Chapter Twenty: A Ticking Time Bomb
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Rin returned to his dorm room in a daze. The events of the day had left him drained, yet his thoughts were far from settled. From the intimidating meeting in the Hall of Inquisitors to the ambush by Leon and his goons, it seemed like the universe had decided to make his life one long, continuous headache.
He collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Why me?" he asked aloud, as though the cracked paint above him might offer an answer.
A sharp knock at the door interrupted his pity party.
"Who now?" Rin grumbled, dragging himself off the bed.
When he opened the door, Aila stood there, arms crossed, her foot tapping impatiently.
"Are you going to let me in, or do I have to stand here while you sulk?" she said.
"By all means, come in and add to my misery," Rin said, stepping aside.
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The Lecture
Aila wasted no time. The moment the door closed, she launched into a tirade.
"Do you have any idea how reckless you've been?" she began. "You humiliated Leon, which, okay, was satisfying, but now you've made him your mortal enemy! And the Hall of Inquisitors? They're watching your every move!"
"Wow, thanks for the recap," Rin said, flopping back onto his bed. "I totally forgot how chaotic my life is."
"Rin, I'm serious!" Aila snapped. "You can't keep brushing this off. If Leon or the Inquisitors decide you're a threat, they'll come for you. And this time, you might not get away so easily."
Rin sat up, his usual smirk replaced by a rare moment of sincerity. "Aila, I get it. I really do. But what am I supposed to do? Apologize to Leon? Admit to the Inquisitors that I'm secretly just an unlucky idiot who stumbles his way through life? Neither of those options is going to help."
Aila sighed, her frustration softening. "I'm not saying you have to grovel, but you need to be careful. Start thinking ahead instead of reacting to everything."
"Thinking ahead, huh?" Rin said, rubbing his chin as though deep in thought. "So, like, I should predict when Leon will show up to try and punch me again?"
Aila groaned. "Why do I even bother?"
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A Plan in Motion
Despite his flippant attitude, Rin knew Aila had a point. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't keep relying on his bizarre luck to get him out of every situation.
Later that night, Rin sat at his desk, staring at a blank piece of paper.
"Okay, Rin," he muttered to himself. "Time to think like a strategist. If Leon's out to get me, and the Inquisitors are breathing down my neck, what's the best way to survive this mess?"
He started scribbling ideas.
1. Avoid Leon at all costs.
2. Don't do anything flashy in public.
3. Figure out why the Inquisitors are so interested in me.
4. Find a way to keep Aila from worrying so much.
The fourth point made him pause. Despite her constant nagging, Aila had been the one person he could always count on.
"She deserves better than being dragged into my mess," Rin thought.
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An Unexpected Visitor
Rin's brainstorming session was interrupted by another knock at the door.
"Seriously?" he muttered, walking over to open it.
This time, it wasn't Aila. Instead, a short, wiry boy with glasses stood there, looking nervous.
"Uh, hi," the boy said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You're Rin Park, right?"
"Depends on who's asking," Rin replied, leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm Keon," the boy said, fidgeting. "I… I need your help."
Rin blinked. "My help? Dude, you might have me confused with someone else. I'm not exactly the helpful type."
Keon shook his head. "No, I've seen you. You stood up to Leon in the duel. You didn't back down, even when everyone thought you'd lose. I need someone like you."
"Someone like me?" Rin echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"
Keon hesitated, then nodded. "I know it's a lot to ask, but… my sister's in trouble. And you're the only one I can think of who might be able to help."
Rin sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Why do I feel like this is going to be another one of those 'get involved in something way over my head' situations?"
"Please," Keon said, his voice trembling. "I'll explain everything, but we don't have much time."
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The Hidden Truth
Rin reluctantly let Keon inside and listened as the boy explained his situation.
"My sister, Lila, is a healer-in-training," Keon began. "She's one of the best in her class, but… she got caught up in something dangerous. A group of upper-class students forced her to help them with an illegal experiment. Now they're threatening her to keep quiet."
Rin frowned. "What kind of experiment are we talking about?"
Keon hesitated, his hands trembling. "I don't know all the details, but it has something to do with forbidden magic. If the instructors find out, she could be expelled—or worse. But if she doesn't do what they say, they might hurt her."
"Great," Rin muttered. "This just keeps getting better."
"Please," Keon said again, his eyes pleading. "I know it's a lot to ask, but you're the only one I can turn to. You've faced Leon. You're not afraid of powerful people. I… I'll do anything if you help her."
Rin leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "Why me?" he thought.
Finally, he sighed. "Okay, I'll help. But don't blame me if this ends with both of us in trouble."
Keon's face lit up with relief. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
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A Dangerous Gamble
The next morning, Rin met Keon outside the Academy's training grounds. The boy led him to a secluded area where the upper-class students were supposedly meeting.
"You sure about this?" Rin asked.
Keon nodded, his jaw set with determination. "I have to be."
As they approached the meeting spot, Rin's unease grew. The air felt heavy, charged with an unnatural energy.
"Forbidden magic, huh?" Rin muttered. "This is going to be fun."
Keon led Rin to a small clearing where a group of students in black robes stood in a circle, chanting. In the center of the circle was a glowing orb of energy that pulsed with an ominous light.
"Lila!" Keon called out.
One of the robed figures turned, revealing a young woman with tear-streaked cheeks. "Keon, what are you doing here? You need to leave!"
"Not without you," Keon said firmly.
The leader of the group, a tall student with a cruel smirk, stepped forward. "Well, well. What do we have here? A couple of heroes come to save the day?"
Rin stepped in front of Keon, his expression calm. "Nah, I'm just here to make sure this doesn't end with me being blamed for something. So, how about you hand over the girl and we all go our separate ways?"
The leader laughed. "You've got guts, F-rank. But I don't think you understand who you're dealing with."
The students raised their hands, the glowing orb crackling with power.
"Here we go again," Rin muttered, bracing himself.
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End of Chapter 20