Everyone had already heard the announcement the headmistress made yesterday.
The academy was still tense.
Students whispered in groups.
Professors looked more serious than usual.
I walked down the long academic hallway, the polished floor reflecting the morning light from the tall windows.
Today we had Mana Affinity Class with Professor Clara.
But honestly—
None of that mattered to me right now.
Because something else was occupying my mind.
I blinked slowly.
Jake Umbra… dead?
I had seen the pictures.
Many students had secretly taken them when the body was found hanging from the clock tower.
Most of the images were quickly taken down by the academy.
But I had been lucky.
I managed to see them before they disappeared.
Jake's death itself didn't bother me much.
In the novel he was just a minor character anyway.
But something else in those images made my body tremble.
My thoughts returned to what was written beside the corpse.
A single phrase.
Written in blood.
Tick Tock.
— Jester
The moment the name echoed in my mind—
My body stiffened.
"H-how…"
I muttered under my breath.
"This makes no sense…"
Cold sweat ran down my back.
"W-why is Saviant moving now…?"
My fingers curled slightly.
"They shouldn't appear until after the hundredth chapter…"
In the original story, Saviant only began acting much later.
Far later.
But now—
They were already moving.
And not just any member.
Jester.
My body trembled again.
Unlike the other members of Saviant, Jester didn't follow anyone's orders.
He acted completely on his own whims.
A maniac.
Someone who treated human lives like pieces in a twisted game.
And worst of all—
He wasn't weak.
SS+ Rank.
One of the strongest monsters walking this world.
I remembered the scene from the novel clearly.
The moment Jester appeared in front of Leon.
How he slowly destroyed everything Leon cared about.
Friends.
Allies.
Hope.
Jester didn't fight for power.
He fought because it entertained him.
A man who moved only for his own amusement.
My breathing became slightly uneven.
"If he's really here…"
Then that meant something terrifying.
The story—
Had already begun to change.
Soon I entered the classroom.
Students were already seated, though the usual chatter was louder than normal. Everyone was talking about the same thing.
Jake Umbra.
His death.
The lockdown.
At the front of the room stood Professor Clara.
Her sharp eyes swept across the class before she began.
"Take your seats."
The room quieted slightly.
She opened the attendance register and began calling names one by one.
After a few minutes she closed the book.
"Now listen carefully."
Her tone became noticeably colder.
"As you all know, a student was found dead inside the academy yesterday."
The classroom immediately grew silent.
Everyone already knew.
But hearing it said out loud still made the atmosphere heavy.
"A proper investigation will be conducted regarding this incident," Clara continued.
"All students are expected to cooperate with academy authorities."
Her gaze slowly moved across the class.
Then she added something that made everyone stiffen.
"Due to the current situation…"
"The Mid-Term Examinations will be moved forward."
For a moment—
No one reacted.
Then a hand suddenly shot up.
A nervous-looking student stood up from his desk.
"B-but teacher… t-that isn't fair!"
His voice trembled slightly.
"The exams were supposed to be weeks away!"
Murmurs quickly spread through the classroom.
"That's right—"
"We weren't prepared for that—"
"How are we supposed to study in time?!"
Several students began raising complaints.
The tension in the room rose quickly.
But Professor Clara didn't react.
Instead—
She simply looked at them.
Her calm gaze alone was enough to slowly silence the noise.
Then she spoke again.
"Life isn't fair."
The words fell heavily across the room.
"You are cadets of Eldoria Nexus Academy."
"Future warriors, mages, and leaders."
"If something as small as an earlier exam shakes you…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…then you will not survive the world outside these walls."
The room fell silent again.
No one dared argue anymore.
Clara turned toward the board and wrote something down.
MID-TERM EVALUATION:
Academic Rankings
Mana Affinity Test
Combat Assessment
She tapped the board once.
"These exams will determine your updated academy rankings."
Her voice grew sharper.
"And for some of you…"
Her gaze briefly swept across the weakest students.
"…this will decide whether you remain in this academy."
The room became deathly quiet.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed several students swallowing nervously.
But my thoughts weren't on the exams.
Not really.
Instead—
My mind drifted back to the word written in blood.
Jester.
The scene shifted to the academy cafeteria.
The massive hall was filled with noise. Hundreds of students talked in low voices, most conversations revolving around the same topic.
Jake Umbra.
The lockdown.
The upcoming midterms.
At one of the central tables sat a group of students that naturally drew attention.
The protagonist group.
Leon Ardent.
Lia Heartly.
Liam Veridian.
Nia Veridian.
Carl Vale.
Rina Emberheart.
They sat around a long table, trays of food in front of them.
Leon was the first to speak.
His gaze moved toward the girl sitting beside him.
"Lia… are you okay?"
He hesitated slightly.
"That duel with Vayn—"
Lia quickly interrupted him, waving a hand dismissively.
"Don't worry."
"I'm fine."
Her tone was calm, but Leon still looked at her with a hint of concern.
After a moment, Carl leaned back in his chair and spoke.
"So…"
He looked around the table.
"What do you guys think?"
Rina raised an eyebrow.
"You mean the death of that guy?"
Carl nodded.
"Well, yeah."
Before anyone else spoke, Nia Veridian calmly set down her cup.
"It is quite strange," she said thoughtfully.
"How could someone kill a student inside the academy…"
"And get away with it?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Apparently no one even heard a scream."
The table fell quiet for a moment.
Then Rina groaned loudly and dropped her head onto the table.
"Ugh…"
"That's not even the part bothering me."
Everyone looked at her.
Rina lifted her head with an annoyed expression.
"Aren't you guys worried about the midterms being moved to next week?!"
She pointed accusingly at the group.
"We had way more time before!"
Most of them looked completely unconcerned.
Carl shrugged.
Liam continued eating calmly.
Nia simply sipped her drink.
Rina stared at them in disbelief.
"Ugh, you guys are unbelievable."
Leon chuckled slightly before turning toward the quietest person at the table.
"Liam."
"What do you think about all this?"
Liam Veridian slowly placed his fork down.
His expression remained calm.
"I think this is nothing we should worry about."
He glanced toward the cafeteria windows where professors were walking outside.
"The academy will handle it."
His voice was steady.
"We should just focus on our own training."
For a moment the table grew quiet again.
Then Carl smirked slightly.
"Wow."
"Future king mindset already, huh?"
Liam didn't respond.
But Leon simply laughed lightly.
Across the cafeteria—
Many students were nervous.
But at this table…
Most of them still believed the academy was a place where nothing truly dangerous could happen.
None of them knew yet.
That something far worse had already entered the academy.