Transmigrated as the Cuck.... WTF!!!

Just that sentence. Only that single sentence.

And Miss Celia stopped talking.

Her lips trembled, but no more words came out. Her shoulders sagged, her gaze fell to the floor, and a crushing silence swallowed. Guilt clung to her like a second skin. She didn't have the courage to lift her head—to meet their eyes.

A suffocating stillness settled over the group. Not a single soul moved. Time felt like it had been forcibly halted, frozen in that one moment. And yet, amidst that silence, it was clear who took the brunt of the impact.

Mia Lancaster.

Cassius's sister.

Her expression… Absolutely blank.

As if the gears of her mind had stopped turning altogether. Her small frame stood motionless, trembling ever so slightly, her arms limp at her sides. Her lips parted, but no sound came.

Her wide eyes were fixed on Miss Celia's downcast figure, staring as if she were trying to understand what had just been said.

Verena, standing beside her, quivered at the sight. Her best friend looked like she had been hollowed out. Slowly, hesitantly, Verena reached out, intending to wrap her in a hug—to comfort her somehow.

But the moment her fingers touched Mia's arm—

Slap!

Mia harshly slapped her hand away.

Without uttering a single word, without sparing a glance, she turned and bolted.

Ran.

Her footsteps echoed louder than any words could.

Verena's breath caught in her throat. She instinctively moved to follow her, but even as she did, there was a hesitation—a flash of pain in her eyes. Still, she chased after her without a second thought.

The rest remained where they were.

Motionless.

Wordless.

Amelia was the first to stir. She walked toward Kaelira, who stood frozen like the rest, and gently rubbed her back in slow circles. Her voice was a whisper, tender. "Did he… did he go to fight some high-ranked monster?"

Kaelira, startled by the question, gave a small nod after a moment's pause.

Then, just barely, a faint smile tugged at the edge of Amelia's lips. "Then… there's still a chance, right? Maybe he survived? Maybe… somehow he's still alive? What if he managed to protect himself?"

Her voice cracked near the end, and her eyes flickered toward Miss Celia with a silent plea—please say yes.

Miss Celia slowly raised her head, her smile soft and unbearably sad. "…That's a beautifully optimistic thought, Amelia."

A beat.

"…But the entity he was facing… it wasn't just high-ranked. It was Rank ★★★★★★★★."

Amelia's lips parted to respond, but nothing came out. The words died. Everyone understood the implication.

There was no surviving that.

Not for someone like him. Unless—by some absurd miracle—he was spared like they had been by the Horde entity.

A sudden noise broke the silence.

Crunch.

A twig snapping under a foot.

Everyone turned their heads instinctively.

It was Evelyn. Her figure retreating, her back to them as she quietly walked away. There was something heavy in the way she moved. Something bitter lodged in everyone's throat at the sight.

A sour lump they couldn't swallow.

"…Tch." A sharp click of the tongue drew their attention.

Art.

He had been silent the whole time. But now, he finally stepped forward, his voice low and steady. "Miss Celia… you haven't found his body yet, have you?"

She shook her head once.

"…I see." Art pursed his lips, clenched his fists. Then, with resolve burning in his eyes, he declared, "Then I'll go find it. I'll search the area myself."

Everyone looked at him, stunned. But he wasn't done.

"You all head to my place. Look through the records, check everything—history books, hidden documents, mentions of Vorr'Kael, anything! There has to be something. While you do that, I'll search the area personally. I'll confirm it with my own eyes—whether he's dead or not."

His last words were firm.

Zyon, who had just opened his mouth to say something, stopped himself. His lips pressed into a thin line as he looked Art in the eyes. The conviction he saw there shut him up.

He chose silence.

Art turned next to Kaelira, his expression now sharp, his tone clipped. "You saw it, didn't you? What happened there?"

Kaelira flinched slightly but nodded, composing herself. Slowly, steadily, she recounted the events she witnessed. Everything. Every last detail.

Art listened carefully, his jaw tense, his hands curled into fists.

As soon as she finished, he didn't waste another second.

With a single step, he conjured a portal. Pale light bloomed into existence as it spiraled open.

No hesitation.

He stepped in.

His destination?

The academy.

While Art went on his search, Miss Celia turned to the rest of them.

"Do you want to visit his place?" she asked casually. "I won't stop you. With his parents currently… elsewhere, he has full control over Alaris. Which, by extension, gives him authority over Rose Academy. And, well, me too."

Zyon groaned and rubbed his temples. "Yeah, I'm going. Might as well, you all too." he muttered, then looked at the others. "Unless any of you have something better to do?"

The others exchanged glances. No one objected.

Zyon sighed, "Right, so Miss Celia, just teleport us. Evelyn needs some alone time to process what has transpired while Cassius's sister has her friend… we can leave them alone."

He turned his eyes to Kaelira next, his voice more measured. "And you, Miss Kaelira… I suggest you take refuge for now. You're not from Alaris, are you?"

Kaelira gave a slow nod, her dark lashes fluttering slightly. "No… I'm not. And I think I'll follow your suggestion. But…" she hesitated, then glanced down for a second before looking back up, her voice quieter, more unsure. "If I may… I'd like to ask something presumptuous."

Zyon tilted his head slightly, intrigued. "Go ahead."

Kaelira cleared her throat, clearly uneasy under the attention. "Can I join you all in searching his residence? Cassius was… looking for something in the library—something important. I'd like to continue that search."

"We didn't find anything," she added quickly, "but… it felt like there was more."

Zyon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Cassius was researching something? What, exactly?"

Kaelira bit her lip, clearly debating how much to say. Her fingers tightened around her sleeves. "It had to do with his element… Amethyst Lightning. While helping him, we stumbled across a hidden path in the library. At the end of it… we found a sealed chamber. And inside was a man."

"A man?" Zyon repeated, his tone turning sharper.

"Yes," she nodded. "A man who looked just like Cassius. But also different… They had the same hair and eye colour."

Silence fell. Even Miss Celia, who had been downcast until now, suddenly took a step forward, her eyes wide with something close to desperation. She grabbed Kaelira's shoulders a bit too tightly.

"You're telling me… you found someone who looked like him?" Her voice dropped, low and urgent. "Did he give any details? Anything at all?"

Kaelira flinched at her grip, taken aback by her intensity. "Miss Celia… if you don't mind, I'd rather keep some things private for now."

Celia's expression darkened. Her grip tightened, fingers digging into Kaelira's arms. There was a flicker of something feral in her eyes—a sharp, frantic glint that wasn't like her usual composed self.

Zyon stepped in smoothly. His voice was soft, but there was a dark undertone beneath it. "Miss Celia… you're hurting her. Please behave."

The malice in his tone wasn't subtle.

Celia glared at him, but after a tense pause, she clicked her tongue and released Kaelira. "Fine," she muttered. "But she'll have to reveal everything eventually. If not now, then later. This isn't something children should carry alone. I'll give her time—until she's ready to speak clearly."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and walked away from the group.

Zyon waited until she was completely out of sight before turning back to Kaelira. "Miss Kaelira… if you're willing, could you share the rest with us?"

She nodded slowly.

And then she began. She spoke of the man—his uncanny resemblance to Cassius, how he didn't speak with words but with thoughts, how the world itself had rejected his presence.

"He said he was trapped for millions of years," she finished with a faint frown. "I… I'm not sure if that's true. But that's what he claimed. He was annoying, honestly. Very boastful. Didn't give any helpful information."

The group fell into a tense silence.

Zyon clenched his fists. "We need to investigate. There's no other option. Are you all going to join or not?"

Celeste crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "I still don't trust her," she muttered, "but… I'm interested. I'll come."

Leon, who had been unusually quiet, scratched his cheek nervously. "Uh… guys? Am I invited to this?"

They all turned and stared at him like he'd just said something heretical.

He gulped under the pressure, shrinking slightly.

Zyon rolled his eyes but smiled faintly. "Yes, Leon. You're invited."