Swiftly, Charles found an intriguing figure amid a file.
—Leopold.
This individual was a top-performing student at Mist School, consistently holding the number one rank in exam scores. Remarkably, he had maintained this top position until a week before his expulsion.
And the reason for his expulsion? An adolescent romantic relationship.
"A stellar student, whose future seemed destined to shower the school with unparalleled honors, was expelled for the mere offense of puppy love," Charles said, his voice tinged with gravitas.
Linda, who had leaned over to glimpse at the file, looked perplexed. "The school expels students for engaging in youthful romances? That seems a tad inhumane."
Charles responded, "I've roughly gone through the files of all the students who have been disciplined here, and he's the only one expelled for this reason. An exemplary student like him would never normally be expelled for puppy love, unless..."
Charles paused, as if grappling with a newfound realization.
"Unless what?" Linda probed, curiosity laced in her voice.
"Unless, in the course of this romantic involvement, he angered someone who should absolutely not be provoked."
"It could be the person he was romantically involved with, or perhaps a competitor of some sort. However, I'm inclined to suspect the latter. After all, someone with such impeccable academic achievements would likely have a strong sense of pride; if rejected outright by their romantic interest, they probably wouldn't persist."
"Moreover, adolescent love affairs are mutual. Look at these files—whenever disciplinary actions are meted out, both parties are penalized, not just Leopold being forced to withdraw from the school."
"This suggests that his competitor has considerable leverage, not only pressuring the school to expel Leopold but also sparing the girl he himself fancied," Charles deduced.
"We should delve deeper into Leopold's situation; there may be invaluable clues to unearth."
Content that he had found what he was looking for, Charles carefully closed the file and returned it to its original spot.
"Where do we go to find out more?" Linda queried.
Charles answered, "To the computer lab."
Just then, Linda's eyes widened in sheer horror, fixed on something behind Charles. A malevolent air permeated the atmosphere, as if tunneling through flesh to infiltrate Charles' very marrow.
With his back to the door, Charles comprehended the situation in a heartbeat, reading Linda's horrified expression.
The principal... had returned early.
In an instant, the room transformed into a nightmarish tableau. The walls began to shed their skin, and from the very marrow of the building, blood oozed. A swarm of dark beetles burst forth from the peeling walls, scurrying toward the door and effectively sealing it shut.
Trapped and cornered, both Charles and Linda found themselves ensnared in an inescapable predicament.
"You... all... must... die."
"Must... die!"
"Die!"
When Charles heard the vengeful voice, he quickly realized it wasn't that of a middle-aged man but rather a teenager's.
Whirling around, he confronted the ghostly apparition. "Are you Leopold? We're here to uncover the truth! What exactly happened to you and your mother?"
At the mention of 'truth,' the ghost suddenly clutched its head and let out an agonized wail. The sound was so piercing and unsettling that it induced dizziness in both and blood trickled from their eardrums.
At this moment, Linda's mental state began to deteriorate rapidly. Although Charles managed to maintain a mental score above 90, he distinctly felt his life force ebbing away.
"I... I am... I am... I am not..." the ghost stuttered.
"Ah!!!"
Finally, the ghost let out an ear-splitting howl, and its head exploded to reveal a multitude of tentacles, each tipped with spikes. They thrashed around like those of a mad octopus, a terrifying sight to behold.
Linda, who had already drawn a compact handgun from her pocket, was so horrified that she dropped to the ground, unable to maintain her grip on the weapon.
What the hell is this creature?
Leopold—or whatever this monster was—advanced, driving Charles and Linda further into a corner. Linda's mouth hung open, and her body quaked uncontrollably.
"Charles, run! I have a gun; I'll handle this!" she stammered, grappling with the terror that threatened to engulf her.
Just as Linda raised her gun to fire, Charles delivered a swift kick to her chest, sending her sliding several meters back like a skateboard. At the same time, he himself dodged in another direction.
The next moment, sharp spikes pierced the space where they had just stood. Oozing black pus, the spikes emitted a sizzling sound, clearly highly corrosive.
Whoosh!
Almost simultaneously, a thick tentacle, armed with spikes, lashed out at Charles with incredible speed. If he didn't evade it, death would claim him on the spot.
Given his current reflexes, dodging the attack seemed impossible.
But at that critical juncture, the sound of a gunshot rang out from behind. The ghost howled and halted its attack, retreating a couple of steps.
It was Linda!
Her body was still trembling, yet her hands gripped the handgun tightly. Traditional firearms might not be effective against a ghost, but the impact of the bullet had defused this life-threatening situation for Charles.
"Run! I'll cover you!" Linda yelled, her voice tinged with both fear and resolve.
Linda screamed like a madwoman, continually firing at the ghost, keeping it from advancing.
Staring at the momentarily immobilized Leopold, Charles' eyes shifted, taking on the appearance of the Sharingan. With a daring roll, he closed the distance between himself and Leopold dramatically.
This insane move left Linda incredulous.
Is he an idiot? She thought. I risk my life to create an opportunity for him, and instead of escaping, he advances?
What a pointless sacrifice!
Drawing near to Leopold, Charles locked eyes with him. At that same instant, a tentacle hovered just a centimeter above his head. One more centimeter, and his skull would be splattered.
But in that moment, Leopold stood still, frozen in place as if turned to wood. This is Charles' special ability: his eyes can seal the movements of his target, with a cooldown time of 24 hours.
The instant Leopold was immobilized, Charles turned, grabbed Linda, and the two frantically made for the exit.
Ten seconds.
They had only ten seconds.
Each ticking second was a dance with death itself.
Still immersed in astonishment, Linda glanced back one last time at the motionless Leopold. As Charles passed by the entrance, he couldn't resist giving the monster a quick stab with a scalpel.
The blade plunged into Leopold's heart, but it was far from enough to kill this formidable ghost.
Of course, Charles hadn't expected a single stab to finish the job; he merely wanted to test the sharpness of his blade.
Reaching the door, Linda aimed her handgun at the lock, now enveloped by black beetles, and fired twice. Then, they both bolted into the dark corridor beyond.
In a frenzied dash, the two outran the warped ghost that hopped and skipped in pursuit behind them. Due to the awkward and uncoordinated movements required of the ghost to run on all fours, they managed to shake it off under Charles' guidance.
"Why didn't you tell me you had such an amazing talent earlier?" Linda panted, clutching her chest.
Charles replied, "Because I still haven't fully mastered the power of these eyes, and using them comes with a long cooldown period. Also, why are you clutching your chest?"
Linda shot him a glare. "What do you think?"
In the heat of the moment, Charles had kicked her squarely in the breast to save her. He had definitely not held back, causing her considerable pain. She was still smarting.
"Sorry, desperate times call for desperate measures... Would you like me to massage it for you?"
"Thanks,but I don't need it," Linda responded.