chapter 36: The veil of Night & The Academy's True Face

Chapter 36: The Veil of Night & The Academy's True Face

Rin sat on the dorm's windowsill, the warning note still in his hands. The ink was slightly smudged, as if the writer had rushed to deliver it. His shoulder ached from the wound Edmund left, but that wasn't what bothered him.

Elsa's words echoed in his mind.

"This isn't just a school. It's a hunting ground."

Outside, the academy's pristine buildings gleamed under the moonlight, but now, they felt like cages.

Selena sat cross-legged on her bed, sharpening a knife. "You should rest."

"I'll rest when I know who sent this," Rin muttered.

Ray leaned against the door, arms crossed. "Whoever it was, they think we're disposable." He smirked. "They're wrong."

A knock interrupted them.

Ezra opened the door, and a hooded student stepped inside. His uniform bore no emblem, no sign of status. He placed a letter on the desk.

"Midnight. The Clocktower," he whispered before vanishing into the halls.

Charlotte frowned. "Another invitation? You sure you want to go?"

Rin glanced at the note.

"If you wish to live, come alone."

Rin smirked. "I was planning on sneaking out anyway."

At midnight, Rin arrived at the abandoned Clocktower, its gears rusting under the weight of time. The academy's lights barely reached this place, leaving it in shadows.

A figure stood by the cracked bell—a girl, dressed in the academy's uniform but without a rank insignia. Her silver hair glowed under the moon.

"You must be Rin Ryukai," she said, her voice calm.

"You know my name, but I don't know yours doesn't seem to fair to me," Rin replied.

She tilted her head. "I go by many names. But here, I am known as Lilith."

Rin's instincts flared. There was something about her—controlled, practiced, deadly.

"Why am I here?"

Lilith tossed a bloodstained ribbon at his feet. "Because the academy is watching you. And because you don't know the truth."

Rin picked up the ribbon. It was torn, frayed, and soaked in dried blood.

"This belonged to one of the students who went missing last night," Lilith continued. "You saw them being taken, didn't you?"

Rin nodded. "Where did they go?"

Lilith stepped closer, her violet eyes piercing. "To the lowest level of the West Wing. The place that doesn't exist on any map."

Rin's grip tightened. "What happens to them?"

Lilith's lips curled into a humorless smile. "They become part of the academy's 'tradition.'"

The wind howled through the broken windows. Rin knew what she meant without her saying it.

Sacrifices.

Lilith led Rin through a hidden entrance in the West Wing, past corridors forgotten by time. They moved in silence, their footsteps barely making a sound.

The deeper they went, the stronger the scent of blood became.

At the bottom of the stairway, a massive iron door stood, ancient symbols etched into its surface.

Lilith placed a hand on it. The markings glowed, and the door creaked open.

Beyond it was a circular chamber lit by pale blue torches. The walls were lined with chains, and in the center—an altar.

A student lay on it, unconscious. A robed figure stood above them, a curved dagger in hand.

Rin's blood ran cold.

The masked figure turned, as if sensing them. "You shouldn't be here."

Rin's body moved before he could think. He dashed forward, unsheathing a dagger. The figure's blade met his in a sharp clash.

Lilith grabbed the unconscious student, pulling them away from the altar.

The robed figure pressed forward, their strikes precise, fast, deadly. Rin barely managed to parry, his wound from the duel slowing him down.

Then, the figure whispered something in a language Rin didn't understand.

The air around them grew heavy. The torches flickered wildly.

Ancient technology.

A sudden force sent Rin crashing against the wall. He tasted blood.

The figure stepped closer, dagger raised for the final blow—

Bang!

A gunshot echoed through the chamber.

The robed figure staggered, blood seeping through their cloak.

Rin looked up.

Lilith stood there, pistol smoking in her hand.

"You talk too much," she said flatly.

The masked figure collapsed.

Rin wiped the blood from his mouth. "You could've done that earlier."

"I wanted to see if you were worth saving," she replied.

Rin sighed. "So? Am I?"

Lilith smiled slightly. "Maybe."

By the time they returned to the surface, dawn was breaking.

The academy remained unchanged, its students waking up as if nothing had happened.

But Rin knew better.

This place wasn't just dangerous—it was alive, feeding off the weak, weeding out those who couldn't survive.

As he stepped into the dorm, Ezra and Selena were waiting.

"You look like hell," Ezra noted.

Selena crossed her arms. "What happened?"

Rin dropped the bloodstained ribbon onto the table.

"I found out what happens to the missing students," he said. "And I'm not going to let it continue."

Ray smirked. "So we're starting a war?"

Rin cracked his knuckles. "No. We're ending one."

From the highest tower, Elsa Balotelli watched, her smirk fading into something more thoughtful.

"This academy is getting interesting," she murmured.

The real game had begun.