At the University of Torminas.
The dormitory hallway of the University of Torminas was drowned in a dim, golden gloom. Lanterns swayed faintly from iron hooks, their light weak and unstable, casting long, distorted shadows that crawled across the cracked stone walls.
Elvin walked through it like he owned the silence.
His footsteps were slow… measured… confident.
A devilish smile lingered on his lips—sharp, unnatural. His eyes, hollow like dark pits, reflected nothing. No warmth. No hesitation. Just a quiet, growing satisfaction.
It's working…
The thought echoed in his mind like a whisper he cherished.
Everything is moving exactly as planned. This… is only the first step.
He let out a faint breath, almost a chuckle, as if the entire world ahead of him was already beneath his control.
Stopping in front of his door, he placed his hand on the handle.
Creak…
The door opened.
——————
The room inside was dimly lit, a single lantern resting on a wooden table in the center. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books, scrolls, and scattered notes. Two beds stood on opposite sides—one slightly messy, the other unnaturally neat. A faint scent of mana residue lingered in the air.
But Elvin's eyes didn't care about the room.
They locked onto the people inside.
Riya, Kira, and someone else...
The president— Cassian Rovell.
For a brief moment, Elvin's smile froze.
"So… how was the meeting?", Kira spoke casually, as if nothing was wrong.
Silence.
Then—
Elvin's expression slowly shifted. The devilish curve faded, replaced by something sharper—alert, suspicious.
Riya leaned slightly forward, tapping her shoulder with a smug look.
"There is mana arcanum here," she said. "Let's just say… we heard everything."
Elvin's eyes flickered with curiosity. Not anger.
Interest.
His gaze slowly moved… and landed on Cas.
"…And why," Elvin said calmly, "is the honoured president here?"
Cas didn't even look at him properly. He stood there with a composed, almost bored expression—arms crossed, eyes half-lidded.
"There are plenty of valuable things to do instead of listening to your trash conversation." Cas replied coldly. "I am only hear because that boy, Kira called me"
He paused for a second.
"…Though meetings," he added, "are something I do find worth attending."
His tone carried that same detached arrogance—like someone who stood above all of this.
"That way of speaking...", Elvin spoke smiling. "So, that why people call you Dictator ofTorminas huh? ~", Elvin spoke teasing with a grin on his face.
"I don't care what are the perspective of the other invaluable peoples towards me.", Cas spoke looking towards the window and closing his one eye.
"....", Elvin just looked at him before answering to another voice which came from little distance.
"You were pretty confident back in the meeting—", Riya said crossing her hands.
"Rika," Kira suddenly cut in.
The room went still for a second.
"And are you ok? It doesn't seem to me by looking at your hollow eyes.", Riya asked but Elvin mind was shifted to another thing.
"…Rika?" he repeated, noticing the shift immediately.
Riya clicked her tongue.
"I allowed him to call me that."
"Why?" Elvin asked, genuinely curious now.
Rika didn't answer.
She simply looked away, ignoring him completely.
The tension thickened.
Then—
Cas turned and began walking toward the door.
"Leaving already?" Elvin said. "Lisa ordered us to meet again tonight. Eight o'clock."
No response.
Cas didn't stop.
Kira raised his hand slightly. "See you—"
Ignored.
The door closed behind him.
Silence.
"He is so arrogant", Riya said looking towards the door.
"That why he is called 'The Dictator of Torminas' ", Elvin added.
Rika exhaled slowly, her expression turning serious.
"The attack being tomorrow…" she said, "…doesn't sit right with me."
She paused.
"But we can't act on suspicion alone."
A quiet breath left her lips.
"For now… we ignore it."
——————
At the Roundtable Conference Room.
The air was heavy with tension.
Draves slammed his hand lightly against the table, his face filled with disbelief.
"I refuse to believe that Kira is a traitor."
The elders sat across from him, unmoved—cold, unshaken.
"If you cannot believe it," one of them said, voice firm, "then perhaps… we cannot trust you either."
Draves clenched his fists.
"That's absurd—"
"You will see tomorrow," another elder interrupted. "When that cursed child shows his fangs."
Silence fell.
"And until then," the elder continued, "you will not participate in the battle."
Draves' eyes widened.
"…What?"
——————
The scene changes and we find two people walking through the hallway of university of torminas.
Draves walked alongside Lisa through a quiet corridor, explaining everything. His voice carried frustration… helplessness.
"I can't oppose them," he said bitterly. "The vow… binds me."
Lisa walked ahead, her expression unreadable.
Then she stopped.
"If anything goes wrong this time…" she said coldly, "…I will kill every single elder myself."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
They stepped forward—
And entered the training ground.
——————
The place was far from prepared for war.
Guards were fewer than expected—many injured, some barely standing. The air carried the scent of medicine and exhaustion.
Students were gathered in small groups.
Kira.
Rika.
Elvin.
And a few others.
At the centre—
The President Cassian Rovell.
And beside him was a girl around his age but smaller in size compared to him.
Calm.
Composed.
Like a king watching over pieces on a board.
And somewhere in that quiet chaos—
Everything was already moving toward destruction.