Chapter 11: Glitched
Lucien Drex was lying upside-down again.
Not in a trap this time. On purpose. On a bench. With a book covering his face.
Not reading it.
Just using it to hide from effort.
"Lucien," Renn hissed. "Have you seen the new board?"
Lucien groaned. "Did I rank below someone's cat again?"
Renn shoved a glowing slate in his face. Lucien squinted.
#0: Lucien Drex
Underneath: 'Emergency System Admin Override – Classification: Paradox ID'
"Oh," Lucien said, blinking slowly. "That's new."
"You're not even supposed to have an ID."
"I don't. That's why it's funny."
---
Later That Night – Professor's Office
Professor Pellinox Thorne had only been at Arcanum for six months. A fresh transfer from the Bureau of Glyph Regulation, he specialized in rune analytics and spell metrics.
And he had secrets.
Like the one Lucien now held in a little folded letter.
He tapped it gently on the professor's desk.
Thorne stared, pale. "How did you…?"
Lucien sipped tea. "You used your own identity glyph to modify exam records for a first-year who isn't your niece. Also, your 'cat' is actually an animated familiar registered under three names."
Thorne sweated. "I—I was framed."
Lucien tilted his head. "Were you also framed when you sent a romantic rune letter to Headmistress Elenora using the staff-wide comm system?"
The man turned purple.
"I'm not here to blackmail you," Lucien said sweetly. "Just here to ask a favor."
"W-what kind of favor?"
Lucien slid over a folded note. "Change the rankings back. Blame it on a glyph glitch. Make it boring again."
"Why?"
Lucien sipped. "Because everyone is looking at me, Professor. And that's exhausting."
---
The Next Morning
The ranking board flickered. Then shimmered.
Students paused mid-breakfast.
#0: ERROR – NO SUCH STUDENT
Then:
Ranking recalibrated. Minor anomaly corrected.
Finalized Ranking Update – Tournament Authority Metrics
Rank Name Year Notes
#1 Martin (Username) 3 Unknown identity. Possibly fake. Never seen publicly.
#2 Seraphina Vale 2 Top in duels and exams. Emotionally unstable (privately).
#3 Caelum Virell 3 Chrono-magic. Secretly a Pale Sigil operative.
#4 Marcus Vale 2 Seraphina's brother. Brutal tactics. Hates Lucien.
#5 Ira Moress 1 Young genius. Spatial magic. Cheerful but eerie.
---
Year One Cafeteria – Breakfast Buzz
Renn: "I told you! Lucien was #0 for a whole day!"
Student A: "No way. You made that up."
Student B: "They said it was a glitch."
Student C: "They also said Marcus doesn't scream into pillows. Lies everywhere."
Student D: "Who's Martin? No one's ever seen him."
Student E: "My cousin in Year Three says he might be a cover name for agents."
Student F: "So like... three people pretending to be one?"
Student D: "Or a ghost. That eats rank points."
Student B: "Why are Year Twos above Year Threes?"
Student F: "Maybe Year Three is just bad this year?"
Student A: "But Caelum's a monster. I saw him bend time to dodge a punch before it was thrown, so it's no suprise he made it to top 3".
Student D: "So who the hell is Ira? She looks like a lost child!"
Student C: "Ira made four duelists disappear. Spatial magic. Poof. Gone moreover that's the youngest person that ever entered the school ranking".
Student F: "So... Year 4s?"
Student A: "Oh, they don't compete. They're basically small gods. Most are stronger than professors. The academy only ranks up to Year 3."
Student D: "So who would win between Lucien and a Year 4?"
Everyone laughs.
"Lucien? He's probably still in bed."
---
Lucien's Dorm – Right Then
Lucien rolled over. "I'm famous again. Ugh."
Renn: "You asked them to fix it."
Lucien: "Yes, and now they think I'm a myth. That's better than being a meme."
---
Later – Caelum and Lucien on the Tower
Caelum: "You manipulated a professor into changing the system."
Lucien: "Correction. I gave him options. Blackmail was just... highly persuasive encouragement."
Caelum: "You don't have power. Not in the traditional sense."
Lucien: "Exactly. Which means I can't be blamed. It's brilliant."
Caelum frowned. "One day, someone will realize you're the most dangerous person here."
Lucien grinned. "well talking about dangerous it should be you not me right ? Until then, I'm just the guy in slippers who naps during alchemy."
---
Meanwhile – Professor Thorne in His Office
He paced, sweating. The Pale Sigil's symbol flickered in his mirror.
A voice echoed. "You changed the board. Why?"
"I—I was coerced."
"By whom?"
He swallowed. "I don't even think he wanted power. He just wanted to be left alone."
The voice went quiet. "Interesting."
---
Closing Scene – Nightfall
Lucien sat on the library roof, watching students below obsess over ranks.
Renn sat beside him. "So now what?"
Lucien shrugged. "They've forgotten me again. That's the point."
"You don't want them to know who you are?"
Lucien smiled up at the stars.
"They'll know. Just not all at once. That's how you get hunted."
A faint shimmer passed through the stars. A sigil reactivated.
And far below, a figure in black watched him from the courtyard.
Year 4.
Smiling.
---
Suggestions for Next Chapter (Teaser):
A secret recruitment attempt by the Pale Sigil goes public — but fails due to Lucien outmanipulating their envoy.
A trap meant for Lucien backfires, pulling Marcus into a sigil illusion.
The Year 4 observer begins plotting contact, curious about the "ghost student" who just manipulated the system twice.
Fade to black.