Before the Principal''s House


    Aether stood still, his body draped with the hundreds of spiders, their mechanical limbs now lifeless and frozen in time.


    For a moment, everything seemed suspended, as if the world itself had paused. Then, with a deliberate motion, Aether raised his hand and brushed off the short-circuited spiders, their metallic forms ttering to the ground.


    A smirk yed on his lips, "To think all it needed was for me to touch it," he mused, watching the remnants fall away.


    The spiders, designed with circuits etched into their crystal bodies, had been instantly circuited by the surge of Arcane energy within him. The moment they made contact with Aether, their systems had overloaded, short-circuiting them into oblivion.


    Satisfied, Aether hurried inside, his pace quickening as he approached the Principal''s house.


    The barrier, meant to keep intruders out, recognized him immediately and allowed him entry without resistance.... a privilege granted to only a select few by the Principal herself.


    Once inside, Aether didn''t waste any time.


    His heart pounded with urgency as he headed straight for Kyra''s room. He paused briefly at the door, taking a deep breath. With a swift motion, he waved his hand, activating a ring that transformed into a half-mask, covering his face. Quietly, he turned the knob and slipped inside.


    Victor''s eyes widened as he took in the scene before him, shock and fear shing across his features.


    The room was eerily quiet, but the sight of red marks sttered across the walls sent a chill down his spine.


    "S-Snowke?" he called out, his voice trembling slightly. But there was no response..... no sign of life from either Snowke or Kyra. His face paled, dread seeping into his bones as he feared the worst.


    "N-No..." he whispered, his eyes darting around the room, searching desperately for any sign of Snowke. Then, suddenly,


    Thud


    "Victor?" a voice called out.


    Kyra stepped out of the bathroom, her body wrapped in nothing but a towel. Her cheeks flushed pink at the sight of Victor, a small, awkward smile tugging at her lips. "H-Hello?" she stammered, waving shyly.


    But Victor''s demeanour had shifted—his voice was stern and indifferent as he demanded, "Where is Snowke?"


    Kyra flinched at the coldness in his tone. She hesitated, about to speak, but Victor was quicker. He grabbed her wrist, his grip firm as he repeated, "Don''t y games, girl. Where is Snowke?"


    Kyra''s face drained of colour, her voice trembling as she started to respond, "S-She is—"


    [+4000 AP]


    "Massssttteerrrrrr~" A cute, hissing voice echoed from the bathroom. Victor turned sharply to see Snowke, happily swirling around in the bathtub, her expression full of joy.


    Relief washed over him as he let out a heavy sigh. Snowke, sensing his presence, jumped from the tub, and Victor caught her mid-air, holding her close.


    [+4000 AP]


    A soft smile spread across his face as he hugged her tightly, feeling the warmth of her small body. Snowke, surprised at first, quickly rxed, wrapping her tail around him in a gentle embrace.


    Kyra, still flustered, let out a sigh of her own as she hurried to change into something more appropriate. When she returned, she found Victor drying Snowke with a towel, his expression soft and caring.


    Victor then asked as pointed to the red spots on the wall.


    "She bit me when I tried to bathe her," Kyra exined, ncing at the red marks on the wall. The memory made her sweat a little as she recalled the struggle. Snowke had almost sunk her fangs into her neck.


    Victor sighed again, this time in mild exasperation. He patted Snowke gently, warning her not to harm others unless absolutely necessary. Snowke''s mood darkened, her demeanour turning gloomy at his words.


    Kyra, meanwhile, frowned as she sensed the tension in the air, "What''s happening outside?" she asked, noticing theck of Arcane energy in the atmosphere.


    Victor''s reply was t, almost dismissive, "Something big is happening outside. You don''t need to worry as long as you are inside the barrier everything will be fine"


    Kyra nodded, trusting his words, and offered a small smile, "Okay."


    Victor then prepared to leave, Snowke nestled in his Neck.Just as he reached the door, he paused and turned back to Kyra, "Kyra," he called, his voiceced with a curious intensity.


    "Hmm?" she responded, her eyes meeting his.


    "Do you want revenge?" he asked, his gaze piercing as he studied her reaction.


    He already checked the room when she went to change her clothes and.... he found nothing!


    Kyra''s expression turned thoughtful as she pondered the question, "What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.


    "I mean if you had the chance... would you take revenge for what happened to you?"


    Kyra''s face hardened as she considered it, the weight of her past struggles pressing down on her. "Yes," she finally answered, her voice resolute.


    Victor''s expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as he studied her closely, just about to check her body to see if she really hiding the crystal ball when,


    [+100 AP]


    "I would have wanted revenge before meeting you and the others," Kyra continued, her tone softening. "But now... nah, I want to focus on my life. And most of all, I heard that Baldy is dead." A genuine smile spread across her face, her eyes brightening with relief.


    Victor rxed, a small smile tugging at his lips. He reached out and patted her head gently, "Good," he murmured.


    Kyra watched as he left the room, the moment the door clicked shut behind him.... Her lips... curled up.


    Meanwhile,


    Victor locked the door securely behind him, even conjuring ice walls around it for added protection.


    As he stepped outside, a frown creased his brow, "If it''s not her, then who?" he muttered, rubbing his nose in thought.


    Just then, his clone arrived... which was rather battered and even lost a limb, "Tell me everything," Aethermanded, removing his mask as he prepared to listen.


    "I saw the dead people taken by the spiders and....." The clone began recounting its findings in detail, each word causing Aether''s expression to shift from shock to disbelief, ''What the fuck!'' he cursed inwardly, his mind racing as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into ce.


    He then took one of the broken spiders and stared at its crystal body before....


    His expression hardened, and then.... slowly..... a sly smile spread across his face.


    "Hehe... Thank you, Kennedy~" Aether whispered, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he turned and began his walk back to the stadium, a new n forming in his mind.


    .....


    ...


    Returning to the Stadium


    As Aether and Victor (Clone) made their way back to the stadium, Helena spotted them from a distance.


    Since it was a clone, Aether just used his AP to return to normal.


    Relief washed over her as she noticed they were unharmed. With a deep sigh, she hurried towards them, her worry evident on her face, "Where did you guys go?" she asked, her voiceced with concern as she reached out to steady Aether, who appeared to be drunk.


    Of course, she had no idea he was just acting, having sobered up quickly due to the dire situation.


    Victor, unfazed by her concern, continued walking straight towards ric, "Did Jack''s group arrive yet?" he inquired, his tone sharp and focused.


    "No, they haven''t. Did you find anything?" ric replied, his eyes narrowing slightly, sensing the urgency in Victor''s demeanour.


    Victor nodded curtly. Without wasting time, he turned to the other professors who were less injured and ordered them to search for Jack''s group.


    The Other Professors frowned before ncing at ric who stared at Victor for a few seconds before motioning to search them.


    Then, shifting Victor''s gaze back to ric, he asked in a low voice, "Where''s Kennedy''s dead body?"


    ric''s brow furrowed, a sh of confusion crossing his face, "Why do you—" he began, but then, realization dawned on him, "Don''t tell me...." His expression hardened.... Without another word, he moved and Victor followed him.


    Meanwhile, Aether, still feigning a drunken haze, surveyed the situation through half-lidded eyes. His gaze eventually fell on Helena, who was still hovering close to him, her worry not entirely abated. "Helena~" he slurred softly, catching her attention.


    "Hmm?" Helena responded, leaning in closer to hear him better.


    "Don''t worry, I will protect you~" Aether whispered, his voice tender and reassuring.


    Helena''s cheeks flushed a deep pink, her lips trembling slightly at his words. The sincerity in his tone stirred something within her, making her heart flutter.


    [+5000 A-]


    Aether''s eyes then flicked towards Timmy, his expression subtly shifting. ''But before that... let''s speed up this shitty game,'' he thought, a sly smile forming on his lips. His mind raced with possibilities, ''A hero can only save the heroine when the situation is truly dire, right?'' he thought in amusement.