Where Are You Going?
Rai's voice rang out across the academy grounds, casual and teasing as he scanned the gathered parents with a lazy grin. "Where are you going? Where are you going?"
He paused for dramatic effect, then waved a hand toward the horse tournament stands already buzzing with excitement. "The horse tournament matters more about team events than individual ones. Horse training basics are all about team tactics, right? And small-group or full-team group competitions are massive—people love watching the spectacle. Even though it's a full team, each class stays capped at twenty because of the Pure Mage ratios. Too bad some students won't get a shot, but the stands will still be packed with every student, their families, and—most importantly—their instructors."
One mother stepped forward eagerly, tugging her son behind her. "Instructor, how is our Cuthbert doing? The boy's been acting so weird lately, yet his lessons seem fine, right?"
Another woman cut in, eyes wide with concern. "Instructor, our kid seems to lack mana. Should we feed him some pills?"
A third, bolder, jumped in. "We heard his tactics are lacking. Could you explain the details?"
Rai watched the parents swarm him, their questions flying like arrows, and broke into a genuine smile.
He then reached out, casually draping an arm around Sierra's shoulders as if she'd been there the whole time. "This Sierra here handles all the student analysis for the entire tournament. Her analytical skills are top-tier at the academy—maybe even unrivaled. I'll be basing every plan on her assessments. If you want to know your kids' current situation and future potential, chatting with her is the way to go."
Current situation. Future potential.
Those two words lit up the parents' eyes brighter than any other phrase could have. The crowd surged forward, bombarding Sierra with questions in a frantic wave. She blinked in surprise but answered with professional earnestness, voice steady even as her mind raced.
"Alright, Class A parents! If you're curious about how your child is doing, gather right here! You can learn their current status and future outlook! This chance doesn't come every day—especially not today! Just today!"
Faraway parents hurried over at Rai's shout, drawn by the promise of intel. Sierra found herself suddenly surrounded, students rushing in to help restore order as she navigated the chaos.
As she chatted with the parents, scanning for Rai, he was already long gone—slipping away unnoticed.
Leaving the roaring tournament stands behind, Rai headed straight for the academy building. All eyes outside were locked on the competition; the halls were silent, no one in sight.
At the lobby's center stood a grand fountain with a towering statue of a goddess, sunlight pouring through the open three-story space above in a breathtaking display. Rai ignored the beauty entirely, though, and headed straight for the statue's base.
"Grroong..."
A grinding sound echoed as water began to drain from the fountain, revealing a hidden staircase spiraling down into the earth beneath the stone feet.
Comfortable with the familiar descent, Rai stepped onto the stairs without a second thought.
"Waiting long?"
"..."
Abigail, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, said nothing. She simply jerked her chin toward one side.
Following her gaze, Rai saw Leila staring back with icy eyes, fully armored as if ready for combat at any moment. His eyebrow twitched slightly.
"Where are you going?" she demanded, voice sharp.
Rai smirked, unfazed. "Where am I going? There's only one path down this hallway."
Even if anyone was watching, he had been sneaking around to avoid notice, yet he spoke boldly now. "And that single path is the Core, right?"
"If that's what you're after, are you trying to stop me?"
"It depends on the goal."
Leila's hand was already on her sword. She had never drawn her blade against Rai no matter how dangerous things got between them—only to react instantly if he crossed any line. The Core was the academy's foundation: the heart of ancient ruins housing magic barriers, large-scale teleport systems, and every restricted spell or rule that existed only here. Of course she was on edge entering a place no one could know about.
"What are you planning to do at the Core?"
"Nothing."
"Stop bullshitting and answer properly."
Leila's expression darkened. Rai shrugged, fishing something from his pocket—a bag of cookies. He popped one in his mouth without breaking stride, chewing lazily. "Nothing at all. I was just curious how the Core actually works and wanted to take a look."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't hold back on what I'm curious about. Believe it or not, it doesn't matter. You already gave permission anyway."
Rai's teasing tone told her he already knew the situation. Leila's face twisted in irritation.
He was right. Headmistress Celenas hadn't explicitly ordered him to the Core, but she hadn't forbidden it either. When she discovered his secret route, she simply sent Leila to monitor instead of block him.
Leila had expected the worst. Yet here Rai was, walking through the dark corridor as if he owned the place.
"If you pull any stupid tricks..."
"Stupid tricks?"
"I'll fight with everything I've got to stop you."
"Good to know. I'll be careful then."
Rai had the skill advantage, so she couldn't actually stop him even if she tried—yet her eyes burned with real intent. He knew her personality well enough to know she meant it. "Don't count on it," he said, but even that earned him a scowl.
The three of them continued down the long hallway in tense silence. No lights illuminated the way; Rai's floating orbs of light guided their steps. Halfway through, Leila glanced sideways at Abigail. "Why did you bring her?"
"Boredom. Figured she'd enjoy the show." Abigail shot him a sidelong look, clearly irritated, but Leila ignored it completely.
Rai's playful nature made it hard to tell when he was serious. Leila stared him down, but he said nothing, simply walking on.
The path branched like a maze, yet Rai's steps never faltered. "You've been here before, huh?"
"Seventy to eighty percent of the way through. Ah, that one's a trap—watch your footing."
Leila stopped, inspecting the tiles around her. No obvious differences, but she carefully sidestepped anyway. "How many times have you visited?"
"Monitoring? Or asking? I bet Headmistress Celenas didn't tell you anything, did she?"
"She only said to follow you."
Leila shot Abigail a quick glance. The secret of the Devil of All Nations had worried her, but Abigail's scowl suggested she felt like she was being treated like baggage.
"Roughly twenty times."
"Quite a lot."
Even when he'd stepped away for other duties, Rai had never neglected his surveillance. Whenever he left, Celenas had always promised to handle it herself. She never once mentioned any issues. Sierra's case had been the same—too many secrets hidden. Even if the Information Bureau masked Sierra's true role, attaching her as Rai's monitor wasn't within their authority. Only the headmistress could do that. Celenas had never mentioned external pressure or cooperation requests. If she was hiding something that could harm Rai, Leila needed to be alert.
After bringing Rai along, the reliable people around her had dwindled. Now Leila's mind raced with plans to investigate the remaining allies thoroughly.
"Phantom magic," Rai muttered, stopping as if sensing her thoughts.
"You're not disabling it?"
"No need. Disarming takes time, and this isn't a deadly trap. It just narrows your vision and throws a 'precious person' at you. Slice them apart. Simple, isn't it?"
Abigail flinched hard, footsteps halting. "Why? Scared? You actually have a soft side after all."
"Shut up."
Rai's laugh made her scowl as she pushed forward. "So? Where do we start..."
When Abigail looked back, the surrounding darkness had swallowed everything.
Only her toes could see in the pitch-black void. She pressed her lips tight, glaring into nothingness as if daring anyone to appear.
She already knew who would.
"Abby. Long time no see. You've grown so much I almost didn't recognize you."
A woman with long black hair tied in a messy ponytail stared at Abigail with genuine happiness. She knew it was an illusion, but the vividness of the woman's face froze her. Abigail reached for her sword.
"No need to be wary. Just seeing you grow up this pretty is enough for me."
The black-haired woman smiled with pure joy, raising her hand to point straight at her own chest.
A flicker of pain crossed her face before the smile returned. "Linda!!"
Abigail charged forward, catching the collapsing woman in her arms. Linda's trembling hand stroked Abigail's cheek as blood trickled from her lips.
"Don't cry, pretty face. Even if you're all grown, you're still a crybaby."
Abigail wiped the tears from Linda's cheeks with her thumb. "It's okay, Abby. You remember what I taught you, right? Now you're even prettier—hide better than ever."
With those words, Linda's body began to fade into transparency.
So many things Abigail wanted to say, yet no words came. She called her name belatedly as the darkness cleared and Linda vanished.
Abigail clung desperately, collapsing forward to slam her face against the floor. For a moment she stayed still, then pounded the ground with her fist before lifting her head, eyes blazing with pain.
While she suffered, Rai watched with cold, dead eyes. "Want a cookie? Eh? Eh? No words? Jealous?"
Leila sighed deeply, staring at the grinning Rai.
The "precious person" had appeared, and it was Rai. No anger, no shock—just disbelief.
"Oh, you're really pissed? Want a cookie? Eat up. I won't say no. A sweet one might make you feel better."
Leila's hand moved to silence his chattering mouth—
"Shwack!"
A clean cut divided Rai neatly in half. Blood sprayed like a fountain across Leila's entire body. The hot, steaming blood was impossible to miss as an illusion, yet if it were real Rai, he shouldn't have died from such a strike. Leila's eyes widened in realization.
"Oh, now I have two bodies. Twins?"
Rai's dying voice still cracked with sarcasm. The two halves faced each other, dancing oddly before toppling backward.
Darkness receded around Leila, the blood vanished, and the light returned.
Trapped in the darkness once more, Rai looked at the figures before him. Whether to call them people or creatures was ambiguous.
His gaze confirmed it: the beings ahead were a swirling mass of dozens of souls. Human clusters that screamed strange noises while searching for someone. Yet every member of the mass sought a different person.
Rai squatted before the group, studying the mixed faces with a bitter smile. He touched one finger to the mass—
Red-black spots bloomed, spreading and igniting. Dozens screamed at once, but the flames only grew larger.
Rai waved away the stench of burning flesh and rose.
The surrounding darkness had cleared. Leila and Abigail glared at him, weapons drawn.
"How was it? Enjoyed your time with the precious person?"
"Not at all."
Both women answered in perfect unison, the words dripping with disgust.
Rai laughed. "Abigail cried? Eyes red?"
"No."
Her voice was firm, but the crack in it betrayed the lie. Leila's glare could have burned holes, yet Rai only glanced at her. "Shut up."
"I haven't said anything yet."
"Exactly. Nothing happened."
Rai couldn't understand why Leila was so furious. "Was it really the precious person?"
Leila's question made Rai smirk. "Why? Is it a person you don't want to admit?"
"Don't interrogate me. Answer the question."
"Precisely... a loved one."
"What?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
Leila, usually so cold, recoiled in shock. Even Abigail stepped back a pace. Rai, startled, scrambled to explain. "It's a joke! A joke! Someone with a strong positive impression. The ritual relies on positive emotions, so it always brings out the precious person and labels them as such."
"..."
"Really?"
"Well... then who appeared?"
Leila didn't answer. She couldn't deny the positive emotion had been there, even if it wasn't the precious person.