Lovely Advice from Atticus
Seeing the look on everyone's faces, Alex for a second thought he had said something stupid to warrant that expression on their faces.
"Kid, you don't understand what is going on but I think you should leave now while you still can," the Dean said to him.
"Why? What do you mean?" Alex asked him.
The white-haired man laughed and turned to the Dean. "Brother, your student isn't only weak but stupid as well. Why don't you explain everything to him so that he will understand what is going on," he said to him.
The Dean sighed and decided to tell Alex everything. "This is Atticus, he is not the enemy," he said and Alex was shocked, same with Raphael.
"Then who is?" Alex asked him.
"Lucien, our dear foster brother," Atticus replied. "I look like the real enemy, right?" He asked and laughed for a bit and then became serious. "Unfortunately, your Dean is as weak and useless as you are. Thanks to my intervention, these students here were saved or everyone would have died in his hands." Alex glanced at the Dean who lowered his head. "You two would have died if not for him saving you," Atticus said again while pointing at Damon.
"He saved us?" Alex asked him.
"I don't know the business you two have together but he saved your life. You should thank him later," Atticus replied.
Alex turned and began to stare at Damon. Has he been wrong about him all this while or was he just pretending to be nice? Nevertheless, he didn't say anything to him rather, he turned to Atticus again.
"Where is Lucien then?" He asked him
"He escaped," Atticus replied with a grim look. "He should better keep running because if I get him, I'll make him wish he was never born," he said and then smirked. Alex kept staring at this man, he was so good at changing his expressions — one second he looked scary, next, he looked upset, and the next second, he looked charming and happy like nothing bad had happened.
"Since my business here is done, I'm leaving," Damon announced and glanced at Mikasa who didn't say a word to Alex and walked over to him.
"Master, are you not going to say something to him?" She whispered to him.
"If I killed your parents right before your face, will you ever like me?" Damon asked her.
"But you didn't kill his parents," Mikasa replied.
"No one else believes that. And I don't have the energy to make anyone believe me, it's boring," Damon said and glanced at Alex who also happened to be staring back at him. "Let the boy be, I'm sure that he'll find out the truth someday. I just hope to be alive and witness the devastating look on his face when he finds out that he had hated his only remaining family for years." After speaking, he vanished immediately.
"Mas—" Mikasa was about to say something but realizing that her master was gone, she glanced at Alex, sighed, and also went away.
Now, it was just the Dean, Atticus, Alex, and Raphael with the other students and teachers who were still unconscious.
"I guess it's time to return to the school. I exhausted a lot of my strength and I need to get them regained as fast as possible," Atticus said to the Dean.
"I'll take care of the students, help me with the teachers," the Dean said and went over to where the students were gathered. He stretched out his arm and made some hand signs in the air after which the space cracked, creating a large opening. He helped the students up to their feet and one by one they each went into the opening. After the last student went in, the Dean turned to Alex. "You two should come along," he said to him.
"No, I'll come with Atticus," Alex replied.
"And why is that?" The Dean asked him. "Don't tell me you still doubt him?"
"I don't doubt anyone. I want to have a word with him,' Alex replied, and then Atticus laughed and came to where he was.
He placed a hand around Alex's shoulder and said. " Brother, let the kid be... I'll take care of him."
"I don't trust you," the Dean said with creased brows.
"Make sure to say that when Lucien attacks you again. You are the only one he dares to trouble because you trusted him," Atticus replied.
"Are you saying that I should trust you?" The Dean asked and scoffed. "I'd rather not put my trust in anyone ever again than trust you," he said and then left.
After he left, Atticus chuckled and removed his hand from Alex's shoulder. "What is it you want to ask me?" He asked him, getting serious.
Alex saw that there was no need for formalities and thus became serious as well. "You said Damon saved me. How is that possible?" He asked him.
"Is that what you want to know?" Atticus asked him.
"Yes."
"I don't know why he saved you, and I was surprised to see him here in the first place," Atticus replied.
"Did you not invite him?" Alex asked.
"I don't know who he is, I only met him while I was dealing with Lucien," Atticus replied. He placed his hand on his jaw as if in thought. "He said there was someone he had to protect, I don't know anything else. I came to realize it when I saw the little demon girl with you. You should have asked him. Why do you come to me instead?"
"For many reasons, I choose not to see him," Alex replied.
"I don't know what's between the both of you but I sense a kind of relationship. If you are curious about something, why don't you go to the person you believe has the right answers to your questions? It's better than dwelling on baseless assumptions, if you continue like this, you may end up regretting it in the future," Atticus said to him.
Alex gazed at him, he was right after all. But he is right only because he has no idea who Damon is. This is the same man who killed his family without blinking an eye! What is there to regret later on? Absolutely nothing! And if there will eventually be, he will gladly accept it as long as he succeeds in taking his revenge.
With this resolve, Alex didn't have to worry about anything else. He only needed to focus on his mission and worry about nothing else.
"Why are you quiet? Have you realized that I may be right?" Atticus asked him.
"If you are worried that I will regret my actions in the future, then you should stop it because I strongly believe that I won't regret anything," he replied.
"And what if you do? What if you regret all you've done and there is no way to turn back? What are you going to do?" Atticus asked him?
Alex was silent for a while before replying. "If it happens, I'll gladly accept it."
"Kid, you are naive. I won't blame you because I have no idea of what you may have passed through but I hope you do not make mistakes that can't be corrected. I may be mischievous but trust me when I become serious like this," Atticus said and then approached him with a warm smile on his face. "Don't always follow your heart, use your head sometimes, and think for yourself. The heart may deceive you but your brain won't."