"Impressive… truly impressive," the man in the suit said as his body rose into the air. His gaze locked on Claire, lips curling into a grin.
"Such control… and at your age. Remarkable."
Then his eyes shifted to Isaac.
"And you… I've read the files. You weren't among the chosen ones…"
He raised one gloved hand. In an instant, Isaac's body slammed into the ground as if gravity had multiplied tenfold. His chest burned, his lungs straining for air.
---
System Alert
Insanity Index: 99%
Skill: ???????? — Effect Growing
---
The notification rang through Isaac's mind again, each chime like a hammer blow. He was sick of it — sick of this unknown skill creeping into his every battle.
Isaac forced his head up, meeting the man's gaze.
"I see now…" the man murmured, lowering his hand. The crushing weight vanished, leaving Isaac trembling and gasping as he pushed himself upright. Blood dripped from his lips, but his eyes never wavered.
"You… you've been blessed by him as well," the man said, almost reverently. "Yes… yes, I want you. You have been marked by our god."
Isaac took a slow step forward.
"That's it… come to me, child. You belong to us."
Within moments, he stood before the suited man.
"If I go with you… will you promise not to hurt my friends?"
"Brother, no!" Maya's voice cracked across the courtyard. She tried to rush forward, but Claire caught her by the arm, holding her back.
"Traitor!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"How could he?" another voice snapped.
Ren, hidden among the students, whispered to herself, "What are you planning, Isaac?"
The man in the suit ignored the chaos, his masked face inches from Isaac's. He wasn't studying his posture or stance — he was staring into Isaac's eyes, searching for something. And when he found it, he froze.
"Stand here, child. This is where you belong. Your new family will meet you soon enough."
But before he could speak again, the ground beneath them began to glow. The runes of the magic circle flared to life, light surging upward and forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
The man staggered, clutching his mask as blood seeped from beneath it. "Who… who did this?!"
He tried to rise — but a crimson spike erupted from the ground behind him, driving clean through his chest. His head snapped around to see Isaac standing there, lips curling into a smirk.
"Sorry," Isaac said, "but I've already got one weird old man obsessed with me. I don't need two."
---
Earlier…
"Are you sure this will work?" Leo asked, his voice tight with fear.
"Yes," Isaac replied. "We learned in class that magic circles are connected to the caster. Your skill, Corrosive Mana, should be able to destroy it."
"But I'm not sure I can do it…" Leo's hands trembled.
"You just need to find the core of the circle. For one this size, he'll need a massive amount of mana. The core will be the key." Isaac closed his eyes for a moment, calculating. "The principal's office. That's where you'll find it — it's probably the same one used to power the academy's barrier."
He summoned a swirl of crimson mist, shaping it into a small crystal. Handing it to Leo, he said, "When this crystal breaks, use your skill on the core. No hesitation."
Leo stared at the crystal in his palm, then clenched it with renewed resolve. "I'll do it."
Isaac nodded and turned to Arnold, pressing a stamina potion into his hand before forming two red-mist blades — long, thin, and deadly sharp. "Protect him."
Arnold accepted the swords with a firm nod. No more words were needed.