When Austin stepped out of the small shower, he saw Gary sitting back on the stool, intently reading a piece of parchment.
"What's that?" he asked, picking up a glass of water he presumed was for himself.
Gary looked up with an unreadable expression, though his eyes held a strange, lingering intensity. "It's a report from our insiders. Tobias is dead."
Austin froze with the glass halfway to his lips. Then, it slipped, the water splashed and glass shattered onto his bandaged feet.
"What? What?! Tobias? Dead?! How? That's impossible! I get that he's a low tier jobber of a villain BUT the Academy Tournament hasn't even started yet! He was supposed to be the opening act! The tutorial! How the hell is he fucking dead!?"
"There you go with your spiel again. Apparently, he was intercepted on his own turf last night. It was a joint effort. On paper, Prefect Dominik led the 'search and rescue', but he had help. Emelie Herst, Diana Valentine and... Kurt Rossana."
