That morning, Aeris woke up with an uneasy feeling gnawing at his chest. Nightmares of violet eyes glowing in the dark made it difficult to sleep, and the system kept giving him alerts that made him even more anxious.
[CRITICAL ALERT: TIMELINE DISTURBANCE DETECTED]
[ANOMALOUS ACTIVITY: HIGH MAGICAL ENERGY SURGE AT 03:47 AM]
[SOURCE: UNKNOWN]
[WARNING: INVESTIGATE IMMEDIATELY]
"Magical energy surge?" Aeris muttered as he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "At this hour... what happened?"
he quickly showered and dressed, hoping to find Seraphina to make sure she was okay. But when he arrived at the dining hall, he found an unusual sight.
Elena and Leon were sitting at the same table, but the atmosphere between them was tense. Leon looked paler than usual, with dark bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept all night either.
"Morning," Aeris sat down across from them. "Have you seen Seraphina?"
Elena and Leon exchanged a strange look. "No," Elena answered in a low voice. "But Aeris... there's something you need to know."
"What?"
Leon answered, his voice shaking slightly. "Damien Ravencrest... is missing."
Aeris nearly choked on the water he was drinking. "Missing? What do you mean?"
"Academy security found his room empty this morning," Elena explained with concern in her eyes. "There was no sign of a struggle, no trace of magic, but... he just disappeared."
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: HIGH PROBABILITY OF FOUL PLAY]
[MAGICAL SIGNATURE DETECTED: FAMILIAR PATTERN]
[WARNING: SERAPHINA VALENCIA INVOLVEMENT: 87%]
Aeris' stomach lurched. "Is there... is there anything suspicious?"
"The strange thing is," Leon continued, looking at Aeris with intense blue eyes, "his bodyguards said they saw a shadow of a golden-haired woman around the dormitory area around 3 a.m."
Aeris felt his blood run cold. Seraphina had beautiful golden hair, and that was exactly when the system detected the magical energy surge.
"And there's one more thing," Elena said in a voice that was almost a whisper. "On Damien's window, there was a red rose left. A rose that was... still fresh as if it had just been picked."
Red roses. Seraphina's favorite flower.
"Where did you hear all this?" Aeris asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"My father sent an emergency letter this morning," Elena replied. "The Guild Association immediately formed an investigation team. They will arrive this afternoon."
Before Aeris could respond, someone touched him shoulder from behind. he turned to see Seraphina with a familiar sweet smile, but there was something different in her eyes. Something more... satisfied.
"Good morning, dear," Seraphina sat down right next to Aeris, so close that their arms were touching. "Sorry I'm late. I slept so soundly last night."
"Seraphina," Elena looked at her with suspicion. "Did you hear about Damien Ravencrest?"
"Oh yeah?" Seraphina tilted her head with a perfectly innocent expression. "What's wrong with him?"
"He went missing," Leon said accusingly. "Last night."
Seraphina's violet eyes blinked once, and her smile grew a little wider. "Really? How... surprising."
[BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS: SERAPHINA SHOWING CLASSIC SIGNS OF DECEPTION]
[MICRO-EXPRESSIONS INDICATE SATISFACTION]
[RECOMMENDATION: INVESTIGATE IMMEDIATELY]
Aeris stared at Seraphina with mixed feelings. On one hand, he didn't want to believe that the girl who was always so gentle and caring towards him could do something so terrible. On the other hand, all the evidence pointed to her.
"Seraphina," Aeris said carefully, "where were you last night after dinner?"
"Reading in my room," she answered without hesitation. "Why? Are you worried about me?"
There was something in the way he said 'worried' that made Aeris's hair stand on end. As if he was excited by the possibility that Aeris was thinking about her.
"I always worry about my friends," Aeris answered while watching her reaction.
The word 'friend' made Seraphina's smile fade a little. "Friend," she repeated in an unreadable tone. "Of course."
Leon suddenly got up from his chair. "I'm going to the library. There's something I need to research."
After Leon left, Elena also excused herself, citing her morning class. Aeris and Seraphina were left alone at the increasingly deserted table.
"Aeris," Seraphina said in a softer voice, "what exactly did Damien talk to you about yesterday?"
"I told you, it was nothing important—"
"Sweetheart," her violet eyes stared directly into him, "I know you're lying. And I don't like it when you lie to me."
There was a subtle threat in her tone, but it was laced with a gentleness that made it sound almost seductive.
Aeris took a deep breath. "He... he proposed a marriage alliance with House Ravencrest."
Seraphina was silent for a moment, but Aeris could see the subtle changes in her face. Her smile became more forced, and there was a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"Marriage alliance," she repeated in a tone that was too calm. "And what did you say?"
"I said I needed to think about it."
"Need to think about it," Seraphina nodded slowly. "Of course. Such a proposal deserves careful consideration."
There was something about the way she said it that made Aeris feel like she had made a terrible mistake.
"But now," Seraphina continued with a sweet smile, "you don't have to think about him anymore, do you? Because he's... gone."
The timing of Damien's disappearance right after the marriage proposal made it too suspicious to be a coincidence.
[URGENT QUEST UPDATE]
[SUB-OBJECTIVE 3 FAILED: Seraphina's yandere escalation - CRITICAL LEVEL]
[NEW OBJECTIVE: Prevent further casualties]
[WARNING: Pattern suggests targeting of potential romantic rivals]
"Seraphina," Aeris said in a voice that shook slightly, "you had nothing to do with Damien's disappearance, did you?"
Seraphina's violet eyes widened in an expression of genuine hurt. "Aeris! How could you think that about me?"
"I don't—"
"I love you," she said in a voice filled with emotion. "I'll do anything to protect you. But I'm not... I won't..."
Tears began to gather in her violet eyes, making her look vulnerable and hurt. Aeris felt a deep sense of guilt for suspecting her.
"I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to touch her arm. "I didn't mean to—"
"It's okay," Seraphina squeezed his hand tightly, her smile returning even as her eyes still filled with tears. "I understand. This is a suspicious situation. But I promise you, Aeris. I would never do anything to hurt you or make you afraid of me."
Her words sounded sincere, and her expression was innocent. But there was something about the way her grip was too tight, and the way her eyes didn't blink as she stared at him that made the uncomfortable feeling linger.
That afternoon, the Guild Association investigation team arrived at the academy in full formation. Aeris saw from his classroom window how dozens of investigators in formal robes entered the dormitory area.
Professor Helena, who was teaching, seemed disturbed by the commotion outside. "It seems like the investigation has begun," she said in a worried tone. "You all must cooperate when asked."
Seraphina, who was sitting next to Aeris, looked very calm, even a little bored with the situation that was happening. As if the disappearance of a noble from a large family was nothing important.
[SYSTEM OBSERVATION: SERAPHINA'S CALM DEMEANOR SUSPICIOUS]
[NORMAL REACTION: ANXIETY, CONCERN, OR CURIOSITY]
[CURRENT BEHAVIOR: INDIFFERENCE BORDERING ON SATISFACTION]
Right after class ended, an investigator entered the room.
"Excuse me," a large man with the Senior Investigator insignia said in a deep voice. "We need to talk to some students regarding Damien Ravencrest's disappearance."
His eyes swept the room and stopped on Aeris. "Aeris Draemor, please come with us."
Seraphina immediately stood up. "What reason do you—"
"Valencia," the investigator interrupted in a stern tone. "You too will be called after this. Wait your turn."
Seraphina's eyes narrowed dangerously, but she said nothing more. She just stared at Aeris with intense eyes as if she wanted to say something.
In the investigation room that had been prepared, Aeris sat opposite three senior investigators. The most senior, Inspector Marcus Thorne, stared at him with sharp eyes.
"Mr. Draemor," Inspector Thorne began, "we understand that Damien Ravencrest spoke to you yesterday afternoon. Can you tell us what the conversation was about?"
Aeris told him about the marriage alliance proposal, but he did not mention Seraphina's reaction that she had seen from a distance.
"And what was your reaction to the proposal?"
"I said I needed to think about it."
"Hm." Inspector Thorne made a note. "Is there anyone else who knows about this conversation?"
Aeris hesitated for a moment. "Someone may have seen us talking, but I'm not sure who."
"Seraphina Valencia, for example?"
The question caught Aeris off guard. "Why are you asking about her?"
"Several witnesses saw a golden-haired woman in the dormitory area around the time of the estimated disappearance," the second investigator explained. "Miss Valencia has matching physical characteristics."
"But many students have golden hair—"
"Mr. Draemor," Inspector Thorne interrupted in a more serious tone, "we need you to be honest with us. Is there anything about Miss Valencia that we should know about? Anything unusual about her behavior or capabilities?"
[CRITICAL DECISION POINT]
[OPTION 1: Protect Seraphina - Risk further casualties]
[OPTION 2: Reveal suspicions - Risk Seraphina's wrath]
[WARNING: Both options carry significant consequences]
Aeris stared at the three investigators, feeling the weight of the decision he had to make. On the one hand, he had no concrete evidence that Seraphina was involved. On the other, all the evidence pointed to her.
"Miss Valencia is... a very protective friend," Aeris finally said, carefully. "She often worries about our safety."
"To what extent?"
Before Aeris could answer, the door to the room swung open. Seraphina stood in the doorway, her violet eyes blazing with anger.
"Interrogation is over," she said in a voice as cold as ice. "Aeris, we're leaving. Now."
Inspector Thorne rose from his chair. "Miss Valencia, you can't—"
"Can't what?" Seraphina stepped in with a menacing aura. "Interrupt an illegal interrogation of a minor without guardian permission?"
She stepped closer to Aeris and held out his hand. "Come, dear. We don't have to deal with these people anymore."
Aeris stared at the outstretched hand, then at Seraphina's face, which was smiling sweetly but her eyes were filled with something dark and possessive.
And for the first time, he truly realized that the girl who had protected him might be the greatest threat he had ever faced.
But as those violet eyes bore into him with an intensity that left him unable to move, Aeris realized something terrible: he was too involved to back out. And Seraphina, for all the darkness she might hide, was a part of her life she could not let go of.
[REALIZATION ACHIEVED]
[AERIS AWARENESS LEVEL: 34%]
[WARNING: Point of no return approaching]