Chapter 11 – Uncertainty (Professor Ryen’s POV)

Chapter 11 – Uncertainty (Professor Ryen's POV)

The boy was strange.

From the moment I first laid eyes on him, something felt off.

It wasn't just the way he had fallen into this ruin out of nowhere. It wasn't just the way he had blankly responded with "I don't know" when asked his name.

It was the way he lacked expressions.

Even now, as I watched from a short distance, he was nodding his head like a chicken pecking at grain while Quinn rambled on beside him.

It was odd.

Most people, when thrown into an unfamiliar situation, would show some kind of fear, nervousness, or hesitation.

But him?

His face remained neutral.

Not in a calm, collected way, but in a way that seemed almost unnatural.

Like he had no idea how to react in real-time.

That wasn't normal.

Even if he had lost his memories, a regular teenager should at least show some signs of confusion, panic, or distress.

Yet he sat there, silently munching on snake meat, as if this was just another day for him.

I narrowed my eyes.

Was he pretending? Or was he just like this?

If I wasn't careful… who knows what he might be?

It never hurt to be cautious.

Observing from a Distance

I stood a few feet away, leaning against a large stone fragment, arms crossed as I continued watching him closely.

Quinn was happily chattering away, and the boy just kept nodding along.

To an outsider, it looked like a noble boy bragging to a clueless commoner.

But I wasn't so sure.

If this kid really lost his memories, then how was he staying so composed?

Even his body language was strange.

He had flinched when I smiled earlier, almost as if he had some kind of instinctive fear of authority figures.

But when the students talked to him?

He acted completely fine.

Something wasn't adding up.

There was a chance he was telling the truth…

But there was also a chance he wasn't.

I sighed quietly.

I needed to report this.

Contacting the Higher-Ups

I reached into my coat pocket, pulling out my portable communicator.

Tapping a few buttons, I opened a direct channel to the Director.

A moment later, a calm, authoritative voice answered.

"Hmm. Speak."

"Director," I said, hesitating for a second. "There seems to be a problem here."

"Elaborate."

I glanced at the silver-haired boy again before turning my gaze away.

"We found a young boy in the ruins."

"A survivor?"

"We're not sure. He claims to have lost his memories and has no recollection of how he got here."

A long silence followed.

Then—

"You should be cautious."

I clenched my fist slightly. I had expected that response.

"Prepare for the worst scenario. I think it would be best to end the field exploration early and bring the kid back."

"Understood."

"We will run an identity check on him. If his records exist in the system, we will find them."

"Yes, Director."

"Good. Return as soon as possible."

The line cut off.

I let out a slow breath before pocketing the communicator.

Then I turned back to my students.

Time to Leave

I clapped my hands together, drawing everyone's attention.

"Students," I called out. "Due to an emergency situation, we are ending this exploration early."

A wave of confusion and disappointment spread across the group.

Some students looked at each other, murmuring.

"But, Professor—"

"No objections," I said firmly. "This is a direct order. Start packing up."

They groaned but obeyed.

I reached into my storage device, pulling out a teleportation beacon.

This wasn't a full ruin-clearance escape item—it was a designated emergency exit device that allowed us to return to the Academy safely.

I tapped the side, activating the setup.

A bright blue formation circle began forming on the ground.

"Line up," I instructed. "We'll be leaving in three minutes."

The Boy's Reaction

I turned back to glance at the silver-haired boy.

He was staring at the glowing teleportation circle with an unreadable expression.

Did he know what it was?

Did he think he could escape from this situation?

Or was he simply processing everything quietly, like he had been all along?

I gave him a long look before shaking my head.

I'd get my answers soon enough.

For now, getting him back safely was the priority.

But something in my gut told me—

This kid wasn't normal.

And we were about to find out just how unusual he really was.