Even though it was night, the students were still outside their rooms. As Arthur made his way toward the Nightfall dorm, his thoughts raced about what Jonah, who he had left at the library, just told him.
'Trevor is dead?' Arthur couldn't understand how something like this can happen. Jonah didn't know what happened, but he had heard from a few students who were rushing in the hallway.
As he made a turn around the building of the Nightfall dorm, heading directly toward the entrance, a white scarf enveloped him and pulled him upward.
He was about to resist when he recognized the scarf. The white ethereal manifestation pulled him toward the rooftop of the Nightfall dorm. In front of him stood the proud and aloof Rae.
"Where are you going?" Rae looked coldly at him.
"Is it true?" Arthur answered with a question. Rae looked silently at him and nodded. "Then you should know where I'm going."
"Do you think that just by going there you'd clear your name?" Rae took a few steps toward him. "Whether it was you or not doesn't matter, you're a suspect." She poked him in the chest. "Instead of coming here, you should arrange an alibi."
"I didn't do it."
"I don't care, nor does his family. Trevor might be an idiot, but his family is no pushovers." Rae turned around. "Go back and pray they don't tie you to this."
"Was it a murder?" Arthur's question made her pause.
"I don't know." She said while shaking her head. "He was found in his room, dead for unknown causes." Her heels tapped on the roof's tiles as she walked away. "Either way, it's none of your business."
With that, she left him alone in the building. Arthur sighed and jumped, gliding toward the same spot he was picked up from. When he reached his room, he found several people waiting for him.
"We need you to come with us." Zoya Rainer, the officer of the disciplinary committee, had her hand behind her back. She was accompanied by several people, who could each takedown Arthur alone if they wanted to.
"Is this about Trevor Regan?" Arthur looked around. "I thought you'd be busy investigating what happened rather than arresting people."
"A higher-ranking officer has taken over the case." Zoya gestured with her hand, making her followers surround Arthur. "We'll be collecting testimonies in the meantime. Come with us."
"It's not like I have a choice." Arthur shrugged. "Lead the way."
"Not before you wear these." Zoya took out a pair of handcuffs. "Every suspect needs to, please understand." Arthur glared at her before offering his hands.
As soon as the handcuffs were around his arms, he couldn't use mana anymore. He realized this was to prevent anyone from using unusual means to either hide evidence or simply escape.
He was taken toward the disciplinary committee's building where he was left in a room alone. After an hour of waiting, someone opened the door.
A man of high stature and thick mustache came into the room. He pulled the chair roughly and sat on it in front of Arthur.
"Name." He said as he pulled out a clipboard with papers on it. With a pencil in hand, he glared at Arthur.
"Alexie Linan," Arthur answered with a neutral expression. "What's yours?"
"Huh?" The man raised his head. "You think you get to ask questions?"
"It's rude to interrogate someone without telling them your name. Also, rude to hide how you look like."
The man's eyes widened as he looked at Arthur. He studied him closely before a grin overtook his face. His body then began evaporating and shrinking down.
What was left after the process was over was a kid that looked no older than thirteen. His clothes also shrank to fit him better. However, he seemed discontent about his clothing. With a snap of his fingers, his clothes changed into those of a red suit with a blue tie.
"It's the first time a student saw through my disguise." The boy laughed. "Since you can't use mana, what gave me away?"
He was shorter than Arthur by at least twenty centimeters, making him less intimidating than he was earlier. He had black silky hair that reached to his ears and large blue eyes that made that were unnerving.
"I have a higher perception than most people." Arthur shrugged. "Why would you hide your appearance, though?"
"Tsk, tsk. You ask too many questions. Shut up!" With another snap of his fingers, Arthur's mouth was sealed. He tried talking but it was as if his lips were glued to each other.
"They call me Magi, short for Magician," Magi revealed his teeth in a grin. "That should be enough for us to get started. Where have you been today?" Magi snapped his fingers again and Arthur's mouth was unsealed.
"After my lectures, I went outside of the city to buy a few items. I then went to the library, where I was told that Trevor has died." Arthur answered truthfully.
"And?"
"I went to the nightfall dorm, but a student told me I should go back to my room. After that, I met Officer Zoya and she brought me here."
"Mm, do you have any witnesses of your activities in the city?" Magi asked while checking his fingernails.
"The shop owners."
"The thing is, I have an interesting piece of information. I hear you're the closest friend of the ninth ranker, Jonah. He has an interesting ability." Magi leaned forward. "You have the motives; he provides the alibis. It just so happened that the two of you met in the library."
"I have no motives."
"Last Thursday, the two of you had a duel. From what I heard, he crushed you and made you sustain severe injuries. How is that not a motive?"
"You think I would kill someone just because he beat me up?" Arthur shook his head. "Even if I can, I don't think I'm able to."
"Lies, lies, lies!" Magi shouted as he slapped the table repeatedly. "Many witnesses saw your dispute during the trial. Even if your ranking is low, you have the strength to stand up for him. Yet, you didn't."
"If it was me, I would have waited for Trevor to have a conflict with someone else before I do something. This way, it wouldn't be so obvious that it's me." Arthur glared at Magi.
"Maybe that's what you want us to believe. Or maybe you had no choice, maybe it was a matter of self-defense. You had another conflict and things escalated."
"Bring out the monocle of truth," Arthur shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "I'm not afraid of being tested for the truth."
Magi quietly stared at Arthur, as if looking for anything that would make him give in. However, Arthur's expression was calm because he didn't do anything.
"You may leave." Magi waved his hands and stood up. Arthur was stunned as the boy started walking out.
"That's the end of the investigation?" He asked with amazement. "Why wouldn't you bring in the monocle?"
"It's either that you truly don't know, or you're simply asking to make yourself look innocent." Magi turned around with a frown. "The investigation will be ongoing. In the meantime, tell us if anything happens. I doubt the Regan family will sit still. You have the motive, the strength, and the ability to forge alibis. You'll be suspected no matter what."
With that, Magi left the room. Arthur slumped in his chair as he sighed. He studied his handcuffed hands quietly as he tried to think of a person who might do this.
'Is his death related to me in some way?' Arthur was confused. 'Can it be her?' He can only think of one person who can pull this off, but she was the most rational person he knew. She wouldn't endanger him through this.
At least, she was the most rational person before their last meeting. Now, he didn't know. He would need to meet her again to find out. After a few minutes, a junior officer came in to remove the handcuffs. He was sent to his room like all the other students.
As he walked back, he felt someone's gaze on him. However, it wasn't only the gazes of the students who whispered and pointed at him in suspicion. It was something else as if someone was watching him.
Arthur returned to his room, but Reece wasn't there. He sighed in relief as he entered the room and changed his clothes. Even as was in bed, the gaze never left him. It was always there, monitoring his every action.
'This can't go on, or I might be found out. Even worse, they might find the artifact before I do. I need to meet with Sarah for her to tell me about the mark's origins and meet with Miko to know what's going on.'
He had two choices. To either wait for the investigation to end so he can regain his freedom or find a way to prove his innocence.