Chapter 32: Aftermath and Shadows
Outside the tall windows of the dical Ward, the courtyard of Bastion Seven Academy looked like a chaotic warzone.
Armored officers of the Bastion Security Force had completely covered off all major exits and pathways.
Students sat on the grass in shivering, as grim-faced investigators went down the lines, aggressively checking magical signatures and demanding alibis.
The elite VIPs were not spared from the lockdown either.
Even Lord Hennesy was currently being questioned by a stern-faced security captain. His usual political grace was entirely replaced by irritation.
Draven stood quietly by the window, watching the officers move like armored ants across the courtyard.
"The situation has turned into a total ss," Draven noted calmly, his dark eyes tracking the patrol routes.
"It would take a whole day before we could even go back to our dormitories."
Aegon nodded from his seat near the foot of the hospital bed.
"Yeah! The academy has been quite lax in its managent and security protocols lately. First the horrific test in the forest, and now the breach in the Vault. Headmaster Vane is in so deep trouble. He is going to get a lot of scolding from the Bastion Commander for sure."
Reina leaned back against her pillows, looking between the two boys.
"What was even in that vault that made them all go crazy over it?"
Draven turned away from the window. His expression was a flawless mask of ignorance.
"According to so Seniors I talked to, they presu a very important Mana Battery Core was stolen," Draven lied smoothly.
"You know how important mana cores are in this day and age."
Reina nodded slowly, completely buying the cover story.
"Yeah, it is common knowledge. If a high-grade battery falls into the wrong hands, it could power forbidden spells or illegal arrays."
Draven agreed silently. He knew exactly where that core was. It was resting safely inside his newly expanded System Inventory, entirely out of the Cult’s reach.
Estella did not give a single damn about vault breaches, security protocols, or stolen artifacts. She was currently sitting on the edge of Reina’s bed, humming a cheerful tune.
She expertly peeled a fresh red apple, cut it into neat slices, and used a small silver fork to feed a piece directly into Reina’s mouth.
"Eat up!" Estella ordered playfully. "You need to get well fast."
Reina chewed the apple awkwardly, a dusting of pink spreading across her cheeks.
She was not used to being pampered, especially not by a tiny, white-haired girl who treated her like an older sister.
"Forget all that annoying stuff!" Estella suddenly announced, waving her fork in the air enthusiastically.
"Let’s just all go shopping! We need to purchase our official Academy uniforms and a lot of stationery too. So let’s plan this weekend for an outing. What do you think? It would be a double date!"
Reina choked slightly on her apple. "A... double date? Estella, I do not think..."
Draven saw the sheer panic flashing in Reina’s eyes. He walked over and stood right behind Aegon’s chair.
"Yes," Draven chid in smoothly.
"We are also new to this area and wanted to buy so things. It would be a great help if you ca with us to show us around the comrcial district."
As he spoke, Draven reached down and grabbed Aegon’s shoulder.
He squeezed the dense spearman’s shoulder hard enough to send a very clear, physically painful signal.
Aegon jolted upright, finally catching on to the plan.
"Yes! Yes! It would be wonderful!" Aegon blurted out quickly.
"I also wanted to get my silver spear refined and managed by a professional Blacksmith. What do you think, Reina? We can also find so gear shopping for you. You are really knowledgeable about equipnt and stuff. I rember when you were in junior high, you used to catalog all the..."
Reina reached out and grabbed Aegon’s other shoulder in a vice-like grip, forcefully cutting off his sentence.
"No more past flashbacks, Aegon!" Reina warned, her face burning a bright, vivid red. She let out a heavy sigh, realizing she was completely outnumbered by the trio.
"Alright, it is done! I will accompany you all for the shopping trip."
"Yay!" Estella cheered loudly.
She dropped the silver fork and threw her arms around Reina’s neck, trapping the fierce Berserker in an adorable hug.
Reina stiffened for a fraction of a second, but then a genuine, warm smile broke across her face. She raised her arms and gently patted Estella’s back.
Draven watched the three of them interact with a smirk on his face.
---
Far across the Academy grounds, deep inside the private, luxurious VIP dical Ward, there was no laughter. There was no warmth.
Neville Hennesy sat completely alone in the center of a massive hospital bed.
High above him, a crisp blue System screen flickered in the invisible ether, appearing directly in Draven’s vision miles away.
[System Alert: Target ’Neville Hennesy’ is experiencing severe psychological degradation.]
[Hidden Status Updated: Corruption in ’The Hero’ has reached 20%.]
His loss to Aegon was a burning, agonizing brand on his soul.
The sheer humiliation of Draven casually stepping out of bounds played on a continuous loop in his fractured mind.
"Yield," Aegon’s cold, empty voice echoed in his head.
"I yield," Neville heard his own pathetic whisper repeat over and over again.
"Stop it," Neville hissed to the empty room.
He grabbed the sides of his head. His perfect blonde hair was a tangled ss. He started pulling at his own hair out of pure frustration.
He was at his absolute breaking point.
’I am the hero! I have never faced defeat! I cannot lose! I just cannot! He must have cheated. He must have used so artifact to get past my powers. Yes! That must be it! It must be!’
He tried to cope himself with lies, but he knew those lies were aningless. He knew in his heart that he lost.
But sothing was trying to stop him from getting over this frustration. He could not just accept his defeat.
He wanted to win. He needed to win. But he had lost everything to a coward and a defective piece of trash.
"ARGHHH!" Neville scread his lungs out.
His voice tore through the sterile, expensive room. It was a raw, guttural sound filled with pure agony and shattered pride.
He waited for the nurses to rush in. He waited for his father to burst through the heavy wooden doors and comfort him, to tell him it was all just a mistake.
No one ca for his help. The silence of the room remained absolute and deafening.
Neville panted heavily, his chest heaving as he stared at the far wall. The holy golden aura that usually comforted him felt entirely dead inside his veins.
Slowly, his manic breathing steadied. He ca to his senses and blinked, trying to focus his bloodshot eyes.
The white walls of the dical ward were gone. The bedside table was gone. The shattered pieces of his sword were gone.
Neville gasped. He looked down at his own hands, but he could not see his fingers. He looked up, left, and right, desperately searching for a light source.
There was no light. There was no sound.
He found himself sitting in suffocating darkness.
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