A suffocating silence reigned in the Grand Hall of Arcadia Academy—a silence born not of respect, but of existential dread. The very air seemed to have solidified, turning into a heavy, invisible veil that pressed against the lungs of every student present. At the center of this tension stood Zorua Machiavelli, the Vice-General of the Black Spear, a man whose presence was as cold and precise as the silver-rimmed spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose.

  ?He stood before Aethel Melina with a glacial detachment that was more terrifying than outright rage. From the ancient, pulsating magical scroll at his waist, emerald threads of mana unfurled like the spectral tentacles of a deep-sea predator. They didn't just move; they slithered through the air with surgical precision, coiling around Melina's body in a glowing, rhythmic cage.

  ?Melina's heart hammered against her ribs like a war drum echoing in a hollow canyon. Internally, she fought to maintain the mask of indifference that Nico had taught her to wear. (What is this weight?) she whispered to her own soul. (It's not just the density of his mana... it feels as if he is peeling back the layers of my existence, laying my very spirit bare for inspection.) A bone-deep chill radiated through her limbs whenever Zorua's tendrils brushed past her heart. She knew the legends. Zorua Machiavelli was said to possess the ability to read intentions before a tongue could form a single word. If she allowed a single atom of fear to distort her expression, if she let her pulse skip a beat in guilt, it would be the end. She had to be a monolith of stone. She had to be what Nico would be: a void that gave nothing back.

  ?Behind his glasses, Zorua's eyes remained unblinking, reflecting the emerald glow of his magic. He wasn't just looking at her; he was analyzing the "frequencies" left behind in her cells—the subtle, jagged residues of Nico's training methods. Suddenly, the spinning threads halted. They condensed into a single, blinding point of green light directly in front of Melina's face.

  ?Zorua spoke, his voice carrying the double weight of cold suspicion and absolute certainty. "I see... The results are beginning to manifest, and they defy every logical expectation of modern magical theory."

  ?He paused, letting the tension in the hall stretch to a breaking point, a bowstring ready to snap. "Melina Aethel... you carry truly bizarre mana footprints within your biological vessel. According to my initial analysis, the signature of the 'training' you received does not belong to this era. It resonates with a frequency that dates back over 3,000 years. This is not the mana of a modern educator; it is the cultivated, archaic experience of a time we have long forgotten."

  ?Zorua adjusted his glasses, his eyes sweeping over the rows of terrified students. He began to pace methodically across the wooden stage, each step creating a measured echo that amplified the audience's terror. It felt less like an announcement and more like a public trial.

  ?"But that is not the only discovery," Zorua continued, his voice echoing through the rafters. "It seems some in this hall believe the Black Spear consists of mere soldiers following orders. They think our eyes are limited by walls and physical barriers. They are mistaken. Our eyes pierce through intentions as easily as a blade through silk."

  ?He stopped abruptly, the silence returning like a physical blow. "According to the reports, there was a student named Nico Sigmund. A quiet soul, a lover of books, a shadow in the library. He held no grudges, or so it seemed. But he did one thing that can never be erased: he challenged General Akaria with a coldness that suggested death was merely a secondary thought. Defeat, ladies and gentlemen, is the ultimate test of a person's mettle. Some accept it to grow stronger. Others... others take it as a stain on their very existence. They let that spite fester until it turns into an 'obsidian revenge' boiling in their veins."

  ?Zorua's gaze suddenly snapped upward, locking onto a specific point in the elven section of the hall. "But what happens when the one who defeated you vanishes? When they are no longer here to receive your malice? The only solution for a weak, fractured soul is to find the person closest to them. To vent that repressed vengeance on the only anchor left behind."

  ?He pointed a gloved finger directly at the seats where the elven nobility sat. "Isn't that correct, Selina Solari?"

  ?The revelation hit the hall like a thunderbolt. Students recoiled as if the air itself had become toxic. Selina's face petrified, turning into a mask of pure horror. Her lips trembled, her composure shattering into a thousand jagged pieces. "Im-.. Impossible... How could you...?"

  ?Zorua's voice was merciless. "When you suffered that public humiliation at the hands of Nico, your pride as a 'Superior Elf' became a terminal illness. Instead of letting your vengeance wither, you decided to assassinate the only thing he cared for: Melina Aethel. But you were too weak to do it alone. You forged a filthy alliance with an anti-kingdom cell, providing them with the security loopholes of this academy. You aided them in executing the bombings that claimed forty-five lives... all as a smokescreen to eventually take Melina's head in the chaos."

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  ?The mask of the elven princess finally peeled away, revealing the rot beneath. Selina stood up, her face distorted by a manic hatred. Tears of madness streamed down her cheeks. "You wretched humans!" she shrieked, her voice cracking. "I will kill you all! You have tainted the very beauty of this world with your primitive existence! Arcadia is no place for a lowly, filthy race like yours!"

  ?She turned her venomous gaze toward Zorua. "I cannot believe someone of your power, Zorua, stands with these insects! You are too great to be a servant to this filth! Why did you ruin my cleansing? I was on the verge of purging this human garbage from these hallowed halls! Beings like them should not breathe the same air as an Elf!"

  ?Zorua let out a cold, provocative laugh that shook the foundations of the hall. "You truly are a comical creature. You call humans garbage while standing in the presence of General Akaria? Have you forgotten that she, the very apex of your fear, is 'human' as well?"

  ?"I... I don't mean the General!" Selina screamed hysterically. "She is an exception! I am certain that if she had the choice, she would choose our blood over that useless heap! But since the veil is torn... my words no longer matter!"

  ?Melina stood stunned, tears of horror welling in her eyes as the depth of the betrayal sank in. "Why, Selina? Why all this for a duel? If Nico knew you harbored this much hate... he wouldn't have walked away the first time. He would have ended you where you stood."

  ?"Silence, you fool!" Selina shrieked. "I may have failed to kill you today, but you are all marked!"

  ?She threw her head back and let out a chilling laugh. "Since you are all gathered here to witness my fall... I will show you the true power of the original Elves! I will take this entire wretched academy to the grave with me!"

  ?A massive, turbulent eruption of green mana exploded from Selina's body. It expanded at a terrifying rate, the pressure cracking the stone pillars and shattering the windows of the Grand Hall. Students screamed, trampling over one another to reach the exits as the magical energy reached its critical mass.

  ?But before the explosion could consume the room, the world stopped.

  ?Literally. The air, the vibration of the screams, the very flow of time seemed to lock into place. In a single heartbeat, the hall was transformed into a forest of jagged, transparent ice. Selina Solari was trapped at the epicenter, frozen mid-scream inside a massive, unbreakable prism of frost.

  ?This was Zorua Machiavelli's unique ability: [Absolute Frost Prison].

  ?Zorua calmly dusted ice particles from the sleeve of his military uniform. "That is enough, Selina. You disgrace the Elven race with these childish tantrums. We are far above such idiotic methods of settling scores."

  ?General Akaria Valerius, who had watched the entire scene with the silence of a hunting hawk, stepped forward. Her aura alone was enough to silence the remaining chaos.

  ?"Listen, everyone," Akaria commanded, her voice cutting through the freezing air. "You are granted immediate mandatory leave. We will reorganize and ensure this academy is purged of any further internal rot. Do not relax. Remain vigilant. You are dismissed."

  ?She paused, her eyes locking onto Melina. "Except for you, Melina. I have questions that require answers."

  ?Melina bowed her head, her body trembling from the sudden drop in temperature and the emotional exhaustion. "Of course, General... ask what you will."

  ?Akaria stepped close, her eyes searching Melina's as if she could extract the truth directly from her memories. "I want precise, detailed information regarding the man called 'Nico'. Who is he? Where did he truly come from?"

  ?Melina took a deep breath, focusing her thoughts. "I first met him on a side road near the gates; he was searching for a library. I guided him out of curiosity. He is a newcomer, possessed by a strange obsession with ancient texts and forgotten history. He was always kind to me... and it was his tactical guidance that allowed me to survive until now."

  ?She hesitated, then added a detail that felt like a splinter in her mind. "But he would space out... strangely. It was as if he were dead for a few seconds, or as if his soul had left his vessel entirely. And once, he fell into a coma that lasted sixteen days. The doctors could find no biological cause for it."

  ?Akaria's eyes narrowed into slits. "I see. And his magic? What element did he manifest?"

  ?Melina answered with absolute certainty. "To be honest, General... I never saw him use a single magical element. Ever. All I witnessed was a terrifying physical strength and a tactical timing that felt... unnatural."

  ?Akaria nodded slowly. "Very well. Thank you, Melina. You may leave. Exercise extreme caution on your journey."

  ?As Melina departed the ruined hall, Zorua summoned a massive blade of reinforced ice. With a surge of Akaria's storm magic, the blade lifted them both into the dark, cloudy sky above Arcadia.

  ?"What do you make of her testimony, Zorua?" Akaria asked, gazing at the vanishing lights of the academy.

  ?For the first time, genuine worry flickered across Zorua's face. "To be honest, General... my conjectures are not promising. I need to delve into the restricted archives of the Dark Ages. I pray that the theory forming in my mind is a delusion."

  ?"What are you implying?" Akaria asked sharply.

  ?Zorua adjusted his glasses, watching the clouds churn beneath them. (Mana dating back three millennia... a sixteen-day coma... the death-like spacing out...) "These are the tell-tale signs of an ancient 'Vessel'. If my deductions hold, Nico Sigmund is not a student. He is an entity returned from the Moon Queen era... the period when the world was ruled by blood and absolute darkness."

  ?Akaria turned to him, her face pale. But Zorua forced a thin, mirthless smile. "My apologies, General. Perhaps I am over-analyzing a ghost. I will focus on dismantling the cell that backed Selina."

  ?Akaria's voice was stern. "No matter what he is, do not mention Melina's testimony to the Azreal delegation. This remains a secret between the two of us until we are certain of what has crawled out of the past."

  ?Zorua closed his eyes as the ice blade accelerated into the night. "Count on me... General."

  [End of chapter 12]