Chapter 28: Uproar 1

The bell rang for afternoon break.

I slipped out before the others could clog the hallway with chatter. My path veered away from the cafeteria, away from the noise, toward the quieter back wing—the Engineering and Development block.

The building always had a different feel from the rest of the academy. No mana-crystal chandeliers, no polished marble. Here, the air carried a faint tang of oil and scorched metal, the walls lined with schematics and half-assembled contraptions.

This was where they sent the talented ones who couldn't make the cut in the Aether Combat Division. Innovators, inventors, analysts… and a few who just wanted to disappear into the hum of machines.

Professor Alan's domain.

I'd read his name before. Not in any academy newsletter —those pages painted him as a genius in weapon design, a man who shaped young minds. But in the novel's story I knew, his legacy wasn't blueprints.

It was corpses. Thirty students. Two assistants. Dissected like they were faulty prototypes. Killed purely for his pleasure, he enjoyed breaking their minds before their bodies.

The door to his main lab was half-open. I stood just outside, the faint whir of mana-powered drills and the hiss of welding arcs slipping into the hallway.

Through the narrow gap, I caught a glimpse—rows of desks cluttered with parts, but the center of the room was immaculate, too clean. A stainless-steel table bolted to the floor, chains hanging from its sides. The kind of thing you don't need for building anything.

Alan himself stood with his back to me, sleeves rolled up, speaking in that warm, patient tone teachers use when explaining something delicate. But the person he was speaking to—a girl, maybe seventeen—was trembling.

She nodded at whatever he said, then froze as he reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. Too gentle. Too slow. His fingers lingered just a moment too long, like he was savoring the contact.

I felt the hairs on my neck stand on end.

Alan turned slightly, just enough for me to see his face in profile—smiling, but not in any way that belonged in daylight. A smile that didn't reach the eyes. Eyes that were empty, glassy… dead things looking out of living sockets.

I stepped back before he could see me, the bass of my music still faint in my ears, replaced now by the pounding of my pulse.

Soon, this man would make his move, for his fifth kill,

Not if I got to him first.

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As the afternoon break finished, students started to enter their classes,

And,

Rune Engineering was the last place I wanted to be right now.

The professor called my name, his sharp gaze pinning me mid-step.

"Skipping class , Nex?" On your second day,

"Not skipping," I said, keeping my voice even. "Not feeling well."

A few heads turned.

Lucas frowned. Aria tilted her head. Kaelith just gave me that unreadable look.

Sylphie blinked once, as if she hadn't expected me to talk at all. Eren stopped scribbling in his notebook, eyes narrowing.

Some of the girls whispered, but I didn't bother catching the words.

I walked out before the professor could press further.

---

The Engineering Department had the same faint smell of burnt copper and dust as before. This time, I wasn't alone.

The guy walking beside me was wiry, twitchy, hair falling in his face. His eyes darted around like someone expecting trouble.

His name didn't matter. What mattered was that he was desperate—bad grades, bad standing, one step from being kicked out of Nexus.

He'd been cursing under his breath for the past five minutes.

"…damn system… they want us to study twenty hours a day… nothing's enough… I just need one good score…"

"Quiet," I said softly. "You're drawing attention."

He turned to me, jaw tight. "You said you could help. This better be worth it."

"It will," I said. "But you'll have to follow exactly what I tell you."

He swallowed, glancing down at the folded paper in my hand.

"What's this?"

"A request letter. You're going to write it in your own hand."

He unfolded it and scanned the draft I'd prepared. His lips moved as he read:

'I, [Name], request additional personal tutoring under Professor Alan after academy hours. His classes are clear, efficient, and inspiring. I believe extra sessions with him will greatly improve my performance.'

His brows furrowed. "You want me to… butter him up? This sounds like—"

"Sweet words," I said. "That's the point."

He hesitated. "Why Alan? He's… strict. And…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "There are rumors—"

"Rumors don't matter. You want your grades fixed, this is the way."

He bit his lip. "If this goes wrong—"

"It won't," I said, pulling a small card from my pocket and placing it in his palm. The glow of his wristband confirmed the transfer—1000 zen points.

He stared at the number like it was a lifeline. His breathing quickened.

"You're serious…"

"Write it now," I told him. "Neat, polite. Make it sound like you admire him or he is your 'idol'. Then deliver it to his desk before evening."

His hands trembled as he took the pen. "I… I don't know why you're doing this, but… if it gets me through this semester, I'll do anything."

"Good," I said quietly, watching him begin to write. "Just make sure you survive to enjoy it."

He froze at that last line, looking at me. My face gave him nothing.

When he finished, I took the letter, checked his handwriting, and nodded.

"Now go. And remember… be polite. The sweeter you are, the better he'll remember you."

He swallowed hard, tucking the letter under his arm before disappearing down the corridor toward Alan's office.

I stayed where I was, hands in my pockets, listening to the fading footsteps.

One piece in place.

____________________________________

Nex strolled though the corridors of the engineering department and just as he was about to leave,

Nex found a boy in the corner of the Engineering Hall, hunched over a half-finished gear assembly.

A second-year, glasses slipping down his nose, the kind of boy who avoided eye contact like it might burn him.

He almost flinched when Nex stopped in front of him.

"…Me?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. You," Nex said. "You know the group of girls who always sit near the cafeteria after class?"

The boy nodded reluctantly. Everyone knew them — polished uniforms, expensive perfume, laughter that could cut glass.

Nex slid a slim card across the workbench. 500 zen points.

The boy's breath caught.

"For… what?"

"You're going to tell them this," Nex said, voice calm and deliberate. "Alan is giving grades for a simple project. Only five students will get them. The offer ends tonight at 8 p.m. You're one of them. And you've already prepared your project."

The boy blinked fast. "I… haven't—"

"You have now," Nex interrupted. "Just nod when they ask."

He hesitated, fingers curling around the zen card. "Why me?"

"Because they'll believe you before they believe me. You look… harmless."

The boy's throat bobbed as he swallowed. He didn't ask more questions.

---

The cafeteria's courtyard still smelled faintly of roasted coffee and fresh bread. The group of girls sat around one of the shaded tables, chatting and scrolling through holo-screens. Their uniforms looked crisp, their laughter a little too sharp.

The boy shuffled up to them, mumbling something at first.

One of the girls — tall, with chestnut hair curled just right — glanced up.

"What? Speak up, engineering boy. We don't bite."

"I… uh… heard Professor Alan is giving grades… bonus grades… for a simple project."

Another girl, shorter with gold hair pinned back, arched a brow. "You mean extra credit? From Alan? Are you sure?"

"Only for five people," he added quickly, voice shaking. "And it's only until 8 p.m. tonight. I… already have my project ready."

They exchanged looks — skeptical, amused.

"Mm. Sounds like bait," the chestnut-haired one said. "Alan doesn't give handouts."

"Maybe," the golden-haired girl smirked, "he's just trying to win us over. Look at him — he can't even stand still."

A third girl, her nails painted silver, leaned forward. "You're telling us because… what? You want us to like you? Or you're hoping we'll owe you?"

The boy flushed, stammering. "N-no, I just thought… you might want to know. It's… easy grades. Real ones."

The chestnut-haired one tapped her lip. "Well… if it's true, I'd rather we get them than some no-name first-years. What do you think?"

Silver-nails shrugged. "It's probably nothing. But… if he's lying, we'll just make sure he regrets wasting our time."

Golden-hair grinned. "Alright, little engineer. We'll play along. You're one of the five? Fine. We'll see if your 'project' is half as real as you say."

The boy exhaled like he'd been holding his breath the entire time.

From a shadowed corner near the vending machines, Nex watched them leave their table.

Two pieces in place.

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