Alex didn't blink.
His fingers snapped up, locking around the intruder's throat with a crushing grip.
"Aha—don't kill me! It's me!" The voice rasped, hoarse with panic.
The principal.
Alex held his grip just long enough for the old man's face to turn a shade lighter. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he let go.
The principal stumbled back, coughing. "Ahem… hell of a greeting."
Alex dusted his sleeve, uninterested. "Work on your approach."
The old man let out a weak chuckle. "Noted." Then his voice dropped, turning grim. "We have a problem."
Alex glanced at him. "And?"
"Someone infiltrated the Sacred Forest. The escorts spotted that the artifact, it has surrounded with a red blood sphere." The principal's jaw tightened. "If we don't act fast, the children will be in danger—along with the entire kingdom.
That made Alex pause—not out of concern, but calculation.
A shift in plans was expected. But Annoying.
"I evacuated most of the teachers. You're the last one." The principal hesitated. "Help me guard the children. And inform Raven. Also, the scouts reported that red skeletons have appeared around some areas on the streets as well around the church."
Alex exhaled through his nose. "You want me to play messenger?" His voice was dry, unimpressed. "Why take the teachers out?"
"They left to alert the knights and the king."
Alex rolled his shoulders, already walking. "Fine." Then, after a beat: "All of them?"
"No. Most of the third-year students and teachers are out on dungeon raids with the church. The ones left behind… are first-years."
Alex clicked his tongue. "Tch. Useless."
They reached the dorm entrance.
That's when Alex saw it clearly.
The sky.
It was not just red it was really bleeding.
Red veins cracked across the clouds, spreading like shattered glass. Unnatural. Unholy.
The principal faltered, staring up. "What… the hell?"
Alex barely spared it a glance.
"Tch. Now the sky's bleeding. It was all pointing to him…. Alex's face twisted into a mocking grin, i will make sure he No she'll regret it.
And with that, he stepped inside.
The moment Alex entered, the air shifted.
Panic clung to the students like a second skin, their whispers hushed, movements were frantic. But as soon as they saw him, silence followed.
Their gazes locked onto him—not for comfort. For answers.
However Alex didn't acknowledge them.
His focus went straight to one person.
Rizark.
The boy weaved through the crowd, his eyes wide, his steps hurried. But when he saw Alex, something in his face steadied.
"Teacher! You're finally here!" His voice cracked, caught between relief and desperation.
Alex knelt in front of him, resting a hand on his head. Rizark flinched slightly, his skin cold with sweat.
"You'll be fine," Alex murmured. Not a reassurance. A statement.
Rizark swallowed hard and nodded.
Then, without warning, Alex leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Don't trust anyone. Not even me."
Rizark's breath hitched. His body stiffened, but he didn't question it. Just gave a sharp nod.
Satisfied, Alex stood.
His gaze swept the room.
A girl stood off to the side, gripping something too tightly—her hands was shaking, knuckles white.
A katana.
Alex walked toward her. Held out his hand.
"I need that."
The girl blinked, stunned. For a moment, she hesitated, her fingers tightening around the hilt as if it were the only thing anchoring her.
Then, slowly, she handed it over.
Alex took it without a word, his fingers closing around the black-wrapped handle. The weight was perfect—balanced. The silver blade, resting within its jet-black sheath, gleamed faintly under the dim shelter lights. A weapon meant for clean, decisive cuts. No wasted movement.
His grip adjusted slightly. It felt right.
He turned back to the students, his voice cutting through the tension like steel.
"The rest of you—stay here. If anything gets in, kill first. Without the hesitation."
The principal shifted uneasily. "Mister sheng—"
"I'm going," Alex interrupted, already turning. His steps were slow, deliberate. "Stay with them. Don't be useless."
And then, without another glance, he walked out.
Somewhere out there, Raven was moving. So was the artifact.
He had what was his.
And he'd take it back—no matter what.
….
The grand house of the king remained untouched by the chaos outside, its soft golden glow almost mocking the urgency that crept across the kingdom.
Fafner, Luck and the others were absorbed in their own laughter until the knight's intrusion shattered that fragile illusion."
A knight, clad in black, knelt before the King. His presence was like a ripple in still water—unnoticed at first, as if the air itself rejected his urgency.
He spoke, voice low but firm. "Your Majesty."
No reaction.
They were too lost in their revelry, laughter drowning his words.
The knight tried again, louder this time. "Your Majesty!"
This time, Fafner's gaze flicked to him, brow furrowed. "What is it? You dare interrupt us?"
The knight pressed his forehead to the ground. "My apologies, Your Majesty. But there's a grave situation."
Fafner sighed. "Another problem? What now?"
The others barely paid attention, still murmuring amongst themselves.
"The artifact," the knight muttered.
Fafner stilled.
Beside him, the conversations faltered. The room, once lively, now held a hush.
Fafner straightened. "Speak clearly. What about the artifact?"
The knight inhaled sharply. "Your Majesty… someone is trying to steal it."
Silence.
The knight continued, his voice tight. "We don't know who they are. But the royal escorts reported a red sphere forming around the Divine Artifact. They attempted to breach it, but…" His throat bobbed. "They were devoured whole."
Fafner's fingers twitched. His usually relaxed demeanor stiffened.
"Devoured?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Not just that—red skeletons have begun appearing across the city. The Church is under siege. And…" He hesitated.
Fafner's voice turned ice-cold. "And what?"
"The sky, my King." The knight swallowed.
"The sky is bleeding."