Chapter 202
THE FLAME (2)
The staff member led IAM into one of the academy's mini cars. Elliott took the driver's seat without hesitation, leaving IAM to settle in the back. IAM didn't feel like sitting beside him.
As the car pulled out smoothly onto the road, IAM spoke up, keeping his tone careful.
"Do you have a name I can call you by or…?"
"Oh, right—my apologies," the man said, glancing at him through the rearview mirror. "I didn't even introduce myself. My name is Elliott Russel. I have the pleasure of escorting you to your destination today."
"...What exactly do you need?" IAM asked, eyes narrowing slightly. "Did I do something wrong?"
Elliott gave a light laugh. "There's absolutely no need to be so impatient."His smile stretched wider, revealing a perfect row of white teeth.
IAM stared at him, unconvinced. There was something off about people who smiled too much. And Elliott was always smiling...
And it was starting to creep him out.
IAM shifted slightly in his seat. He was armed. KASSARA was on him, as always—loaded and ready. He didn't go anywhere without it. If Elliott made even the slightest suspicious move, IAM wouldn't hesitate to defend himself.
He did not want to take chances.
As they continued driving, Elliott made casual small talk—mostly about the weather, the roads, the flowers that had recently bloomed around the west side of campus.
IAM tried several times to steer the conversation toward where they were going or why he was being taken there, but Elliott deflected every question with expert smoothness, never once dropping that professional tone.
...
When they arrived, the towering structure of the Main Hall came into view—IAM didn't say anything as they stepped out of the mini car and walked toward the entrance. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Inside, the hall was quiet.
Elliott led the way, gliding through the lobby with the calm ease of someone who belonged here. IAM followed quietly. They stepped into an elevator, and without a word, Elliott pressed a button.
IAM's eyes followed his hand.
The top floor.
His heart gave a dull thud in his chest. The last time he had taken this exact route—this elevator, this button—it was to meet one of the Eight Vice Principals: The Heart.
And that meeting had not gone well.
Now he was going back up again?
IAM's thoughts raced. Why now? What had he done? Had something changed?
There were only a handful of people who could even request a student to be brought to this floor. The vice principals. He had already met the Heart... and Elliott had said this would be the first time he was meeting this person.
That ruled the Heart out.
IAM turned over the names in his head. There were eight Vice Principals, each with a title. And only one had been referenced by name in connection to him—just once, by Ari.
A name he hadn't forgotten.
IAM muttered under his breath, just loud enough to be heard: "Could it be… the Flame?"
For the first time since they got into the car, Elliott's constant smile slipped.
Just slightly.
But it was enough.
He recovered almost instantly, letting out a casual laugh like it was a silly guess. But IAM saw it. He'd caught the crack in the perfect expression.
IAM's eyes narrowed again. He had only guessed the Flame because of Ari's strange comment—how she mentioned someone had blocked her from seeing his private information. She hadn't said much more...
And now, it was all lining up.
He didn't know why the Flame wanted to see him. They'd never met. He couldn't think of anything he had done that would warrant the attention of one of the academy's highest authorities.
But if he was right…
This wasn't just another meeting.
This was something else entirely.
The elevator finally came to a soft stop. With a gentle chime, the doors slid open, revealing a corridor that felt completely removed from the rest of the academy—like it belonged to a different world altogether.
IAM stepped out, his eyes adjusting to the s change in lighting. Everything about this floor radiated power and elegance. The atmosphere didn't just feel exclusive—it felt sacred, like a place students weren't even meant to know existed, let alone walk through.
The walls were smooth and pale, made from white marble that shimmered faintly under the soft, ambient lighting embedded in the ceiling.
A deep crimson rug, long and perfectly aligned, stretched down the center of the hallway, muffling the sound of their footsteps.
Above them, chandeliers hung in even intervals. They swayed gently as if touched by a breeze that didn't exist—elegant fixtures of glass and silver that gave the illusion of being weightless, as though suspended not by chains, but by the air itself.
IAM took a slow breath. This was his second time stepping onto this floor. And just like before, it left him slightly awestruck. The silence. The untouched beauty. It was the kind of place that didn't just make you feel small—it made you feel watched, even when no one was around.
Still walking beside Elliott, IAM glanced sideways and asked, "Is this place not a little too easy to get to? I mean… any random student could just press the button and show up here. Seems risky."
Elliott didn't break stride, his smile remaining calm and professional as he replied, "Of course it's not that simple. There are hidden cameras in the elevator, you see. They scan each person inside and check if they're registered or authorized to visit specific floors. If not, it doesn't matter how many times someone presses the button… the elevator simply won't move."
IAM frowned slightly, thinking it over. "Then what if someone who is authorized brings someone who isn't? Like right now."
Elliott gave a soft, knowing chuckle. "Unless that person is one of the Vice Principals… or the Principal himself… the elevator won't activate. Both parties have to be cleared. Or in your case, invited."
"I see…" IAM murmured, his brows drawing together as he folded the information into his growing list of Academy oddities. Nothing in this place was as simple as it first appeared.
They continued in silence for a while, the hallway seeming to stretch longer than it should have, each step toward the end of the corridor added a small weight to his shoulders.
Finally, they stopped.
In front of them stood a large, ornate door carved from a dark, lacquered wood. The golden detailing traced intricate shapes around the edges—arangular patterns that flared outward like flames frozen in time.
IAM's eyes dropped to the plaque fastened just above eye level.
THE FLAME
The words were simple. The meaning, not so much.
It had only been a little over three weeks since he arrived at Hope Academy. Three weeks of trials, chaos, punishments, internal growth, and secret revelations. And now, here he was again, standing at the threshold of another Vice Principal's office. The second one in such a short time.
Last time, it had been The Heart—a visit that had now left him scrubbing toilets for weeks.
IAM stared at the door for a second longer, then glanced at Elliott. The man was already holding the handle, ready to open it.
Without saying a word, Elliott pushed the door open.