Ariana trembled violently, attempting to squirm away, but Theodore slammed the chair down, keeping her in place. Her eyes widened in panic as he reached forward, yanking the cloth from her mouth.
"Now," Theodore said, his voice calm but sharp as a blade. "Who are you, and why the hell are people like you after me? First Lenny, now you—why is your cult so interested in me?"
Ariana lifted her head and laughed—harsh, mocking, and completely unfazed.
"Pathetic," she spat, her piercing gray eyes filled with defiance. "You actually think I'll tell you anything? Just kill me already!"
Theodore exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "I don't normally resort to this, especially with women," he said, reaching for her hand. "But you leave me no choice."
Without hesitation, he gripped her index finger and bent it backward.
Crack!
A bloodcurdling scream tore from Ariana's lips as her finger snapped like a twig. She thrashed in the chair, panting heavily, but her eyes still burned with defiance.
"Tell me who sent you," Theodore said, his tone still eerily composed. "Why is your cult after me?"
Instead of answering, Ariana threw her head back and began screaming—not in pain this time, but as if she were calling for help, hoping someone outside would hear her cries.
"It's better if you let me go now," she taunted between pained gasps. "If not, I'll alert everyone. You think you're untouchable? The whole school will know what kind of monster you truly are."
She smirked, her confidence growing as if she had already won. But the moment she saw Belial grinning back at her, her smirk faltered.
"My, my," Belial said, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "How utterly foolish. You can scream all you want, but this room—" he gestured around the space dramatically, "—is completely soundproof. I set up a little spell before you arrived. Not a single noise escapes these walls."
Ariana's breath hitched.
"What the—?" She jerked against the restraints, panic flashing across her face.
"If you're thinking of taking your own life, don't bother," Theodore added.
Ariana's gaze sharpened in realization, and before anyone could stop her, she bit down hard on her tongue.
Blood pooled in her mouth as she started choking, her eyes rolling back.
She was dying.
Theodore clicked his tongue in annoyance. "How dramatic."
Raising a single hand, he uttered a command.
"Priestess Shadow, come forth."
The shadows in the room twisted and pulsed as a dark, ethereal figure emerged. A priestess clad in tattered robes of pure void stepped forward, her haunting red eyes glowing beneath her hood. Without hesitation, she knelt beside Ariana and pressed her hand to her forehead.
A deep, sinister hum filled the air as Ariana's body convulsed, the blood retreating back into her mouth. Her wounds closed, her consciousness forcibly pulled back from the brink of death.
Ariana gasped, eyes flying open in pure horror.
"You—!" she stammered, her entire body trembling. "Y-You have forbidden magic! You're a dark mage, aren't you?! The rumors were true! You really are the disaster prince!"
Theodore's lips curled into a lazy smirk. "I'm so sorry you see me that way," he said mockingly. "But those little insults won't make me go easy on you."
Before she could react, he grabbed another finger.
Crack!
Ariana shrieked again, her body jolting violently from the pain.
Tears welled in her eyes, but her laughter returned. A crazed, unhinged grin spread across her face.
"You… you all don't even know what you're messing with," she wheezed between labored breaths. "If I don't return soon, they'll come looking for me. And when they do, they'll kill all of you—especially you, prince."
Theodore tilted his head slightly, intrigued. "Oh? So you're saying I should be scared?"
Ariana chuckled darkly. "You should be."
"Alright," Theodore leaned in slightly. "Then tell me—who exactly are you people? What is this damn cult?"
Ariana's expression twisted with something between pride and fanaticism. Her gray eyes gleamed as she spoke.
"You don't get it, do you?" she whispered, voice dripping with venom. "We are the Children. The holy temple thought we were dead—cast aside, abandoned. But we survived. And now, thanks to our Messiah, we are stronger than ever. We have formed a force greater than anything this world has ever seen."
Her grin widened, her entire body shaking—not from pain, but from exhilaration.
"And soon… we will rise. We will make them pay for what they did to us. We will burn this kingdom to the ground. And you, child of the cursed bloodline, will suffer the most."
Theodore remained silent, his crimson gaze locked onto her.
Then Ariana's body convulsed violently.
Her eyes rolled back, her mouth foaming as an unnatural glow overtook her body.
She started screaming—not in fear, not in pain, but in pure devotion.
"My lord… My Messiah must want to take me away!" She cackled, her body glowing brighter. "You will all—!"
BOOM.
A deafening explosion of light erupted from her body. The air crackled with unstable energy.
Theodore's eyes narrowed.
"She's going to self-destruct."
Mimi reacted instantly, throwing herself in front of Theodore as she raised her arms protectively.
"Stay back, my prince!" she shouted, her aura flaring as she prepared to shield him from the impending explosion.
But Theodore's mind worked faster. He could already tell they wouldn't escape in time. Damn it, there's no way we'll make it!
With no hesitation, he shoved Mimi aside.
"Throw her out of the school field! Now!" he commanded.
Belial, who had already assessed the situation, didn't waste a second. With a flick of his wrist, a swirling portal materialized in front of the building, leading straight to the school's open training grounds.
But Ariana's body was already pulsating, a grotesque, glowing mass of unstable energy.
Just as she was seconds from detonation, Vito acted. With blinding speed, he dashed forward and kicked her with brutal force, sending her spiraling through the portal.
A fraction of a second later—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the entire school. The force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the walls, rattling windows and shattering glass.
The alarms blared.
"We're under attack!"
"Protect the students!"
The sound of armored soldiers marching filled the halls as they mobilized toward the explosion site.
Theodore, still standing in the dormitory, turned to Belial and gave him a sharp nod.
"Close the portal."
The swirling vortex collapsed instantly, cutting off any trace of the destruction outside.
They all stood there for a moment, catching their breath. The air was heavy with tension.
"That was close," Belial muttered, exhaling sharply.
"Too close," Theodore replied. His crimson eyes darkened. "If this is just the beginning… then a much bigger war is coming."
Mimi clenched her fists, her expression twisted in rage. "But the cult will be after you now, my lord. Don't worry—I'll skin them alive and tear them apart if they even think of harming you." Her red eyes glowed with pure bloodlust.
Theodore held up a hand. "No, Mimi. That's exactly why I had Belial open the portal outside the school. Now that there's been an 'attack,' Mr. Roman will have no choice but to tighten the school's security."
Understanding flickered in their eyes as they nodded.
Theodore sighed, finally sinking into a chair. His muscles ached from exhaustion, but his mind was still racing.
My life is about to become even more complicated.
And then there was him.
The Messiah.
Theodore narrowed his eyes in thought. Who the hell is he? And why is he targeting me?