Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Vampire Charm
The moment Elizabeth disappeared down the corridor, Qhuin’s voice snapped through Lina’s mind.
"Move."
Lina didn’t hesitate.
The cheerful assistant professor had transformed into something entirely different the second the alarm rang, even Lina felt a chill run down her spine when Elizabeth rushed away.
Whatever had happened inside the holding cells was important.
Lina hurried through the security archway and followed the dim stone corridor deeper into the administrative wing. The red warning lights continued flashing overhead, painting the walls in alternating bands of crimson and darkness.
Every few seconds another bell echoed through the underground complex.
The entire place felt tense, like a beast was hiding behind every door.
"Slow down," Qhuin ordered.
Lina immediately shortened her stride; a moment later, she understood why.
Voices.
Academy staff were moving through nearby hallways, responding to the security alert. If she sprinted around a corner now, someone would definitely notice her.
The rabbit peeked out from her carry-bag, his ruby eyes sweeping across the underground passage before settling on a narrow alcove between two stone pillars.
"There."
Lina slipped into the recess and pressed herself against the wall.
The alcove was small enough to hide one person but deep enough that anyone walking past would need to deliberately look inside to spot her.
Her heart was still racing.
"What now?"
Qhuin’s ears shifted slightly.
"We wait."
Above them, hidden among the ceiling beams, Marcus’s Wind Eagle remained perched in complete silence.
The beast had already completed its task—one section of the ventilation system had been ripped open.
The loose iron grate now hung crookedly from the wall several corridors ahead.
Qhuin closed his eyes.
The connection activated again; his senses flowed into the eagle, and the underground corridor disappeared.
Now he was looking through the eyes of his thrall.
The world spread beneath him from a high angle; the damaged vent overlooked a reinforced interrogation chamber.
Inside sat Marcus.
The noble boy looked terrible—his face was pale, with dark circles resting beneath his eyes.
Sweat soaked the collar of his uniform, and his hands trembled uncontrollably despite the restraints securing him to the heavy chair.
He looked less like an academy student and more like a criminal awaiting execution.
Across from him stood Professor Valerius.
The room was completely silent, and Valerius wasn’t shouting, yet the atmosphere inside the chamber felt suffocating.
The professor simply stood there with his arms folded while his molten-gold eyes remained fixed on Marcus.
The silence lasted several more seconds.
Marcus broke first.
"I-I already told you everything."
Valerius didn’t respond, and the silence continued.
Marcus’s breathing grew increasingly erratic, his fingers tightening against the restraints.
Finally, the professor spoke.
"Your eagle was seen near the restricted balcony."
His voice was calm, and it somehow made it worse for Marcus.
Valerius took one slow step forward.
"What was it doing there?"
Marcus swallowed.
"I don’t know."
"What did you encounter in the ravine?"
Marcus froze.
The question struck him like a physical blow. Qhuin watched as fear spread across the boy’s face.
The memory was still there—the rabbit and the drained boar but mostly the glowing red eyes.
Marcus had never truly recovered.
The lockdown had only made things worse.
Now he sat directly in front of the most intimidating professor in the academy.
His mind was hanging by a thread.
Inside the alcove, Lina felt her stomach twist.
"What is he saying?"
"He is close to breaking."
Lina’s face lost color.
"What?"
Qhuin didn’t answer immediately; his attention remained fixed on the interrogation room.
Marcus’s breathing grew increasingly erratic, the noble boy looked ready to collapse.
Valerius took another step, his golden eyes brightening as he stared at Marcus.
"What did you see in the ravine?"
Marcus opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The professor waited.
Marcus’s lips trembled, then the words finally started coming.
"I saw..."
Qhuin immediately understood that the confession was seconds away—if Marcus mentioned the rabbit, everything would unravel.
Valerius would start asking new questions, and a new investigation would begin.
Room 402 would attract attention; the risk was something he could not accept.
Qhuin jumped from Lina’s bag.
"What are you doing?" Lina whispered.
"Stay here."
The answer came instantly.
"What?"
"Stay here."
For once, there wasn’t a trace of sarcasm in his voice. "If Valerius sees you outside the holding cells, your explanation about the door handle becomes worthless."
Lina swallowed.
"And you?"
"I am fixing our problem."
Before she could ask another question, Qhuin vanished.
[Shadow Meld activated]
The small rabbit melted into the darkness beneath a nearby bench.
One moment he was there, and the next he was gone.
Lina stared at the empty floor; even with her enhanced senses, she couldn’t find him.
Several corridors away, Qhuin emerged from another patch of darkness near the damaged ventilation shaft.
The interrogation room was directly below, and Marcus was still talking—or trying to.
"I saw..."
His voice cracked, and Valerius waited patiently.
Qhuin moved closer.
A narrow observation slit had been built into the wall near the chamber—probably for security inspections.
It was small, barely large enough for a rabbit to peer through.
’Perfect.’
Qhuin climbed onto the ledge inside the room, and Marcus’s gaze drifted upward.
The movement was completely natural—like a frightened person looking anywhere except at the terrifying professor standing in front of him, and their eyes found the observation slit, then they stopped.
For a single moment, Marcus stared directly into a pair of crimson eyes.
The world seemed to freeze.
A familiar fear surfaced—the rabbit the Qhuin activated the skill.
A blue screen appeared before Qhuin.
[Vampire Charm (Lv. 1)]
[Target Mental State: Fractured]
[Compatibility: 100%]
[Activation Successful]
Warm crimson energy flowed through Marcus’s gaze, and the terrified panic inside his memories began twisting.
Certain details softened, while others disappeared entirely.
Marcus’s expression gradually relaxed. Inside the chamber, Valerius immediately noticed.
The change was subtle, and he felt it—his eyes narrowed, and his attention shifted like a blade suddenly focusing on a target.
Marcus’s emotions had shifted too quickly.
A tiny ripple passed through the mana surrounding the boy’s head.
Valerius’s God’s Eye flared brighter, as golden patterns rotated faster.
The professor examined everything—Marcus’s body lay bare in front of him, his mana flow, his core—and the fluctuation vanished almost immediately; he found nothing—no mana corruption, nothing.
Yet something felt wrong. Marcus looked back toward him, and his face had become strangely calm.
"What did you see?" Valerius asked.
Marcus blinked.
"I saw my eagle attack something in the fog."
The answer came smoothly and naturally; Valerius remained silent.
Marcus continued.
"It wasn’t a vampire."
His voice sounded distant.
"I got scared."
The boy lowered his head.
"The beast was injured. I didn’t understand what happened."
Silence filled the room, then Marcus swallowed.
"I exaggerated the story afterward."
Another pause.
"I wanted people to take me seriously."
Valerius studied him for several long seconds, then the professor activated the God’s Eye fully.
Golden light swept across Marcus; the interrogation room brightened, and the runes carved into the walls responded.
Still, he got nothing—the explanation felt weak and incomplete, but he had no evidence.
Valerius slowly exhaled. "Coward."
Marcus flinched.
The professor turned away, with disgust briefly crossing his face—not because he believed every word but because Marcus looked pathetic and useless.
The investigation had reached another dead end again.
Then the chamber door burst open—Elizabeth entered, her cheerful teacher persona gone, her expression cold.
The Sun-Winged Griffin followed her, its golden eyes sweeping across the room. Elizabeth’s gaze immediately locked onto Marcus.
Then Valerius, then she felt the surrounding air—just a feeling that something had happened here moments ago.
Her eyes drifted toward the ventilation shaft, and a strange unease settled inside her chest.
Whatever had occurred was already gone. Back in the corridor, Qhuin had disappeared. Moments later, he returned to Lina’s hiding place.
"Let’s leave."
She didn’t need convincing; she was already terrified, and they immediately retreated.
By the time Elizabeth began investigating the room, Lina was already halfway back to the residential sector.
The rest of the day passed quickly, then came the announcement—the lockdown was ending.
At first, nobody believed it.
Then the giant academy gates began moving; ancient mechanisms groaned as the massive runes lit up.
The reinforced barriers surrounding the High Pyramid slowly opened.
Students erupted into cheers, and the training grounds reopened. Merchants returned, and beast handlers resumed work.
The entire academy came alive.
Nobody realized how many dangerous forces were still moving beneath the surface.
That evening, Lina sat inside Room 402.
A magical screen floated above her desk, displaying the tournament registration brackets.
Class A.
Class B.
Class C.
Class D.
Class E.
Class F.
Thirty days remained—exactly one month until the First-Year Inter-Class Tournament.
Lina stared at the screen, then at the rabbit sitting beside her.
The Principal’s warning echoed in her mind:
’Failure and you lose your right to Class A, and your rabbit will be confiscated, Snowy’.
The thought alone made her stomach twist. Qhuin followed her gaze; for once, neither of them spoke.
Because both understood the truth.
The investigation wasn’t over, and Valerius remained suspicious.
Elizabeth also remained suspicious. For Qhuin, the battlefield had simply changed, and now everything pointed toward the tournament.
Because if Lina failed, he would be taken away, and neither of them intended to let that happen.
