Later that night…
Outside, a notification blared to life inside a building filled with students.
Just as Lucifer had guessed, abnormalities had been discovered.
Every night, investigations were conducted on the students using their identity watches.
This peculiar tool transmitted each student's life readings back to the officials in charge precisely at midnight.
It was a strict measure implemented to ensure the academy remained relatively peaceful, despite the constant bullying, preventing the students from killing one another without being discovered.
Although there were occasional incidents where a student's life readings failed to turn up, usually due to suicides, such cases were not nearly as frequent as what happened that night.
Inside the investigation room, located in a corner office of the academy, three people silently browsed through the monitors.
The hum of machines filled the quiet space, broken only by the occasional clicking of keyboards.
Suddenly, one man with a light beard and a few freckles on his face raised his eyebrows, visibly stunned.
"Five people committed suicide today? That's particularly high," he said with a slight tremor in his voice.
The man beside him was also startled. He turned to the screen, his pupils narrowing when he saw the numbers confirmed.
"Check which students committed suicide so we can send the information to their parents and report the news," the third investigator, a middle-aged woman, said casually, her attention still fixed on her screen.
The first man nodded. His fingers began flying across the keyboard, the soft clacking echoing in the room.
A few minutes passed in tense silence before his eyes widened. His face stiffened, and his voice trembled slightly.
"This… what the hell?" he cursed under his breath, turning sharply toward the others.
"We have a big problem," he mouthed, his expression quickly becoming grave.
The other two, sensing the seriousness in his tone, pulled their gazes away from their individual monitors and turned to face him.
"What happened?" the woman asked, staring intently.
The man glanced between the monitor and the system before replying. "Aside from two irrelevant students, James, Verio, and Daria were killed."
"Huh?" the other man exclaimed, clearly startled. "If I remember correctly, James was one of the strongest in Class D. How did this happen?"
The first man pressed his fingers against his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "I don't know. The inspection watches aren't designed to track student movements or monitor them actively."
The woman placed her hand on her chin, listening quietly as the two men exchanged words.
After some thought, she finally spoke up. "There's no need to overthink this. We should immediately inform the inspectors and let them handle it. At least before the news spreads to their families and creates trouble for the academy."
The two men fell silent for a moment before the first one nodded. "You're right. Since this matter is rare, someone with higher authority should handle it."
They quickly made the necessary communications and alerted the inspectors.
That night, the entire academy was combed through. The bodies of the other victims were eventually found, but there was no sign of James, Verio, or Daria. It was as if they had vanished completely.
…
Lucifer woke up and stretched his body slowly, feeling the slight stiffness in his muscles ease away.
After taking a shower, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His pale, lifeless eyes, once ringed with dark circles, now seemed to hold a faint light and confidence.
He could sense the subtle yet undeniable changes accumulating within him, reshaping him from the inside out.
A faint smile curved his lips. He lightly touched his face, then quickly got dressed and headed for class at a brisk pace.
Along the way, he kept his head low to avoid the predatory gazes of a few bullies lingering around the hallway.
Soon, he entered the classroom, which wasn't yet completely filled with students.
His gaze drifted to the corner of the room where James and his lackeys used to sit.
'Guess I won't be seeing them anymore,' he thought with a quiet, dark chuckle before taking his seat near the window.
He leaned back slightly, letting his mind wander as time ticked on.
Suddenly, a light pat landed on his shoulder, jolting him from his daze.
Turning to the side, he saw someone he least expected.
Storm.
Lucifer's gaze sharpened instantly, and a surge of killing intent erupted inside his mind. He forced himself to remain calm, forcing a faint, wry smile in return.
"Luci, what's up, man? After returning from the dungeon, you've changed. No longer interested in associating with your… friend," Storm said, stressing the last word and landing his hand on Lucifer's shoulder again.
Lucifer felt his muscles tighten as Storm's grip grew stronger. The pressure dug into his skin like an iron clamp.
Only when Lucifer winced slightly did Storm release him and laugh softly. "Oh, sorry. I guess I used too much strength patting you."
Lucifer trembled, restraining the violent urge to rip through Storm's chest with his claws.
Storm chuckled again, amused by his reaction. "Amira and I, along with a few others, are heading to clear another dungeon later today. I want you to come along."
As he spoke, he tossed Lucifer a token. It was a pass that allowed students to leave the academy to clear dungeons. Without it, no student would be granted exit permission.
Lucifer caught it and stared at Storm, his expression complicated.
Storm narrowed his eyes. "You better come. If you don't…" He let the threat hang in the air, allowing Lucifer to finish it in his own mind.
He turned and walked back toward his seat, pausing briefly midway. "Also, who knows? You might just find the tools you need to take Amira on a date during this dungeon run."
He laughed lightly, then sat down.
Lucifer clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles cracked. Rage burned through his veins as he glared at Storm's back.
Then his gaze shifted to Amira. The average-looking girl offered him a polite smile, one laced with complicated emotions.
She had known what Storm was planning the moment he made the suggestion. She didn't try to stop him.
It was easier to keep enjoying Storm's attention. After all, she had no feelings for Lucifer and couldn't imagine having any.
As time passed, the students gradually settled into class. Noticing the three empty seats, puzzled expressions spread among them.
Their eyes flickered toward James's usual spot, disbelief etched on their faces.
They watched the clock tick past 7:30 a.m., the official start of class, yet James and his lackeys still hadn't appeared. No instructor entered either.
Only when the clock struck 8:00 a.m. did an instructor finally step in, followed by several others.
"Students, this is Lisa," the instructor announced, gesturing toward a young woman. "She possesses a D-grade talent related to lie detection. She will be investigating a few of you and asking some questions. Please come with me."