The students were teleported back to the Academy grounds, where healers were waiting to treat the injured. Most of them went straight to the healers, but Ric, Yota, and the others headed to their dorms, parting ways with Desos, Fray, and Jeff. When Ric and Yota got to his dorm, he noticed how quiet it was. Most of the other dorms were empty too—some students were still in the infirmary, and others... hadn’t made it back at all.

Yota let out a heavy sigh, the weight of the tiring day settling on him as he muttered, “Man... a lot of people probably didn’t make it back, huh, Ric?”

Ric sat on his bed, looking exhausted. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, a clear sign of the sleepless night. “Yeah,” he said wearily. “But since it’s just the two of us here, I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Yota asked, curious.

Ric leaned in slightly and gestured for Yota to lower his voice. “Come closer,” he said, his tone hushed as he whispered. “And keep quiet... walls have ears too, Yota.”

Yota nodded in agreement as Ric continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “I need sleep. I was all up last night. You stay awake, and if anything happens, wake me up. If you need to sleep, wake me up then too. Got it?”

“Okay! Don’t worry, Ric! You won’t need to wake up—whatever happens, I’ll take care of it!” Yota replied with enthusiasm.

Ric immediately grabbed Yota by the collar, pulling him close. “Keep your voice down, dang it!” he hissed through clenched teeth.

Yota realized and spoke quietly “My bad, hehe” A sheepish grin appearing on his face.

Ric let out an exasperated sigh and continued, “Just do as I say. Don’t talk to anyone, don’t approach anyone, and don’t make a sound. Just lie on your bed and pretend to be asleep. Doesn’t matter if you’re bored—just stay awake for at least four hours. I need at least that much sleep.”

He paused, fixing Yota with a tired but stern look. “Wake me up if something happens—which is pretty unlikely—or if you are sleepy, though I doubt you are, right?”

Yota rolled his eyes and replied hesitantly, “M-Maybe I am?”

Ric’s eyes narrowed, glowing faintly red as he leaned in. “You’re not, right?” he said, his tone low but threatening.

Yota stammered, “U-uh…” feeling the pressure of his gaze.

Ric’s fists clenched tightly. “You’re not, right~?” he said, with a forced smile on his face.

Yota blurted, “Okay, okay! I’m not! Chill out!” throwing up his hands in surrender.

Ric let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Just give me four hours, Yota. After that, I’ll take over and stay on guard for the rest of the night,” his voice firm but weary.

he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep almost instantly, his exhaustion catching up with him the moment his head hit the pillow. “Dang,” Yota muttered, watching him. “Guess he really was tired.”

Yota moved to his own bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling. “He’s so cautious,” he thought, a faint smile crossing his lips. “But it’s because of that I was able to take the exam in the first place.”

Clenching his fists, he steeled himself. “I’ve got to stay awake! I can’t let Ric down. I need to do my part, and I will!”

Motivational thoughts swirled in his mind as he kept himself alert, determined not to fail, and like that time passed.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

[1 Hour Later]

“Ric!”

A distant scream echoed in Ric’s ears, dragging him out of his sleep.

“Who is that?” he murmured groggily, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“Ric!” The voice was urgent and desperate.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus. “Someone’s calling me…” The voice became clearer, and his heart sank as recognition dawned. “It’s Yota…”

“Wake up, Ric!”

Ric jolted upright, the urgency in Yota’s voice cutting through his exhaustion. His vision sharpened, and the sight before him froze him in place.

Yota was being held hostage by a man dressed entirely in black, his face concealed beneath a hood. The man held a sharp knife pressed against Yota’s throat, his firm grip threatening to kill Yota anytime.

“Yota!” Ric exclaimed, his voice laced with shock.

The man’s laughter echoed coldly through the room. “Haha! I am from the great Demonic Tower! We’ve taken over this Academy. Now fear me and beg for mercy! Pathetic Brats, No one will come to save you, no matter what you do!”

An eerie silence followed as Ric remained eerily calm, his eyes hidden by the shadow of his hair, unreadable.

The man frowned, confusion flickering in his eyes. “What’s this? You’re not begging? Usually, they crumble and plead for their lives…”

Before he could finish, he noticed a subtle movement from Ric’s hand. His eyes narrowed, and he tightened his grip on Yota, the blade pressing closer to his neck. “Don’t try anything funny!” the man growled. “Or I will kill your friend—“

image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/952a01aa-e384-401c-a0f2-be8702666a5f/dfxhamh-178b7f94-9404-40f3-a326-af8c3be645c0.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzk1MmEwMWFhLWUzODQtNDAxYy1hMGYyLWJlODcwMjY2NmE1ZlwvZGZ4aGFtaC0xNzhiN2Y5NC05NDA0LTQwZjMtYTMyNi1hZjhjM2JlNjQ1YzAuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.29ryZImZat9kNGfcAYA10Ak8HRpNffHM-_KwRh5OIfo]

“Try it,”

The man faltered, his bravado slipping. “W-What? You think I’m bluffing—”

“If a single drop of his blood falls on the ground…” Ric interrupted, his tone as cold as death,”I will kill you.”

His eyes flashed as he lifted his head, The air shifted. A thick, red mist began to spread in the air, curling along the floor like grasping fingers. The fog seemed alive, pulsing and writhing, snaking toward the man. The temperature plummeted, and the lights dimmed unnaturally, leaving only the crimson-glowing eyes to pierce the suffocating darkness.

“W-What the heck is this?!” the man stammered, his voice rising as the fog licked at his legs. He tried to step back, ”Ugh” but the mist seemed to cling to him, pulling him closer. His breathing grew ragged as a strange, guttural sound—like distant, ghostly wails—echoed faintly in the room.

“Your friends, family…” Ric’s voice cut through the atmosphere, “I will kill them all.” low and calm but laced with an edge that sent a shiver down his spine.

his confidence crumbling. “W-What did you just say?” The man spoke as his voice trembled in fear.

Ric stepped forward, “The village you live in, the people you met…” The sound of his footfall was unnaturally loud in the suffocating silence. “Every face you’ve ever known….” his tone devoid of emotion. “I’ll erase them.”

The man’s breath hitched as Ric took another step forward. The air around them grew colder, heavy with an unnatural stillness. Ric’s hair began to shimmer, streaks of red bleeding through as if the mist itself were seeping into him.

The room seemed to twist, the shadows stretching and shifting in impossible ways, as though they had a will of their own. The faint light flickered, casting grotesque shapes that danced along the walls.

his grip on Yota faltered as a deep, primal fear clawed its way into his chest. “Stay back!” he shrieked, his confidence completely shattered. “I—I’ll kill him, I swear!”

Ric’s steps didn’t falter. “After that, I will come for you…”His eyes were crimson red like boiling blood, their unyielding glare cutting through the man’s resolve. Ric was right in front of him, “and slowly tear you apart limb by limb…” he whispered, his words filled with madness and bloodlust as he exclaimed with a devious smile on his face.

“Just like what I am about to do right now.”