"And why would I do that?"
Veritas stared at Shin with a deep contemplation mixed with the feeling of intimidation.
"You think I don't know about the great threat looming in this Academy?"
After that, he opened his mouth then closed it once more, deciding whether to say their true purpose for enrolling or not.
In his mind, he suddenly remembered the words of Mr. Freedom.
"Confide in Shin Morteza!"
He wondered if he could trust the orange-haired Professor.
Maybe not trust as a whole, but only to confide in him.
Within a couple seconds of silence, Veritas continued, "Professor Shin, the reason that I enrolled in this Academy is to investigate that danger. Me, along with two others have been tasked to do the same."
Shin nodded, "Alice.. and Bello right?"
Veritas' eyes widened but he was not surprised. To some degree, there was a feeling that his Professor already knew about their purpose too.
"That two.. I expected them to have some ulterior motive. Especially for that boy, Bello. Mikella doesn't really take apprentices so it was very surprising for it to come out of the blue."
"That said.." Shin walked slowly towards Veritas, "Bello doesn't quite have the same knick for the swordplay as Mikella. He leaned more on.. a royal type of swordplay, only possessed by a couple few."
"Therefore, I ask you, your majesty. Is Bello trained by the King himself?"
Veritas felt chills on his spine, 'He's spot on! How does he know all these? Was it from mere speculation?"
Standing up straight to face Shin, who was already in front of Veritas' face, he smiled and raised both of his arms as if he was gesturing that he had been caught red-handed.
"You got us. There are no more secrets to be said."
"Are you certain?"
Shin Morteza's purple eyes glowed in the darkness of the room, staring directly at Veritas.
It was.. scary, no.. terrifying, as if Death itself were staring at Veritas.
"You are not of the Sacred path, Veritas Alpas Elrod. I sense a deep darkness in your Soul.."
Veritas clicked his tongue in his mind, 'How much does he know?!' A pressure then intensified within the darkroom and the ornaments inside shook in return.
He did not answer, but rather.. stayed silent and stared at Shin with confidence.
"Silence huh.. I guess I can't get through you. You royals are really thick-headed." He turned back upon saying so..
"Then answer one thing for me, your majesty.."
Shin walked towards a wooden chair and sat on it, resting his head on his hands.
"How do you intend to resolve this impending danger?"
"I.." Veritas stared down to think, "I don't know.."
"For a month and a half that you've been here, you made quite an insignificant amount of progress. Honestly, I never expected you of all people to be related to the doomed future. But I guess, it makes sense.."
Shin sighed and shifted his head towards the wall on his right. He then grabbed the space beside him and something seemed to appear in a second.
The space on his right was suddenly replaced by a black-haired figure, lifeless and cold. Then, 3 more bodies came out of the killed space, all of them sharing the same features as the last one.
Veritas was startled, but he kept his composure.
"Do you know who these people are?"
"Not quite."
Their faces were distorted and blackened. It seems that their bodies ran out of air and there was a tight tugging string on their necks.
"These.. are all my students. They have been assassinated this morning. And they are students that I've closely monitored, you may guess what they are attuned to.."
Veritas walked forward and examined the bodies, they all seemed.. very familiar as if he had already seen them and studied them.
Then! His eyes widened, shocked by a sudden realization.
Veritas spoke:
"Strings.. These are all string users.."
"Bingo!"
"Bingo?"
"Oh right, anyways. As you have just said, these people are all string users. In fact, they were the only people attuned to strings in this Academy and who do you think killed them.."
Veritas stood up and faced Shin, "No.."
Dread enveloped his body, denying the fact that the person in front of him could be the Puppeteer.
"Whatever you are thinking.. I am not the person that you are looking for. And even if I am, why would I show you my victims, why not just kill you on the spot?"
"You're right.." Veritas contemplated further, "Then who did it? All the suspected individuals are already dead!"
"That's the question that I've been asking. Either one of these people are still alive or.. the person you're looking for has somehow manipulated our system, just like how you manipulated them."
He added:
"You might've used your Father's influence over Mikella to tamper your data about your Avatar but this other person could not have done the same at all. Without a status similar to yours, it would be impossible to change the facts."
"Then.. someone somehow tampered their data and made it seem normal and weak."
"Exactly.."
"But who?"
Shin contemplated and tilted his head to the right.
"That is the part that I am missing, a single piece missing from the puzzle that is the most essential of all. Once we figure out the identity of this perpetrator, all the gears will begin spinning, as if a domino started a butterfly effect.."
Veritas was quite confused with his Professor's words, they were.. foreign and unfamiliar to him.
'Domino? Butterfly effect?'
He disregarded the loss in translation and then stated:
"I might have a significant piece of information. But I do have a question.
"Go on."
Veritas' tone became even more serious, "Can I trust you?"
Without even sparing a second, Shin replied:
"No. I am the most untrustworthy person in the world. I will betray you if it serves me to do so.."
"That.. is reassuring to hear."
It is better to hear the truth than be lied upon.
Veritas really knew that Shin Morteza was either a person true to his heart or a diabolical enemy that could not be trusted.
Either way, Veritas listened to Mr. Freedom's words and confided in him.
"Then, this information has not been revealed to anyone else except from my father, mother, and the Dukes.."
Shin shifted his seating posture and leaned forward.
"I already know about the true purpose of the Puppeteer. He aims to turn the kingdom of Elrod into a bloodbath and summon the Faceless Apocalypse once again.."
"Now that is an unfamiliar piece of knowledge. The Faceless Apocalypse huh.. I haven't heard of that fairy tale for many years.."
"I know.."
Walking around the room, Veritas looked at the various furniture. He saw dusty ornaments, wooden beams, and rusty metal supports for the room.
"I've.. lived through that Apocalypse myself."
"Really?"
"Yes. In there I saw a Seraphim make its attempt to ascend to divinity, and become an Empyrean. But alas.. the Queen of Elrod stopped its attempt for ascension."
Shin's eyes widened, "Queen?"
Veritas nodded in response, "Indeed. Upon witnessing the Queen's final stand, I visited the place where she fell and gathered things of my own. In that place, there were two figures that fought each other, forever frozen in their dreams."
He stopped walking and faced the direction of Shin.
"You already guessed it in your mind. The Seraphim was stuck with the Queen in the dream. But something felt really off.. I tried to kill the Seraphim but upon doing so.. the runes didn't announce my achievement."
Veritas stared at his hands and retold the vision that he was in.
"The Seraphim's Soul was gone, stolen."
Shin leaned even more forward and he was clearly agitated.
"The Puppeteer stole his Soul. And I know deep inside myself that he plans to cause another Apocalypse. I don't know his purpose for doing so but that event needs to be prevented!"
"That is.. harrowing."
Shin contemplated for a while, bringing his hands to his forehead. Then, upon a few seconds, he stood up from his seat and got closer to Veritas.
He raised his hands and placed both of them on Veritas' shoulders.
"I can see it. You.. your majesty, Prince Veritas, is at the center of this. You are the eye of the storm, the star which the planets revolve on, and the void that keeps expanding the galaxy!"
"You are the Dark Energy!"
His purple eyes glowed in the darkness.
"It all makes sense. The story revolves around you and you alone. How could I not notice this further! And I thought I've already found the main character in Ouros! You two are bound to converge and meet one day, but you.. you are different."
Everything that Shin said did not make sense on Veritas mind.
'Ouros, the Sky Continent? What is he saying!?'
Veritas felt confused and his eyes squinted.
"Veritas Alpas Elrod. No.. █████. You are the ███!"
When Veritas heard Shin's words, it seemed distorted and noisy, he could not figure out what they were!
"Whether you die or succeed, it does not matter! Go forth, challenge the second stage and meet me right after!"
Shin touched the space in front of Veritas and in a second, he immediately vanished from his sight.
Veritas saw a dark and looming forest of Hyperion trees, stretching towards the sky.
Then, a loud and booming voice resounded all throughout the area.
"Now! The second stage of the For Honor Tournament shall commence!"