Shattered Sanity

(Nine Days After The BlackWeek Massacre, The Imperial Academy, Vice Principal Chadwick’s POV)

*Step* *Step*

Under the cover of darkness, Vice Principal Chadwick moved through the deserted corridors of the Imperial Academy with the caution of a thief, keeping his footsteps light as he approached the servants’ passage near the western wing.

It was well past midnight, and although the Academy remained under heightened security following the massacre, Chadwick knew precisely when the guards changed shifts and which sections of the perimeter were left temporarily unattended.

Having spent several years overseeing the Academy’s administration, he was intimately familiar with its security arrangements, and tonight, that knowledge was sure to prove its value.

He had already packed his belongings into a spatial ring, leaving behind everything that could slow him down, while ensuring that the documents and valuables he had accumulated over the years remained safely within his possession.

’I’ve waited long enough. Every additional day that I stay here is another chance for the Prime Minister’s office to silence me.’

Chadwick thought, as he slipped through a narrow service entrance and entered the gardens bordering the Academy’s outer walls.

Ever since the massacre, his paranoia had grown considerably worse, to the point where he had begun suspecting even the most ordinary encounters, constantly wondering whether someone had been sent to keep an eye on him.

And although he had initially tried convincing himself that he was overthinking things, he had finally reached the conclusion that fleeing the Academy was far safer than waiting to discover whether his fears were justified.

’I know too much about their plans. There is no way that they let me testify at the public hearing.’

Chadwick cursed inwardly, as he concealed himself behind a stone pillar and waited for two patrolling guards to disappear around the eastern corner.

Once their footsteps faded, he hurried across the open ground towards a section of the perimeter wall concealed from the nearest watchtower by an overgrown cluster of trees.

Reinforcing his legs with Aether, Chadwick scaled the wall and dropped silently onto the other side, where a saddled horse stood waiting among the trees.

He had arranged for the animal to be brought there earlier that evening, generously compensating a stablehand under the pretense of undertaking a discreet journey on official Academy business.

Within moments, he was riding south along a narrow woodland trail that eventually connected with the main road leading towards the Southern Province, where he intended to board a merchant vessel and leave the Valdrak Empire behind forever.

’To hell with this Empire. And to hell with the Emperor and his damned investigations.’

Chadwick thought bitterly, as the distance between himself and the Academy continued to grow.

’I’ve stolen enough from the Academy treasury to live comfortably for the rest of my life.

If I somehow manage to make it out, I can definitely start a new life without worries.’

Chadwick smiled to himself, recalling how he had withdrawn a substantial sum from the Academy treasury before leaving, safely storing the money inside his spatial ring.

’I’m not sticking around for some damned Imperial hearing where they’ll question me like a criminal and make me answer for decisions they encouraged in the first place.’

Chadwick muttered, tightening his grip on the reins as he urged his horse onward.

’Let them find someone else to blame. I’ve done enough for those bastards.’

Having finally convinced himself that abandoning everything was the right decision, Chadwick continued riding throughout the night, refusing to stop even as exhaustion began taking its toll on his horse.

By the time dawn broke, Chadwick had traveled a considerable distance from the Imperial Academy, and although several sleepless nights had left him mentally exhausted, he continued riding until his horse’s growing fatigue finally forced him to consider stopping.

’Damn it. Stupid animal needs food and water.’

Chadwick thought, and fortunately for him, he managed to spot a modest roadside inn around dawn, its weathered wooden sign hanging above the entrance while a thin trail of smoke rose from the chimney.

The establishment appeared small and unremarkable, with a stable attached to one side, making it precisely the sort of place where an exhausted traveler could stop for breakfast without attracting unwanted attention.

’Perfect. Somewhere nobody will think to look for me.’

Chadwick thought, as he dismounted and approached the entrance.

A young servant boy emerged from the stable upon noticing his arrival, offering to tend to the horse while Chadwick went inside for breakfast.

"Make sure he gets plenty of water and grain. He’s been riding all night."

Chadwick instructed, tossing the boy a copper coin before entering the establishment.

Inside, the dining room was almost completely empty, with several wooden tables arranged beside a cold fireplace and a middle-aged innkeeper standing behind the counter.

The man had a rather ordinary appearance, with slightly graying hair and a weathered face, and he greeted Chadwick with the practiced politeness of someone accustomed to serving travelers.

"Morning, sir. Looking for a room or something to eat?"

"Breakfast. Hot porridge and two poached eggs, if you have them."

"Of course, sir. Take whichever table you like."

The innkeeper replied, disappearing into the kitchen while Chadwick settled into a chair near the window.

For now, nothing seemed suspicious to him, as he allowed himself to relax slightly, while the peaceful atmosphere of the establishment helped to calm his nerves.

There were no other travelers present, and the innkeeper appeared entirely uninterested in his identity, asking neither where he had come from nor where he intended to go.

A short while later, the man returned with a steaming bowl of porridge, two poached eggs, and a glass of fresh water, placing everything before Chadwick without another word.

"Anything else, sir?"

"No. This will do."

Chadwick replied, immediately beginning his meal.

The porridge was pleasantly warm, and although the food was nothing extraordinary, he found himself enjoying it considerably more than the elaborate breakfasts he had grown accustomed to at the Academy.

Perhaps it was simply the relief of knowing that he had finally taken the first step towards escaping the Empire, but for the first time in several days, his appetite had returned.

Once he had finished eating, Chadwick drained the remaining water from his glass and pushed his chair back, intending to check on his horse before continuing his journey.

However, the moment he attempted to stand, an unexpected weakness spread through his legs.

"Huh?"

Chadwick frowned, gripping the edge of the table as his knees suddenly threatened to buckle beneath him.

For an instant, he assumed that the exhaustion of riding throughout the night had finally caught up with him, but when he attempted to circulate Aether through his muscles, something felt terribly wrong.

His Soul Vessel responded to his command, yet the Aether flowing outward seemed to encounter an unnatural obstruction, leaving him incapable of reinforcing his body or casting even the simplest spell.

’What... what’s happening?’

Chadwick wondered, as his vision began to blur and a violent coughing fit forced him to bend forward.

"Cough! Cough!"

He desperately attempted to circulate his Aether again, but the obstruction only seemed to worsen, as though something had spread throughout his internal pathways and sealed them from within.

Before he could call for help, his legs finally gave way, sending him crashing onto the wooden floor beside the table.

The sound attracted the innkeeper’s attention, and the man calmly emerged from behind the counter, approaching Chadwick without the slightest trace of concern.

"H-help..."

Chadwick managed to whisper, reaching towards him with trembling fingers.

However, rather than helping him, the innkeeper crouched beside his fallen body and carefully reached towards the edge of his own jaw.

To Chadwick’s horror, the man began peeling away what appeared to be his skin, revealing an extraordinarily realistic mask that had concealed his true appearance.

Beneath it was the face of a completely different man, whose cold expression bore none of the warmth the innkeeper had displayed moments earlier.

Chadwick’s eyes widened in recognition of what had happened, although by then his body had become so thoroughly paralyzed that he could scarcely move his fingers.

"The Prime Minister’s office sends its regards."

The stranger said quietly, looking down at him with an expression of complete indifference.

And with those words, Chadwick finally understood that his suspicions had been correct all along.

The people he had feared would eventually silence him had already anticipated his escape, and even his desperate attempt to flee the Empire had merely delivered him into their waiting hands.

’Those... bastards...’

Chadwick cursed inwardly, as his breathing grew increasingly shallow and whatever strength remained in his body slowly began to fade.

’If I die here, nobody will ever know what happened to me. They’ll simply assume I managed to escape...’

Chadwick realized bitterly, as he understood that once the Academy discovered his disappearance and the missing treasury funds, everyone would naturally conclude that he had fled the Empire to escape prosecution.

His reputation would be ruined, and with nobody suspecting that he had been murdered, the Prime Minister’s office would escape scrutiny while the truth remained buried alongside him.

’So this is how it ends...’

Chadwick thought, staring helplessly at the stranger standing over him, as the bitter realization that he had never truly controlled his own fate settled upon him.

As there, on the cold wooden floor of an insignificant roadside inn, he breathed his last breath, wondering whether in the end, his life amounted to anything at all, and if he ever got a chance to live it again, what could he have done differently?