After half an hour, Youtab's condition improved—she was no longer gasping for breath and was less in shock, though stress and anxiety were still visible on her face.
Vantias, with a worried expression, asked:
"Are you feeling better?"
Youtab closed her eyes and slowly nodded as a sign of confirmation, briefly replying:
"Yeah… I'm better."
She frowned for a moment and, with curiosity in her voice, asked:
"Where's Marcus?"
Vantias narrowed his eyes and thought:
"How bad is she really? It's been hours since Marcus left, and it's been half an hour since Youtab opened her eyes… How could she not notice?"
He spoke gently:
"He went outside… Things are bad. He's talking with Elizabeth's parents and the other students' families… The Academy's reputation is at risk. Many parents have come to take their children out."
Youtab lowered her head. Vantias understood her worry, took a deep breath, and continued:
"It seems people finally realized their lives are worth more than the reputation of staying in the Royal Academy… That's why so many are collecting their files and leaving."
Youtab closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded gently in understanding before turning toward the scene—toward Kyle's corpse tied to the chair. She looked back at Vantias and asked:
"What do you think?"
Vantias glanced at Kyle for a moment, then tried to rely only on his instinct as he answered:
"I think Kyle figured out who the killer was… He discovered it very quickly, and that makes me wonder if the killer is either more careless than we thought—or more dangerous."
He frowned and whispered:
"Kyle was caught off guard… and killed in such a horrific way…"
He then tore his gaze from Kyle, as though an image of Gazel flashed before his eyes.
Youtab took a deep breath and suddenly realized something—something Vantias could not see, perhaps because of his lack of experience.
"You're right… Kyle did know who the killer was… and the killer left behind a clue…" Youtab said softly.
"A clue? Did you notice something?" Vantias repeated.
Youtab pointed at Kyle's face with her index finger.
"Kyle's eyes and mouth are stitched with red thread… It means he saw the truth but can no longer see… He could have told others the truth, but his mouth was sealed—he can't speak anymore. And the red thread means… he paid with his life for discovering that truth." She spoke slowly, as if a heavy stone was pressing on her throat.
Vantias looked again at the crime scene, deeply affected. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see the world through Youtab's perspective. Then he asked:
"And the dagger in the heart?"
Youtab turned to him:
"It's the common point between Kyle and Elizabeth's deaths. Both killings share the same symbolic element: the heart. One had a dagger driven into it, the other had her heart removed… Elizabeth refused to distance herself from her true nature—that's why she was clutching her heart with both hands." She spoke while beads of cold sweat ran down her forehead.
"And Kyle… Kyle felt responsible… guilty for Elizabeth's death. He searched for clues to find the killer… And the killer shattered all that guilt and responsibility by driving the dagger into his heart." Her voice trembled with stress and fear, her expression thoughtful, her eyes unblinking.
Vantias swallowed hard, sat on his chair, and said in despair:
"So what do we do now? Why would the killer even do this?"
Youtab lowered her head, trying to guess, and spoke quietly:
"Don't you see what's happening outside? The killer achieved their goal… They wanted to destroy the Academy's reputation. The chance that Marcus is the killer has decreased…"She closed her eyes and added, "I know you said Kyle saw Marcus enter the greenhouse, but it doesn't quite make sense that Marcus would ruin his own reputation… It's not logical…"
Vantias narrowed his eyes. For a moment, a shiver of fear ran through his heart as he thought:
"I was a fool to underestimate him…"Then he looked again at Kyle's corpse and thought:
"That means… I have to go further… and sacrifice Youtab so Charles's identity stays hidden."
Vantias rose slowly from his chair, careful and unhurried, and said with a fake smile:
"I'll go outside, see if I can gather better information… You should rest if you can. You look exhausted. Leave the rest to me, alright?"
He then quietly left the amphitheater and walked through the Academy's hall. Students' faces were filled with worry—some terrified, some merely curious—discussing Professor Kyle's death.
Vantias thought:
"The choice I'm about to make… it means becoming the kind of person I hated in my previous life."He closed his eyes, clenched his fists. Accepting this truth was painful. "But… this way more lives will be saved. If that book remains in the Academy… the cult will get their hands on it, and the outcome will be far worse than this."
He raised his head to the sky. White clouds drifted, the cold autumn wind brushed against his face, carrying the fragrance of roses from the Academy's garden.
"Sacrificing Youtab means betraying my past… But sticking strictly to my principles means betraying innocent people… What should I do?"His face was heavy with worry as he slowly walked toward Charles's office.
Before opening the door, he took a deep breath, once again reconsidering the consequences of his actions—what he was about to do would leave no room for turning back.
Then, he slowly opened the door…
The room was bathed in soft, golden light filtering through tall windows with heavy drapes, though the corners remained cast in shadow.
Dark wooden walls, a few classic paintings in gilded frames, a massive library filled with worn, faded books. The air carried the scent of ink and dust, with the weight of age hanging thick.
A large, heavy wooden desk, a leather chair with heavy arms, dark couches along the wall. On the desk, extinguished candles and several old notebooks.
Vantias walked quietly into the room. Charles was sitting behind his desk, his brown coat set aside, wearing only a purple vest. He had been writing something, but upon noticing Vantias, he closed the notebook and looked at him with a friendly smile.
"Please, have a seat " he said, gesturing with his hand. Rising from his chair, Charles slowly and calmly walked toward the couch across from Vantias. After Vantias sat, Charles studied him briefly with his eyes, then sat down on the couch himself.