NOVEL WEB Chapter 22: It’s All Your Fault
[Heartbreak on Campus: Freshman Dante Eliv, Son of Esteemed Military Leader, Found Dead at Rezen Academy]
[Rezen Academy Under Fire: Dante Eliv’s Death Prompts Calls for Policy Review]
[No Statement Yet: Commander Remains Silent on Son Dante Eliv's Tragic Death at Rezen Academy]
It was Monday morning when the ripple effect of Dante's death spread worldwide. Many articles had already been written over the weekend, but because the academy hadn't officially made any statement, they were only seen as rumors. When the academy chose to inform the students of Dante's death, it became inevitable that the news would travel outside the academy.
In a way, it was a calculated move from the academy to ensure a much softer blow when the official announcement came the following Monday. Instead of a surprise, many news outlets and people would only be 'confirming' what they'd already suspected. Of course, this didn't mean the blow would be non-existent.
I was more worried about how the commander would move in this situation, but because Sunday went by without any major incident, it was at least evident he wouldn't come after me. Unlike everyone else, he would've been informed about the incident the same day the body was discovered, and because he hadn't made any move, it meant I was still safe. The 'small clash' between Dante and me was already known throughout the whole academy, so I would rightfully be seen by the students as a potential cause of his suicide, or to the more informed; a suspect in the murder.
Today, I woke up a little earlier than usual to monitor how the internet would respond to the official announcement. When the announcement came at around 05:00, it caused an uproar among the netizens. The kingdom of Elondale immediately 'responded' within an hour of the announcement, sending out prayers to the commander and his family and to the people of the Empire.
What a joke.
It was obvious what they were trying to do, but because I couldn't really do anything about it, I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind. After exhausting a few more articles online, I started to prepare for class and immediately left the dorms. Everything went as it normally did, but when I reached the classroom building, an unexpected person was waiting outside. Unlike the students walking past her, she was wearing a red suit with a black overcoat on top. When she spotted me, she immediately started to approach me.
"Hey, do you have a moment?" Eliana asked in a low tone, causing me to scrutinize her face as I responded,
"Did you need something?"
She paused as if taken aback by my lax attitude and a somber expression replaced her face as she said,
"It's about the incident. W-well, I'm not saying it's your fault or anything, but did you talk to him again after the voting ended?" She seemed to be choosing her words carefully, but even with that, I could tell what she was thinking.
"No, I didn't speak to him," I replied in a deadpan tone. Whether or not I talked to Dante after the voting didn't really matter. Although he was still a kid at heart, he was mentally strong enough to handle that level of stress. The outburst he showed when he realized we rigged the votes came from his inexperience, rather than his mental state of being. But to Eliana, she seemed to think that what we did might have been what led to his death. At my words, she seemed a bit relieved as she replied with an even softer tone,
"I see..."
"Then, I will be going." I walked past her and tried to continue my way to class.
"W-wait," she muttered in a low tone. One would have mistaken it as Eliana talking to herself, but because I knew her so well, I stopped and half turned to face her.
".."
She seemed surprised that I stopped but could only look down without meeting my gaze. The Empire's Scarlet Arsenal. Working with her was sometimes exhausting, but I never once hated her for it. Insecurities hiding behind insecurities; a perfect mask for an imperfect human. Looking at her in this state, I wondered about her past. How a low-borne like herself came to hold the Bloodthorn family name. I hope she doesn't end up hating me for this. I let out a sigh as I spoke up,
"I don't know what you're thinking, but this isn't your fault."
"I know. But because of what we did... Because of that-" she tried to retort, but couldn't even find the right words, causing me to interrupt her.
"Well. If he couldn't handle such a small loss, then maybe it was good riddance-."
Before I could even finish my words, I could feel a small lump in my throat. I looked down, only to see a sword floating in front of me, pointed directly at my throat. I didn't panic and turned my gaze toward Eliana on the side, who was glaring daggers at me.
"Take that back." She said in an intimidating tone, or at least that's what she thought.
How childish.
"I refuse. No, actually. I take it back." I spoke in a casual tone as I looked at her straight in the eyes. I could feel the corners of my mouth creep up into a smile, while Eliana, on the other hand, looked at me confused. I raised my hand and pointed a finger at her as I said,
"You're right. This is your fault."
Eliana's eyes widened at my sudden change in attitude, and I could feel the sword on my throat dig deeper. I smiled through the pain as I turned my head to face her, causing the sword to slide through my neck. I could feel my hot blood dripping down my shirt, but I ignored the feeling and took a step forward, approaching her. She seemed surprised by this as she took a step back, and it was then that another scoff escaped my lips as I said once again,
"Dante died because of you."
"N-no, that's not true," she tried to speak through hushed breaths as if breathing was becoming more difficult. She bit down on her lower lip and looked down with a defeated expression. I continued to approach her as I spoke,
"Ah, yes. I guess you're right. As a professor, you won't even have to take responsibility for it. Must be nice."
She immediately grabbed the collar of my shirt on instinct as she shouted.
"D-don't talk to me like that!"
This caused a lot of students around us to focus their attention on the two of us. But I didn't care as I retorted,
"Or what? Will you try and kill me again?"
She flinched at those words, and I could feel her grip on my shirt weaken. She then fully released her grip as if only noticing the gazes around us. As if finally fed up with this, she walked past me, heading toward the entrance, but I quickly grabbed her hand.
She didn't resist and turned around to look at me, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. My heart skipped a beat as I saw this; it was the first time I'd seen her cry. Why was she like this? What changed in the future? Multiple questions popped up in my mind, but I didn't dare say any out loud. What I needed to do right now was simple.
I pulled Eliana closer to me, wrapping my arm around her in a soft embrace, causing her head to fall on my shoulder as a pained cry escaped her. Even as I tried to comfort her, I never took back the harsh words I'd said to her.
This should be enough to motivate her, but...
If this somehow ends up breaking her even further, then we might have a big problem on our hands. But if it ever came down to that, then I would gladly take my life if it meant saving hers; she was just too valuable to lose. However, I personally thought she was overreacting to the current situation, but then again, I wasn't a good judge when it came to things like this.
To grieve for a person you know nothing of is a foreign concept to many, but the few that do so, to me, have a very special mind. A mind that can accurately replicate the suffering of other human beings and take the emotion as if it were their own; empathy. It wasn't a sign of weakness but of understanding. To myself and others who cannot fully comprehend it, facing such an emotion head-on was a symbol of strength itself.
Maybe that's why she'll forever be stronger than I am.
A forced smile appeared on my face as I looked at the sky.
Maybe with time.
Maybe with time.
