"We've got trouble," said Alexander, observing the two in front of him, Ethan and Forki. Both maintained serious expressions, aware of the gravity of the situation.
"We already figured," replied Ethan, while Forki nodded in agreement. The tension in the air was palpable, and everyone was aware that the situation demanded a careful approach.
"The Director visited my father," explained Alexander, and both nodded, confirming that they had also received similar visits. The mention of the Director brought a sense of unease, as they knew their actions were under constant scrutiny.
"What happened?" asked Forki, his voice laden with concern and interest.
"Nothing much," began Alexander, trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation. "He just denied any involvement, despite knowing about it," he continued, his expression indicating that there was more behind the Director's words than he was willing to reveal at that moment.
"I didn't think it would come to this so easily," replied Forki, his mind working quickly to understand the implications of this revelation.
"Yeah, I thought they wouldn't even suspect, we underestimated them," agreed Ethan, his expression reflecting a mix of surprise and frustration.
"What do we do?" questioned Forki, as he looked to his companions for guidance and solutions.
"I don't know," admitted Alexander, his mind spinning with possibilities and consequences. "First, we'd need an alibi, but it would be useless if they summoned us and used magic to know if we're lying or not," he pondered, his voice laden with concern.
"We could use something to prevent that magic," suggested Ethan, a determination gleaming in his eyes. "But the question is: where could we get that?"
The room fell silent for a moment as each of them reflected on Ethan's question and the possible solutions to their imminent problems. The tension in the air was palpable, but soon a smile appeared on Alexander's face.
"I've got an idea!" He exclaimed, his expression that of a man pleased to have found a good solution to the situation.
***
The sound of classes was chaotic, as the incident unfolded, many murmurs and gossip circulated about the students of the Academy, especially after what happened.
The supposed death of Dante caused an uproar, especially for one person.
Sara Vortex, who entered a deep state of mourning and could no longer hold hope for Dante's return. She had lost not only Dante but also her legendary weapon. She blamed herself for not being strong enough.
She received a great sermon from her mother, as well as from her master, after entrusting the Sword to Dante. Unfortunately, revealing to the Empress that Dante was one of the "Chosen Heroes" by the Sacred Power.
But that day never left her mind, every night she thinks about the last things she saw and about everything that happened, as well as the incident as a whole. Every day she goes through it again and again, and she always sees Dante disappearing.
Unfortunately, everyone suffered greatly from the mana drain caused by the Guardian Golem. She, being closer, received a lot of damage. She could hardly imagine how Nagasawa and Dante were, comparing to how she was, they probably had really died.
She spent two weeks in the infirmary recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Unfortunately, part of her magic core ruptured, making everything more difficult. Although she is healed now, only she knows how frightening it was to experience that feeling of never being able to use magic again.
Sara was... tired of living this complicated life she started. Previously, she was a cheerful and sweet girl, she loved traveling through the realms with her guard and enjoying the little moments. Was she spoiled? Yes, was that a flaw? Who can judge that?
Sara was the daughter of an Empress, but she had already gone through many difficulties.
That Sara who smiled at silly acts, was cheerful, and constantly kept a smile on her face while battling, became someone... or rather... something terrifying.
Sara had been denying her Virtue since Dante left. In fact, it is more noticeable to say that her Grief took her Virtue, Humility in Sara died. The people who bothered her were trash, the people who disagreed were poor souls, the people who challenged her were killed.
This may seem childish on her part, to let someone break in this way, but it wasn't that simple. Virtues are born with their main characteristic, Sara's personality was shaped by the Humility of her Virtue, but now?
She broke, going against her virtue is difficult, but she had given up on the Virtue that made her relaxed, causing the person she discovered she loved to die, as well as the Vampires and other races Virtues are not necessarily 100% Human, they are Aspects of the Angels, Sara broke her Virtue out of pure hurt, it wasn't just a childish reaction.
Sara was changing slightly and if no one stopped her...
At this moment, Sara was focusing on not giving in to the evil thoughts that have constantly invaded her mind. She has been training while waiting for news of Dante and if something happens to him.
Sara vowed that she would erase the person from this world, even if she sacrificed herself and became...
One of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Yes, exactly. Sara's journey is an internal battle between her Virtue and the temptation of Sin. She is on the brink, and only she can decide which path to take. If she succumbs to hatred and vengeance, she may become a creature of darkness, losing her humanity to become one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
However, if she finds a way to overcome her pain and rediscover her humility, she may find redemption and remain true to her Virtue. The choice is hers, and her decision will shape her destiny and her character forever.
But that's a story for another day. At this moment, what was truly important was Valentina, who had just entered the Threshold between the Spiritual and Material, a place that few beings can enter without the permission of the Spirit King. Valentina was making her way to her Familiar, whom she hadn't seen for 200 years.