The room fell into a tense silence as Joseph stood there, his hands still bound in front of him. He glanced around at the officials who were staring him down, their eyes filled with suspicion and distrust. The woman who had spoken before—she seemed to be in charge—was still glaring at him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
Joseph shifted his weight, trying to alleviate the pressure on his shoulders. "Okay, so let's start over," he said, flashing a grin that seemed to radiate innocent charm. "My name's Joseph. You might have heard of me. I'm the guy who's always in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I swear, I didn't burn down your fancy school."
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Then why were you here, Joseph? Why come back now, after all these years?"
He tilted his head, pretending to think hard. "Well, I heard the cafeteria was finally serving something other than gruel, so I thought I'd check it out. Imagine my surprise when I found the whole place on fire instead! Not exactly the warm welcome I was hoping for."
A low murmur of disapproval rippled through the room. The officials clearly weren't amused by his attempts at humor. The woman's frown deepened, and she took a step closer. "Enough with the jokes. Why were you really here?"
Joseph sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Fine, fine. No jokes. I came back because… well, I missed the old place. Thought I'd stroll down memory lane, maybe even see if any of my old pals were still around. Didn't expect to find it all in ashes, though."
One of the other officials, a man with a thick mustache and a stern expression, spoke up. "Do you expect us to believe that you just happened to wander in after the attack?"
Joseph shrugged. "Believe what you want. I know how it looks. But I promise, I wasn't involved. In fact, I don't even know who did this. Maybe you could enlighten me?"
The woman's lips pressed into a thin line. "That's what we're trying to figure out. All we know is that the academy was attacked by an unknown force. Several areas were bombed, and many of our students are missing. And then you show up, right in the middle of the chaos."
Joseph raised an eyebrow. "Bombs? Missing students? Wow, you guys really had a rough day. But seriously, I had nothing to do with any of that. I'm just a guy who likes to wander, and today my wandering brought me here. Wrong place, wrong time—story of my life."
Another official, a younger woman with glasses, chimed in. "If you're innocent, why did you run from the guards?"
Joseph chuckled. "Have you met your guards? They're not exactly a friendly bunch. They didn't even say 'hello' before they started swinging at me. And I don't know about you, but I've got this weird thing about not getting punched in the face."
The mustached man snorted. "You expect us to believe you're just some innocent wanderer?"
Joseph gave him a wide-eyed look. "Innocent is my middle name! Well, it's actually more like my fourth name, but still… I swear, I'm harmless. Just ask anyone."
The woman in charge took a deep breath, clearly trying to keep her patience. "Joseph, if you're not involved in this attack, then maybe you can help us. Maybe you saw something, heard something… anything that could help us find out who did this."
Joseph's grin faltered slightly, and his tone became a bit more serious. "Look, I get it. You're all stressed out, and I don't blame you. If I knew anything, I'd tell you. But I just got here, and all I've seen is smoke and angry people. I don't know who did this, and I don't know why they did it. But I can help you find out… if you let me out of these cuffs and stop treating me like the bad guy."
The woman studied him for a long moment, her eyes searching his face for any sign of deceit. Finally, she spoke. "And why should we trust you?"
Joseph's expression softened, and for a moment, the playful glint in his eyes disappeared. "Because I know what it's like to be blamed for something you didn't do. And because… despite how I act, I do care about this place. It may not seem like it, but I've got a few good memories here, too."
The woman seemed to consider his words carefully. She glanced at the other officials, who were exchanging wary looks. Finally, she sighed. "Alright, Joseph. We'll give you a chance. But if you step out of line, even once…"
Joseph nodded eagerly. "No stepping out of line, got it. I'll be a perfect little saint."
The woman gestured to one of the guards. "Take his cuffs off. But keep a close eye on him."
The guard hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and unlocking the metal cuffs around Joseph's wrists. Joseph rubbed his wrists, wincing slightly. "Ah, much better. Thanks, pal. I was starting to think I'd have to get used to wearing those."
The woman turned back to Joseph. "Now, tell us everything you know—every detail, no matter how small. Did you see anyone? Hear anything suspicious?"
Joseph leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "Well, let's see… I saw a lot of fire. Heard a lot of shouting. And I'm pretty sure I smelled some burning toast, but that might've just been my imagination. Oh, and I think I saw someone running away, but they were too far off to make out any details."
The mustached man leaned forward. "Running away? Which direction?"
Joseph pointed toward the far end of the academy grounds. "That way, I think. Could've been a trick of the light, though. Or maybe my mind playing tricks on me. Hard to say."
The woman in charge nodded. "We'll check it out. In the meantime, you're staying with us, Joseph. We're not letting you out of our sight."
Joseph gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am! I'm at your service. Just point me in the right direction, and I'll be your guide to all things Joseph."
The younger woman with glasses raised an eyebrow. "You're awfully cheerful for someone in your position."
Joseph shrugged. "What can I say? It's a gift. Besides, you've gotta find humor in these situations, right? Otherwise, what's the point?"
The woman in charge looked at him sternly. "You better hope this is the right decision, Joseph. For your sake and ours."
Joseph's grin returned in full force. "Don't worry, I've got a good feeling about this. And if there's one thing I trust, it's my gut. Well, that and my uncanny ability to find trouble."
She shook her head, clearly unimpressed. "This isn't a game, Joseph."
His smile dimmed, replaced by a rare look of sincerity. "I know it's not. And I promise, I'll do what I can to help. But you have to trust me… just a little bit."
The room fell silent again, the tension hanging heavy in the air. For now, at least, Joseph had bought himself some time. The real question was, what was he going to do with it?