The next day, Randolph did not show up at school.
Not exactly unexpected.
Nait walked into the classroom as if nothing had happened, but he felt it immediately.
Heavy stares.
Some looked away the moment he turned his head. Others whispered, as if he weren’t just two meters away.
— They say he took him out.
— At night.
— Just vanished. No one’s seen him since.
Nait sat in his seat, ignoring them.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Yesterday, he was an outcast, but predictable.
Today, he was a threat.
SUSPICIONS
Nait sat at his desk, tuning out the whispers around him.
But the silence in the classroom was different.
It tightened, electrified with tension.
— Hey.
Nait slowly turned his head.
The guy at the next desk, Roy, was staring straight at him. Not scared, but firm.
— Did you do something to Randolph?
The class froze.
Nait didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he just locked eyes with Roy.
For a long time.
Roy suppressed a nervous breath.
— You…
— I did nothing.
Nait’s voice was calm.
Too calm.
Roy snorted, turning away.
— Yeah. Sure.
The whispers in the class grew louder.
Nait leaned on his elbows, lacing his fingers together.
"You’re all so predictable."
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AFTER CLASSES
— Congrats, — Zane said, clapping him on the shoulder. — You’re not just an outcast anymore. Now you’re a killer outcast.
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Nait gave him a tired look.
— Should I be proud?
— Well, let’s think. — Zane made a show of pondering. — Randolph probably just went underground, but to everyone else, he’s either dead or in a coma.
— And that’s a good thing?
— Of course. Now they fear you not just out of habit, but with respect.
Nait snorted.
— Yeah, the whole school loves me.
— Nah. The whole school is scared of dying.
They left the building, walking down an empty corridor.
----------------------------------------
THE SHADOW
Nait walked ahead, not thinking much.
A normal day. A normal hallway.
But then…
Something was off.
Step.
His foot sank into the floor.
Not completely. But the sensation was eerie.
Like the asphalt beneath him had suddenly turned liquid.
Nait jerked back.
Normal floor.
Normal shadow.
His heart pounded harder.
What… was that?
He clenched his fists, furrowed his brows…
And walked on. But the unease didn’t leave him.
IMPERIAL INQUISITION
A stone plaza was enclosed by massive iron pillars.
Around its perimeter stood men in black robes with golden emblems shaped like inverted swords—Imperial Inquisition investigators.
They weren’t just watching.
They were recording.
Every trace. Every detail. Every fragment of truth.
But this time, the truth was strange.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the stone pavement.
An investigator noticed him first.
He instinctively straightened, hands clasped behind his back, as Konrad Stein stopped beside him.
— Report.
The investigator glanced at the plaza before him.
Corpses.
Many.
Over ten bodies scattered across the stones, like discarded puppets after a failed performance.
But one stood out.
Kaiser.
The investigator cleared his throat, speaking clearly:
— Mercenary group. Records indicate they operated without insignia, unofficially. All dead.
He nodded toward the central body.
— But the key figure—Kaiser.
Konrad silently examined the corpse.
The investigator continued:
— High-class mercenary. Assassin. Operated in elite circles.
Pause.
— And someone crushed his skull.
Konrad didn’t respond immediately.
He just stared at the corpse, analyzing details.
Konrad Stein stood beside Kaiser’s body, arms crossed. He said nothing. He simply waited.
And he didn’t wait long.
Footsteps echoed across the pavement.
Light. Confident.
But with every step, the air seemed to grow heavier.
Investigators parted as Lucas Dorn arrived.
Tall. Clad in the pristine black uniform of the Truthwardens.
No cloak. No weapons.
He didn’t need swords.
He halted by Kaiser’s corpse, tilting his head slightly.
— You’re late.
Konrad broke the silence first.
— You know I don’t work fast, — Lucas smirked calmly. — I work right.
Konrad snorted.
— We’ll see.
Lucas ignored the remark.
He slowly knelt, touching the cold stone with his fingertips.
And in that moment, the air ignited with resonance.
FRACTUM "RECONSTRUCTION" – ACTIVATION.
Space shuddered.
As if the entire world had suddenly shattered, then reassembled—not as it was now…
But as it had been yesterday.
Ghostly silhouettes emerged across the plaza.
Everyone saw them.
The investigators tensed in unison.
The spectral shadows moved.
Blurry. Faceless. Voiceless.
But their actions were clear.
They replayed the murder.
Lucas didn’t blink.
— Let’s see what really happened here.