The halls of the academy felt heavier than usual.
After what they had been through, the towering stone walls—engraved with intricate golden symbols of protection—seemed colder, more distant. The torches that lined the corridors flickered softly, casting shadows that stretched long and eerie. The academy, built as a fortress of knowledge, now felt like a cage.
As Theodore and his group walked in silence, their footsteps echoing against the polished marble floors, the weight of their experience settled in. The once-familiar pathways, the grand arches leading to different wings of the school, and the towering staircases connecting the dormitories to the main building—all of it felt different now.
They had changed.
And they knew it.
When they reached the point where boys and girls had to part ways, the tension had grown thick, unspoken.
Elisa, always the bold one, finally broke the silence.
"Do you guys… think we're under attack?"
Her voice was steady, but there was something beneath it—a tremor, a hesitance.
"Attack? I don't think so," Noah answered, though his tone lacked certainty.
Elisa bit her lip. "Then why do I feel like something bigger is coming? What happened today… it didn't feel like an isolated event. The black magic, Mr. Lenny turning into… that—I thought it was a myth. But after seeing it with my own eyes…" She shuddered, hugging her arms.
The others didn't respond right away.
Because she wasn't wrong.
They had all felt it—the sheer terror, the overwhelming power, the reality that the stories they had grown up with weren't just legends. They were real. And they weren't ready.
Theodore, observing them carefully, sighed.
"It's normal to feel this way," he finally spoke, his tone calm yet firm. "This was your first battle—not against other students, but a real fight for survival. No one walks away from that unchanged." He glanced at them, gauging their reactions. "But you don't have to be afraid. If something like this happens again, we'll be stronger by then."
Noah clenched his fists. "But we didn't even win." His voice was laced with frustration.
"Of course we didn't," Theodore said bluntly. "Lenny was stronger than us, more experienced. He was using a power none of us fully understood. But we survived, didn't we? That means we take this as a lesson. Next time, we'll be better."
Elisa let out a small chuckle, shaking off her nerves. "You're right. I guess I should train harder."
The others nodded. Even Jin, though still pale from everything that had happened, looked more determined.
Noah, however, was still processing everything. His brows furrowed as if deep in thought.
"Today was insane," Elisa said, laughing weakly. "I mean, we actually fought a monster… but you know what surprised me the most?" She turned to face Vivian. "You."
Vivian, who had been silent the entire walk, blinked.
"You're the reason we even figured out that potion Lenny gave us was laced with slime essence," Elisa continued. "Without you, we wouldn't have known. You saved us, Vivian."
Everyone turned to look at her.
But instead of pride, Vivian looked… lost.
"Y-Yeah," she stuttered. "I—I guess you're right."
Elisa frowned. "That's all? You're talking like you weren't even there. It's like—like you have two different personalities."
Theodore, who had been observing her for months now, finally decided to say what had been on his mind.
"Vivian," he said, his voice calm but direct. "Do you have a second personality?"
Vivian's entire body tensed.
Her eyes widened in alarm, as if someone had just cornered her with a blade to her throat.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice wavered, and before anyone could say anything else, she turned sharply and walked away. "I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow."
They all watched her retreating figure in stunned silence.
Elisa crossed her arms. "Well, that was suspicious."
"When did you figure it out?" Theodore asked.
"Just today," Elisa admitted. "She was… different back there. Too confident, too decisive. It didn't feel like the same girl who flinches at loud noises and stutters every other sentence."
"We should leave her be," Jin finally spoke up. "If we push too hard, it might make things worse."
Noah, still confused by the conversation, just scratched his head. "What the hell is going on with her?"
Theodore didn't answer.
Because he already knew.
Vivian had been hiding something since the beginning. But now, cracks were beginning to show.
It was only a matter of time before the truth spilled out.
As they finally parted ways, Theodore watched his friends leave, their smiles forced, their laughter hollow.
They were trying to act normal.
But he could see it.
Deep inside, they were shaken.
Scarred.
And this wasn't something they could just forget.
Theodore strode through the dimly lit dormitory corridor on the third floor, his expression unreadable. His boots echoed against the polished wooden floor as he neared his room. Waiting outside, leaning casually against the wall, was Vito—Shadow Armor, now disguised in his new human form.
Vito straightened and smirked as Theodore approached. "How did the meeting go, my lord?"
"It was easy," Theodore replied nonchalantly. "But let's continue this inside."
He pushed open the door to his living quarters, stepping into the spacious room. The dim lighting from the chandelier above cast eerie shadows along the walls. Inside, seated on the plush furniture, were Belial, Mimi, and Luna.
And then there was her.
A woman.
Tied up. Bruised. Bleeding.
Her long black hair clung to her face, matted with sweat and crimson streaks. Piercing gray eyes, full of fury and defiance, locked onto him. Her mouth was gagged, muffling whatever curses she was trying to spit out.
"Welcome back, my lord," Belial, Mimi, and Luna greeted in unison.
Theodore's gaze flicked toward the captive woman, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "And who the hell is this, Belial?"
Belial smirked, standing with one hand in his pocket. "Her name is Ariana. We met her in Donovan Territory."
Theodore crossed his arms. "I see. And let me guess—she's our enemy?"
"Correct. Or rather, your new enemy. She's a member of that strange cult."
The room tensed as Theodore's eyes darkened, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. Then, his lips curled into a twisted smirk.
"What?" His voice was low, dangerous.
Belial raised a brow. "I thought you'd react with satisfaction, my lord."
Theodore chuckled, shaking his head. "No, it's just… how amusing." He turned toward Belial. "I just finished dealing with another one of their kind. My instructor—Lenny. He turned out to be a cultist as well."
"What?!" Belial's eyes widened slightly, but the amusement in his tone remained.
Mimi crossed her arms and frowned. "And who's the man behind you, my lord?"
Theodore gestured lazily toward Vito. "Shadow Armor. He has a new body now and will be serving me as well."
Belial's smirk faded as he turned to face Vito. Their eyes met, both sharp, both filled with unspoken challenge.
"I hope you serve well," Belial said, his tone laced with warning. "I won't tolerate another rat getting close enough to harm my lord."
Vito's own smirk grew, his voice smooth. "Says the one who looks like he took a beating. Let me guess—she did that to you?" He glanced at Ariana, who was still bound, her cold gaze burning with rage.
The tension between the two warriors was palpable, but Theodore ignored them. His focus was solely on her.
He took slow, deliberate steps toward Ariana.
She flinched.
Not out of fear.
Out of rage.
Her entire body shook against the restraints, her muscles tensed as though she'd lunge at him if given even a second of freedom. The pure hatred in her gray eyes could've burned through steel.
Mimi moved quickly, stepping in front of Theodore. "Don't go near her, my lord."
Theodore's smirk never wavered. He placed a hand on Mimi's shoulder and gently moved her aside. "It's okay. I just have a few… questions for her."
Ariana's breathing grew heavier.
And the look in his eyes now—the slow, predatory gleam, the way his crimson irises glowed like molten blood—made it clear.
He wasn't here to interrogate.
He was here to break her.
His smile widened, sharp as a blade. "Before I kill you—painfully, of course—why don't we have a little chat?"
Ariana's fingers curled into fists, her nails digging into her palm so hard that blood dripped onto the floor.
She had no intention of answering.
But as Theodore crouched down, tilting his head slightly, the weight of his presence alone made the room suffocating.
For the first time since she was captured…
Ariana's eyes wavered.