You're Hiding Something

Soon as his sentence ended, a rift appeared in the sky, a faint line that seemed to tear open the very fabric of reality. The line grew wider and longer, turning into a portal. From within, only darkness and distant stars were visible, an endless void that stretched far beyond the limits of the mortal world.

As the rift expanded, something ominous began to emerge. A massive creature with twisting tentacles and a grotesque form slithered out. Its slick surface shone in the light, each tentacle coiling and uncoiling as it reached through the portal. The creature had countless eyes on its body, each one observing the world.

The creature's tentacles were enormous, dwarfing the buildings around it. As one of its arms stretched out, the sheer weight of the tentacle crushed a house beneath it, the structure collapsing with a loud crash. Dust and debris shot into the air as the tentacle smashed through brick and wood like they were made of paper.

"Ah." Soul said, returning to his dull and boring face. "I'm being charmed. How boring."

Ruby's appearance suddenly shifted, morphing into Ōkora, who stood up from the ground. "This isn't normal. You're hiding something other than your blood magic," she said, her gaze sharp. "Just then, my lady herself tried to charm you. Not me. And this rift… what are you?"

"If you try anything like this again, you or your 'lady,'" Soul closed his eyes, his tone low and uninflected. "You'll regret it."

When he opened his eyes, everyone was still eating their stews, but something was wrong. Ōkora wasn't at the table; she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Ōkora?" Soul asked.

"Who? Ōkora as in the Champion of Nierman?" Hyun-Ki laughed. "I don't know, man. Who knows?"

"Nevermind." Soul quickly realized that Ōkora had somehow manipulated their memories, causing them to forget her presence.

"People are going to be all over us," Nia said, expressing her worry. "They must've seen us in the Family Match. Three students and a teacher defeating a god's Champion –"

"A lot of unwanted attention," Hyun-Ki took a bite of his bread. "Soul would like that. Unwanted attention."

"Hmm."

Lore entered the Icy Hearts, her eyes clouded with worry as she walked slowly. Initially, she didn't notice the group, but as she was about to take a seat at another table, she spotted them and made her way over, choosing to sit beside Soul instead of Lilith, despite the cramped space.

"You guys are back." She slightly nodded to Ji-Hye. "Ma'am."

"Yeah we're back." said Ji-Hye. "Barely…"

"Hello, I'm Nia." she said with a smile.

"I'm Lore. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. You're in Class-D, right?"

"Yes. Which class are you in?"

"B. But they transferred me to A."

"Oh, wow. Class-A, huh?" She fixed her glasses. "That's awesome. I wish I was in Class-A. I heard the lessons are harsher there?"

"Eh, a bit. But nothing too crazy."

"Hi." Lore turned to Lilith. "I'm Lore. I think we haven't met yet. Which class are you in?"

"I'm – Lily. Soul's cousin." She forced a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to mee – Oh, I almost forgot. Soul," she called out, drawing his attention. "The Topple attacked again! I heard she took your sister."

He simply turned his dead-looking eyes to her and waited for further explanation.

"Esvor protected her. You know, the Rebel-King? He was in the academy. I still can't believe he held his ground against a guy like The Topple!"

"I should check on Ruby." Soul said. "Where is she right now?"

"In the girls' dormitory. I'll come with you."

"Hmm."

"Hey, we're here if you need anything." Hyun-Ki reassured, stopping Soul by gently grabbing his arm.

His dull eyes traveled around the group, meeting each one in the eyes. "Hmm. When do I get my money? You promised 600 golds."

"I'll get it to you this evening." Hyun-Ki answered. "I still can't believe we've won the match…"

"Wait, you guys have won?" Lore was clearly surprised. "I assumed you guys lost the fight. I couldn't even watch the thing because I didn't want to see you…" Her eyes met with Soul's. "I mean all of you get hurt."

"Hmm."

"No, that's not a 'hmm' situation, Soul." Lore said with a frustrated tone. "You're going to tell me what happened in the tournament."

'Just get out of my life, please…'

"We fought them off," Nia interjected, sparing Soul from recounting the details. "It was tough, but we managed. I cast a smoke spell that obscured Marcy's view. In the chaos, we accidentally ended up killing him."

"It was me," Ji-Hye admitted. "I struck him down with my sword, slashing his chest."

"Wow..." Lore's eyes widened. "That's impressive... but killing a champion isn't. I hope Sirenar forgives you."

"Yeah," Lilith forced a smile again. "We certainly don't want to upset any gods..."

"Enough talk. I'm heading out," Soul declared. "I need to see Ruby."

"Alright, let's go," Lore agreed, following him.

"Wait for me." Nia said. "I'll come with you too. I have to see Ayame."

Halfway to the girls' dormitory, a heavy rain began to fall. As the rain poured down relentlessly, the streets quickly emptied of people. Homeless people sought shelter under awnings or huddled beneath whatever cover they could find, their ragged clothes providing little protection against the downpour. Stray animals escaped into hidden corners, seeking refuge from the rain in the safety of the city's alleyways.

Soul, Nia and Lore pressed on towards the boys' dormitory, their footsteps splashing through puddles as they navigated the deserted sidewalks. The relentless rain beat down upon them, soaking through their clothes.

"Just our luck," Lore sighed, brushing raindrops from her hair. "We'll be sick at this point."

"Yeah," Soul grumbled, his shoulders hunched against the downpour.

"Ugh…" Nia said. "We should find a shelter for the time being."

"Let's go to my home. Old World Hotel. We're close anyway."

"I can't. I need to check on my sister, make sure she's okay."

"She's with Professor Yuu and others, Soul," Lore persisted. "You've got to think about yourself for once. Ruby will be okay. Trust me."

'If she is safe…'

He nodded slowly. "Okay. Let's go to your home."

"Nia? Will you come with us?" asked Lore.

"Sure. If that's okay with you."

As he turned back to head to the Old World Hotel, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. A portly man with a greasy face and a prominent bald spot stood nearby. Before he could get a better look, a crowd of people fleeing the rain blocked his view, leaving him with only a fleeting glimpse.

He paused, his dull eyes fixed on the spot where the man had stood, waiting for the crowd to disperse. But when the crowd finally shifted, the portly figure was nowhere to be seen. Vanished without a trace.

"Soul, what's wrong?" Lore's voice cut through his thoughts.

"How did The Topple find out where my sister was?" He questioned. "No one besides me, Melissa, and Ruby knew."

"Mm," Lore replied, her expression sympathetic. "He's a creep. Maybe he followed them?"

"Come on. Let's go." Nia urged. "I'm soaked…"

But he didn't budge. He remained rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the direction where the stranger had stood moments before. Lore sensed his unease and followed his line of sight. Something felt off.

"Soul?"

"Hmm?"

"Come on," continued Lore. "We'll catch a cold."

"Okay… okay."