A large amount of water began to concentrate around Camila's hand, and the entire place inside the barrier filled with water up to foot level, while the water danced around Camila.
The hooded figure moved quickly through the water, striking at Camila's face, which she easily dodged. She responded with a blow to his abdomen using her left hand.
The mysterious mage launched a low kick toward her right leg, but the water concentrated to block the strike.
The battle became one-sided, with only Camila attacking while all the mage's attacks were blocked.
Taking advantage of a mistake when the mage kicked directly at her face, Camila stepped back slightly and aimed at the mage's leg.
The strike made him fall, and as soon as his body touched the water, all the water gathered into one point, creating a barrier and imprisoning him.
"That's all!" Her voice was cheerful as if she had just finished a friendly spar, and the corners of my mouth lifted into a small smile.
"Good. Let's hand him over to the council."
Camila immediately grew nervous.
"I'll take care of that."
I looked at her curiously.
"Alright, but let us accompany you. Having captured a suspect, we were thinking of filing a complaint to increase nighttime security."
She looked down, somewhat uncomfortable.
"Sure, let's go."
Although it was night, we headed to the student council, since after Raul's betrayal, we couldn't leave the matter in the hands of a possible traitor.
Knock-Knock — the door opened, revealing the figure of a girl.
"Yes?"
Before we could say anything, Camila spoke.
"We've captured someone suspected of attacking students in the hallways at night."
The girl's gaze shifted toward the hooded person, then to the more than ten people in the hallway, patiently awaiting a verdict.
"I see," she murmured, pulling a small spike from her pocket.
"Hold it tightly."
The president's hand went straight to the mage's heart.
The water barrier began to disappear in that area, allowing the president to stab the weapon directly into his heart.
I watched the scene in shock. Although I assumed it was a suppressor, I didn't expect her to place it directly in his heart since there was always a possibility of death for the restrained.
The mage fainted due to lack of mana.
"I'll handle him. Camila, make sure everyone returns to their dorm in one piece."
In the end, only Camila and I remained.
"I'm surprised you know the president in your first year."
Camila seemed different from usual.
"Yes, I'm surprised too. If she hadn't helped me contain the invasion, it would have been impossible to meet her. She's a great person but..."
She spoke with a faint smile.
"Maybe she's too good a mage."
I looked at her confused.
"Ah! I really don't understand you. If you don't want to join the council, don't, and let's leave here."
She just shook her head.
I sighed loudly, indignant.
"You don't have to make fun of me."
She looked at me tiredly.
A few days later, we began to realize something was wrong.
Even though the attacks had stopped and the council had issued a statement saying: "Students have reported attacks; however, we have handled the matter and are currently investigating the connection with the previous attack to the academy, gathering all possible information. Therefore, we ask..."
Beyond giving us the answers we sought, they offered empty words without delving into the main problem.
They also requested our cooperation: no going out at night, go accompanied, but according to upperclassmen, war-level and intellectual assistance was being requested from them in exchange for rewards.
However, it wasn't something a student would normally accept unless driven by resentment toward the invaders and fear.
Diego and I agreed that key information about the invasion was being hidden.
Slowly, changes in schedules and classes prevented us from gathering as a group, making the classes more demanding each day.
Everything changed one day with the disappearance of the boy who had started the pattern plan.
Supposedly, he had decided to change academies for safety reasons.
Afterward, more brilliant minds vanished or changed academies, but these were bright, not necessarily strong students.
"Camila, do you know anything about all this?"
I glared at her; I was almost certain she knew something I didn't.
"No, of course not," she said anxiously and offended.
Although I hadn't even mentioned what I meant, she responded the same.
Seeing her so alarmed, I gave up trying to get information out of her.
Violence and dissatisfaction were slowly growing over time.
Occasional fights occurred, though without lethal magic, and everyone distrusted one another.
"I'm tired!"
A boy shouted, surrounded by a group of people in lab coats— the theoretical magic class.
"Calm down, we can discuss our differences," the professor said.
"They use the invasion as an excuse to force us to work!"
His words didn't seem directed at the professor but rather at us.
"Our classmates disappear; we have to be afraid in the academy—the safest in the world. Don't you see all this is strange?!"
To be honest, it was a strange but not impossible situation.
Before I could say more, a combat magic professor created a barrier, completely stopping his voice.
"Don't worry about this; continue the class,"
his voice was cold and expressionless.
—This is the limit—
"I'm leaving," I said seriously to Camila.
I had already said goodbye to Diego, and the only thing left was to say goodbye to her.
"Why?" she asked, confused.
"It's simply impossible to stay here. It's too unsafe, and this environment is unbearable."
Camila seemed to be thinking.
"Wait, this is undoubtedly the safest place of all, and this environment is normal after the invasion,"
she spoke as if hiding something.
"Why? Is there somewhere that should be unsafe?"
I asked seriously.
"Camila, you can tell me; we're friends."
Camila just avoided my gaze as if she couldn't speak.
"I'm leaving. Don't let magic corrupt you; you're a great person."
Seeing that I wouldn't get anything by talking to her, I decided to say goodbye.
Camila didn't try to stop me.
I could feel her sad gaze on my back.
When I reached the exit door to officially leave, alongside a group of students like me seeking to leave the academy entirely, our passage was blocked.
We were warned that leaving was completely impossible due to the academy's safety measures.
With faces full of anger, we headed to the student council room.
"This is unacceptable!"
I shouted indignantly.
"These are security measures."
Immediately, a student responded,
"They can't do this to us, we have rights!"
The president's face remained as expressionless as ever.
"I understand your concern, but you must understand the academy has decided you may not leave, something clarified before you decided to re-enter.
This is an order backed by the government itself; it is something you must accept."
Everything she said was true, but still,
"I refuse to stay here any longer, even if I have to break the barrier with all the students here.
If we are attackers, they couldn't keep us here any longer, right?"
I looked fiercely at the president, who smiled coldly.
"Besides the measures that will be taken against you and your group, you would only go from being in the academy to a prison. Is that better?"
After a heated discussion, we were unable to achieve anything.
We were alone in the room.
I was the only one who still hadn't given up on this matter.
"You know, I heard from Camila how much you wanted to get in here.
I don't understand why now you want to leave so much."
My gaze froze.
"What do you mean?"
I spoke, suspecting something strange was happening.
"Well, Camila is a great friend of mine, so I decided to help her by letting you in here despite your insufficient grades.
But I have to say your ability isn't as bad as it seems now."
I looked at her, frozen.
"Why?"
I spoke to no one in particular.
The president's gaze was as cold as ice.
"You don't have to worry about those details; just focus on living your life at the academy."
I looked at her, puzzled.
"So what did you ask in return?"
The president smiled.
"The strength of a beast."
I left the room, bewildered, as if my whole life had been a lie.
I stared at the floor, disconnected from reality.
Although I didn't fully understand what the president had said, I could tell that this must be the reason why she was roaming the academy even in such a grave situation.
That Camila was on the verge of dying could have been my fault.
I slowly approached the training room.
"Shadow, I want to be stronger."
To be honest, what Shadow had proposed to me was simple.
"Let me implant the memories of someone else into you, so you'll gain experience and your combat power will undoubtedly increase.
Though it's impossible to deal with your lack of magical power, you will become stronger."
All of this sounded fine, but the side effects could be, to say the least, alarming.
That kind of magic was not approved for use on people.
Simply storing someone else's memories was forbidden; I could lose my own identity—it would be the closest thing to completely disappearing.
Shadow responded, "Of course."
The world changed scenery as several memories appeared in my head—war, death, and despair—as far as the battlefield stretched, infinitely.
"You're still here?"
She looked at me with a sad look.
I looked at her as if she were a stranger.
"Yes, that's not your problem."
I spoke as I walked away without looking back.
"I never thought it would be like this. Don't talk to that fool anymore."
Lucia spoke indignantly.
Camila seemed thoughtful as she reflected silently.
"What's wrong? You don't really think you're to blame for his mood, do you?"
Camila seemed to awaken from her daydream.
"Oh no, it's not that,"
she said, trying to smile.
"It's just that in the end, my strength hasn't done any good,"
she said, taking my hand with her other hand.
"You don't have to worry about that; it all depends on how you use that strength, not how strong you are."
Camila smiled as if understanding something.
"Yes, you're right!"
Her voice was happy and full of energy.
"I will use my power to change the world!"
She shouted to the four winds, looking at the sky, hoping her words would reach as high as the sky itself.
"As a new member of the student council, I pledge to protect you all!"
I watched the scene with a determined and serious gaze.
Our friendship over these days had deteriorated; I consciously avoided her and no longer dined with her.
I could feel Lucia's piercing stare as if she could not bear to see me.
I shivered throughout my body.