— Frey Starlight's POV —
By the time I returned to temple grounds, Sansa was already gone.
Her withdrawal carried heavy consequences, especially given her noble status. The instructors claimed it was only temporary ... that she'd return eventually.
But anyone with half a brain could see the lies in their words. They didn't even bother to explain why she left.
"Something happened the night I was gone."
Before I realized it, my fist had clenched tight enough to nearly crack the desk in front of me.
Seated in class, my eyes drifted to her empty seat.
Maybe… if I had taken the mission seriously from the start. If I'd declined that sleepover ... maybe I could've prevented all of this.
Main Mission: Eliminate the Darkness of the Imperial Family (18 Days Remaining)
What now?
Should I head to her family's estate? There's no way they'd let me see her. Even imagining a way past their defenses was a stretch ... their guard would be at full alert.
I cursed under my breath, trying to think.
I was sure the me from before the Victoriad wouldn't have stumbled into a mess like this.
Lost in thought, I was snapped back to reality when something slammed into my desk.
"Frey Starlight, am I boring you so much that your mind has to wander this far?"
"Ah ... apologies, Miss Sophia…"
"Focus. You never know… even these dull lectures might just save your life one day."
"Of course."
I smiled politely, hoping she'd just move along. As attractive as Sophia was, she could be a pain ... and her lessons were only useful for Wave Controllers anyway.
Once she walked off, I returned to what mattered.
If I wanted answers, I needed to investigate. And that meant heading to the scene of the incident.
Sansa's room.
---
— Midnight —
As the night settled in, I stood facing the left wall of my room.
The elite dorms were fully equipped—private kitchen, bath, even a small training area.
What mattered most now was that our rooms were directly connected. I was ranked first in our class. She was second.
Which meant her room was right next to mine.
This wall… was the only thing between us.
If there was any place to find clues, this was it.
With Balerion in hand, I quietly pierced the wall ... just enough to create a small passage into her room.
The temple's walls were built to endure just about anything… but not Balerion.
Breaking into a girl's room wasn't ideal, but I had no other choice.
I stepped through, expecting little.
But what I found left me speechless.
"…Where am I?"
I asked the words aloud without thinking.
This wasn't an elite dorm room anymore. The space was swallowed in darkness, dense with an eerie power that devoured all light.
The room was far too large. At least four times the size of a normal one.
That shouldn't have been possible.
The air was thick with destruction. Debris littered the ground. Bloodstains splattered across the walls and floor. The remnants of dark aura still lingered like a haunting echo.
"From the outside, it looks normal… but in here?"
Some kind of spatial distortion? A manipulation of dimension?
Whatever it was, it painted a clear picture.
"A battle took place here."
What truly shocked me was that Sansa's shadows still remained. They hadn't faded.
Of course… they were hers.
I approached one of the floating tendrils, slowly reaching for it as a veil of black aura formed around my hand.
Since reaching the first stage of Shadow Adaptation, I'd gained access to its superior properties. For now, I could only merge my shadow into my body to amplify my strength and aura.
But even so… I should be able to exert some control over any nearby shadow.
I reached out ..
The shadows reacted instantly.
They lashed at me like serpents, and if it weren't for Balerion still fused to my arm, I might've been impaled.
"Shadows that move on their own… like a creature with its own will."
Think, Frey.
There was too much blood here.
"Sansa attacked someone ... and the fight was one-sided."
Judging from the blood…
"She seriously injured them. Maybe even killed them."
But the claw marks and damage to the ground said otherwise. Whoever she fought wasn't weak ... they fought back, hard.
"…Someone else intervened and ended it."
Someone powerful.
The blurry image in my mind was starting to come into focus.
Sansa had lost control—and done something unforgivable.
And the temple had no choice… but to send her away.
I crouched in the middle of the room ...a space that felt cut off from the world ...trying to figure out how to deal with this mess.
"…Useless."
I sighed, giving in to the frustration, and pulled up the system interface.
Time to cheat again.
> Random Advice : 500 Achievement Points
Direct Advice : 1000 Achievement Points
The prices had jumped ridiculously, making me hesitate.
Random Advice offered the safest route ... but always in the form of a cryptic riddle I could never fully decipher.
Direct Advice were blunt and clear ... but they always came with a brutal challenge I'd be forced to face afterward.
Honestly, I never understood any of the riddles anyway.
So this time, I chose the direct Advice.
"Alright, let's do it…"
How do I deal with the darkness of the royal family?
The system glowed the moment I submitted the question.
> Meet the princess 14 times over the course of 14 mornings.
On the 15th night, go to her. There, you'll find your answer.
…
…
…
I stared blankly at the screen, resisting the urge to slam my fist through it.
Yes, the instructions were clear. But the real issue was still the same.
I was struggling just to meet her once .. now I had to somehow sneak in 15 times?
They really want me to infiltrate the emperor's estate ... the most secure place in the entire empire.
I ran a hand through my hair, then stood up.
"No other choice."
Come to think of it… the Ultras had pulled it off once. They even managed to kidnap the princess. So why couldn't I?
I was doing this. No matter what.