Kaelan remained still, his breathing steady despite the weight of a hundred questioning eyes. Fear, doubt, curiosity. He could feel them all pressing against him like a storm barely held at bay.
His hand hovered near his chest, where the Jester Card rested against his tailorcoat. This thing just caused a mana surge strong enough to shake the entire academy, and I have no idea how.
That should have been terrifying. But instead, it was an opportunity.
Kaelan knew the truth—he was powerless. No Magic, no hidden lineage of strength, nothing. But what people believed mattered more than what was.
And right now, they believed he is someone strong and mysterious.
Good. Let them believe. Let them fear.
He reached into his coat and slowly, deliberately, placed the Jester Card onto the table before them.
"Does anyone recognize this?"
The response was immediate—but not the one he was hoping for.
Vice Principal Oswal leaned forward slightly, studying it with a furrowed brow. Professor Eldrin glanced at it, then at Kaelan, waiting for a trick. Mr. Elden… simply squinted, as if trying to recall a distant memory.
But none of them spoke. None of them gasped or recoiled.
None of them knew what it was.
Kaelan kept his expression neutral, but internally, he frowned. Not even Elden? The man had been teaching here longer than most had been alive—if he didn't recognize it, then what the hell was this thing?
Teachers whose names didn't matter but whose presence added weight to the room. Some whispered among themselves, others sat in tense silence, all waiting—waiting for him.
Because Kaelan wasn't someone to take lightly.
Vice Principal Oswal finally broke the silence with a slow exhale. He adjusted his posture, his sharp gaze flickering between Kaelan and the card.
"My apologies, Kaelan." His voice carried the weight of authority, yet there was something else beneath it—caution. "But none of us recognize this object."
Professor Eldrin gave a slight nod, arms crossed. "It carries a faint trace of mana, but nothing substantial, you understand why we're skeptical."
Kaelan traced a finger over the Jester Card's surface, his expression unreadable. The silence in the room stretched, thick with unspoken thoughts.
Then, Professor Eldrin finally voiced what they were all thinking.
"Is this… related to the mana surge?"
That single question shifted the atmosphere. The unnamed teachers tensed, some exchanging cautious glances. Ms. Thorne studied the card more closely, her brows slightly furrowed. Even Mr. Elden, usually composed, seemed more alert now.
Vice Principal Oswal didn't speak immediately, his sharp eyes lingering on Kaelan as if weighing his response before it was even given.
Kaelan let the question hang in the air for a moment longer before exhaling softly. "I never said that it was."
That answer did little to ease the tension. If anything, it made them more wary.
"But you also haven't said that it isn't," Ms. Thorne pointed out.
Kaelan simply picked up the card again, slipping it back into his coat. "I was curious if anyone recognized it. That's all."
The way the room remained still told him they weren't satisfied.
Good.
Let them wonder.
Kaelan leaned back slightly, tapping a finger against the table. His eyes swept over the gathered teachers, watching their unease grow with every passing second.
Then, with a calm, almost amused tone, he said, "But what if I told you... this card is related to something much deeper?"
The tension in the room shifted—no longer just caution, but something heavier. A silent understanding.
Vice Principal Oswal's gaze sharpened. "Deeper?" he echoed, voice measured.
Kaelan let the corner of his mouth twitch upward—not quite a smile, but enough to make them doubt what he was thinking. He didn't elaborate immediately, letting them sit with the weight of his words.
And just as he expected, no one truly figured it out.
They were left with nothing but speculation, and that was perfect.
Kaelan leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping idly against the table. The silence that followed his words was thick—just the way he wanted it. He let them stew in their thoughts before finally speaking again.
"The principal," he began, voice smooth yet measured, "is said to have gone out on minor excursions before. A little journey here, a private matter there—just enough to avoid questions."
His eyes swept across the room, gauging their reactions. Some of the lesser teachers shifted uncomfortably, while the more experienced ones—Eldrin, Thorne, Oswal, and Elden—remained still, their faces carefully neutral.
"But we all know that's a lie."
That got a reaction. Ms. Thorne's gaze sharpened. Eldrin's fingers twitched ever so slightly. Even Vice Principal Oswal, ever the composed figure, shifted in his chair.
"So," Kaelan continued, tone almost casual, "what was the real reason? Where did he truly go?"
The question hung in the air, heavier than the mana surge that had shaken the academy.
Vice Principal Oswal folded his hands together, his expression unreadable. He exhaled slowly before speaking.
"Mr. Kaelan," he said carefully, "how exactly is this mana surge connected to the principal's disappearance? Or this card, for that matter?"
The question was direct, but Kaelan could hear the underlying weight behind it. Oswal wasn't just asking about the connection—he was asking if Kaelan knew something they didn't.
The other teachers remained silent, their eyes locked onto him, waiting. Even Professor Eldrin, who often had something sharp to say, kept his mouth shut.
Kaelan let a small, knowing smile form at the corner of his lips.
"Now that's an interesting question, Vice Principal," he mused, leaning forward slightly. His fingers brushed against the Jester Card, feeling the faint, almost imperceptible pulse of mana within it.
"But," he continued, voice smooth as ever, "what if I told you the answer isn't as simple as you want it to be?"
Kaelan let the silence breathe, letting it settle into the bones of the room. The weight of his presence lingered, thick and undeniable. Every pair of eyes stayed locked on him—some wary, some calculating, others unsure.
He could almost feel their thoughts circling him like vultures.
They don't know what to make of me. Good.
His fingers grazed the Jester Card, its smooth surface pressing against his skin. He didn't understand it. He didn't even claim it was responsible for the mana surge. But the timing was too perfect, and the unease in the room told him he wasn't the only one who thought so.
"I came to this academy for a reason," Kaelan finally spoke, his voice calm, yet carrying an edge that made even the more composed professors listen. "Not for studies. Not for prestige. I came here to investigate the principal's disappearance."
A visible shift.
Ms. Thorne straightened in her seat, lips pressing into a thin line. Professor Eldrin's fingers twitched slightly on the table, though he quickly masked it with a thoughtful expression. Mr. Elden, the oldest among them, narrowed his eyes, deep in unreadable contemplation.
Vice Principal Oswald leaned forward, fingers laced together. "That's a bold claim, Mr. Kaelan."
Some of the other, lesser professors exchanged glances, uncertain. A few whispered, their voices just low enough to be lost in the tension.
"We all know the official story," Kaelan continued, tapping the card against the table in slow, deliberate rhythm. "The principal left on minor expeditions—routine affairs, nothing concerning. But we also know that's false."
Another shift.
Ms. Thorne exhaled through her nose, her gaze sharpening. Eldrin raised an eyebrow, still silent but observant. The unknown professors didn't even bother whispering anymore, openly waiting for what would be said next.
Oswald remained unreadable, but Kaelan saw the way his eyes flickered—calculating.
It was Mr. Elden who finally spoke, his voice rough with age. "And what makes you so certain, boy?"
Kaelan allowed himself the ghost of a smirk. Good. Let them test me.
"If the story were true," he said smoothly, "then why is no one speaking about the real reason? Where he went? Why he went? If it was routine, why is it still a mystery?"
He let the words hang. They knew he was right.
It wasn't confirmation, but the way they stiffened, the way they didn't refute him, was answer enough.
Oswald finally leaned back, exhaling. "And what does the mana surge have to do with this?"
There it was.
Kaelan let the tension stretch, watching the weight of his words settle over them. He didn't rush to answer Oswal's question. Instead, he leaned back slightly, tapping his fingers against the table in a slow, measured rhythm—just enough to make them uneasy.
Then, with deliberate calm, he said, "The mana surge… it came from the principal's office."
The reaction was immediate. A murmur of whispers swept through the lesser professors. Ms. Thorne's eyes narrowed, sharp as blades. Professor Eldrin's fingers curled slightly against the table, and even the ever-composed Oswald stiffened just a fraction.
Because they all knew.
They all knew where the surge had originated. But hearing it spoken aloud, so plainly, so deliberately, turned the unspoken truth into something real.
Kaelan let the weight of that hang in the air before continuing, "And this card—" he lifted the Jester Card just enough for the candlelight to catch on its surface, "—is the reason for it."
A silence heavier than before fell over the room.
Vice Principal Oswald's gaze darkened, his expression unreadable. Professor Eldrin finally broke his silence, his voice measured but edged with suspicion. "You're saying that card caused the surge?"
Kaelan tilted his head slightly, considering his answer. He could tell them everything—the strange pulse of mana when he first held it, the way it seemed to resonate with something unseen.
Or… he could let them make their own conclusions.
"I'm saying that when I picked up this card…" Kaelan let the words linger, let their own minds fill in the blanks before he continued, "…the surge happened."
That was all he needed to say.
Because now, they would start asking themselves the real question.
What exactly had Kaelan found in the principal room?
Vice Principal Oswald exhaled heavily, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. His sharp gaze lingered on Kaelan for a moment longer before he finally spoke.
"I understand," he said, his tone slower this time, more measured. "You don't want to reveal much about yourself. But one thing is clear—you're here to investigate the principal's disappearance."
A brief silence followed. The gathered professors exchanged cautious glances, but Oswald remained focused on Kaelan, his expression unreadable.
"Your master," he continued, voice carrying the weight of something deeper, something personal. "That's what he was to you, wasn't he?"
It wasn't a question—it was a quiet acknowledgment, a thread of understanding woven into the tension between them.
Vice Principal Oswald exhaled slowly, the lines of exhaustion on his face more visible now. He leaned forward, resting his clasped hands on the table as if steadying himself before speaking.
"When the principal disappeared, I was handed the responsibility of this academy," he said, his voice quiet but carrying the weight of a man burdened by duty. "But I am not worthy of it."
A murmur swept through the room. Professor Eldrin scoffed, shaking his head.
"Nonsense," Eldrin said, arms crossed. "You've kept this academy standing despite everything. That alone proves your worth."
Ms. Thorne gave a sharp nod. "No one else could have handled the situation better."
Even Mr. Elden, the oldest among them, let out a thoughtful hum. "You may not be the principal, but you've been the pillar keeping this academy from crumbling."
Oswald let out a slow breath, rubbing his temples as the murmurs of disagreement faded. Then, finally, he lifted his gaze, his next words sending a ripple of unease through the room.
"The principal… went into the Demon Lands."
Silence fell. The lesser professors tensed, some looking at each other in shock. Even the senior faculty stiffened.
Kaelan narrowed his eyes slightly. The Demon Lands?
Oswald continued, his voice carrying the weight of withheld truths. "I don't know why. He never told me, never told any of us. He left without warning, without explanation, and he hasn't returned."
He exhaled. "The academy has kept this hidden from the outside world. We had to. Because in the principal's absence, enemies are watching. Waiting."
The atmosphere in the room shifted, heavier than before. The realization settled in—this wasn't just about a missing principal. This was about a vulnerable academy, a brewing storm of unseen forces circling like vultures.
And Kaelan knew, in that moment, that whatever had started with the Jester Card was only the beginning.