After subjugating the second Act''s boss, a wave of relief swept through me.


    But it was short-lived.


    I still had to deal with the aftermath, which meant containing Maya''s dark energy and the spirits that had haunted her relentlessly.


    Thankfully, the artifact I obtained from Saint Eldred Church allowed me to seal away that corruption.


    This artifact—an ancient relic blessed by the church—had the power to contain dark energy and siphon away nearby mana.


    Normally in the game, yers would have to make a perilous journey back to the church to retrieve the relic, risking Maya''s corruption reaching its peak in their absence.


    By the time they would''ve returned, she''d be 100% consumed by the twisted love that had broken her, seeking vengeance on the world that had stolen her only love.


    But since I''d already made the journey and imed the artifact, the Act ended far sooner than expected, and Maya''s descent into darkness was halted.


    With her corruption at bay, I carried Maya to a safe ce within the academy grounds.


    The vice master''s office seemed like the best choice; it was secure andrgely vacant due to his extended absence.


    Laying her there, I could focus on leaving the academy as quickly as possible.


    I wasn''t supposed to be there in the first ce, and every second I lingered increased my risk of being discovered.


    Once I ensured Maya was stable, I slipped away, the night swallowing me as if I''d never been there.


    Over the next month, word of the incident spread like wildfire, igniting a chain reaction of repercussions throughout the academy.


    Ravenwood took immediate steps to reinforce its defenses, shaken by the demonic attack that had managed to breach its walls.


    The first measure involved hiring additional wardens to patrol the grounds and bolster security.


    These individuals were highly trained mages, each specializing in defense and counteracting dark magic.


    Second, the academy began fortifying its magical barriers, infusing them withplex enchantments to detect and repel dark spirits before they could breach the grounds.


    Finally, the administration implemented regr spirit cleansings throughout the dorms and ssrooms.


    Casting powerful purification spells to ward off any lingering traces of dark energy.


    Despite theyers of secrecy surrounding the attack, the me inevitablynded on thete Professor Jacob.


    In some ways, he''d earned that reputation, given his role in the chaos that unfolded.


    Yet, in his death, Jacob''s legacy became a paradox, as many students still remembered him as one of Ravenwood''s most gifted professors.


    He was given a dignified memorial, honoring the "brilliant educator" he once was.


    Though beneath the public ceremony, whispers circted of his darker ambitions.


    A few students came forward, recounting strange experiments Jacob had conducted.


    While officially they were masked as "progressive lessons," it became clear he''d been testing his own theories on unwitting students.


    Professor Sharon, who had been close to Jacob, even hinted at these suspicions.


    She shared that Jacob''s behavior had shifted drastically in recent months, as he''d involved himself in forbidden projects, his interests veering toward harnessing thetent spirits within students.


    She mentioned two particrly dire incidents.


    The first involved Jacob''s attempts to siphon mana directly from students to enhance his strength, and the second involved his experimentations with forbidden summoning rituals that seemed to take a toll on his sanity.


    ording to Sharon, these practices had left scars on the academy—scars now all too visible.


    But Jacob''s case was just the tip of the iceberg.


    The deeper root of corruptiony with someone else.


    Xander Frost.


    In the original game, Xander''s descent was portrayed as gradual, a spiral influenced by his encounters with other main characters.


    Now, however, the truth became disturbingly clear.


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    Xander had masterminded much of the turmoil.


    His obsession with time magic was evident, and as I pieced together clues, another shocking realization surfaced.


    Xander wasn''t just a dark mage; he was a regressor, someone who had traveled back in time with a foreknowledge of events.


    In the game, this hidden identity had been hinted at through subtle clues.


    At several points, Xander appeared to anticipate things or seemed unfazed by decisions that should have caught him off-guard.


    The signs were always there, but only in retrospect did they reveal his regressive nature.


    Xander''s foresight had allowed him to manipte people and situations to his advantage, weaving aplex web of control around him.


    This was likely why he''d seeded for so long.


    His regression enabled him to sidestep potential failures, adapting each time to counter my ns.


    But Xander''s schemes hadn''t anticipated every variable.


    In a game, yers are limited by programming, and new choices or unknown characters can disrupt carefully plotted routes.


    Xander''s error was his inability to foresee all the infinite branches that every choice spawned.


    With careful nning, I finally found a way to bring his downfall within reach.


    I started with Professor Loran Von Adler, a respected academic who had be something of a father figure to Xander.


    In his relentless quest for power, Xander had eliminated him, fearing Loran would stand in his way.


    But his actions had sown seeds of anger and grief within the noble Adler family, who mourned the professor''s tragic death.


    I took advantage of this unrest, crafting a letter to the Adlers that alluded to Xander''s betrayal and cruelty.


    The carefully worded note spoke of "Professor Loran''s loyalty and sacrifices," igniting a quiet fury within the family.


    But I didn''t stop there.


    I sent another letter, forged under a guise, directly to Xander himself.


    This one imed that his father, who had been presumedatose for years, had finally awoken and was calling him home.


    It was the kind of message that Xander, with his obsessive need for validation, would never ignore.


    I knew he''d fall for it.


    True to my n, he embarked on the journey back, only to be intercepted by the Adlers, who had been waiting for him.


    Xander''s reign came to an abrupt end, a life snuffed out in the name of vengeance.


    His death was brutal, yet poetic; a fitting consequence for the suffering he had unleashed.


    With Xander gone, another piece fell into ce.


    It wasn''t long before Amy Bluerose, one of Xander''s former allies, began to unravel as well.


    She''d always harbored darkness, willing to manipte, deceive, and scheme to gain power.


    In exchange for favor and influence, she''d buried her humanity, embracing each step of her descent without a second thought.


    But the past demons and horrors she harboured began to haunt her.


    Whispering usations, reminding her of every twisted deed she''dmitted.


    Haunted by these unrelenting phantoms, Amy descended into a state of despair that corroded her life force.


    The academy tried to support her, assigning counselors and sending her messages urging her to seek help, but Amy shut herself away.


    ording to records, she was rarely seen outside her dorm room.


    The once-confident young woman now a shell of her former self.


    Her housemates were the first to notice the silence.


    After days without any sign of her, they raised the rm, and the academy staff broke down her door.


    Inside, they found her—a lifeless figure dangling from the ceiling, her final act a silent testament to her pain.


    Her death was a sobering reminder of the darkness that could consume even the most privileged.


    As I watched the academy return to its routines, I couldn''t help but wonder if it would ever truly recover.


    Professor Jacob, Xander, Rn and Amy—all were individuals bound by ambition, haunted by love and loyalty twisted into something monstrous.