help. Send him as reinforcement to the Pyra Empire.”
The tiny figure nodded hurriedly, taking back the slate from the Master’s hand and beginning to type something. However, a moment later, it froze. A bead of sweat dripped down its forehead.
“T-There is… no signal?”
The Master’s gaze sharpened. “No signal?” His voice lowered, his patience dangerously thin.
The figure quickly tried again, pressing multiple commands, but then gulped, its voice weaker than before. “T-The signal is cut, Master. We… we can’t contact him. M-Maybe he’s just busy with something else?”
A heavy silence settled in the garden.
The Master’s frown deepened, his face unreadable. Then, in a hushed voice, he muttered, “He never… ever ignores my calls. The only reason he would…” His words trailed off into ominous silence.
—
Meanwhile, back in the academy…
Clang, Clang…
Drip… Drip…
Chains rattled… Blood dripped steadily onto the cold stone floor.
Alaric’s body hung, restrained by thick iron chains, his arms stretched above his head. His breathing was ragged and pained, and his body was marred with numerous wounds—fresh cuts, bruises, deep gashes that still bled.
His eyes, dulled with exhaustion, sorrow and pain… barely lifted as he saw the person,
And standing before him—watching him with an unreadable, indifferent gaze—was none other than the Principal, Isadora.
She simply stared at him… Silent!
Alaric’s lips trembled as he forced out a hoarse whisper, “T-This… this wasn’t… supposed to happen…”
He was supposed to bait her.
The plan was simple… He was to tell her that Aqualina had been summoned by her—make her believe that Aqualina was in trouble…. And then, like the previous timeline, the moment she entered her office, she was supposed to notice the scent of something off—she was supposed to realize a succubus had been involved.
She was supposed to follow the trail, head toward the Void Empire to confront whoever was behind it… and then they would have her right where they wanted her.
That was the Master’s plan. It had been calculated perfectly for many years…
Executed without error.
And yet—
She never went to the Void Empire.
Instead, she came straight for him.
Why?
Alaric’s breath hitched, his vision blurring slightly as he looked at her. He weakly muttered, “W-Why…?” His voice was barely above a whisper, the blood dripping from his head blinding him for a moment.
Isadora didn’t flinch. Didn’t react. She just… stared.
Cold. Emotionless.
Why?
Because something that had been bugging her for a long time… finally made sense.
She wasn’t oblivious. She wasn’t simply sitting idly by while her academy was repeatedly targeted—while the city surrounding them was destroyed—while even Kennedy nearly razed everything to the ground.
She had been investigating.
Tracking every detail.
And yet… something had never matched up. No matter how deeply she dug, no matter what leads she followed, one fact remained:
The Void Empire. The attacks. The infiltrations.
None of it would have been possible.
Not without someone inside the academy helping them.
And at first… she thought Kennedy was the mole.
But then, Kennedy died. And worse—someone had helped him before that… Someone had been working behind the scenes the entire time.
She thought about someone who belonged to Void Empire and was doing this… like Nyx and Jack… her eyes never left them as if she already believed they were responsible ones.
She had suspected them… Considered every possibility…. Checked every file!!
Even everyone in the Academy!
Except for one person.
Alaric Zephyr… who was now Alaric wood!
Because, unlike the others… Alaric was always with her.
After the near destruction of the academy during their final battle with their Sovereign, she had rebuilt everything—thanks to Alaric. He had been by her side, supporting her, helping her, guiding her when she needed it.
She trusted him.
More than anyone…. More than Aether!
Until,
“Be careful around Alaric.”
Those words… They weren’t just some passing remark. Aether had always complained about Alaric, always voiced his doubts, always teased and mocked with irritation or jealousy, but this time… this time, his words carried something different. Something that felt heavier, something that settled uncomfortably in her chest.
Dora had been with Alaric for nearly a thousand years. She had fought alongside him, built the Academy with him, and endured countless hardships with him. She trusted him beyond reason, beyond logic…. She had trusted him more than anyone.
More than Aether himself!!
Yet, those words from Aether… they weren’t born from petty emotions. They weren’t just some casual suspicion. They held weight, a depth that unsettled her, that shook something within her.
After hearing those words, her mind—one that had stubbornly refused to acknowledge the lingering doubts—finally connected the dots.
Alaric was positioned right next to the Academy’s core power structure. That meant he had higher authority than most.
He could bypass security protocols… He had unrestricted access to areas that others couldn’t even dream of entering. He had the power to let outsiders in without raising an alarm.
And somehow, he was involved in Kennedy’s entry as well.
The questions she had ignored, the doubts she had dismissed for years… were now answering themselves, one after another.
And every single answer led back to the same person.
Alaric.
“Why, you ask?” Dora’s voice was cold, and controlled, yet laced with something far more dangerous than anger. Her fists clenched so tightly at her sides that her nails dug deep into her palms. “Don’t you know, Alaric?” Her tone sharpened, a cutting edge to her words.
“You betrayed me. You, of all people… you betrayed me!”
Alaric’s breath hitched, his heartbeat hammering in his chest. He shook his head frantically, his voice cracking under the weight of desperation. “I-I never betrayed you… P-Please, you have to believe me! It was you who called Aqualina, you spoke with her—I never did anything!”
Dora’s expression didn’t waver. Her eyes, once warm with trust and loyalty, were now cold and unyielding. “The only reason you still have your limbs is because of our friendship.
Otherwise, you already know how my investigations end, don’t you?”
Alaric’s body stiffened, his breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.
He knew.
Her methods were calculated, ruthless, and thorough… Those who betrayed and crossed her never simply died. They wished for death long before it came.
“Tell me everything,” she demanded, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “And I will let you go… for the sake of our friendship.”
Alaric swallowed thickly, his throat dry as his pulse pounded against his skin. The woman he had once loved, the woman he had trusted for a millennium, was now looking at him as if all those years had meant nothing. As if their bond had turned to dust, scattered in the wind.
“P-Please… believe me…” His voice cracked a hollow plea!
—
Meanwhile…
The Master’s fists clenched so tightly… His jaw was set, and his expression darkened with a frustration that threatened to boil over.
“He must have been caught.”
The two hooded figures standing before him flinched. The air around them grew heavy, suffocating with the weight of those words.
The smaller figure hesitated before blurting out, “B-But that’s not possible! We made sure nothing stood in his way! How could this happen?”
The Master’s jaw tightened further, his teeth grinding in frustration. “I don’t know…” His voice was sharp, filled with a rare uncertainty.
And then—
~Ding~
“Master, I just received a report from Jack,” the tiny hooded figure said hurriedly, scanning the slate in their hands. “He has Victor. They’re currently travelling to the Ebon Stone in the Void Empire.”
The Master exhaled slowly, pressing his fingers against his temples. A minor relief at least one piece was going perfectly, but not enough!
Because even though Jack had Victor, his carefully laid-out plans—his masterpiece of a strategy—were now being blocked at every turn.
His three key pieces were trapped by the enemy.
He was being cornered.
A check.
A move he had never anticipated in his grand design.
A plan he had spent years crafting, a plan that had been his life’s work, was now standing at the precipice of collapse.
Everything… was slipping through his fingers… or so everyone thought until, “Hah… I didn’t become a Sovereign just by luck!”