"With the sin of killing your father, and two other accounts of murder. We hereby place you under arrest."

"...What?"

​​

Van stared at the man with a huge scar on his face. He then looked towards the Headmaster, who let out a deep breath as his eyes met with Van. Under arrest? He… he's going to prison?

No. Seeing the guards in uniform, and the familiar looks on their faces that he has seen one too many in the Relic Graveyard… they truly were here to arrest him. But…

"But… why?"

"As I said, for the sin of killing your father, and two other accounts of murde--"

"Yes, I heard you, sir… but why?"

"..." The man with a scar on his face furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Van's truly perplexed eyes. "You killed someone, boy."

"But... I didn't kill my father!" Van slightly backed away as he waved his hand, showing his teeth towards the man. "You can… you can find Miss Sarah Hearst of the Explorer Association! She would prove I didn't kill him! It was a loose monster!"

"The evidence and the testimony did come directly from her."

"!!!"

"And even without the sin of killing your father, you are also under arrest due to the killing of one Desmond Miles and Lucas Whites, countless accounts of theft, and also for distributing illegal drugs in the Relic Graveyard…

...You, Evans, are guilty of all these crimes."

He… killed his father? But Miss Sarah said that he was killed by a loose harpy… She told him that he killed his father?

What… what is going on? Wait… the last thing he remembered was his hand grabbing his father's face. Could it be?

No, but even if he did kill him...

"I only protected myself!" Van once again waved his hands as he looked at the guards and the other men that looked like they were from a Standby Unit.

"So you are admitting to these crimes?"

"N--"

"It was a rhetorical question, boy. Since we have already gathered the evidence, anything you say to your defense will be irrelevant, you also have no right to a trial according to the Circle. And since you committed parricide, one of the worst sins, not to mention your father is a non-Holder, you will automatically be sent to the Pit for abusing your powers."

When the Headmaster heard the scarred man's words, he quickly leaned back, letting out a silent hum as he stared at Van's face.

"Guards, he is all yours. Don't forget to tie him up, he's quite fast on his feet. The Explorer Association will be there to assist you once you have done whatever it is you need to do."

"Thank you, sir Chris!"

"Wait!"

The Headmaster suddenly stood up from his seat before taking out a piece of paper from his desk. "All of you need to sign here first, it's Mr. Evans' student… form. It voids me of all the responsibility of whatever happens to him next."

"...Very well, thank you for your cooperation with this, Headmaster."

"Do not mention it, Chris. Your boss and I go way back."

Van once again slowly backed away from the men as he watched all of them approach the Headmaster. He… was going to the Pit? That's where dangerous System Holders that committed heinous crimes against humanity are taken to.

Why… why was he going there!? What did he even do to deserve to go there!? Kill his father? Kill the two men that trespassed in his house? Try to survive!?

What… What was wrong with that?

To send him to the Pit.

The Pit is a Portal, and sending him there was the same as sending him to his death.

...and Miss Sarah told all of them that?

Why? Why would Sarah do that?

Are they saying that he deserved to die for killing people that wished him harm? For wishing to survive?

What about Andrea? What about his friends? The Academy? He now had the power to live in this world, and now all of it is going to vanish.

Countless thoughts were racing and repeating inside Van's mind. His body, releasing a stuttered breath as his eyes trembled uncontrollably. The spacious office of the Headmaster, becoming smaller and smaller in his eyes.

"Mr. Evans."

"!!!"

Van's thoughts were then disrupted when he heard a loud voice whispering in his ears, the Headmaster's. He quickly looked towards the Headmaster, only to find out that he was still busy signing his papers with the men that came to arrest him.

He wasn't even glancing at him... no one was looking at him.

"If you can hear me, Mr. Evans…

...Then run."

Run?

"The door I told you to leave open, that is the only help I can give you. I suggest you take it."

"!!!"

Hearing the Headmaster's words, Van did not even hesitate a single bit as his eyes lit up a golden sparkle. He doesn't really know where he needed to go, but he needed to run.

He needed to run away.

And so…

He did.

He ran through the hallways that he and his friends used to tell stories together with.

He passed by his classroom where he spent most of his time in.

He passed by his friends, not knowing when they will be able to meet again.

"Hm? I think I just saw Van outside?"

"Mr. Lauder, focus on the class!"

Van continued to run.

But his tracks were stopped as soon as he reached the gates. The gates which have always been opened to him have now had their eyes completely shut.

"Halt!"

And as soon as he stopped running, the guards which were stationed on the gates pointed their weapons at him. There were also people wearing a similar uniform to the man with a scar, most probably belonging to the Explorer Association.

And they too were looking at him with eyes of hostility. And as soon as they saw him, the ground started to tremble, The walls of the Academy grew taller and taller, covering the skies themselves.

The wall that was meant to protect him, a student of the Academy… was now there to cage him like a rat. No, maybe it had always been like that?

"Surrender, boy. You have nowhere to go!"

Van quickly looked behind him, only to see the man with a scar, Chris, already rushing towards him.

"What's happening?"

"Isn't that the famous freshman? Why are the guards pointing their weapons at him!?"

"Surrender? What do they mean!?"

The students, who initially gathered because they were curious as to why the gates were closed, could not help but whisper with each other when they saw the guards suddenly pointing their weapons towards Van.

"You have nowhere to run!" Chris once again roared as he continued to rush towards Van. "What are you guys doing!? Seal his movements!"

As soon as Van heard Chris' words, he quickly turned on his skills and jumped. And it would seem that his instincts were right as a clump of earth started protruding from where he stood. If it wasn't for Ms. Elton doing the same thing to him in their last class, he wouldn't have even thought of it.

Wait… Ms. Elton. She has a lot of basement in the class.

She would help him? Won't she? She promised that she would help her students in any way she could...

...No, what if she turns in him? What if she turns in him like Sarah did?

The Academy is vast. There were many places he could hide and run to. But until when? He can't trust anyone… not anymore.

No. Ms. Elton… He can trust Ms. Elton. He also knows her secret, that she keeps a lot of illegal creatures in her basement. He has something on her.

Besides, won't he just add to that collection if he hid in the basement?

Van slightly released a stuttered cackle as he landed on the ground. Yes… Ms. Elton. Ms. Elton will help him.

And so, with that thought…

...Van once again ran.