Chapter 198 — Student Council Room I

[Student Council Room - Afternoon]

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a blade, the normally composed Student Council members sitting in uncomfortable silence around the long conference table.

Elizabeth Murdock sat at the head, her purple hair falling past her shoulders, her purple eyes showing the weight of leadership despite her relatively young age.

As a third-year and Student Council President, she’d navigated countless political minefields. But today felt different.

Beside her sat Liam Evergreen, the Vice President whose normally cheerful demeanor had been replaced by something hollow.

His green hair was disheveled, his green eyes showing barely contained emotion. His hands kept clenching and unclenching on the table surface.

Naomi Lark, the Secretary, sat with her navy blue hair pulled back, her glasses reflecting the holographic displays.

Her timid nature made her uncomfortable with confrontation, and the current atmosphere was making her visibly anxious.

Gareth Blackwood occupied his position as Clubs Committee Chairman, his massive bear-like frame radiating controlled aggression.

His black hair and eyes matched his serious expression, though something calculating lurked underneath the concern.

Arielle Voss, petite but commanding, sat with her black hair framing grey eyes that missed nothing. Her small frame belied her B rank power.

Rex Dalmir, tall and tan with braided dark hair, sat still and watchful.

Jonas Harrington, usually cheerful, was uncharacteristically quiet.

Elena Dray, elegant with long platinum hair, wore no expression at all like usual.

The first-year representatives – Micheal Thorne with his golden hair and eyes, and Adrian Murdock with his purple hair matching his sister’s – sat listening to the ongoing discussion with varying degrees of interest.

Victor Cross and Selena Hart were absent, deployed on battlefield missions as second-years.

"Has anyone seen Mara Kestrel?"

Liam’s voice broke the heavy silence, his tone carrying desperate hope.

"She was in her dormitory last night. Security CCTV footage at the entrance confirms it. But this morning... nothing. No traces of her anywhere on campus."

The third-year members exchanged troubled glances, their worry evident.

Mara had been their friend and their classmate.

Someone who’d fought beside them during training missions and protected them when situations became dangerous.

Especially Liam. As a healer-specialist, he’d relied on Mara as his bodyguard during combat operations.

Their partnership had been forged through shared danger.

"Ahem!"

Adrian cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the emotional tension with clinical precision.

"While we’re discussing Mara’s disappearance, there’s related information everyone should be aware of."

He activated the holographic display, images appearing in the center of the table.

Hundreds of bodies. Heads separated from necks with surgical precision. Blood pooling across expensive floors.

A woman’s corpse with a gaping hole in her chest where her heart should have been.

A body cut into hundreds of small pieces, arranged almost artistically in its destruction.

"AHHH!"

Naomi gasped and averted her gaze, her face going pale. Several other council members looked similarly disturbed.

"The main Kestrel family has suppressed this information," Adrian continued calmly, seemingly unaffected by the images. "But they can’t hide it from Imperial families. Our intelligence networks confirmed it within hours."

He gestured to the massacre scene.

"The entire branch of Mara’s family was slaughtered last night. Every adult member. The branch leader – Mara’s father – was among the victims. And now... Mara herself has disappeared."

His purple eyes swept across the shocked faces.

"It’s safe to assume she’s dead as well."

"SHUT UP!"

Bam

Liam’s shout echoed through the chamber, his fist slamming the table.

"She can’t be dead! She was on campus! Protected by professors and the Headmaster himself! Who could possibly kill a student inside the Academy with all those defenses?!"

The other third-years nodded agreement, their faces showing desperate denial.

Adrian just shrugged, his expression showing he didn’t particularly care about their emotional investment.

"You can maintain your delusional hope if it helps. I’m just presenting the facts as we know them."

"Adrian."

Elizabeth’s voice carried warning, her stern look making her younger brother sit back with a sheepish expression.

Gareth leaned forward, his massive hands folded on the table.

"The real question isn’t Mara’s whereabouts – we can investigate that. The question is why her entire family branch was eliminated. That level of coordinated violence against a Noble house suggests significant cause."

Micheal Thorne spoke for the first time, his golden eyes thoughtful.

"I have an assumption about that."

Arielle gestured for him to continue.

"Everyone remembers Mara’s feelings towards Damian, correct?"

"..."

Deafening silence filled the room as every council member recalled that moment.

The hatred in Mara’s eyes, the venomous expressions and the barely controlled rage.

Gareth shook his head immediately.

"You’re not seriously suggesting Damian is responsible for this? He doesn’t have the power to slaughter an entire Noble family branch. That would require S rank capability at minimum, probably multiple S rank awakeners working together."

"I don’t know about the family massacre," Micheal admitted. "But consider the timing. Damian returns to campus, and suddenly Mara vanishes. That’s not a coincidence."

Whisper Whisper

The council erupted into debate, everyone talking over each other, denying the possibility while also unable to dismiss it entirely.

Elena Dray, who’d been silent throughout the discussion, finally spoke. Her voice was calm and clinical, cutting through the emotional chaos.

"Knowing Mara’s personality, she was arrogant and vengeful. She would absolutely want revenge for her public humiliation.

She’s a typical Noble with excessive pride, considering commoners inherently inferior. And she always took Nobles’ side whenever conflicts arose in the Academy."

"Don’t talk shit about her!"

Liam’s voice cracked with emotion.

"She’s already missing and now you’re badmouthing her character? She protected us on battlefield missions! She saved my life multiple times!"

The other third-years voiced similar protests, their defensive reactions showing the depth of their friendship.

Elena’s expression didn’t change, her platinum hair catching light as she tilted her head.

"I’m not talking shit. I’m stating observable facts about her behavior patterns. And based on those patterns, she would have complained to her family about Damian since she couldn’t take direct action herself."

She stood and began pacing, her long hair swaying.

"While it’s true that Damian himself couldn’t eliminate an entire Noble branch, everyone seems to be forgetting something crucial: he’s the Headmaster’s disciple. We all confirmed that through our family intelligence networks after the previous council conflicts."

Gareth interrupted immediately.

"The Headmaster remains neutral in student affairs. Our families ensure that through political pressure. And he explicitly doesn’t harm students attending the Academy."

"True," Elena acknowledged. "But he could have been the one who slaughtered the branch family. He wouldn’t harm Mara.

But he also wouldn’t stop his disciple from seeking appropriate revenge. Master-disciple bonds often exceed family ties in importance."

Her grey eyes scanned the room.

"The Headmaster might not have said anything to Damian at all. But Damian, being who he is, would have acted independently.

After all, Mara tried to have him assassinated. From his perspective, eliminating the threat before she could try again is logical risk management. Cutting roots before they can regrow."

She stopped pacing and looked directly at each council member.

"And as for why no one detected Damian taking action? Nothing happens in this Academy without the Headmaster knowing. So how could S rank and A rank professors catch Damian if the Headmaster deliberately allowed it to happen?"

Naomi’s voice came out almost pleading.

"Woah, woah, woah! You’re making it sound like everything happened exactly as you describe. Why are you so certain? You’re making everyone involved sound evil."