(Rodova Military Academy – 2nd Floor, Administration Building, Teachers’ Staff Room)
As Leo made his way toward the staff room, his mind lingered on the aftermath of his fight with Su Yang.
Revealing his memory loss to Su Yang had been a gamble. A weakness exposed. A vulnerability laid bare.
But in the end, something good had come from it.
Major Hen had given him a lead—a professor who might have the ability to help him recover his lost memories, and if it actually worked out, Leo felt like it could be a game-changer.
’If I can recover my memory without relying on the ones who erased it… then I can take back control of my life—’
That thought alone filled him with a renewed sense of determination.
Optimistic, he reached his destination with a soft smile tugging behind his bruised lips.
Taking a steady breath, he stood outside the staff room and calmly called the name of the instructor given to him.
"Instructor Muiyan Faye."
He waited, arms relaxed at his sides, trying to appear unaffected.
But the moment the door opened, and she stepped out, the air in his lungs turned to stone.
He knew her.
Those short hair, olive skin, those stern eyes. She was the one who had given him the orientation tour!
She was the one who had slipped him the second chit!
And now she was standing before him, eyebrow raised—as if she hadn’t been a part of the group that had wiped his memories.
A sharp chill ran through him. Of all the people Hen could have sent him to… why did it have to be her?
These were not the circumstances under which he had wanted to meet her.
"Yes? How may I help you today, student?" She said, her voice calm, as looking into her prying eyes Leo’s body tensed, his feet taking an instinctive step back.
"I— that," he stammered, words fumbling over themselves before he inhaled sharply and forced himself to steady.
He couldn’t afford to look weak.
Not now.
Lifting his chin slightly, he met her gaze, his voice strong despite the unease coiling in his chest.
"Major Hen sent me to see you, ma’am. He said you could help me with my memory loss." He said, as he gauged her reaction.
"Hen? Hmmm, How long before your next lecture starts?" Faye said, as she glanced at the watch on her wrist.
"A little over an hour, ma’am" Leo replied, as she nodded and gestured for him to follow her.
"Come over to my room, it’s not a guarantee whether I can help you out or not, but I’ll give it a shot–" Faye said, as she began walking towards her room, with Leo in tow.
*********
TAP. TAP. TAP.
Faye’s boots clicked against the polished tiles in a steady, rhythmic beat.
Unlike Leo, who moved without a sound, her stride was practiced, disciplined, and predictable.
In a fight, he could probably hear her coming from a hundred meters away. But right now, as he followed behind her, the sharp echo of her footsteps was the least of his concerns.
’Will she try to harm me once we’re alone?’
’Will she actually help me regain my memory?’
’Am I finally going to get some of the answers I’ve been searching for?’
Doubt churned inside him, each step bringing a fresh wave of uncertainty. His heart and mind being tangled in a mess of emotions.
Yet, despite everything—despite knowing she was part of the group that had erased his memories—he somehow did not feel threatened in her presence.
Instinct told him that Muiyan Faye held no killing intent towards him.
But instinct alone wasn’t enough to trust her.
His fingers brushed over the concealed dagger tucked within his uniform—the same one he had stashed secretly after the sparring session.
It was his last resort. A plan B, for if things went sideways.
Soon, they arrived at the teachers’ quarters.
Faye stopped before her door, pressing her palm against the biometric scanner.
The lock clicked open, and she stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter first.
"Thank you," Leo said politely, stepping inside without hesitation.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, Faye followed—the door sealing shut behind her with an audible WOOSH.
Leo’s eyes flickered to the lock mechanism.
It was air-sealed. The moment the door shut, the security system automatically re-engaged, indicating that even exiting the room was going to require biometric verification, meaning… he was locked in until Faye let him out.
’There goes my plan to run out if things go wrong…’ Leo realized, as although he did not show the panic on his face, his heart already skipped a beat or two.
"So… did Hen really send you? Or was that just an excuse to find me?" Faye said, as she broke the awkward silence, however, what took Leo aback was the apparent shift in her tone.
Gone was the smooth, formal voice she had used in public.
Now, her voice was lighter—shriller, more feminine.
As if, now that they were alone, she no longer felt the need to maintain her disciplined facade.
"Yes, it was Major Hen who sent me, but truth be told, I was searching for you ever since you slipped me the note on day one, but I was unable to find you" Leo admitted, as Faye nodded.
"Well, I was expecting you to find me. And had you been more attentive and looked at my name-tag during orientation, perhaps you could have found me sooner" Faye pointed out, as she took a subtle jibe at Leo.
"I’m glad you are calm, sitting here before me, as I’m sure you have a million questions in your mind.
However, before you voice them, let me tell you, I won’t be able to answer most of them currently, so don’t be disappointed when I refuse to answer most of your doubts." Faye said, as her words caused Leo to clutch his fists in anger.
’What do you mean you won’t be able to answer many of my questions? Who the fuck are you? And where the fuck are my memories?’ Was what he wanted to scream at the moment, however, knowing full well that aggression was going to get him nowhere, he barely managed to repress his anger.
"I understand, but instead of me asking the questions, why don’t you tell me what you can tell me, so that I don’t lose out on any information that you are allowed to give me today" Leo said, as he pushed the ball in her court, somehow holding on to some semblance of patience.
"A smart choice. We can do it that way too…" Faye said, as a soft smile played on her lips, as she began thinking about how best to explain the situation Leo found himself in.
For a while, there was pin-drop silence in the room.
Then, Faye finally began with the recap.
"Your real name is Leo Skyshard, your birth planet is Earth, and you were widely known as Earth’s best assassin, and Earth’s greatest warrior, back when you hunted under your moniker ’TheBoss’," She began, as her lips curved into an unnatural smile when she spoke the last sentence.
"You were always an arrogant brat. Which was clear in your naming sense.
Like, who actually calls themselves ’TheBoss’. That’s cringe and stupid. However, you actually had the talent to live up to your ridiculous name. Which I personally find very impressive—" She said, as it was clear she had veered off-track to make this comment, however, it looked like she could not help herself.
"Your memory loss was your own decision. Nobody forced you to do it.
However, you saw the merits of this process and decided to go through with it for the sake of the mission, and the safety of your family," Faye said, as it was at this point that Leo widened his eyes in surprise and found his patience finally broken, as he couldn’t stay silent.