Shattered Sanity

(Meanwhile, Stacy’s POV)

”NOOOO! NO! NO! Why are you leaving the academy?”

Stacy howled in frustration from within her dormitory room as she watched the Dawnriver Legion gradually disappear into the distant skies.

Only moments earlier, she had stormed out of House Aureate Castle, determined to find Riven and avenge Mary’s death, although her desperate search had been interrupted almost immediately by a patrol of Academy guards enforcing the curfew.

And when the guards had attempted to restrain her, Stacy had completely lost control of her emotions, going so far as to attack one of them before being forcibly subdued and escorted back to her dormitory.

Ordinarily, such behavior would have warranted immediate detention, although considering her circumstances and the tragedy that had unfolded during Black Week, the guards had decided to show her some leniency.

Instead of throwing her into a holding cell, they had confined her to her dormitory for the next two days, warning her that another attempt to leave would result in her suspension from the Imperial Academy.

And so, despite every instinct in her body screaming at her to rush outside and pursue Riven, Stacy could do little more than stand beside her window, watching helplessly as the Duke’s flying legion disappeared beyond the horizon.

’That bastard... Don’t tell me he’s actually leaving?’

Stacy wondered, as her trembling fingers tightened around the windowsill, her mind immediately jumping to the possibility that Duke Dawnriver had managed to rescue his son from the consequences of his crimes.

’That’s what they do.... The powerful. They run away before things get ugly.’

She thought, as although she had no way of knowing whether Riven was actually aboard one of those flying carriages, the mere possibility that he might be escaping the Academy was enough to make her blood boil.

”NO! YOU DON’T GET TO RUN AWAY! NOT AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO MARY!”

Stacy screamed, as she slammed her fist against the wall, tears streaming down her cheeks while the helplessness of her situation threatened to overwhelm her.

For a moment, she considered ignoring the guards’ warning and rushing outside regardless of the consequences, although the thought of losing her place at the Academy eventually forced her to reconsider.

After everything she had endured to reach this institution, throwing away her education and the opportunity to become a powerful Ascendant would only make it harder to avenge Mary.

And so, Stacy slowly lowered her trembling fist, her grief gradually hardening into a bitter determination as she stared towards the empty skies.

”Go on, Riven. Run as far as your precious father can take you.”

Stacy whispered, as she wiped the tears from her face without taking her eyes off the distant horizon.

”I swear on my dead sister’s grave, I don’t care where you hide, or how many years it takes me to find you. One day, I’ll have your blood on my hands, even if I have to chase you to the ends of this damned world for it.”

She resolved, as although the chance to avenge her sister had slipped through her hands today, Stacy remained determined to fulfill that promise someday, regardless of how long it took.

—-------------

(Meanwhile Jack Sullivan’s POV)

Jack Sullivan regained consciousness a few minutes after the Dawnriver Legion had already departed the Imperial Academy, finding himself surrounded by several medical staff members who were desperately attempting to stabilize his condition using restorative potions.

”Cough! Cough!”

Jack sputtered, coughing up some of the bitter medicine that had been poured down his throat, as an uncomfortable burning sensation spread through his chest while he struggled to sit upright.

”Easy there, Chief Inquisitor. You’ve suffered quite a serious injury, and we strongly recommend that you remain seated until your condition stabilizes.”

One of the healers advised, although Jack ignored the warning and slowly surveyed his surroundings, noticing the shattered masonry scattered across the floor and the enormous hole in the corridor wall.

As the memories of his confrontation with Drew gradually returned, Jack instinctively clenched his fists before turning towards the medical staff surrounding him.

”My assistants... Where the hell are they? Sylvia and James, are they okay?”

Jack demanded, as the healers exchanged uncomfortable glances, seemingly reluctant to answer the question.

”They’re dead.”

A familiar voice suddenly answered from nearby, drawing Jack’s attention towards Vice Principal Chadwick, who stood leaning against the corridor wall while lighting a smoking pipe.

”Drew Dawnriver killed them. Burned the poor bastards alive before walking out of here with his son.”

Chadwick muttered coldly, as he took a long drag from his pipe before exhaling a cloud of smoke towards the ceiling.

For several moments, Jack said absolutely nothing, his fingers gradually tightening around an empty potion bottle lying nearby as the reality of what had happened finally began settling upon him.

Throughout his career, he had confronted some of the most influential nobles within the Valdrak Empire, although never once had anyone dared to display such brazen contempt towards the authority he represented.

Even those who despised him had always maintained a certain degree of restraint, knowing full well that laying a hand upon an Imperial Inquisitor was practically equivalent to challenging the Emperor himself.

Yet Drew Dawnriver had punched him unconscious without hesitation, murdered his assistants, and walked away as though the Imperial Inquisition amounted to nothing more than an inconvenience.

For the first time in his career, Jack Sullivan truly understood what it meant to be a toothless dog, and the realization left a bitter taste in his mouth that was considerably worse than the medicine he had just swallowed.

Several minutes passed in uncomfortable silence before Jack finally released a long sigh and slowly pushed himself onto his feet, ignoring the protests of the healers attempting to restrain him.

”Well, that’s bloody unfortunate.”

Jack muttered, as he brushed the dust from his coat before turning towards Chadwick with an expression that had grown unusually calm.

”But it changes nothing. His Majesty sent me here to investigate twenty-one murders, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do, whether young Dawnriver is sitting in that detention room or halfway across the bloody Empire.”

Jack declared, as he straightened his collar before continuing.

”Vice Principal, please inform Principal Boseman I want the Academy staff prepared for questioning. Every professor involved in this mess is going to answer my questions.

I also want to speak with Gary Ironveil the moment he regains consciousness, along with the other student who witnessed the massacre.

And get me Sir Roderick, the weaponsmith who examined the murder weapon. I want to hear his findings personally before inspecting the crime scene myself.

Oh, and one more thing. Someone had better explain why an Academy student was interrogated using a Truth Orb, and I want a complete account of what was said during that questioning.”

Jack instructed, as despite the rage clearly visible in his eyes, the investigator desperately tried to direct his energy towards the only thing he could still control, which was the investigation he had been entrusted with.

For if he had allowed himself to dwell upon the humiliation he had suffered and the deaths of his assistants, the sheer indignation of it all was enough to drive him insane.