Next morning, Raymond served the routine tea to Lucas.
Lucas took a sip and immediately spat it out.
"What happened?" Raymond asked.
"You added salt."
Raymond frowned, tasted it himself, and sighed. "Oh… sorry. I'll change it."
Lucas placed the cup down slowly. "You're thinking about last night's clip."
Raymond nodded. "This principal gave some hope of change. He's the only one who stayed more than two weeks… but after yesterday's clips, I don't know what will happen now."
Lucas simply hummed in agreement.
---
Students began arriving on campus.
The atmosphere felt heavier than usual — quieter, uncertain.
Keris sat in the canteen when he noticed a faint red mark on Eden's elbow.
"What happened?" Keris asked.
"Nothing," Eden replied casually.
"This red mark?"
"I slipped in my room. Hit the bedside."
Keris stared for a moment, then nodded. "Hm."
Not far away, Luther had overheard.
Is Keris really changing… or is this temporary? he wondered.
Keris wasn't sitting with his usual group today.
That alone felt strange.
---
A few minutes later, the Devil Trio arrived.
Leon stretched his arms confidently. "What? None of you went to class? Today your principal is supposed to apologize."
Ethan smirked. "You all enjoyed yesterday's clips? I enjoyed them a lot."
Marcus said nothing.
He simply observed faces — students, professors, staff — reading the silent tension.
Then Adrian arrived.
Leon clapped slowly. "Look who's here."
"You're late," Ethan said. "Anyway, let's begin. Apologize… then pack your luggage and leave Hillcrest."
"If you don't leave," Leon added, "yesterday was just a trailer."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
Those professionals Adrian hired… they're not here today.
Where did they go?
Ethan pulled out a shoe-polish cloth.
"You know, I'm wearing new shoes today. Dust ruined the shine. Clean them."
Students nearby exchanged frightened glances. Professors looked away.
Keris shifted uncomfortably, remembering what he once forced Luther to do.
Adrian finally spoke.
"Oh really? You think I'm going to apologize?"
His voice was calm.
"You already humiliated me in front of everyone. The videos are public. So tell me… what exactly am I afraid of now?"
Marcus stepped forward. "What if more videos go viral?"
"I was scared before you posted them," Adrian replied. "Back then, I had a reputation outside this academy."
He smiled faintly.
"Now I've lost it. I have nothing left to lose."
Silence spread.
"So I'm not terrified," Adrian continued. "But you three are."
Leon frowned.
"You're afraid of losing your throne," Adrian said. "Afraid these students might stop bowing to you."
Ethan clenched his fist. "Psychological games won't work."
Before anyone could continue —
Police jeeps entered the campus.
The sound of tires stopping on gravel echoed across the ground.
Two constables stepped out first, scanning the students quietly.
Their presence alone was enough to push the crowd a few steps back.
The jeep doors opened slowly.
Whispers spread among the students.
"Police… inside Hillcrest…"
Even the Devil Trio's confidence paused for a moment.
Then the inspector stepped forward.
"Leon Cross. Ethan Vale. Marcus Reed. Complaints have been filed against you. You must come with us."
Shock rippled across the campus.
Adrian stepped forward. "Who filed the complaints?"
"And you are?" the inspector asked.
"Dr. Adrian Cole. Principal of Hillcrest Academy."
The inspector nodded slightly.
"Good. Then listen carefully. Hillcrest Academy is sealed until further notice."
Adrian's expression sharpened. "Inspector, please explain."
"We received multiple complaints of bullying and threats inside this campus. Investigation protocol."
Leon scoffed. "Do you know who we are? Our fathers—"
"Your fathers' companies are already losing reputation," the inspector interrupted, showing his phone.
Clips of the trio appeared on screen.
Clear. Damaging.
Adrian spoke again, steady and controlled.
"Do you have an arrest warrant?"
"We'll receive it within six hours. For now, they come for inquiry."
"You can conduct inquiry inside the campus," Adrian said. "No need to take them to the station."
"You're defending them?" the inspector asked.
"No. I'm protecting the institution."
The inspector studied him.
"Why do you care? You've been here only three weeks."
"Because I don't want innocent people paying for the mistakes of a few."
After a pause, the inspector agreed.
"Fine. Inquiry in your office."
---
As police escorted the trio away, Adrian turned to the campus.
"Until explicitly questioned, no one speaks to the police."
He looked at professors.
"Stay with the students. Today's lectures are cancelled."
Then he turned toward the building exit.
"Lucas. Close the gate."
Professor Finch asked quietly, "Sir… are you trying to save those boys?"
Adrian replied without stopping.
"They're not born criminals. They were conveniently abandoned."
Murmurs spread among the staff.
"But they are culprits," someone whispered.
Adrian heard it.
"Then why didn't you file complaints before? Why did you keep taking salaries without teaching?"
No one answered.
Adrian walked to his car.
Before entering, he made a phone call.
"Yes," he said calmly. "I need two things urgently. A temporary stay order against the sealing of Hillcrest Academy… and a legal protection order preventing arrests until victim statements are recorded."
Pause.
"I'll send the documentation now."
Another pause.
"Yes. I know the timeline is tight."
He hung up and drove away.
Adrian's car disappeared beyond the academy gate.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then slowly, the campus began to scatter —
some students remained in the canteen,
others walked back toward the hostel in uneasy silence.
The academy suddenly felt without direction.
---
Without Adrian on campus, uncertainty spread quietly through Hillcrest.
No lectures. No announcements. Only waiting.
For students who had always stayed silent,
today felt dangerous in a different way.
--
In one hostel room, four scholarship students sat together in silence.
No one spoke for a while.
Finally, one of them said, "Police inside the academy… I never thought I'd see that."
Another student replied quietly, "If investigation starts properly… many things may come out."
A third student tightened his grip on his bedsheet.
"Do you think they'll ask us to give statements?"
No one answered.
After a moment, the fourth student spoke.
"If the principal hadn't stopped the police from taking them away… things could have become worse."
The room fell silent again.
Hope and fear sat together in the same space.
---
Inside the principal's cabin, inquiry continued.
Samuel and Raymond entered once to serve water.
They heard fragments of conversation.
"You three caused long-term trauma to students," the inspector said. "If past cases reopen, you could face prison."
Ethan laughed weakly. "Why would our fathers help? They barely know we exist."
"Then why use their names to scare people?" the inspector asked.
No answer.
"Why take revenge on students who did nothing to you?" he continued. "Some of them are here on scholarships."
Samuel and Raymond quietly left.
Samuel whispered, "After hearing Ethan… I don't think they were born villains."
Raymond remembered Adrian's words.
Conveniently abandoned.
---
At 2 PM, Adrian returned.
He walked straight into his cabin and handed the inspector two envelopes.
The inspector opened the first.
Stay order against sealing Hillcrest Academy.
He opened the second.
Temporary legal protection preventing arrests until victim statements were recorded.
The inspector looked up.
"You arranged this quickly."
"I plan ahead," Adrian replied.
The inspector nodded.
"Investigation will continue."
Soon after, police left the campus.
Leon and Ethan returned to the hostel.
Marcus stayed behind.
"Why did you save us?" he asked.
Adrian looked at him.
"Because you weren't born villains. You became one."
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Thank you."
---
At evening,
Keris sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling when his phone began to vibrate.
"Mom calling…"
He picked it up.
"Hello…"
"Keris! We saw the news this morning," his mother's worried voice came immediately. "That academy… those boys… they aren't troubling you, right?"
Keris hesitated.
"No… nothing like that."
"Are you sure?" she asked again. "Your father said those students look dangerous."
In the background, his father's voice came faintly, "Ask him if he's safe in the hostel."
His mother continued, "You're not getting involved in any of this, right?"
Keris looked toward the hostel window.
"I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry."
"Promise?"
"…Promise."
After a pause, she said softly, "If anything happens, you come back home immediately. Studies can happen anywhere. Your safety matters more."
"I know."
The call ended.
Keris slowly lowered the phone.
His mind replayed yesterday's video.
Then Luther kneeling in front of him months ago.
For the first time, those two memories felt connected.
Keris whispered quietly,
"…I wasn't safe for others either."
The room felt strangely silent.
---
Eden was sitting at his desk, pretending to read.
His phone vibrated once.
A message from an unknown number.
He opened it.
"Don't open your mouth."
His fingers froze.
A second message appeared.
"Stay invisible if you want to stay safe."
Eden's breathing slowed.
He looked around the room instinctively, even though he was alone.
After a few seconds, he deleted the messages.
Then he placed the phone face down on the table.
His eyes remained fixed on nothing.
Almost mechanically, he opened his book again.
But he wasn't reading.
Not a single word entered his mind.
---
That night, inside the Devil Trio's shared room.
Leon's phone rang.
He answered.
His father's voice came cold and sharp.
"I sent you to that college to stop embarrassing me. Yet you continue."
Leon remained silent.
"Sometimes I wonder why you're my son. Your younger siblings are far better. You're a defective piece in my legacy."
The call continued.
Leon only responded with quiet "Hm" sounds.
Eventually, the call ended.
Ethan and Marcus received similar calls.
None of them spoke afterward.
Ethan pulled out a bottle.
They drank in silence.
Exhaustion replaced arrogance.
---
At hostel --
Luther sat alone in the hostel corridor, knees pulled close to his chest.
The academy felt quieter than usual today.
His phone screen still showed the paused video of Adrian kneeling.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then slowly locked the phone.
Footsteps echoed at the end of the corridor.
Two junior students were whispering.
"Do you think police will ask us too?"
"Don't say anything… otherwise we'll get into trouble."
Their voices faded as they walked away.
Luther lowered his head.
He remembered the inspector asking questions inside the principal's cabin.
He remembered Adrian saying:
"These three are not born villains."
Luther's hands tightened.
"They are not villains…"
He whispered the words, testing how they sounded.
His mind replayed moments from the past — being pushed, being forced to kneel, being laughed at.
His breathing became uneven.
Then another memory appeared.
Today.
Keris asking Eden if he was okay.
Luther frowned slightly.
Something was changing.
But he didn't know whether to trust it.
"I don't understand anything anymore…"
He stood up slowly and walked back to his room.
Before closing the door, he looked once toward the principal's office building.
For the first time since joining Hillcrest, he didn't feel completely alone.
But he also didn't feel safe.
---
Somewhere outside Hillcrest…
Avein sat in a dimly lit room.
"This principal ruined my first plan," he muttered.
His eyes hardened.
"Next time… I won't fail."
Silence filled the room.