I'm standing silently by the buffet table, which spans the whole length of the room. Aleyna is a small distance away. She hadn't yet delivered the prearranged signal — that would tell me she picked up something from the detector.
The array of foods familiar and also foreign to me. Meats, steaks, fish, vegetables that come in different shapes and colours. Monster meat, that is tender and juicy.
But I play the part of a brooding teenager, staring off into nothing as I lean against the wall, toying with my watch.
Then — Aleyna moves her fork to a 90 degree angle, and sips from her drink.
I spring into action. There's a vague prickling of my senses, and suddenly —
[COUNTDOWN BEFORE FAILURE]
10 min 59 sec
The notification materializes from thin air. I dismiss it and walk over to Aleyna's table, as calmly as possible. I nudge her shoulder, and we excuse ourselves. She was sitting with other elites, owners of monopolizing businesses.
"Start asking around," I whisper into her ear.
The party continues as usual. Mingling adult guests, a flood of first years laughing loudly in groups, the clinking of wine glasses.
Aleyna heads off to the upper section. I close my eyes. The sneaking sensation that something is.. wrong — plagues me. I centre my focus around the instinct I have — it's like an urge that can't be fulfilled yet. My mana builds around a point in my mind, and for a millisecond, I see it.
A generator. A switch in a man's felt overcoat pocket.
A spark of a vision, and a memory burned into my head — like when you look into the sun and you see the imprint it left behind your eyelids.
The flash is over, and I feel totally drained afterwards, like the wind got knocked out of me times a thousand.
I guess that's the price to pay for information. I stumble on over to a corner, and brace against it, panting heavily from exhaustion. The mana levels inside me are dwindling — a dangerous condition to be in. It's like have serious but temporary anemia.
However, if it gets worse, it could dip in to life threatening levels.
I try and push the feelings of my discomfort and pain away. Generator.. switch.. generator..
I need to find the power room.
The lights look brighter than normal to my weak mind. I feel dizzy and lightheaded, the world swinging with each step I take, vertigo spinning my head.
A grunt falls from my lips and I rub my temples. I feel like complete shit.
Then, I brighten. My recharge skill can replenish some mana. The idea is sound in theory.
"Recharge," I mutter quietly, and in an instant, a small amount of energy flows back into me.
If before, I had about 10% of mana left, now i have 20%. Enough to get myself off the ground and searching.
I scan the room, and then see the heavy wooden double doors which a lot of staff are coming out from, in and out. Must be the employee area.
There's only one way in there from the way I see it.
—
Aleyna Delacroix is at home in events like this. Poise and dignity follows her every move as she carries herself in a way that'll make anyone seem below her.
Which everyone is, in terms of social hierarchy.
Just at this event, she's gotten 5 proposal offers from rivaling businesses, hoping to conjoin with the most successful monolith in the industry.
Of course she rejected them all. It's not like the Delacroix company needs any more help.
She wanders the upper balconies, chatting up wealthy patrons of the academy, or famous hunters who were invited, and scouts of guilds who've come to search for prospective recruits.
In reality, she is searching for lies. For nerves. Anyone who may be guilty. In order to sabotage an event like this, you need access and power. So far, she's gotten nothing. Merely false pleasantries and idle talk.
But, she hasn't talked to the one person here who may even outclass her.
Evelyn Lumiere. Number one hunter in the world of Evantus.
Her presence, even while purposely suppressed, is enough to knock someone over who isn't suspecting it.
If anyone is to know anything about this supposed attack, it's her.
Perhaps there's still some lingering disbelief, that things are really going to go so wrong — but she sensed no such lie from that.. strange guy Dorian.
Aleyna strides over, to the VIP balcony. Evelyn is sitting gracefully on a plush couch, legs crossed as she overlooks the party below.
Even Aleyna, who has a reputation for her beauty, has to admit that Evelyn looks like an angel. Ethereal, not belonging onto an earthly plane like this.
Evelyn has light blonde, shiny hair that spills across her back in smooth flowing waves. She has soft bangs framing her face, and a strand of hair falling over her forehead naturally.
Eyes the colour of liquid gold, accompanied by dark, luscious eyebrows and lashes. Her facial structure is dainty but sculpted by god. Not a single flaw mars her face, pale skin a uniform creamy colour — cheeks nicely tinted naturally a light pink.
The silky, floor reaching white gown she wears accompanies the flow of her lithe body nicely.
Evelyn looks more like a princess than a deadly hunter.
Aleyna speaks. "Hello, Lady Lumiere. I hope you don't mind my asking, how are you?" She offers a pleasant smile.
"Ah — Aleyna Delacroix, yes?" Evelyn nods, and flashes a charming and sweet smile back, dimples forming on her cheeks. "I'm well, thank you. This evening is going nicely."
And — Aleyna knows it's a lie. There's a bitter taste at the back of her throat. That's the sensation she always gets when there's a lie.
So, she does know something.
—
There's an unconscious waiter in the bathroom with me. I punched him, as hard as I could. I feel bad for the guy, but it's necessary.
Pretended there was an issue with the sink, punch, steal his clothes.
I walk back out, with the best posture I can muster, confidently walking into the open double door.
I made it.
Within, there's a few corridors. One leads to the kitchen, I can see all the waiters pouring out, The other two have signs on the wall. There's a bustling variety of staff pushing past me, indistinguishable yelling coming from the kitchen, but the other halls seem dead in comparison.
The plaques read:
Electrical Room
Storage
I beeline down the hall labeled electrical room. Everything is barebones, a plain hallway leading to a metal door at the end.. and another staff member standing by? It's not just a staff member, it's a guard, a longsword strapped to his waist. The man is wearing a tactical uniform, military-like. An olive green overcoat with pockets, buttoned up, and a black button up with a grey tie underneath.
He seems out of my league, and he straightens as he sees me.
There's a growing rumble coming from the room as I step closer. The man tenses.
"Who are you? What are you doing?" He demands, voice sharp.
I open the system, tap on inventory, and withdraw [Salvation]. The gleaming weapon lands in my hold. I grip it tightly.
It seems the guard has caught on that I'm certainly not welcome here. He unsheathes his sword, holding it out at me.
"Kid. Don't come closer."
My hand sparks with lightning, and I sprint forward.
Circulate mana. Circulate. Circulate.
I repeat that mantra inside my head, as I make a quick slash at the man. Caught off guard, he barely avoids my hit, a small spurt of blood splashing onto my blade from the cut on his side.
I activate my other skill [Enhance] and unleash the small burst of lightning from my hand, placing my hand onto him.
He gets shocked, like a taser, convulsing in a somewhat grotesque way for a second.
Am I really killing someone right now? Someone mostly innocent?
Is this what I want?
I get pushed away in my stupor with an aggressive shove as the man scrambles to his feet. Not a moment after and a wall of fire scorches the corridor, a wave of heat blasting me.
It's terrifying. It is.
The walls are narrow. No escape.
Just as the flames are a feet away, I step forward and bring my sword into an upward swipe. It divide the fire for a moment, and I dive through.
The guard seems surprised, but flames quickly engulf the sword he holds.
It's just like a training match. Just like it.
If I had to guess, the guard is likely a B rank. Maybe lower.
His weapon can't be all that good.
So when he swings with his blade, trying to cleave me in half, I counter, bringing my sword against his — channeling all my mana into one move.
As soon as we make contact, his sword shatters.
And that's the power of an S-ranked weapon.
The metal breaks into bits, scattering across the floor. A shard flies past my cheek, scratching it. I can feel the warmth and thickness of my blood dripping from
the slice.
I grab the man's collar. "Who do you work for? What are you guarding?" I put on my best intimidating voice, tightening my grip, lowering my voice into a growl.
He looks up with wide brown eyes. "I-I don't know. The professor just paid me a lot-"
Professor?
"What professor?" I hold the sword to his throat.
"I can't tell you," he gushes, panicked. "I-"
The anger, my disappointments, all well up. I release my stress on the man, punching him in the face. "Tell me now."
The man yells. "I-it's was Professor Thorne!"
Thorne? Thorne. He must be the man with the switch I saw.
I barge into the generator room, leaving the guy there.
Among various pipes, wires, and a humid room,strapped to the main chugging energy source, is a bomb.
There's a timer, a consistently flashing light, and vials of a glowing strange turquoise liquid that make up the object.
The switch Professor Thorne is carrying has to be the detonator.
Before I can make a plan, I run out.
I know there's a gathering of waiters in the hall, unsure what's happening and how to interfere.
As I burst out of the door, I kick the guard in the face, rendering him unconscious. I just can't kill someone now. Not so soon.
Then I push past the crowd, who gasp and grab at me. I shake them all off and run out.
[COUNTDOWN BEFORE FAILURE]
3 min 23 sec
There's no point in downplaying it now. I dash out, drawing concerned and weirded out looks from guests.
Whispers form, those knowing who I am spitting out all the information about Dorian — how I'm weird. That I've never worked for anything in my life. And a weakling at that.
I can't dwell on them, but it makes me think about how the old Dorian handled it all.
Professor Thorne.. I need to find him. As I push past a waiter, the tray he holds falls onto the floor, only gaining more attention.
Finally, I spot the man. He's with a group of other teachers, whom are all now looking at me. I'm no match for him in terms of strength, but I tackle him anyways.
I reach inside the coat, even as Thorne grabs me, yelling at me, threatening me.
He's probably worried about his job if he kills the son of the headmaster. The pocket, inside, on the right — is in the exact place I foresaw it to be.
The shouts and protests to apprehend the 'student gone wild' grow.
Thorne realizes what I'm trying to find, and he stabs me with a hidden dagger. Right in the ribs.
It hurts. A sharp, sudden pain, and I make a gurgled sound at the sudden intrusion.
He hollers that he did it in self defence, now trying to pry me off.
I've already felt the pain of dying once.
Blood seeping through my fancy dress shirt. It drips onto the floor. Every breath I take hurts like a thousand needles pricking me.
I muster up enough energy — use the last of my mana to short circuit the switch using lightning.
I really do hope it's the switch.
The last words I hear before passing out —
"ALL HAIL ARCHERON!"
The voice is Professor Thorne's.
But my vision grows blurry and my sight grows dim before I can make sense of what he's saying.
I feel hands on me. Panicked shouts.
Then I'm out like a light.