The three teenagers fell silent the moment Evelyn appeared before them.
Nym looked visibly excited, though she restrained herself, clearly unsure whether it was safe to speak. Korin straightened instinctively, a look of unmistakable respect settling onto his face. Vale, meanwhile, met Evelyn's presence with a carefully controlled expression, mostly neutral, though a trace of surprise lingered beneath it. He had expected her to appear eventually, but not like that, rising out of a shadow without warning.
As his gaze shifted, he noticed something else. Evelyn was holding his documents, along with the book he had picked up the day before. That alone explained part of her irritation, though the full reason remained unclear. Still, one thing was obvious, the attention in the cafeteria had shifted. The stares that had once followed Vale now fixed themselves squarely on Evelyn.
It was only natural. She was a high-ranking figure, far above students like them. Judging by the reactions around them, she was not someone the academy saw often. Conversations had died completely now, the room thick with unease.
Vale stayed silent for nearly a minute, observing the situation. Then Evelyn spoke again, her tone sharp and impatient.
"I said let's go."
Before Vale could react, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up from his seat. Nym flinched.
"H-hey, sis, how have you,"
"Not now, Nym," Evelyn cut in coldly, her gaze slicing into the taller girl. "I'm in a bad mood."
Without another word, she dragged Vale through the vast cafeteria and out into the white halls beyond. Vale didn't resist. Angering her further felt like a terrible idea.
They walked in tense silence for several minutes, their footsteps echoing through the long, pristine corridors of the academy. Vale finally worked up the courage to speak.
"So… uh," he said carefully, "where exactly are we heading?"
Evelyn turned her head just enough for him to catch the irritation burning in her eyes.
"A teleportation unit."
That answer only deepened his curiosity, but he kept any further questions to himself. Her mood was volatile enough already.
They continued walking in silence until Evelyn spoke again, her voice noticeably more controlled, though the tension beneath it remained.
"I heard what happened with Eskar. Since you appear unharmed, I'd like to ask you a few questions about the incident."
Vale blinked in surprise. "Sure," he said, though he had no idea where this was going.
"What Eskar did was inexcusable," Evelyn continued. "An act like that is punishable by death."
Vale stopped walking.
For a moment, the words didn't register. When they finally did, his breath caught in his throat.
"However," Evelyn added calmly, "since you were the victim, we will allow you to decide whether he lives or dies."
Vale nearly choked on his own breath.
'Me?'
Why him?
He understood the reasoning, Evelyn had made that much clear, but the weight of the choice felt crushing. They resumed walking, but Vale remained silent for several minutes, his expression somber and conflicted. Evelyn said nothing, her gaze fixed forward.
Finally, Vale spoke.
"I don't want Eskar to die," he said quietly. "And I don't want him punished either."
Evelyn stopped abruptly and turned on him, her eyes locking onto his with lethal intensity.
"I don't think you understand," she said. "Eskar didn't just attempt murder. He tried to kill a member of the Rose family. For him to receive no punishment is absurd. An attack on you, a Rose of skill, is equivalent to an attack on a king or a president. That is the extent of our influence."
Vale stumbled back a step, a bead of sweat forming at his temple. Even so, his resolve did not waver. He clenched his teeth and forced himself to speak.
"Eskar was abused long before he entered this academy," Vale said. "All he wanted when he came here was recognition, from someone like you. Did you ever give him that?"
Evelyn's eyes widened slightly.
"We were already aware of his situation," she replied. "We planned to consult him within a week." She paused, then continued coldly. "His attempt on your life changed everything. He's lucky his assassination failed. Had it succeeded, he would already be dead."
Vale's expression darkened.
"Is that really how you treat people who've suffered that much?" he asked. "Do you realize he suppressed his emotions for years just to appear 'acceptable'?"
He took a breath.
"He spoke to me before he attacked," Vale continued. "He told me about his past. About his struggles, as he did the rage in his voice wasn't aimed at me, not once."
Evelyn tilted her head slightly. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Vale met her gaze head-on.
"Teach him," he said firmly. "Don't punish him. He wasn't a coward, he admitted he deserved punishment. And when he failed, the guilt I saw wasn't because he failed… it was because he tried to kill me."
Silence followed.
Evelyn's expression shifted, anger flaring beneath her composure. Nearly half a minute passed before she moved again. Finally, she turned away and resumed walking.
"Follow me," she said sharply, her voice laced with restrained fury.
Vale obeyed, choosing not to provoke her further. After a short while, he spoke again, cautiously.
"So… what happens now?"
Evelyn scoffed.
"I'll relay your answer to Rose," she said. "If you're lucky, she'll honor your request."
Her tone made it clear his luck was far from guaranteed.
Vale remained silent for the rest of the walk as they moved through the pristine white halls. The quiet pressed in on him, but it didn't last long. After roughly ten more minutes, Evelyn came to a stop before a massive, sealed door.
Only then did Vale realize something else, she hadn't mentioned Chrome even once. That could only mean one thing, Chrome's upgrades had worked. His drone was undetectable now. The thought gave Vale a brief sense of relief before his attention was fully stolen by the structure looming in front of him.
The door was enormous, far larger than anything he had seen inside the academy. It radiated authority.
Evelyn stood motionless before it for several seconds. Then she stepped forward without hesitation.
She didn't slow down.
As she approached, the massive doors responded, splitting open on their own as if acknowledging her presence, no mechanisms visible, no sound of strain. They simply parted, smoothly and silently, as though making way out of respect.
Vale watched in quiet awe.
Evelyn stopped just beyond the threshold and turned her gaze back to him. "Are you coming?" she asked flatly.
"Yeah," Vale replied quickly, breaking into a light jog to catch up. Ember bounced slightly on his shoulder, letting out a displeased huff. Vale felt it, but didn't stop. This was worth it.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the doors closed behind him with a heavy finality. The sound made him flinch instinctively. He turned to Evelyn.
"So… what happens now?" he asked.
The room they stood in was unsettling. It was a perfect white cube, walls, ceiling, and floor blending together seamlessly. There were no markings, no seams, no visible exits. The emptiness made his skin crawl, as though something unseen might be lurking just beyond perception.
Evelyn met his gaze calmly.
"Now," she said, "we travel."
At once, the room began to change. Sharp white edges faded into polished silver, dividing the space into overlapping geometric segments, interlocking cubes within cubes. Almost simultaneously, those shapes ignited with radiant aqua light, growing brighter with each passing second.
Vale raised an arm to shield his eyes as the light intensified, flooding the room until it felt overwhelming. Then came a strange sensation, his body felt displaced, stretched and compressed all at once, as though reality itself were sliding sideways.
'Have we already teleported?' he wondered.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
They were still in a white room.
Evelyn stood beside him, unchanged.
"We're… still here?" Vale whispered, confused.
Evelyn turned and began walking toward the massive doors behind them. Vale's eyes followed her, and when the doors opened, his breath caught.
They had teleported.
Beyond the threshold lay a completely different space, dark halls drowned in shadow, the pristine white replaced by muted stone and dim illumination. The contrast was jarring.
Vale followed Evelyn automatically, but his thoughts raced. Something didn't make sense. He wasn't detectable by machines or mirrors. He cast no shadow. Even light passed through him as though he wasn't fully there.
So how had the teleportation worked?
The question gnawed at him until he finally gave in to his curiosity.
"Um… Miss Evelyn?" he asked, waiting for her attention. "How was I able to teleport with you?"
She glanced at him, visibly puzzled. "You didn't read your report?"
Vale froze.
He had planned to. He really had. But with everything that had happened, the sparring match, Eskar, the aftermath, he'd completely forgotten. He opened his mouth slowly.
"No…" he admitted awkwardly.
Evelyn stopped walking.
She sighed deeply and buried her face in her palm. "Unbelievable."
After a moment, she lowered her hand and spoke again, clearly restraining her irritation. "Read it tomorrow. It explains everything in detail."
She resumed walking, then added, "For now, just know this, your existence is linked to that right arm of yours. Wherever you go, it goes and wherever it goes, you follow."
The explanation answered his question.
And raised several more.
Vale stared at his metallic arm as he walked, his thoughts spiraling, the weight of what she said slowly settling in.