Simon and Kai stood at the entrance of the examination hall, their faces etched with growing anxiety. The exams were starting, but there was still no sign of Jack. Kai knew Jack better than anyone—a boy who practically "drank" his textbooks like soup wouldn't dream of being late for an exam. Especially since Jack had been the first to leave the dorm this morning.
Just then, Master Valandor, the proctor for their room, stepped out and signaled to them.
"The exams have already begun, children. Hurry inside!"
"Sir... Jackie hasn't arrived yet," Kai blurted out, his voice laced with dread. He was terrified that something terrible had happened to Jack.
Master Valandor's face paled. He knew Jack well—a dedicated student who was always the first to ask questions and take his studies seriously. For someone like Jack to be late for an exam was unheard of. He looked at the two boys before him, trying to sound reassuring.
"Go ahead and start your exams. I'll notify the other Masters and have them start a search. Don't worry."
Simon and Kai exchanged a hesitant look and nodded at the Master. But just as they were about to step inside the hall, a third-year student came sprinting toward them, gasping for air.
"Sir! Sir! Fyrnic first year.. Thistledown... Dean just carried him to the Madame's office! He said the boy was found beaten up in the restroom!"
Simon and Kai froze in total shock. The students inside the exam hall were thrown into a state of panic by the news, their eyes darting toward the entrance in disbelief. Henry glanced at the doorway before locking eyes with Logan, who returned the gaze with a look of utter shock.
Meanwhile, Finn and Toad stood frozen in sheer denial. Jack was the ultimate rule-follower, someone who went out of his way to avoid any kind of conflict. The idea that someone like him had been brutally beaten up in a common restroom was simply impossible to comprehend.
"Jack..." Simon whispered under his breath. Beside him, Kai was practically vibrating with restless anxiety.
"Alright, that's enough," Master Valandor intervened, using a stern, commanding tone to keep the situation from escalating. "The two of you are going to step inside and take your exam right now. The Masters will handle this matter."
"But, Sir—"
Kai tried to protest, desperate to run to his friend, but the Master cut him off before he could even finish his sentence.
"Peterson, leave this to the faculty."
Both Simon and Kai stared at Master Valandor, feeling utterly helpless. Noticing Kai's growing panic, Simon gently reached out and squeezed his arm.
"Come on... he's going to be okay," Simon said softly, trying to anchor him. Left with no other choice, Kai reluctantly allowed himself to be led into the room, his eyes casting lingering, worried glances back toward the hallway.
Once the boys were inside, the Master instructed the third-year student to report the incident directly to the Headmistress immediately. Turning back to the silent, tense room, Master Valandor announced,
"Everyone, resume your exams."
The students attempted to return to their papers, but for Kai and Simon, their eyes kept drifting to Jack's empty desk. Their minds were entirely consumed by worry, making it impossible to focus on the questions in front of them. Noticing their agitation, Master Valandor spoke up, his tone softening with gentleness.
"Blackburn, Peterson... take a deep breath and focus on your exam. Everything is going to be alright, okay?"
The moment the final exam bell rang, Simon and Kai dropped their pens, turned in their papers, and bolted out of the hall. Without waiting for anyone else, they sprinted toward the academy's infirmary, their hearts pounding in their chests.
When they burst through the doors, they were greeted by a heavy, stifling silence. Madame Celavan was occupied with preparing medicine, flanked by a few grave-looking Masters, the Headmistress, and Dean, who wore a look of deep concern. On the bed lay Jack, deathly still, his face badly bruised and swollen.
"Jackie!" Kai cried out, rushing straight to the bedside.
He gripped Jack's limp hand, tears welling in his eyes as he turned to the healer in utter panic.
"Jackie... Jackie! Why isn't he waking up, Madame? Why won't Jackie wake up?!"
Madame Celavan explained gently to the trembling Kai, "He sustained a severe impact to his head. Right now, he is just temporarily asleep under the heavy effect of the healing elixir I administered to ease his pain. Don't worry too much, child."
But Kai was already on the verge of tears. He knelt by the bed, his entire body shaking as he softly held Jack's cold hand. Meanwhile, Simon stood with Finn and Toad, staring blankly at Jack's bruised form. Seeing that Jack's close friends had arrived, the Headmistress instructed the other Masters to leave the room, giving the students some space.
Now, only the students and Dean remained in the quiet infirmary. Dean maintained a look of deep sorrow, though his chilling eyes occasionally darted toward Simon when no one was looking. He stepped closer to Simon, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Your friend is going to be just fine, Simon. Alright?"
Simon offered a weak nod and looked up at Dean, his dark eyes brimming with sudden fear and overwhelming guilt.
"Is it... is it because of me that Jack ended up like this? Because heassociated with me... To be honest, Jack never had any trouble with anyone. The only mistake a good student like him ever made was befriending someone like me... Could it be my fault, Dean...?"
Dean stared at Simon, taking a quiet breath before swallowing hard. He looked directly into Simon's guilt-ridden eyes and offered a soothing, gentle response.
"Don't think like that, Simon. We still don't know exactly what happened, so please don't let your mind jump to the worst conclusions. The Masters are already investigating the matter thoroughly... we will find out the truth soon enough."
Simon stared at Dean for a long moment before finally nodding, his eyes drifting back to the still-unconscious Jack. Although he desperately wanted to comfort himself with Dean's words, the suffocating belief that this was entirely his fault that his dangerous lineage had brought this harm upon his friend—continued to plague his mind ruthlessly.
By evening, when Jack still hadn't shown any signs of waking up, Madame Celavan insisted that the boys return to their dorms. Assuring them that she would personally look after Jack and that they needed to rest after their grueling exams, the four of them reluctantly departed.
On their way back, they ran right into Dean.
"Oh... how is Jack doing?" Dean asked, his voice filled with apparent concern.
"Still unconscious."
"Ah... is that so? It must be the lingering effects of the medicine. Oh, by the way, Master Valandor is looking for the three of you." Dean pointed specifically toward Finn, Kai, and Toad.
"It's likely regarding the exams. Don't head to the dorms just yet; go see the Master first."
The four boys were utterly confused by the sudden summons. However, because the instruction came from Dean, they trusted him implicitly. Leaving Simon behind, the trio turned and headed in the opposite direction.
"Go on ahead, Simon," Kai called back, and Simon offered a quiet nod in return.
Simon watched his friends walk away, a lingering sadness in his eyes.
"Well, I should head out too... Oh," Dean paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and pulled a letter from his trousers pocket.
"I almost forgot. Here... this came for you."
Simon looked at it, utterly confused. A letter for him? He took it from Dean's hand.
"I reckon it's from kids back at the orphanage. Anyway, I'm off. Head straight back to the dorm and stay safe. Stick to the crowded paths."
Dean offered a warm smile before turning and walking away in the opposite direction. Simon stood frozen in the fading light, staring down at the envelope. Wondering if it might be from John, he hastily tore it open. But as his eyes scanned the text, his entire body stiffened, turning as cold and rigid as stone.
The letter read:
"Come alone to the location indicated. If you fail to show up... the next one to be brutally harmed will be 'Kai Peterson'. Tell no one. Come immediately upon receiving this."
Simon's entire body trembled as his fingers clutched the cruel piece of paper. He was terrified; the mere thought of heading to the designated location all by himself made his blood run cold. But the sheer terror of losing another friend—of seeing Kai hurt just like Jack was far worse than any fear for his own safety.
Steeling his resolve, he forced his shaken legs to move, following the chilling directions step by step. He was in such a state of panic that he didn't even notice how the bustling academy around him was slowly fading away, or how the path he was walking on had grown dangerously deserted and quiet.
As Simon walked further, he realized with a sinking heart that the path was leading him directly toward the woods at the back of the academy. These were the very woods where the Exigros Tournament took place. Under the Headmistress's wards, the forest was safely secured for the students during the day, but Simon knew that whatever was waiting for him in the dead of night would be anything but safe.
Yet, he stepped inside. In the morning, these woods were a sanctuary—vibrant green trees bathed in dappled sunlight, butterflies and dragonflies dancing through the air, and the distant, soothing rush of a waterfall. But tonight, the forest had transformed into a pitch-black abyss. The cheerful birdsong of the day was replaced by the eerie, piercing cries of nocturnal beasts. The massive trees formed a dense canopy overhead, blocking out even the faint, silvery moonlight. Clutching the crude map in his trembling hand, Simon kept moving forward, deeper into the dark.
As Simon kept moving, he finally reached the designated end of the directions. Before him lay a wide lake nestled deep within the woods, with massive, towering trees mysteriously growing straight out of the water. Beneath the surface, schools of bioluminescent fish glided gracefully, their vibrant, otherworldly glow casting a surreal, shimmering light that illuminated this hidden sanctuary amidst the pitch-black forest.
For a brief moment, Simon stood captivated, gazing at the beautiful scene. But then... the sharp crunch of dry leaves echoed from right behind him. Simon stiffened, a cold shiver running down his spine. Clutching the map tightly in his trembling hands, he slowly forced himself to turn around.
On the other side, Kai, Finn, and Toad were walking toward Master Valandor's office. However, halfway there, they ran right into the Master himself.
"Oh, you three... haven't you returned to your dorm yet?"
"Huh? Sir, we came because we were told you summoned us," Kai spoke up, leading the group. The Master tilted his head, utterly perplexed.
"Pardon? I didn't summon you."
"What? But Dean told us that you were looking for us regarding the exams..."
"Vexlay? I haven't run into him at all. And I certainly didn't tell him to fetch you."
At that, Finn and Toad exchanged bewildered glances. Kai, however, stared at the Master as the pieces of the puzzle suddenly clicked in his mind. Without a single word, he spun around and bolted. Left in total confusion, Finn and Toad quickly excused themselves and sprinted right after Kai.
Kai ran frantically toward the Fyrnic dormitory, completely losing his usual composure. He practically fought his way into the elevator.
"Oh! Peterson!" one of the students shouted in annoyance after being shoved aside. Kai didn't care. He desperately slammed the button for the Common Room floor.
By the time Finn and Toad finally caught up, the elevator doors had already slid shut.
"What's wrong with him?" Toad panted. Finn shook his head.
"Don't know."
"Come on... let's hurry and catch up to him!"
With that, they rushed into the next available elevator, chasing after their frantic friend.
Kai burst into the Common Room, which was filled with Fyrnic students as usual—some chatting, others studying. Amidst the crowd, Kai frantically searched for Simon.
"Simon! Has anyone seen Simon?!" he asked, his voice trembling with pure panic.
Lucas, who had been sitting and talking with Vukasin, stood up and walked over to Kai.
"Simon? No. He hasn't returned yet. Wasn't he with you guys?" Lucas asked, glancing at Finn and Toad who were just stepping out of the elevator.
Kai shook his head so violently it looked as if it might fall off. "No... no... Simon has been kidnapped!"
"Peterson... you're exaggerating again—"
"No! He really was taken! Dean... Dean did it!"
"What on earth are you talking about, freshman?" one of Dean's friends from the Exigros group interjected, scowling at him.
"Dean lied to us! He said the Master summoned us just to separate us from Simon! And... and he was the one who attacked Jack, too! Think about it—he just happened to be the first one to 'find' Jack in the restroom!"
"Peterson, breathe. You shouldn't make baseless accusations," Lucas tried to soothe him, but Kai fiercely rejected it.
"I am sure! He set a trap! He gave Simon a dagger, and that dagger was imbued with Cursing Magic to torment him! Jack found out about it, and that's why Dean attacked him! Please, believe me!"
Kai pleaded desperately. In truth, he didn't know the full story or exactly what was unfolding. Yet, deep down in his core, he felt with absolute certainty that every word he spoke was the truth. All he knew for sure was that Simon was in grave danger right now.
Lucas stared at the boy before him, who was on the verge of tears and trembling uncontrollably. Kai's sheer panic was undeniable; this was neither a prank nor a lie. The boy was genuinely terrified.
"Has anyone seen Dean lately?" Lucas asked, turning to the crowd.
Everyone shook their heads. Even Dean's close friends from the Exigros circle realized only then that they hadn't run into him all evening. Lucas found it incredibly hard to believe. Dean was a model student, and everyone knew he treated Simon like his own flesh and blood. However, as the Chamber Leader, he had a duty to fulfill, and he could not ignore such a frantic warning.
"Alright. I'm going to report this to the Headmistress and the Masters immediately so they can initiate a search for both Simon and Dean. Peterson, stay right here and try to calm down. Do not leave this room. Vukasin, come with me," Lucas commanded. Vukasin nodded instantly, and the two seniors hurried out of the Common Room.
Left behind, Finn and Toad did their best to comfort the distraught Kai.
"Just breathe, Kai. Keep it together. The faculty is involved now, so everything is going to be alright," they assured him softly.
Kai collapsed onto a chair, his strength completely deserting him.
"I should have forced him to come with us right then... If anything happens to him, what am I going to do? It's all my fault. Jack is in the infirmary, and Simon is missing... I failed. I couldn't even protect my own friends," Kai choked out, his voice trembling violently. Finn and Toad exchanged worried glances; they had never seen the usually carefree Kai look so broken and utterly terrified.
"Well, no one can watch over their friends twenty-four-seven. What happened to them isn't your fault. Sometimes, things just happen in the blink of an eye before you even realize what's going on," Conner Wulian spoke up from a nearby table. She looked up from fixing the zipper of her purse, her tone filled with sympathy.
Beside her, Amy Bolly and Susan Longtheia nodded in agreement. "Don't worry too much. Everything is going to be alright," Amy added softly, trying to comfort him.
Finn's words brought a heavy silence over the entire room.
"But... if what you're saying is actually true, why would Senior Dean do such a thing? To be honest, everyone knows how much he cherishes Simon. We all literally watched him train Simon for combat so he could survive the Exigros Tournament. If he cared that much, why on earth would he turn around and do this?"
No one in the room could wrap their heads around it. Because nothing was officially proven yet, most of them secretly clung to the hope that Kai was simply overreacting or mistaken out of panic. But Kai—Kai just knew in his gut. He was absolutely certain it was Dean. The only missing piece he couldn't solve was why. What was Dean's true motive behind this elaborate, cruel web of lies?