Serena Claudia, the Chairwoman of Velcrest Academy, let out a long, weary sigh.
For the first time in years, she genuinely felt as though she had aged a decade in a single week.
The situation had been far worse than anyone initially realized.
Every location Rin had pointed her toward had turned out to be legitimate.
Terrorist cells.
Hidden cultists.
Monsters waiting to be unleashed.
Coordinated attacks designed to pull the academy's strongest forces away from their true objective.
The rescue teams sent to locate Professor Lena had spent most of their time preventing disasters that should never have happened in the first place.
At one point, Serena had even suspected Rin.
The accuracy of the information had been too precise.
Too convenient.
Too strange.
But after speaking with Ryan, Leo, and the others who had recovered first, she had reluctantly abandoned that theory.
The boy had been a victim as well.
A target.
Not a conspirator.
