Class F’s return to the academy was a mixture of triumph and tension. Exhausted yet victorious, they made their way directly to the meeting room, their expressions a blend of confusion and relief. Ren followed behind, his Unexistence skill ensuring he remained unseen and unheard.

When they entered the room, Valis was already there. Her eyes widened with relief upon seeing them. “You’re back,” she said, her voice a mixture of authority and concern. The group nodded, their tired faces showing the toll the dungeon had taken on them.

Both Barran and Eslis were also present.

“Principal Valis told us about the basement. We were worried when none of you returned for hours,” Barran said, his usual stoic expression tinged with concern.

“When we went searching for you, we found a hidden door leading downward, but it was blocked by some kind of ancient barrier magic,” Eslis added, her face tight with worry.

“We tried to break through, but it was hopeless,” Valis said, stepping closer to the group, her worry evident. “Thank the goddess, you’re all okay.”

“Yeah, we’re alive, but exhausted,” Rolan replied, his voice weary.

“We went through a lot,” Lucius added, standing beside him.

“But we made it back, and not in vain,” Celes said confidently.

“Yeah, we did it together, as a class!” Liana exclaimed, her energy contrasting with her fatigue.

“The journey was tough, but we managed because we worked as a team,” Shiro added, sounding like a leader now.

Valis, Barran, and Eslis were visibly surprised by the group's confidence after their ordeal, but there was also a sense of pride in their expressions.

“Well, I’m sure you’re all tired from your journey, but since time is not on our side, we need to hear your account of what you encountered down there,” Barran said firmly.

“Of course, Vice Principal,” Shiro responded, as he and the others took their seats at the table.

Without delay, they recounted their experience in the dungeon. Shiro led the explanation, describing the traps, the monsters, and finally, the mysterious voice that asked the question in the final room. The teachers listened intently, their expressions shifting from intrigue to concern as the story unfolded.

Valis remained quiet, absorbing everything with a thoughtful expression. The revelation of a hidden dungeon beneath the academy was as shocking to her as it was to the others. For years, she had thought she knew every inch of the academy. Now, it seemed there were secrets even she had been unaware of.

“This is… troubling,” Barran said, rubbing his forehead as he processed the information. “The fact that a hidden dungeon has been beneath us all this time is a major security risk. We’ll need to investigate this as soon as possible.”

“Yes, and from what you’ve described, this dungeon is incredibly ancient, older than the academy itself,” Eslis added thoughtfully. “It could date back to before the Dark Ages.”

“But how did it end up buried beneath the academy?” Liana asked, glancing at Eslis.

“That, I don’t know,” Eslis admitted, her brow furrowed. “There are no records of this place.”

“There’s also the matter of the last room,” Lucius said, recalling the eerie atmosphere. “The one with the question.”

“Yes, that part confused me as well,” Barran said, deep in thought. “The question seemed too simple to be a test, yet it felt significant.”

“The question itself was straightforward,” Eslis explained. “It almost felt like a challenge to reaffirm one’s faith in the goddess.”

“Yeah, the entire dungeon was strange to begin with.” Shiro agreed, reflecting on the bizarre series of events.

The group was about to delve further into their discussion when Valis interrupted.

“While the dungeon is certainly a pressing matter and will be investigated, we have something more urgent to address,” she said with a commanding tone. “Shiro, can you show us the item you found in the dungeon?”

“Of course, Principal,” Shiro replied, reaching into his pocket and carefully placing the amulet on the table.

The room fell into a tense silence. Every eye was drawn to the glowing blue relic, its aura both captivating and mysterious. The light from the amulet cast an ethereal glow, intensifying the sense of awe that filled the room.

Eslis was the first to break the silence, her voice soft but filled with authority. “This artifact… it’s ancient. Far older than anything we’ve ever encountered before. Perhaps even older than most of the relics found throughout the empire.”

Her words sent a ripple of shock through the room. Artifacts from before the Dark Ages were almost unheard of, their power unimaginable. In the hands of the right—or wrong—person, such an artifact could change the course of history.

“But what does it do?” Barran asked, his brow furrowed in thought. He was a man of action, not one for mysteries. Already, his mind raced to find the best course forward.

“If it truly is that ancient, we must proceed with caution,” Lucius said. “Something this powerful could have consequences beyond our understanding.”

Liana nodded in agreement. “We can’t take any risks. We need to study it thoroughly before deciding what to do with it.”

Rolan, ever the joker, couldn’t resist adding his two cents. "Or maybe it’s just a fancy trinket, and we’re all getting worked up over nothing." Shiro promptly smacked him on the back of the head, eliciting a round of laughter that briefly lightened the mood.

But the levity was short-lived. Valis, deep in thought, wrestled with the possibilities. She had seen and experienced much in her time, but this artifact was unlike anything she had encountered. "If only we knew its purpose," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

“Lucius and I can sense some kind of dormant aura inside it, but that’s all we can feel,” Liana said.

“What do you sense, Miss Eslis?” Lucius asked, knowing she was the strongest mage in the academy.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“You both are right, something is dormant within the amulet. An aura I’ve never sensed before,” Eslis said, inspecting the artifact closely. “But it seems to be sealed. It needs either a key or some sort of trigger to unleash its power.”

One person, however, was more perplexed than the rest.

Shiro, holding the blue amulet, looked directly at Valis. "Principal, how did you know there was something down there?" His tone was curious but cautious.

All eyes turned to Valis, now the center of attention. The fact that she had known something was hidden in the basement yet seemed surprised by the dungeon and unaware of the amulet. all of it didn't add up. Shiro’s question hung in the air, the discrepancy clear to everyone.

Valis hesitated, uncertain of how to respond. The truth was stranger than fiction. A mysterious figure had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, claiming to know the academy’s secrets. But would they believe her?

After a moment of internal struggle, she decided honesty was the best course. "I didn’t know for certain," she began, her voice steady but edged with uncertainty. "But someone… or something… appeared before me and told me where to find it. He was cloaked in mystery, and I couldn’t tell who or what he was. But his words led you to that amulet."

The room fell into stunned silence. Shiro and his classmates were shocked, while Barran and Eslis exchanged skeptical glances. The story was hard to believe, and they both suspected it could have been a trick of the mind or a hallucination.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a hallucination, Valis?” Eslis asked cautiously.

“I don’t know,” Valis admitted. “Maybe it was. But now I’m certain the information was real. That amulet is proof.”

“Then we should just ask this mysterious figure, right?” Rolan said, offering his suggestion.

“And how exactly do we do that?” Lucius shot back. “We don’t even know if this figure is real, let alone how to contact it.”

“Then we’re back to square one,” Celes remarked calmly, though her words carried a hint of frustration.

The room began to descend into chaos as everyone voiced their opinions, theories, and concerns. The uncertainty surrounding the artifact and the mysterious figure weighed heavily on them, and the lack of answers only heightened their anxiety.

Ren, still unseen in the corner of the room, watched the scene unfold, growing more frustrated by the second. He knew the significance of the amulet and wanted desperately to reveal what he knew, but the cooldown for his Unexistence skill had yet to expire. Trapped in invisibility, he could do nothing but wait.

“Dammit,” Ren muttered to himself. “There’s nothing I can do but wait this out.”

Little did he know, there was no more time.

The tense atmosphere was abruptly shattered by the blaring sound of an alarm echoing through the academy. The piercing noise cut through the chatter like a knife, freezing everyone in place. Their expressions shifted from confusion to alarm.

Valis was the first to react. Her voice was firm and commanding. "Get ready! It’s an invasion!"

“What?! I thought we still had a couple more hours before they arrived!” Rolan exclaimed, panicked.

Lucius, pushing him toward the door, responded quickly. "Looks like they decided to come early. Let’s go, we need to prepare!"

“Celes, let’s meet up with the other girls,” Liana urged.

Celes nodded, her expression resolute. "Right, let’s go."

As the four students hurried out of the room, Valis turned to Barran and Eslis, issuing orders with military precision.

“Barran, gather the other teachers and staff. Speed up the evacuation, make sure no one is left in the courtyard when the battle starts,” Valis commanded.

“Yes, ma’am!” Barran replied, ready to carry out her orders.

“Eslis, coordinate with the mages. We need strong defensive positions. If the mages fall, the magical barriers will fall with them.”

“Understood, ma’am,” Eslis responded, her face set with determination.

“I’ll handle the soldiers and guards from the courtyard,” Valis said, her serious expression showing her leadership. “Remember, the students and citizens are our top priority. We hold the line as long as we can.”

“Yes, ma’am!” both Barran and Eslis echoed.

Valis allowed herself a brief smile before turning away. “Good. If we make it through this, the three of us should go for a drink. We will need a strong one though.”

“Not ‘if,’ Principal. When,” Barran said, his voice filled with quiet resolve. “We will get through this.”

Eslis chuckled at Barran's words but nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Valis, trust us and everyone here a little more. This isn’t the first time we’ve faced impossible odds, and it won’t be the last.”

Valis looked at her two most trusted advisors and partners, surprised by their calm confidence. She let out a soft chuckle. “Sometimes, I really do underestimate both of you. Now go, and let’s protect this academy together!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Both replied, their voices filled with resolve.

As the alarm blared through the academy, teachers and students scrambled to their posts, determined to defend the academy, though the fear in their eyes betrayed their uncertainty. Ren remained hidden, his gaze locked on Shiro, who lingered near the table, staring at the glowing amulet that had sparked so much discussion.

Shiro’s expression was conflicted, doubt flickering in his eyes as he debated whether to take the amulet. Ren watched in growing frustration, mentally willing Shiro to grab it. He knew how important the artifact was, Shiro had to take it, as it could be the key to surviving whatever lay ahead. But despite his silent pleas, Ren could do nothing but watch.

“Come on, Shiro!” Ren muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with frustration. “Just take it with you!”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Shiro reached out, his fingers closing around the amulet with newfound determination. He hesitated only briefly before slipping it around his neck. Ren let out a silent sigh of relief. Shiro might not yet understand the full significance of the amulet, but at least he had it with him now.

“I really hope this thing will save us,” Shiro murmured to himself before running out of the room.

As Shiro left, Ren took a moment to gather his thoughts. Everything was happening too fast.

“This is all wrong,” Ren murmured as he gazed out the window. The sun was already dipping toward the horizon, casting its golden light on the desolate town of Ecrin. “I thought we still had a few hours, at least.”

But he couldn’t stand idly by. He needed to get a better view of the situation.

“The rooftop... I’ll be able to see everything from there,” Ren decided, quickly making his way out of the room.

As he sprinted through the corridors, the chaos around him intensified. People ran in all directions, their faces paled with fear. Children clung to their parents, sobbing, while families huddled together in desperate attempts to comfort one another. Students, gripping their weapons, tried to summon their courage, but the weight of the impending battle pressed down on them.

Though the academy had trained them for combat, none had ever faced a threat of this magnitude.

“Mom, are we going to be okay?” A little girl asked, her voice trembling as she clung to her mother.

“Of course, sweetheart. Everything will be just fine,” the mother replied, her voice soothing but strained. She pulled her close, as much to comfort herself as to reassure her child. “We’ll be back home in no time.”

Nearby, a father kneeled in front of his two young sons, his expression grave but determined. “Listen to me carefully,” he said, his voice low. “If your mother or I tell you to run, you must run as fast as you can. Don’t look back, just run.”

“But... what about you and Mom?” One of the boys asked, his eyes welling with tears. “You’re coming with us, right?”

The mother forced a smile, her heart breaking at the lie she was about to tell. “Of course, sweetheart. We’ll be right behind you.” She placed a gentle hand on her son’s cheek. “But first, you and your brother need to take care of each other, okay?”

Both boys nodded, their small voices barely a whisper. “Yes, Mom.”

Not far away, a female student stood frozen, her face pale with fear. “I can’t believe I might not see my parents again,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I don’t want to die here... not before having my mom’s cooking one more time.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” a friend rushed over, wrapping her arms around her. “We’re going to make it through this, all of us. You’ll see your parents again, and you’ll get to eat your mom’s cooking. I promise.” Her voice was firm, though the fear in her own eyes betrayed her uncertainty.

The girl nodded, holding onto what little hope she had left.

The sight made Ren’s stomach churn. This was not the world he wanted to see from his favorite game, a world that now seemed drenched in despair, where hope was fleeting. But he couldn’t allow it to overwhelm him. He forced himself to keep moving forward.

When he finally reached the rooftop, he found several students and teachers already stationed there, awaiting orders. They were armed and ready, but their faces were pale, betraying their fear.

Ren moved toward the edge of the roof, his eyes scanning the horizon. The air was thick with tension, as if the entire academy was holding its breath, waiting for the enemy to show themselves. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional shuffle of feet or whispered prayer.

“The tension is suffocating,” Ren muttered, surveying the scene below.

The battle for the academy was about to begin.