Victor escorted Maeyley back to her house, where he spent a little time speaking with her parents. They talked about his decision to join the SSDC. After a polite goodbye, he headed home.
"I'm home," he murmured, his voice heavy.
He had always said those words every time he came back; a habit formed when he used to live with his mother. It had been two years since she passed away, yet he still kept the routine. Saying it out loud somehow made the house feel less empty.
"Ah, I'm exhausted. And, of course, no food again. Sorry, ma," he muttered, stepping through the door.
He took off his coat, hung it by the door, loosened his tie, and slipped off his shoes. Heading to the kitchen, Victor looks through his small cabinet and fridge, only to find them barren. After a few more minutes of searching, his hand landed on a single packet of instant noodles.
"Good news, ma. Found some instant noodles," he said, inspecting the expiration date with a faint smile.
He started boiling water, setting the noodles on the counter. While waiting, he went upstairs to his room, flicking on the light and grabbing a white envelope from beside his bed.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he stared at the envelope for several minutes before heading back down to check the water. Once it was ready, he poured it into the noodles and sat at the table. Opening the envelope, he began reading its contents.
"Hmm... this doesn't seem like a bad offer, ma. Monthly salary, allowance, free uniforms, and even yearly benefits."
Though she wasn't there, he spoke to his mother as though she were. In his mind, she hadn't really left. He spent the entire night eating and re-reading the letter again and again. His thoughts circled around the offer, even as he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Victor woke up to the sound of his alarm. Before leaving the bed, he glanced once more at the envelope sitting beside him.
"Sigh. Good morning."
He went through his usual routine—showering, dressing up, and heading out for work early, as he always did. The sky was still dark, and the streets were quiet, the cold air scratching at his skin. As he walked to the academy, his posture was just as upright as the day before, but his face carried the weight of the decision he'd made overnight.
When he reached the academy gates, he paused, staring at the building for a moment longer than usual. He had made up his mind. Entering the school, he headed straight for the professor's office, where he saw Ayana sitting at her desk, completely absorbed in her work.
She wore a jacket and glasses, her pen moving swiftly across the pages of a book she was preparing for her class. Victor quietly sat down at his own desk, watching her for a moment before breaking the silence.
"Good morning, Ms. William."
Startled, Ayana looked up. "Oh! You surprised me, Mr. Noir. Haha."
"Hard not to when you're that focused," he said, raising an eyebrow.
"That's just how it is when you're dedicated to teaching," she replied, not looking up from her book. After a brief pause, she added, "By the way, Mr. Noir, have you made your decision?"
"Yes, I've decided to accept it."
Ayana stopped writing and glanced up at him, her eyes widening slightly at his response.
"Wow, I didn't expect you to accept their offer. Honestly, I was just teasing you when I suggested joining the SSDC. I wanted to see if you'd actually go for it, and it looks like you did," Ayana said with a playful smirk.
Victor sighed, "The benefits aren't bad, you know. Who knows, I might get more than what's listed in the letter." He leaned back in his chair, loosening his tie. "Besides, the pay is double what I'm getting here, so... yeah."
"Well, good for you," she replied, a hint of admiration in her voice.
As the hours passed, lunchtime arrived. It was time for Victor's noon class, Class 3. But something was off.
"Alright, class, sit down," he said while closing the door behind him. "Sorry for being a few minutes late."
The students were startled. This wasn't the professor they were used to seeing every day at this hour.
"H-huh?! W-where's Professor Noir?!" Angela blurted out, panic in her voice. "W-what the hell, we're doomed!"
"Calm down, Angela," a classmate said. "You're overreacting."
"Good afternoon, class. I'm Professor Goddeon Golden, your new instructor for marking spells."
"What?!" the class shouted in unison.
The students were in complete disbelief, each reacting in their own unique way. Some rolled on the floor, others banged their heads on their desks, and a few even started running around in a chaos.
"Alright, enough of that! Everyone back to your seats!" Goddeon barked, trying to regain control.
"Sir Goddeon, where's Professor Noir?" Jerard, the only calm student, asked. "Did he accept the SSDC offer?"
Goddeon hesitated. "Ehem! Uh, well, I'm not entirely sure. They just told me I'd be filling in for him while he's... away."
The students couldn't believe what they were hearing. It finally hit them: Victor was really leaving the academy. The realization sent Angela climbing onto her desk, one foot on her chair, one on the table.
"Get down from there before you hurt yourself!" Goddeon yelled, his nerves fraying.
"Alright, team! Mr. Noir hasn't left yet; I'm sure of it! We're storming the guidance office now!" Angela declared with burning determination. "Follow me!"
"Yeah! Let's go!" the class cheered, standing and raising their fists in the air.
"C-class?!" Goddeon called after them, but his voice trailed off as they stampeded out the door. Left alone, he slumped over in defeat.
*
"Mr. Noir, thank you for your five years of service at our academy. You've done so much for the students here," Mr. Gradle said, shaking Victor's hand.
"That's a bit too much praise, Mr. Gradle. I was just doing my duty as their professor."
"Hmm, but to your students, it was much more than that. Good luck with your new journey."
"Thank you, Mr. Gradle. I'll be on my way now."
Just as their conversation was about to end, the office door flew open with a bang, sending papers from Gradle's desk fluttering to the floor. Both men looked up in surprise as Victor's entire class burst into the room.
"Oh, Mr. Noir. Looks like you've got a problem on your hands," Gradle commented with a chuckle.
"Seems like it," Victor sighed.
"And where do you think you're going, Mr. Noir?!" Angela demanded, glaring at him. "You think we're just going to let you leave?!"
"Good afternoon, Angel–"
"There's nothing *good* about this afternoon, Mr. Noir!" she cut him off sharply.
Victor tried to speak, but Angela's eyes welled up with tears, her aggressive tone softening. "Are you... really leaving us?"
Victor kneeled in front of her, setting down his belongings and gently placing a hand on their head. "Don't cry, kids," he said softly, offering a warm, reassuring smile. "Sometimes, people come into our lives to teach us something, but that doesn't mean they'll stay forever. They have their own lives to live, just like you do. And just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I'll forget you."
Angela's tears flowed even more, and the rest of the class joined her, their demands for Victor to stay filling the room. One by one, Victor hugged his students, comforting them as best he could. When it was time to go, they walked him to the school gates, Angela still clinging to his hand, her face red from crying.
At the gate, Victor knelt once more, brushing Angela's hair back and smiling at her. "Be good to your new professor, okay?"
"Okay, Mr. Noir," she replied, sniffling.
In the final moments, Victor waved goodbye as he stepped into the waiting taxi. The students waved back, their hands raised high, until Victor disappeared from view.
*
Victor soon arrived at the SSDC headquarters, standing in amazement of the massive structure before stepping inside. The spacious lobby stretched before him as he approached the receptionist.
"Excuse me, where can I find Mr. Nicholas Grimstone's office?"
"Do you have an appointment with him? May I have your name?"
"Victor... Victor Noir."
The receptionist's eyes widened. "Oh! M-Mr. Noir! Let me just call him right now!"
"No need," Victor replied, "I'll go to him directly."
"Ah, I see. His office is on the third floor, second door on the right. You'll know it—it's much larger than the others."
"Got it. Thanks."
Victor climbed to the third floor and entered the office, where he found Nicholas engaged in paperwork.
"Oh! Mr. Noir," Nicholas greeted with surprise. "I wasn't expecting you this early. Our meeting isn't until later."
"I didn't want to drag it out," Victor replied. "The longer I wait, the harder it'll be to leave."
"Fair enough," Nicholas said, standing from his desk and extending a hand toward Victor. "Welcome to the SSDC, Mr. Noir."
"Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Grimstone," Victor said, shaking his hand firmly.
"You can just call me Nicholas," Grimstone replied.
"Isn't that a little too casual?" Victor scratched his head, a bit unsure. "I wouldn't want anyone thinking I'm being disrespectful to a superior."
"Don't worry about it; there won't be any issues," Nicholas said with a reassuring smile. "Anyway, Mr. Noir—"
"Victor," he interrupted. "Just call me Victor. It feels more balanced that way."
Nicholas nodded. "Alright then, Victor. Come back here tomorrow morning. I apologize that I can't take you along today; the person I want you to meet is currently out."
"Person? Who are you talking about?"
"You'll find out tomorrow, Victor. For now, take this," Nicholas said, retrieving something from a nearby cabinet. "Wear this tomorrow. Be here at 7 a.m. sharp."
"Got it. Thanks" he said, smiling a little while leaving the office."see you tomorrow Nicholas."
*
As Victor stepped out of the office, he headed straight to another district and made his way to a nearby coffee shop. Just before reaching for the door, he felt a strange sensation that made him pause. Glancing up, his eyes widened in disbelief. Above the city, a horde of monsters was descending fast.
Panic quickly took over as the creatures crashed down into various parts of the city, smashing cars, small houses, and shops in their wake. The streets erupted in chaos—people ran in every direction, screaming as the monstrous invaders wreaked havoc.
Victor stood frozen for a moment, frustration etched on his face. He had never faced anything like this before. Everywhere he looked, the city filled with beasts, and terrified citizens scrambled to escape their grasp. He knew he couldn't wait for the Supreme Sorcerer Detective Court (SSDC) to arrive; he had to act now.
Gathering his resolve, Victor raised his hands, summoning a faint glow around them.
"Marking Spell... Chrono Mark."
The spell lit up his hands as it took effect. ‹Chrono Mark› was a basic marking spell, allowing the caster to place a mark on anything or anyone within sight. Once marked, the caster could teleport to the target's location, no matter how far. However, the mark only lasted two minutes before vanishing, and after the time was up, the spell could be used again.
"Not done yet," he muttered, moving his hands once more. "Marking Spell... Sneaky Peak."
‹Sneaky Peak›, a marking spell that let him see enemies hidden in various places—inside buildings, cars, underground, anywhere they might be lurking. The spell opened his sight, revealing several hidden threats across the area.
"Now we're getting somewhere," Victor said, reaching into his coat for a cigarette. He lit it, took a long drag, then set his things down. With a calm exhale, he vanished from where he stood, teleporting directly behind one of the monsters.
Without hesitation, he placed his palm against the creature's back. "Onslaught Spell... Grand Explosion." His voice was cold as he spoke. "Time to die."
‹Grand Explosion› allowed him to release a powerful burst of energy from his palm. In an instant, the upper half of the creature's body was obliterated in a violent blast. Without wasting time, Victor teleported to another monster, repeating the process with poor efficiency.